Table of contents for 21st August 2019 in MCN

I was there last year. Soaked. Cold. Painfully aware of my ever-more restless family’s growing sense of disappointment. By midday it was clear that nothing more exciting than a safety car was likely to smash some laps in around the drenched Silverstone tarmac. Resignation overtook us, and we drifted home feeling like Christmas had been cancelled and someone had nicked the turkey. It’s easy to be flippant and brutally bold about attributing blame or heaping on the scorn, but the team at Silverstone were crushed by the events, and have worked relentlessly over the last 12 months to ensure that – whatever the weather – there will be a MotoGP spectacle to remember in 2019. The biggest part of their commitment has been the full resurfacing needed to give us…

Elvis Presley’s last ever motorcycle is up for auction next week when it is widely expected to set a world record if it reaches its upper estimate of £1.6 million. The 1976 Harley-Davidson FLH was the last bike the King bought and covered just 126 miles in his care before he died three months later. Elvis had the machine delivered to his Graceland home and had it repainted in a custom scheme before ultimately selling it to a local Harley dealership. From there it ended up with Tony Rakowski, who purchased it for around £20,650 but didn’t own it for long before swapping it for a car with Dave Geisler, the owner of the Pioneer Auto Museum. Since then it’s spent the last 30 years in a glass case in…

‘We have tried everything you can think of’ ‘Cars will know when a motorbike is coming’ ‘Connected tech is future’ Protection used to be a dirty word – and still is in some quarters – but galloping technical innovation has transformed the protective bike-wear market from fuddy-duddy fluorescent Sam Browne belts to a new dawn of airbag tech that’s now creeping into ever-flashier everyday bike kit. But what will the next major advance in rider protection be? To find out, MCN headed to Asolo, Italy, for a special meeting with Gabriele Mazzarolo, President and CEO of Alpinestars – the company founded in the foothills of the Alps in 1963 by his father Sante – to find out how airbag technology is changing – and what the future of bike protection…

Long-standing R5K member Philip Weston has topped 160,000 miles aboard his five-year-old Triumph Tiger 800 over the last five years. He’s also president of the Iron Butt UK Association and covered a mammoth 3200 miles in just nine days top to the 160k mile mark. The 69-year-old told MCN: “I just like riding my bike. The destination can be anywhere, it doesn’t matter. I’ve always been a bit of an adventurer and I never like to go to the same place twice.” His latest mileage milestone came after a 2100-mile trip to Brno for the Czech round of MotoGP, followed by a 1100-mile ride to Scotland. The Bristol-based building site manager has already ridden 13,000 miles this year on three bikes with his Tiger, new in 2014, bearing the brunt…

Big bores Expect a glut of bigger-capacity versions of existing bikes as firms claw back lost power – more torque is a bonus. OBDII Euro5 was intended to bring OBD II, a step up from Euro4’s OBD I, to monitor emissions kit, but its introduction is being delayed. VVT Variable valve timing systems are likely to spread fast to allow valve duration and overlap to change with revs. Turbos or superchargers Euro5 encourages forced induction as it reduces reliance on high revs for getting power from small engines. Catalytic converters Cats will get bigger and be moved nearer the head so they get to operating temperature faster. It isn’t hard to find naysayers preaching gloom about tightening emissions laws but the reality is that they tend to spur development, creating…

• Approximately £15k raised for Make-a-Wish charity • Over 1200 miles covered • BarbersRide has been running since 2017 • Sign up for the 2020 ride at www.barbersride.com…

Reader Paul Tennant The Ride Aberdeenshire to Armoy for the racing When to do it July Miles 903 Time required Four days Don’t miss this “A93 Braemar to Pitlochry: more ups and downs than your average rollercoaster. A2 Antrim coast road: beautiful scenery, sweeping bends, good surface, little traffic.” BANDIT ON TOUR Ballycastle to Muff then back to Ballycastle and Ballymoney for a pint of the black stuff at Joey’s Bar GREAT RACING Top marks all round. Michael Dunlop et al must have cajones the size of watermelons! HAVING A PINT A well earned pint with a bit of food and what else would you have with a surname like mine? BALLYCASTLE Brilliant roads, little traffic, a mixture of beautiful and awful weather, plus some tremendous ‘craic’ from the friendly…

