Table of contents for 3rd April 2019 in MCN

Things you would never say: “Oh good, it’s raining; and really dark and really cold, I think I’ll get the bike out and go for a long ride.” Of course, us motorcyclists brave all of the above, because we have to, especially in the UK when even the sunniest of days can suddenly turn un-sunny. But our fondest riding memories, seldom include torrential rain or murky conditions when grip was as easy to find as a Theresa May supporter! There seems to be an almost natural reaction to the sun. The BBQ comes out, the bike is brought out of hibernation and jobs that have been put off for months get done (maybe). It’s just easier to do stuff when you can see what you are doing. With British summertime…

No stranger to creating magical one-off motorbikes often with ‘doubled-up’ engines, Berkshire bike-building genius Allen Millyard has done it again with this fantastic 698cc Velocette V-twin. Created at home in his garage in just eight weeks, and following previous Millyard masterpieces such as his V12 Kawasaki Z2300, five-cylinder Kawasaki KH and six-cylinder RC374 replica (made using two Yamaha FZ250R engines), the bike is Allen’s imagining of what a Velocette V-twin from the 1930s might have been like; if the Birmingham firm had ever made one. And the end result, based around two 1950s singles, looks so good it could easily have come from the pages of a 1930s Velocette catalogue. “I like to think of it as the bike Velocette should have made for the 1939 Earls Court show,” Allen…

With member numbers swelling to 9000, the #Ride5000Miles Facebook group is going from strength to strength and almost 20% of members live overseas. So we decided to find out what it’s like to live and ride, on foreign soil, on a daily basis. We caught up first with Malcolm Kinsley. Originally from the UK, he’s lived in LA for the last 20 years, is a fan of everything on two wheels and spends time exploring on his Triumph Tiger 800 or taking part in trackdays on his Aprilia Shiver 750. Invited to join #R5K by his British biking buddies, Malcolm averages 10,000 miles a year and enjoys the camaraderie, helpful tips, banter and seeing others share their riding stories and pictures within the group. He’s shared many of his riding…

It’s the time of year when the bike industry traditionally raids the daft ideas bin to see how many unwitting punters they can fool into thinking there’s a hoverbike on the way, or an aqua-bike fit for the Amazon or a leaning motorcycle with three wheels... ah, hang on, wait a minute… Top ‘April Fool’ marks went to Triumph who announced the upcoming Rocket TFC’s accessory range would include a set of small but powerful jet engines that could be fitted in lieu of standard exhausts. As each was allegedly capable of adding 500bhp, the pair of afterburners would push the Rocket’s horsepower in excess of 1150bhp. This extra power, Triumph claimed, would ‘boost the top speed of the bike significantly’. ‘iRace lets you lap the TT just seconds slower…

Honda’s new CRF450L is a great trail bike but in standard trim its uses are limited. But Yorkshire based Adventure Spec have spotted its potential and designed a whole range of products to toughen it up and expand its horizons into a true all-day capable adventure bike. Starting at the front, there’s a brand new mini-fairing which bolts straight onto the top yoke and is home to mounting points for a GPS (using the standard AMPS mount), 12V socket and heated grip switch. The fairing costs £89. Moving back, Adventure Spec have also designed some much-needed protection, most significantly a 4mm-thick aluminium bash plate, which helps save the engine from the rocks and flying debris that would slip straight through the frame’s double cradle or puncture the bike’s standard plastic…

Readers Dave and Karen Carr The Ride Christchurch to Christchurch, via the whole of the South Island, New Zealand When to do it January to March Miles 3300 Time required Three weeks Don’t miss this “Jetboat ride in Queenstown. Also, the Sharkboats with water jets driven by a motorcycle engine.” SCENERY The scenery is just breathtaking with blue sky everyday bar one. THE BIKE Our KTM was shipped from the UK for £1650 with two forms to fill in. EASY LIFE We did Air bnb all the way. This one was on a farm out of town. SHARKBOATS Don't miss these! They are powered by bike engines too. THE TRIP SEND US YOUR TRIP PICS EMAIL YOURPICS@ MOTORCYCLENEWS.COM…