HONDA 250 DREAM Me on my first bike, a Honda 250 Dream, in 1981. The bike (and the hair) had to go when I joined the RAF soon after. Martin Llewellyn YAMAHA RD250 Not my first bike (that was a CB125) but I soon upgraded for more speed to an RD250 with acebars and rearsets. Nigel Stevens TRIUMPH TIGER 100 This was my 1961 Triumph Tiger 100. It was 500cc, good for 100mph and pictured with me back when I had hair. John Stroud YAMAHA PW50 Dan Hulse Having some fun on his Yamaha PW50 HONDA XR125 Here is my son Callum with his first bike a Honda XR125. He is sitting his test soon. Good luck Callum! Greg Johnston TRIUMPH TIGER 100 Here I am aged 21 camping at…

The £3000 difference in price between the Ténéré is immediately obvious: the Adventure R’s modern TFT-style dash has lots of riding modes and trip info and displays it well with KTM’s traditional menu system. The numbers are a bit small, and the plastic scratches easily, too. The Yamaha’s dash is a cheaper LCD screen but with no engine modes to worry about it’s big, clear and uncomplicated. It’s nicely set just below the rider’s eyeline, too, mounted high up in the cockpit, rally road-book style.…

‘At least I’m not having to pick gravel out of my ears now’ James Whitham is one of those riders whom it’s impossible to find anyone to say a bad word about. Daft as a brush and instantly likable, James is the voice of Eurosport’s coverage of both British and World Superbikes, using his encyclopedic knowledge as well as his sharp wit to gently mock his fellow commentators. But don’t let his jovial outlook on life lull you into thinking he wasn’t a fiercely competitive rider, this Brit has won on the world and domestic race scene, held his own against the ‘axe murderers’ in the heyday of the World Supersport championship and even fought off cancer. “It’s funny, but I only spent three years on a supersport bike and…

‘The engine revs likeademented bumblebee’ A couple of months ago we tested Zontes’ adventure-styled T310 and came away pleasantly surprised. It was well-equipped and rode nicely, not just for a Chinese bike, but for any A2 licence-friendly machine; and all for just £3999. This is its sister: the R310 roadster and it’s the best Zontes yet. Unburdened by swathes of bodywork it’s nippier, more fun and even cheaper, costing just £3849. Powered by a perky 34bhp, 312cc single cylinder, dry sump motor, the engine revs like a demented bumblebee all the way to its 9000rpm redline, making it livelier than your average, droning, generator of a single cylinder learner lump. Tucked-in, laying on the tank with the devil on your shoulder the R310 is good for over 90mph, but at…

‘It was a bike to be ridden – a rider’s bike’ In every generation of bikes there’s a game-changer, a machine that resets the dial and sticks two fingers up to the status quo. At the tail-end of the 1990s that machine was Yamaha’s radical new YZF-R1. In the same way that Tadao Baba and his team redefined everything riders understood about sportsbikes by concentrating on power and weight with the 1992 FireBlade, Project Leader Kunihiko Miwa had reinvented the superbike with the R1. “In 1991 and 1992 I was working on the development of the YZF750R and YZF1000R ThunderAce, which I was project leader for. While we were developing these bikes, behind the scenes there was talk about a new machine, a 1000cc inline four that would be the…

RYKA’S CAFÉ BIKE MEET, BOX HILL, DORKING, SURREY AUGUST 21 ‘A brilliant blast to Box Hill’ The weekly Ryka’s Café meet offers an ideal evening of wheel-kicking and burger eating. Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Surrey Hills and surrounded by miles of amazing roads, it’s an ideal spot for a get-together. The Route Head for Leatherhead on the A24 and take the first exit on the A246 through East Horsley. Join the A25, then at Shere turn onto Upper Street and through the country lanes to Ewhurst. Left on the B2127 through Forest Green; when you see the sign for Leith Hill turn left and follow through to Coldharbour. Tree-lined and narrow, the road takes you through to Dorking and on a final blast on the…