I’ve been thinking about wings and how they would work on the roads and it’s really interesting. I think maybe they could work at the TT as there are so many corners taken at high speed, especially up on the mountain. If you had the wings working and pushing the front end down, helping grip and improving your confidence, it’d be mega. ‘WHAT’S IN THAT BOX UNDER THE DUCATI’S TAIL? SANDWICHES?’ I’d love to try them and do a test with them, but you get so many conditions at the TT you can have five seasons in one lap, so it may not always work out as you’d expect. They’ve certainly got them working well in MotoGP. The Ducati looks incredible with those massive wings! And they must work otherwise…

It’s Britain’s best road test route. A tough 250-mile mix of A and B- roads, a stretch of motorway, plus plenty of towns, villages, blind corners, ballistic straights, and a huge range of grippy to slippy tarmac. There are two cafés, an off-road section for adventure and trail bikes, track time at Silverstone for sportsbikes, and Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground and the dyno for hard and fast data when needed. You want answers? We’ve got ’em. ‘I must have looked a fool but left that Mondeo for dead’ 1 Which Ninja is it? There are six ZX-10Rs for 2019. The base model is the £14,499 ZX-10R KRT Replica, the ZX-10R SE adds Showa semi-active suspension, Marchesini wheels and ‘self-healing paint’ for £19,149 while the ZX-10RR is the homologation special with…

There is nothing quite like the sensation when you get the revs up and everything starts to click. Your concentration is heightened and you enter a world were all that matters is threading the needle of tarmac ahead. For some very brief moments on the B4525, I entered this world. The brutality of a ZX-10R accelerating on full-chat in its first few gears on the road takes your breath away as the roadside furniture flashes past in a blur. It is an addictive shot of adrenalin and the sound of that inline four screaming out of the fruity Akrapovic coupled with the sensation of the whole world going into reverse is what makes so many of us turn to litre bikes when they really aren’t the sensible option. You can…

If you are into classic Nortons, you will know the name Mick Hemmings. In fact, you will almost certainly have either raced against him, bought spares from him or asked him to rebuild one of your engines. For 50 years, Mick has been heavily involved in the world of Commandos, Dominators and all things Birmingham-built. Born and bred in Northampton, having left school in 1959 to follow a career as an apprentice for TT rider Joe Glazebrook, Mick then worked for Andre Baldet’s dealership before chancing upon a written-off low-mileage Commando in 1969. “I wanted to race a Norton,” Mick remembers, “I was offered a Manx, but I decided to rebuild the Commando and race that instead as it was a more current model.” Doing all his own tuning, Mick…

Simplicity at its best Single LCD display contains lots of handy info, including gear position and a fuel gauge, and is adjusted with buttons on the clocks themselves, leaving the switchgear clean and simple. Adjust on the move Clicker switches on top of the Husky’s 43mm WP forks let you adjust the rebound and compression damping by hand, even while riding, if the mood takes you. Flat-track inspiration The 18in front wheel is flat-track styled and is shod with knobbly Pirelli MT60RS tyres. The single disc brake gives huge stopping power and would stoppie with ease if it weren’t for the ABS.…

• Although appearing to be largely standard FZS600 Fazers, the team have made a number of changes to cater for learning the art of wheelies. • The standard clocks and headlight have been removed, there’s a set of stronger aftermarket Renthal bars and a pair of lighter headlights. • To cut weight, one of the front discs and calipers have been removed. For protection, a crash cage surrounds the engine and chassis. The bikes use standard engines and gearing to ensure tuition can be translated to other conventional road bikes. • For a larger contact patch, rear tyre pressure has been dropped. No extra weight has been added to the rear, but there are two thin rods which protrude from the number plate bracket. Designed to touch down during wheelies,…