‘Bautista in big-money Honda move’ ‘Redding crew chief to WSB with him’ Scott Redding is set to be announced as Chaz Davies’ team-mate at Aruba Ducati for the 2020 WSB season, MCN can reveal. In a dramatic twist, the BSB title contender takes Alvaro Bautista’s place as the Spaniard moves to Honda, while Eugene Laverty rejoins SMR to race the BMW. As MCN went to press, an announcement confirming the switch was imminent, however Redding was unable to comment when questioned about the move, that could also see BSB crew chief Giovanni Crupi – mastermind of the V4 Panigale – move with him. MCN has learned that Bautista has put pen to paper in a big-money Honda deal as HRC releases its new Fireblade for 2020, expected to follow the…

Tommy Bridewell has become the third Ducati rider to confirm a Showdown position for 2019, with his Cadwell Park results confirming he will fight for the title with Josh Brookes, Scott Redding and three others to be revealed at Oulton Park. Bridewell’s Showdown appearance will be his first since 2015 with Tyco BMW as he and the Oxford Racing team continued their work with the latest Ducati swingarm they first raced at Thruxton a fortnight ago. “I underestimated the amount of work we needed to do at Cadwell,” the ever honest Devizes man told MCN. “I thought it would easier from earlier in the weekend. Setting-wise, there was no specific direction. We almost ended up going around in circles until we found something. “All weekend I was struggling to get…

Scott Redding was furious following a Race 2 DNF in which Andrew Irwin took the Ducati man down for the second time this season. The clash came at Park Corner when Irwin, who apologised at great lengths both in person and later on Twitter, lost the front in an impossibly late overtake. Following some choice words trackside, Redding’s overriding emotion was disbelief when he spoke with MCN later in the afternoon. The incident with Irwin followed not just their Silverstone incident, but also another close call at Thruxton last time out, after which Redding warned the Northern Irishman to calm down. ‘It’s frustrating that he keeps doing it but isn’t learning from it!’ “I couldn’t believe it had happened again,” the uninjured Redding said with a smile on his face.…

Jorge Lorenzo will be hoping to redeem himself both and off the track when he returns from a broken back at this weekend’s British GP. So far this year Lorenzo’s dream team union with Marc Marquez at Repsol Honda has turned into an injury-hit nightmare. The Spaniard has suffered a series of painful and confidence-sapping crashes while struggling to adapt to the Honda RC213V, and to date in 2019 he has not scored a single top ten in seven appearances. The worst of several big tumbles came during FP1 in Assen, when he suffered a double fracture in his back. Lorenzo had to abort a planned return after the summer break in Brno, but the triple MotoGP world champion has still been causing a stir in his absence. While recuperating…

Finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow might be easier than seeking out somebody in MotoGP that loves Silverstone more than Maverick Viñales. One of his career highlights came three years ago in Northamptonshire when he won his first MotoGP race on Suzuki’s GSX-RR. That breakthrough success was also notable for being Suzuki’s first premier class win since Chris Vermeulen in a rain-lashed Le Mans race back in 2007. But it also placed the Spaniard in an exclusive club as the only rider in history to have won races in 125cc, Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP. Speaking exclusively to MCN, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider said: “My first MotoGP win with Suzuki was one of the best moments of my life. I’d had 18 months where it…

A local property developer has revealed plans to transform the burned-out Hartside Café into a luxury bikers’ home from home. Until a devastating fire in March 2018 the café was a popular Cumbrian biking venue thanks to its remote location and amazing local roads. But now it’s set for a phoenix-like revival and transformation. “We are bringing the site into the 21st century,” Langwathby-based developer, Dawn Dixon, told MCN. “We want to put an amazing structure there. It will be glass and steel and it will be polished concrete inside.” Located on the A686, near Alston, the venue was initially put up for sale in November 2018, after locals attempted to raise sufficient funds to see the original café reopen. This new plan, should it be approved by Eden District…

Bluetooth-based communications systems for bikers – such as the ability to answer urgent calls on the move – could be banned as part of a proposed crackdown on drivers using hands-free mobile phones at the wheel. The move is being considered by the Transport Select Committee in the House of Commons, which is calling for a public consultation on the issue before the end of the year. Members also want stiffer penalties for the use of hand-held devices and more police enforcement to tackle offenders. “Despite the real risk of catastrophic consequences for themselves, their passengers and other road users, far too many drivers continue to break the law by using hand-held mobile phones,” said committee chair Lilian Greenwood MP. ‘Any phone distracts from a driver’s ability to pay attention’LILIAN…