1 ABS systems get a little tricky First, a word of warning. This is a guide for bikes without ABS. The process of bleeding a brake with ABS is fundamentally the same, but is more complex and will require access to the ABS control unit. The best advice concerning anything to do with ABS will come from either a qualified technician or supplying dealer. 2 Low fluid often means low pads Check the thickness of the brake pad material. Low fluid levels can mean that the brake pads have worn down below the specified service limit. Depending on the type of pads the minimum friction material level will be between 1.5mm and 1mm thickness. Remove the caliper and turn it upside down to get the best view of…

Bruce Anstey, who has been battling cancer, made a surprise appearance during the Milenco Padgett’s Honda shakedown tests of 2019 at Castle Combe and Silverstone. The Kiwi rode a CBR600RR alongside Conor Cummins and new Padgett’s team-mate, Davey Todd. “I was talking to Bruce on Monday night and told him I would throw his bike in the van if he fancied coming down and having a go,” said team boss Clive Padgett. “I got a message saying ‘get the tyre warmers on’ and Bruce appeared. He rode some laps and it put a smile on his face.” Cummins, who is beginning his fourth season in the team’s colours, rode his 2019 Fireblade superbike at Castle Combe and the stocker version he will race in the British championship at Silverstone. Todd,…

Jack Miller has set his sights on a factory Ducati MotoGP ride for 2020 after a strong weekend in Argentina saw him come home in front of factory rival Danilo Petrucci. Fully aware Petrucci is on only a one-year deal with the works team, the Aussie is keen to impress the factory bosses in Bologna sooner rather than later. “We’ve being performing well all season and just need to keep it going a bit longer, especially with the contracts starting to run out now. But my main goal is still to get on the podium, and to be honest I’ll be happy if there are three Ducatis on the podium.” ‘This should be the new normal, to be in the fight for the podium’ And, after being well and truly…

With spring now in the air and the tarmac temptingly grippy, the Late Night events at Krazy Horse’s Empire House have returned; a sure sign the riding season is just around the corner. A hugely popular series of bike nights on the first Thursday of every month, it’s not uncommon for thousands to turn up filling car parks, verges and bits of pavement for miles around. The first Late Night of the year is April 4, and is Flat Track night so Sideburn magazine and the Dirt Track Riders Association (DTRA) will be there too, displaying an array of race machinery alongside the Indian Scouts of Krazy Horse’s own race team. There’s even a competition for the best flat track bike. As ever the café will be open and a…

Online pre-orders have now opened for Yamaha’s much-anticipated new Ténéré 700... and frenzied demand briefly overwhelmed the website. Yamaha have created a dedicated website through which prospective owners can order a machine, with details passed on to a local dealer. The first batch of bikes will be delivered in July on a first-come, first-served basis, so anyone who wants one for summer needs to get their order in quick. As an added incentive Yamaha are also offering an exclusive online price of £8399 (+OTR) for those who order before July 31. After that deliveries re-commence in September at the normal price of £8699 (+OTR). It’s no surprise the Ténéré 700 is proving popular. Its 698cc CP2 parallel twin engine is well-liked in both the MT-07 and Tracer 700, while the…

‘The battery is smaller but has double the energy’GIAMPIERO TESTONI This year sees the introduction of the electric MotoE series at selected MotoGP rounds kicking off in Germany in July, providing they can get through the season without burning the paddock to the ground, it will be fascinating to see the bikes’ progress. It’s a one-make series with all riders competing on identical bikes supplied by Italian firm, Energica, and while there is a perception it’s more marketing ploy than a prototype race series, there have already been tech learnings before they’ve really turned a wheel in anger. Energica’s Chief Technology Officer, Giampiero Testoni, has told MCN that MotoE is driving development of a new generation of electric sportsbikes. “The Ego Corsa MotoE bike started out as an Ego road…

Boasting the biggest test fleet in Europe, the Devitt MCN Festival is the only place where you can ride 2019 bikes from all the major brands back-to-back. All you need to do is go to the show, head to the Black Horse Finance Manufacturer Zone and book a test ride. Don’t forget your licence and helmet. It’s that simple. Here’s the list of bikes confirmed so far with more being added all the time: • BMW R1250GS • Honda CRF1000 Africa Twin DCT • Honda CBR650R • Triumph Speed Twin • Triumph Scrambler 1200XE • Kawasaki H2 SX SE • Kawasaki Z400 • KTM 790 Adventure R • KTM 1290 Superduke GT • Ducati Multistrada • Ducati Diavel 1260 *ALL FESTIVAL TEST FLEET BIKES CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO…