“Alpinestars and other companies brought protection to riders and racers who didn’t know they needed it,” says Gabriele. “Everything is so much more protective now and much of this has come through racing. Some riders are very receptive to this, like Marc Marquez, and riders of this generation see this as normal. Some use it because they are forced to, but the products are much more protective because of this. It is up to us to develop new products and keep pushing the market to adopt them. “Alpinestars could not exist without racing development. Racing is a way of thinking, the shorter version of life is a sport, and this is what drives our development. I don’t think we would exist without being so close to racers because we have…

Peter Fonda, the star of the iconic motorcycle film Easy Rider, has died aged 79. Fonda had a long and varied career, however it was his depiction of Wyatt in the cult 1969 road movie that he was arguably most famous for. Riding a Panhead chopper in the American desert, sideburns and floral shirt billowing in the wind, Fonda’s character was a lightning rod for the youth of the day. The film was a portrait of the death of the American dream and stuck two fingers up to the Hollywood mainstream. An Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay followed (Fonda co-wrote the film with director and co-star Dennis Hopper) however the President of the Motion Picture Association saw to it that they didn’t win after saying: “It’s time we stop…

The promise of good food and somewhere welcoming to rest awhile is all we ask of destinations, but sometimes there’s more on offer than simple respite from the open road. This week we take a jaunt to the south coast, where a trundle through the New Forest leads us to the Bashley Manor Tearooms and the delights to be found on its doorstep. We take the scenic route in, leaving the A31 at Picket Post for a ride across open moorland via Burley. It’s a 40mph limit most of the way, but with ponies roaming and some fantastic vistas to take in there’s no need or desire to rush. The tearooms are located in the same complex as Sammy Miller’s motorcycle museum, so it’s a good idea to allow a…

‘Yamaha is classic sit-up-and-beg off-road style’ 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 for sportsbikes, and Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground and the dyno for hard and fast data when needed. You want answers? We’ve got ’em. 1 Mounting excitement As we top up tanks at the start of the ride, the KTM and Yamaha look like Laurel and Hardy parked at the pumps. The Ténéré is tall and thin, with its petrol cap almost at chest height. The Adventure R is shorter and wider, so although…

1998 Yamaha YZF-R1 4XV Claimed power: 150bhp @ 10,000rpm Claimed torque: 79lb.ft @ 8500rpm Claimed weight: 177kg Why you should care: Redefined what was possible in terms of power, weight and handling. Set the blueprint for sportsbike design. PRICE THEN £9199 PRICE NOW £4500 Powerplay A vertically stacked gearbox allowed the R1’s motor to be not only compact at 81mm shorter than that a Thunderace lump, but also 9.5kg lighter than the previous T’Ace engine. The R1 also debuted ‘electrodeposited ceramic surface’ technology. Rather than iron liners pressed into the barrels, a new casting process allowed Yamaha to use light alloy barrels to not only shed weight but also make the engine more compact. Holding it together Thanks to increased torsional rigidity provided by the single casting of the…

The beefy Diavel is a serious head turner. It’s big, butch and takes me totally outside of my bike-riding comfort zone – but it’s also been a slow burner. Now with 2500 miles under my belt, I’m happy to say that I’m now a firm fan of the muscular, twin-cylinder beast. I’ve recently moved house and my daily commute has doubled so I’ve had more chance to improve my riding technique and put the Diavel through its paces. It’s definitely a bike that favours sunny conditions and I’ve spent recent summer mornings enjoying the ‘long way round’ to the office. So I thought now was just the right time to pick out some of the Diavel’s favoured areas – and also those I’d prefer to change... 1 Engine performance…

THE STUDENT Morris Bagnall, 55, Manchester Morris returned to riding seven years ago, owns a Triumph Tiger Explorer and is a fan of long solo trips both at home and abroad. Morris’s riding problem: “I’ve no confidence leaning the bike over anymore. I got injured in a cycle crash last year and that’s always in the back of my mind.” THE TUTOR Mark Edwards, Rapid Training Former police motor cyclist Mark’s been teaching people to be safer, better, faster riders on the road for the last 20 years. Mark’s action plan: “Confidence isn’t all in the mind; there are practical, positive steps you can take to boost your feel when tackling bends.” THE LESSON 1 First, an assessment After checking his bike and tyres for mechanical reasons for a…

‘It will lift the front in first and second’ You can’t keep a good man down and MCN reader Nigel Hobson is a perfect case in point. “I bought a Yamaha RXS100 as cheap transport when I was 17 and spent most of my time trying to tune the damn thing - I used to get 75mph out of it, which isn’t bad for a 100cc two-stroke. One morning I hit some black ice and ended up shattering my femur - I was sitting in the road wondering why I only seemed to have one leg before I realised the other one was actually hanging back over my shoulder.” That particular incident did little to dampen Nigel’s passion for two wheels though, and it wasn’t long before he was riding…

What can you get for £1500? You could buy a pointlessly-large TV, a flash watch or an iPhone Xs Max (yes, folk really pay £1500 for a phone). Or you could buy an amazing motorbike. There’s not really been a duff new bike in the last 20 years, and society’s fondness for new means the used market is chock-full of desirable, proven metal for eye-rubbing prices. There’s so much affordable temptation... £1350 HONDA FIRESTORM 996cc | 214kg | 105bhp | 810mm seat height • Dealer up to £3000 • Private up to £2500 • This one 1998, 15,000miles If you want a focused V-twin sportsbike buy a Ducati. If you’d prefer a flexible, high-quality, usable, real-roads V-twin then get a FireStorm. There are loads about, starting at less than…

1 Get clued up about compression Checking the compression on an engine is an essential part of fault diagnosis. You are measuring the efficiency of the piston and rings and bore as they compress the air/fuel mixture. Worn rings or a damaged piston will give low readings. Check the workshop manual for the specific procedure for your bike, and the correct compression values. 2 Things get heated Warm the bike up to its normal operating temperature; this is necessary because the piston and rings, along with the wall of the cylinder, will expand with the heat and give the correct clearances. Once up to temperature turn the bike off and start to remove parts in order to gain access to the spark plugs so you can conduct the…

Former World Champion Danny Kent has narrowly escaped jail after pleading guilty to carrying a knife in a public place, but in light of the conviction has promptly been sacked by his MV Agusta BSB team. The 25-year-old winner of the 2015 Moto3 world championship, who has been competing in the British Superbike series on an MV Agusta, admitted to being in possession of a knife in a public place, after being caught with the six-inch blade following a scuffle with a man in a carpark in Tetbury, Gloucestershire on March 7. In a hearing at Cheltenham Magistrate Court last Wednesday, Kent received a four-month suspended prison sentence, following pleas from his solicitor that a custodial punishment would prevent the young racer from attending race meetings. However, following news of…

Smiths Racing’s Peter Hickman still remains outside the top six, albeit by a single point. The TT specialist suffered two crashes early in the Cadwell weekend due to technical problems but was delayed during qualifying by MV Racing’s Gino Rea and fought from 11th on the Race 1 grid. He sits just one point behind Andrew Irwin and will look to take advantage of the Honda Racing rider’s back-of-the-grid penalty at Oulton Park. Xavi Forés is only a further four points behind Hickman thanks to 14th and ninth positions at Cadwell. Unable to reap the rewards of a fine second place on the grid was Buildbase Suzuki’s Bradley Ray; his bike broke down on the Race 1 Warm-Up lap, leaving him last off the Race 2 grid before crashing on…

Tarran Mackenzie winced his way through the weekend with the broken wrist he sustained at Thruxton now screwed and plated. Although worried he wouldn’t be able to ride at all, the McAMS Yamaha man qualified 17th then salvaged 13th and 12th in the races. He’s now fifth in the standings with two weekends to recover before Oulton Park. “The goal was to score at least one point, so to get seven is good,” admitted Mackenzie. “I lost a few points to Buchan and Hickman but, other than that, I am happy as I wasn’t expecting to ride. Seven points could make the difference for The Showdown. We’ll get the wrist working normally and hopefully I can ride with two arms at Oulton Park!”…