Stripped-down café racers offer the purest of riding experiences but few entertain like the new flat track-styled £8899 Husqvarna Svartpilen 701. Weighing just 158.5kg dry it’s BMX-light, has flawless low speed manners and acres of knee-friendly legroom, but get it out of town and it’ll display the kind of tough playfulness in the corners and mono-wheeled lunacy down the straights, that would make a supermoto proud. If you enjoy the slightly unhinged side of biking, you’ll love the Husky. It’s up there with the Ducati Hypermotard, Yamaha MT-07 and Bimota DB6 (how’s that for an obscure reference?) in the fun stakes and is as insane as an MT-10 or Aprilia Tuono, but at lower speeds. What is it? Husqvarna are historically best known for their off-roaders, particularly in the 1960s…

This little beauty joined us on the MCN fleet a couple of weeks back and its first outing was a blast down to the Super Sausage for our #ride5000miles Saturday Social. So far so jolly, except for the blustery grip of Storm Gareth. Winds gusting up to 70mph will take the shine off any weekend jaunt, especially when you get walloped by a broadside as you nip past a field opening or pass a truck. The joy of a new bike aside, I wasn’t feeling that positive as I flipped open the garage door. But the trip was bloody brilliant. I’ve not ridden a bike with clip-ons in ages but the way the CR tucks you in away from the wind blast meant there were no issues in keeping everything…

THE STUDENT Marcus Coxhead, 49, Northants Husqvarna 350 rider Marcus did a bit of motocross years ago, but now uses his Husky for green-laning, and enduro tours. Marcus’ riding problem “I’ll be out trail riding with friends when I come up against a big obstacle and I don’t feel confident enough to just tackle it head-on.” THE TUTOR Michael Guy, 46, MCN sports editor Michael’s riding career started in trials, aged ten. He still competes in enduros and trials and is also a fast road and track rider. Michael’s action plan “We’ll focus on forward planning, and slowing down as much as possible to be in a position to evaluate and tackle the obstacle.” THE LESSON 1 Get the approach right Michael uses a couple of sleepers to introduce…

‘I’m going to keep it until I can’t ride it anymore’ As a member of MCN’s #Ride5000miles Facebook group, Robin Doughty says buying his first big bike, this Honda CBR650F, has been key to him smashing his 5000 miles target. “When I joined #Ride5K I owned a CBF125, could only manage 100-mile trips and thought reaching the 5000-mile target would be impossible. Then, one day, I thought, ‘Sod it, I’ll take my full test and get a brand new big bike.’ I’d never owned a new bike before but thought that after all the problems I’d had with my 125, it was about time I treated myself to a new toy.” After passing his test on a Honda CB650, Robin headed to Motorcycle Live to try out a few models…

Ever since the surge in popularity of adventure bikes in the early Noughties these two-wheeled SUVs have grown ever-more sophisticated, versatile... and expensive, with BMW and KTM’s latest now nudging £20K. But that also means there are plenty of older, used examples around with lots of capability and appeal for as little as five grand – here’s our expert’s pick of the best and what you should look out for. MCN BEST BUY £2995 BMW R1200GS 1170cc | 100bhp | 850mm seat height • Dealer up to £4591 • Private up to £4100 • This one 2005, 97,306 miles Not many bikes are disruptors, but the R1200GS changed the landscape when it arrived, killing sports-tourer sales, as a genuine all-rounder that could tour and hustle through bends. It wasn’t…

The third round of the 2019 World Superbike championship at Aragon in Spain this weekend marks a return to Europe after Australia and Thailand where Alvaro Bautista took the new V4 Ducati to a perfect score of six wins. World champ Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki picked up as many second places, marking his longest losing streak since he started racing the green bike in 2015. ‘Rea’s worst losing streak since 2015’ Bautista knows Aragon like the back of his hand and finished seven of his nine MotoGP races there inside the top ten while in 2013, on a Gresini Honda, he fought Valentino Rossi hard and just missed the podium. Making matters worse for his rivals, he and Chaz Davies tested the Ducati V4 superbike at Aragon a fortnight ago…