Hello and welcome to MCN’s Silverstone MotoGP special. I’m so looking forward to having a British Grand Prix this year and to see the new surface, which I’m hearing excellent things about. It was a huge disappointment last year, it was so desperate for the fans and it was awful for everyone who loves our sport. MotoGP is in my DNA. Even when I stopped covering it for a few years I still followed it intently and remained in touch. When I went to cover F1 everyone asked me about MotoGP – but when I came back to MotoGP, only Valentino asked me about F1! In MotoGP every single person loves the sport and I find everyone very helpful. We’re all trying to do our jobs to the best of…

Danilo Petrucci has an enduring love affair with Silverstone. His first win with Ducati was in the FIM SuperStock race in 2011 and then four years later a career first MotoGP podium with second place in the British Grand Prix. That 2015 Silverstone podium behind rain master Rossi highlighted Petrucci’s sublime wet weather skills and set him on the path to his current factory Ducati gig. “I have some great memories of Silverstone,” Petrucci said. “I like the long fast corners and the hard braking areas. And I like it because the weather is always unpredictable. In mixed conditions or wet I always like Silverstone. In fact, everybody says that I am the only Italian that likes the English weather! “I’m not really that happy when I have ride a…

YAMAHA TEAM VALENTINO ROSSI ‘Hopefully I can be fighting for the podium at Silverstone’ ‘I don’t really know any rider that doesn’t like Silverstone’ Valentino Rossi contests his 24th British GP this weekend in the midst of his worst season since his doldrum years at Ducati. So will Silverstone give him a chance to score his first podium since April’s US round? Four successive podiums at the British GP, including a famous wet weather win in 2015, mean the veteran is optimistic he can end a barren run of eight successive races without a podium since his second in Austin. “I like Silverstone a lot – it’s a fantastic track; a bit old style, so you have a bit of everything,” says the nine-times world champion. “Also, it’s very long…

The FTR1200 has been one of the most hotly anticipated bikes of the year – especially the Race Replica with its FTR750 styling. So hotly anticipated, in fact, that the RR is all but sold out. But skip straight over the middle-of-the-road S to the stocker and not only will you grab a blacked-out speed machine, you’ll save yourself £2200 in the process. But should you? All important The important bit is that the FTR’s headline performance figures remain unchanged. The standard model comes with the same 1203cc V-twin as the S and Race Replica, with the same peak power figure of 118bhp. The frame, too, is exactly the same, as are the wheels. Instead it’s with the suspension where you start to see changes. Where the S and RR…

Kawasaki’s latest all-singing, all-dancing Versys 1000 SE GT has been winning friends in 2019 with its cornering ABS, traction control, riding modes, cruise control, panniers and top box. But its 1043cc inline four can trace its lineage back to the Z1000 of the early Noughties, and if the Versys SE’s £15k price is a little salty there are plenty of older bargains swimming around in the gene pool that could be worth diving in for. 2019 VERSYS SE GT What is it? Versys 1000 SE now also comes in Tourer and GT forms, all with electronic suspension and colour TFT screen making it the most advanced Versys yet. MCN says “Offering grip, stability and ride quality, the electronic set-up is hard to fault in all riding conditions.” Want to…

Frontline police officers have called on local volunteer groups to help recover stolen motorcycles and scooters and then to return them to their rightful owners. Under a new arrangement, if a police force hears of a stolen bike that’s been abandoned but don’t have the resources to send an officer, they will ring an organisation like London-based BikerBiker to recover the machine. “We go and get the bike and then call 101 to let the police know,” Shane from BikerBiker told MCN. “Then the police call the rightful owner and ask them if they want us to return their bike free of charge. It’s great because it frees up officers to go and do other things. You don’t want the police standing around for an hour waiting for a vehicle…

Spy pictures have emerged of Royal Enfield testing a brand new version of their classic Bullet single. The Bullet is the mainstay of the Indian brand, having been in continuous production since 1948. The new version was spotted undergoing testing in India and, although retaining its classic style, has inevitably been modernised and appears to take some clear ‘learnings’ from its recent 650 twins. For a start, the engine is brand new, with an external appearance much closer to that of the 650 twin. Given the company’s requirements for smaller displacement machines, particularly for the vast domestic Indian market, we imagine capacity has remained at 500cc but it’s likely the new single will be oil-cooled just like the twins. The bottom end of the new engine also appears to be…