Valentino Rossi says his spectacular second place in Argentina on Sunday reminded him why he keeps racing and why he wants to mount a serious assault on the 2019 MotoGP title. The Italian pulled off a textbook overtaking manouvere on compatriot Andrea Dovizioso on the last lap to grab the runner-up spot which sets him up to continue his consistency of recent years. Rossi’s fifth place finish at the season-opener in Qatar means he now lies third in the title table. But the nine-time world champion says he’s taking each race as it comes, not thinking too far ahead and trying to remain level-headed as his Yamaha M1 continues to shows signs of improvement compared to the last couple of seasons during which he and team-mate Maverick Viñales struggled to…

John McPhee was lucky to escape unharmed in Sunday’s Moto3 race after contact with Alonso Lopez left both in the gravel trap. Blame initially fell on McPhee but the Scot was quick to give his version of the circumstances leading to the collision. The Scot told MCN that after being hit by Lopez in the previous corner he arrived at the turn with a severed brake line, leaving him with no way to slow down. However, having proved he has the pace to lead the race, McPhee is confident he can convert that into a strong result next time out in Austin.…

Jorge Lorenzo endured a weekend from hell with many factors conspiring against him. He struggled from the off in Sunday’s race after accidentally selecting the pit lane limiter on the grid and consequentially going into turn one in last place. Then, a ripped handlebar grip left him struggling to control the Repsol Honda. Still on the road to recovery from a broken wrist and no fan of the Circuit of the Americas, he says his goal remains a proper start to his season in Jerez. He finished 12th on Sunday and he was 13th in the opening race of 2019 in Qatar.…

Alex Rins salvaged an impressive result in Argentina, making his way through to fifth place despite starting way back in sixteenth. Admitting afterwards that his poor qualifying cost him the chance of fighting for the podium, the 23-year-old continues to show front-running pace onboard the Suzuki and headed home from Argentina pleased with his progress. “I think we had an incredible race, but we missed out on the podium due to poor qualifying. The track was slippery and it was easy to make a mistake so overtaking wasn’t easy but we did a good job. It’s difficult to explain what happened in qualifying, because both the team and I gave our best, but we made some small changes for the race and they worked.”…

Lightning have unveiled the Strike; a new electric bike that’s got the looks, the tech and starts at a very sensible price. This could well be the machine we’ve been waiting for. Lighting have been going since 2009 but until now they’ve only sold the LS-218, a high performance electric superbike with the price to match. The Strike takes what Lightning have learned developing the LS-218 but wraps it up in a more affordable package. The standard model is powered by Lightning’s new liquid-cooled AC induction motor (it’s a big twist and go), which produces 88bhp and a whopping 180flb of torque. Paired with that is a 10kWh battery and a 3.3kW onboard charger that can be plugged into public chargers, but it is best suited to an overnight charge…

Launched in 1998, the R1 was the pre-eminent sports bike in motorcycling’s golden era. With a stacked gearbox, 150bhp and 177kg, it moved the game on from the original Fireblade. And while the latest, £35K ‘Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing’ R1 is available to just 20 well-heeled owners you can still lay your hands on a used but still very capable R1 for less than £3000. 2019 R1 GYTR What is it? A halo bike that celebrates the R1 with just one hand-made bike for each of the 20 years that Yamaha’s Supersport missile has been in production. MCN says “This new, exclusive litre-bike has been draped in quality parts to help make it a competent track-centric missile.” Want to buy one? £35K www.yamaha-motor.eu/gb/en/ 2015 R1 What is it?…