A band of big hearted biking barbers raised at least £15,000 for charity on an epic five-day tour of England and Wales last week. After setting off from Liverpool on Sunday morning, the troupe of tonsorial philanthropists rode an almost circular 1200-mile journey, finally arriving in Lytham St Annes on Thursday to a great reception. Known as the BarbersRide, this annual event raises funds for good causes by linking together several of the nation’s most famous barbers shops via some of the best motorcycling roads the country has to offer. This year’s chosen charity was Make-A-Wish, an organisation that grants life changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. No costs are taken by the organisers, meaning that the charity will receive 100% of all donations. ‘The charity will receive 100%…

Nice to see Jon Urry’s article on buying back and riding his dad’s old Velocette Venom and the rewarding experience of riding an old British bike (MCN, August 7). I went from a 175 Bantam to a Venom clubman when I was 17. It had a semi-close ratio gearbox, TT carb and BTH magneto, so it was a bit quicker than your average example. Come the summer, fairing, chainguards, lights and dynamo off and a Dodkin reverse cone megaphone exhaust on. Fabulous! I now have a Yamaha SRX 600 in the garage, same thing really as bits fall off it but the brakes are fantastic. I love the sound and feel of riding big singles. MCN Star letter Write something that spikes our interest, and you could get selected…

You could never imagine what happened to the British GP when it was abandoned last year. You just couldn’t believe it happened to a circuit of that calibre. They got it wrong, but Silverstone have taken the criticism onboard and got the right people in to fix it. ‘WHEN YOU RIDE BUMPS ON A TRACK IT GIVES YOU A BUZZ’ You can’t argue with the pedigree. Silverstone is the heart of British racing, one of the most famous tracks in the world and we’ve seen some incredible races over the years, going back to Sheene and Roberts in 1979. I know they’ve done a lot of work to get rid of the bumps and while I understand the reason behind it and I’m sure the MotoGP guys are going to…

The Adventure R and Ténéré 700 do the same job very differently. The KTM is faster, handles better, goes further in more comfort (screen aside) and is higher spec’d. An expert rider will get more out of it. But it’s not as pretty and costs £3000 more. The Ténéré is slower, softer, but confidently conventional for average off-roaders, with a simple usability that eludes the KTM. It’s an affordable entry-level adventure bike, but also handy day-to-day. And the winner? The one that suits you best, but the Ténéré is hard to beat on value alone. With an equivalent PCP deal, the Yamaha is less than half the monthly cost of the KTM. £11,999 KTM 790 ADVENTURE R £8845 YAMAHA TÉNÉRÉ 700 RATINGS ★POOR ★★AVERAGE ★★★GOOD ★★★★VERY GOOD ★★★★★EXCEPTIONAL…

2002 YAMAHA YZF-R1 ‘It was a far better package’ Yoshikazu Koike Project Leader 2002 Yamaha YZF-R1 “The 2002 YZF-R1 was designed to feel like a 600 with a 1000cc engine. We could’ve got more power from the motor, but instead we targeted balancing the chassis and engine and that’s why we decided 152bhp was enough – 160bhp was achievable, but it would have ruined the bike’s natural balance. This was a key design criteria. “When exiting a corner the injection system delivered very smooth and controlled power, like a carburettor. As this R1 was more track focused, this feeling of control was very important. We wanted road riders to feel in control of the R1’s power, and give a sensual throttle response. The 2002 R1 was designed to extract a…

A1.8-litre, mono-perched, naked cruiser, which full of fuel weighs the same as two Yamaha MT-07s, might not be everyone’s idea of biking nirvana, especially with a £22,349 price tag. But ridden in the right environment, the new Indian Springfield Dark Horse is quite a thing. The Springfield (named after the birthplace of Indian in 1901) gets a light update for 2019, including selectable throttle maps (Tour, Standard and Sport) and a rear cylinder that cuts at tickover in the heat (when ambient temperature exceeds 15 degrees), to stop it roasting you in traffic. While the standard Springfield is caked in chrome, has a pillion seat, screen and a 16in front wheel, this Dark Horse version has a blacked-out engine, exhaust and cycle parts, a smaller front mudguard and a snazzy…