The Metropolitan Police have made 15 arrests after a week of action on moped crime, with one offender even handing themselves in after seeing their face publicly displayed. Over 30 people appeared in the Met’s rogues gallery, with many linked to violent moped-enabled crimes including street robberies. The Met’s week of action saw two vans driving around London displaying mugshots of the wanted suspects. They also had an appeal on the BBC’s Crimewatch Roadshow. The Operation Venice team, which tackles moped crime, has since made 15 arrests. “I’m very pleased with the results of this operation so far,” said Detective Inspector Steve Brownlee. “By putting these images of offenders directly into the public domain we’ve extended our reach, thus gaining information and intelligence useful to our investigations which we might…

Thousands of classics fans descended on the South of England Showground in Ardingly, Sussex, on Sunday for the season-opening 2019 South of England Classic Motorcycle Show and Autojumble. The Queen’s Jubilee Show Hall held 200 of the most desirable classic and vintage bikes in the country where one of the highlights was the Norton Owner’s Club stand, who were celebrating both the 70th anniversary of the Dominator and their own 60th birthday. Renowned Norton rider Rex Butcher, who raced Dominators in various forms, was drafted in for cake cutting duties with fellow racer Dave Degens starring in a Q&A session hosted by ex-Classic Bike Editor, Brian Crichton. ‘It’s always good to go home with some rusty bits’ As if looking at all the incredible bikes wasn’t enough, there was also…

At 17, I had my first bike: a Suzuki TS100ERX and as you do, it was eventually sold to make way for a different bike. Some 36 years later we bought a wreck of the same model and after a two-month restoration, the bike that started my riding addiction was finished and looked amazing. My husband, Kevin Atkinson and our friend Shawn Murphy brought this little beauty back to life and it's probably better now than it was out of the factory. We took eight bikes with us to the Manchester Bike Show with the TS as star of our stand. It was a real hit, stirring memories for people who had them as kids. Over the weekend we had an unofficial #ride5000miles meet and Jon Ashley, Russ Menzies, myself…

‘TOO FAST’ ROB ADAMS Age 71 Height 6ft 2in Current bike BMW R1200GS TE and Harley Iron 1200 Been riding Since 17 “I got back into biking after a 40-year break and there is no way I’d trust myself on something like the Ninja. I’ve owned fast cars and while there is no doubt that the Kawasaki is a fantastic machine and an unbelievable piece of technology, it’s too much for the road.” ‘TOO CRAZY’ JOHN PERRY Age 67 Height 5ft 10in Current bike KTM 790 Duke and Honda VFR800Fi Been riding 50 years “I’m past the crazy stage of my life and that’s why the Ninja simply doesn’t appeal. I bought the 790 Duke recently and it has everything I want; modern technology, more than enough power and it…

The things that make the Ninja such a success on track, namely its firm suspension and focused riding position, work against it on the road and the result is a compromised ride. And while the two-stage nature of the engine’s power delivery means it can be ridden gently, that kind of defeats the point and you’re left feeling a little unsatisfied and inadequate as there is obviously so much more on tap. But dial the power in with full force and you’re left in genuine fear for your licence as it picks up speed with a ferocity that feels out of place on UK roads. On the right road, for brief adrenalin-fuelled moments, it’s a buzz, and on track the Ninja will be sublime, but for the rest of the…

1 First contact “I don’t deal with whole bikes, only separate engines as I don’t want to get involved removing and replacing rusty parts,” he says. “And don’t call before 10.30am or after 5.30pm, I’m retired!” 2 Incoming “The only thing I insist is that the parts are clean when they arrive, Angie hates getting her hands dirty.” 3 Strip it and suss out a plan Mick strips and assesses every part before deciding on the right course of action. 4 Outsourcing certain jobs Mick insists on using local firms or British engineering companies that he has been working with for years for specialist jobs, such as re-boring or putting in new valve seats. 5 Rebuild Virtually every nut and bolt is changed alongside bearings,…

‘One rumour says Hells Angels took the bikes’ It’s 50 years since arguably the most influential motorcycle movie of all time was released. Easy Rider hit cinema screens in the summer of 1969 and became a global smash, eventually grossing $60 million from its paltry $360,000 budget. The movie, starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson, became a cult classic and kick-started the custom chopper craze. The image of Fonda riding Captain America is one of the most iconic in motorcycling and has led to claims that the bike is now the most famous, and certainly the most copied and argued over, in the world. The movie tells the story of two drug dealers (Fonda and Hopper) and a drunken attorney (Nicholson) who ride around the American south west…

If the chunky darkness of the Svartpilen doesn’t appeal, there is a brighter way to enjoy the package: the Vitpilen 701, or White Arrow. Boasting the same frame and 75bhp from the KTM-derived engine, with equally revised fuelling, different exhaust and air-box and an improved gearbox with Easy-shift quickshifter, it shares the same heart, lungs and brain of its darker cousin. The big difference is the use of clip-ons and less light-absorbing paint. The plush suspension is soft enough to take on the harsh city environment, and the rider aids and ABS-assisted Brembo brakes keep everything controlled when the pace increases. The seat’s quite high at 830mm and also fairly wide, so anyone under 5ft 5in might struggle. The riding position feels natural, but when the fuel light comes on,…

‘I’ve wanted to be able to do this since I was 16’ A wheelie is the oldest motorcycle trick in the book and I’ve wanted to be able to pop a decent one since I first threw my leg over a bike aged 16. After seven years of riding, I was still unable to pull one off, which is where the team at I want to wheelie come in. Set up in 2001, they’ve taught thousands of motorcyclists in the art of safe wheelies at Finmere Aerodrome, transforming timid riders with no experience into one-wheeled acrobats after just a single £200 day of tuition. No licence is needed, just competence on a motorcycle. I’m among eight people at today’s school, with modified FZS600 Fazers shared between the group. Placed on…

‘It’s enough to keep you busy on the bike’ Thanks to its great scenery and quiet roads, Dave Jackson loves to ride his BMW S1000XR on his favourite route, especially when he’s joined by his mates. “Our favourite part is the A338 from Hungerford to Wantage,” he says. “The well-maintained roads, long sweeping bends and mix of blind crests and apexes, make it complex enough to keep you busy on the bike. There’s not much room to relax but nothing too crazy to get you worried. “We always take a detour from the route, to go home via Loomies, on the A272 at West Meon. It’s a great bike meet and they do great sausage sandwiches.”…

DANGER ZONE Don’t attempt to lift the front too early, if it drops before or into the obstacle, you face a rather abrupt and painful stop! 1. EVALUATE IT As soon as you can see an obstacle, decide if you can see enough information to tackle it, or if you need to stop to take a good look. 2. SLOW IT DOWN Almost come to a stop so that speed isn’t robbing you of control. Select a gear that will allow you to pop the front wheel up. 3. LOAD THE FRONT As you approach the obstacle, roll off to load the forks slightly. As they rebound you have much more control to lift the front. 4. WHEELIE ON As the front rebounds, add throttle to lift the front wheel.…

New Aprilia General Manager Massimo Rivola insists the team’s protest against Ducati’s swingarm spoiler at the opening race of 2019 was important for the sport, despite having their appeal rejected by the FIM Court of Appeal. A former manager of the Ferrari Formula One team and very familiar with the politics of motorsport rule-making, Rivola is adamant that the decision to protest, one that has drawn considerable ire from MotoGP fans, was in the best interests of the sport. Seeking not to punish but to clarify the rulebook, Rivola says that going to court was the only option. “My actions were to show that what we have right now is not adequate and what happened afterwards with Honda showed that we were right. They presented the same device as Ducati,…

‘Before the race I asked if the celebration dinner was organised’ Marc Marquez says he went into the Argentine Grand Prix with a point to prove after the dramas of last year’s action-packed race and delivered on his promise by delivering a knockout blow to his title rivals. Leading from start to finish to eventually stretch the gap to his biggest-ever dry race winning margin, it means that the reigning champion has buried the demons of his triple penalty in last year’s race and moved into the lead of the title standings. Speaking after the race, he admitted that he had a point to prove: “What happened last year didn’t affect me during the race, but this morning I asked the team if tonight’s celebration dinner was organised. I wanted…