There are plenty of colleges up and down the country that run Welding and Fabrication courses, so just get onlne and track down your local course. They are generally held on one evening a week for three hours over a period of 12 weeks and afterwards, if all goes well, you gain an EAL Level 1 Award in Introductory Welding. Costs vary, but expect to pay in the region of £400 for a full course.…

GET A GRIP Tyres are critical for road feedback. If yours are old or OE, consider a fresh set of the latest generation of tyres. 1. ENGAGE BRAIN Entering a turn without a plan can make you insecure. Start thinking about a turn as soon as you see it. Make a plan. 2. VISION UP Don’t look down to the road surface, even if distracted by damp. Look as far ahead as possible, trusting your peripheral vision. 3. GET IN GEAR Too-high a gear affects how a bike turns, making it run wide. Not being able to turn tightly will make you feel disconnected. 4. SOAK UP THE VIBES Hang loose, be relaxed, loosen your grip and feel through the footpegs. Your bike ‘talks’ to you all the time. Listen.…

‘People forget it’s a brand new bike’ ‘I’ve just got to keep on keeping on’ ‘There’s no copy and paste trick for set-up’ When Chaz Davies returned to the top step of the podium at Laguna Seca last month, it was like a light bulb lit up within the Welshman. Finally, the 32-year-old was back to the winning ways we’d all become so accustomed to over the previous four years. Not long after the first red lights had gone out on the 2019 season in Australia, it was very apparent that Davies’ campaign was all but a write-off. He’d been injured again pre-season and lost valuable testing time on the new Ducati Panigale V4 R. Not only that, but new teammate Alvaro Bautista was making the rest of the field…

FS-3 Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan clinched an emotional second career victory at Cadwell Park on Sunday to move to within a whisker of an elusive Showdown position ahead of the all-important Oulton Park round. From fifth on the grid, Buchan stormed past his rivals in Race 1 as Josh Brookes tried his best but was unable to overhaul his rival. ‘Now using his head’, as one team member described it, the 26-year-old played the points game as the second encounter headed toward the chequered flag. “After my win at Knockhill I didn’t really take it in, so I promised myself that I’d soak it up the second time,” Buchan laughed. “I don’t know how long that victory lap took but I really enjoyed it! Amazing. I would have loved to win…

‘After the injury my desire to get back was bigger than ever’ Cal Crutchlow says he will savour every second of Sunday’s British GP after fearing he may never get the chance to race in front of his home crowd again. The gritty Brit is still in ceaseless pain from the serious right leg and ankle injuries he suffered in a petrifying 150mph crash in practice at Phillip Island’s fearsome first corner ten months ago. On-going nerve damage in his ankle means it’s a less tortuous exercise tearing around the world on a 270bhp LCR Honda than it is to get out of bed in the morning or play in the garden with his three-year-old daughter Willow. The physical and mental trauma experienced during his rehabilitation though has only strengthened…

‘You must be aggressive and really push the bike to its limit’ Does the perfect lap exist in MotoGP? The one where you’re so in the zone that man and machine work in such perfect harmony and unison that you reach nirvana on two wheels. Not at Silverstone, according to Marc Marquez, who arrives in Northamptonshire hunting a first British GP success since 2014. Marquez adores Silverstone. Its fast, technical, wide and long layout is one of the most severe tests for mind and metal on the calendar, and provides the unique challenge the reigning World Champion thrives on. Speaking exclusively to MCN, Marquez, who arrives in the UK looking to build on a commanding 58-point lead in the standings, said: “Silverstone is one of the most difficult tracks on…

Three years after Suzuki’s historic win at Silverstone, Alex Rins rebuffs the theory that he’s under pressure to repeat that success at the 2019 British Grand Prix. But can the Hamamatsu squad recreate the victory by Maverick Viñales and the Suzuki GSX-RR at Silverstone in 2016? A win which came in just the second year of a Suzuki comeback after a three-year hiatus from MotoGP? Viñales, now at Yamaha, carved out a 3.4s win over Britain’s Cal Crutchlow (Honda) back then to end Suzuki’s long losing streak. This year Spanish speedster Rins, 22, has also emerged as a Suzuki MotoGP race winner with his classy debut victory at CoTA in Texas. But he says he’s unfazed by the expectations created from that victory and from Suzuki’s 2016 Silverstone win. “I…