Table of contents for 4th December 2019 in MCN

A new electric scooter from car-maker SEAT could go in sale in the UK if response to this concept machine is positive. The Spanish firm’s ‘e-Scooter’ has a 7kW motor and is designed to be equivalent to a 125cc petrol-powered machine with a claimed range of 71 miles and a top speed of 62mph. A UK spokesman told MCN: “We’ve already had a positive response and that is really helping us with a decision (to bring it to the UK).” Although no price has yet been decided, it’s expected to be priced to be affordable to attract younger riders.…

Canadian traveller, Zachari Boucher Blouin, has posted a picture of himself with Ewan and Charley – along with cameraman, Claudio von Planta – in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. The team are filming a new TV series called Long Way Up, which set off from Ushuaia, the southernmost town in South America on Harley-Davidson LiveWires back in September, headed for Los Angeles. San Juan is 3230 miles from LA, but they’ve already found their way around the ‘impassable’ Darién Gap.…

A shortlist for the prestigious Torrens Trophy has been announced. Peter Hickman, Scott Redding and Triumph Motorcycles have been shortlisted for the award which is presented by the Royal Automobile Club. Hickman is the outright lap record-holder at the TT and won three races at this year’s Isle of Man, while Redding won the BSB title at his first attempt and Triumph have had a strong year after supplying their 765cc triple engine to the Moto2 series. Previous winners include Jonathan Rea, Shane Byrne and James Toseland. An expert panel of judges will decide the winner, who will be presented with the coveted award at a glitzy ceremony early in 2020.…

Solidarity with cyclists I was sad to see The Missenden Flyer taking a pop at cyclists, even within the tongue-in-cheek nature of ‘Blog-Off’. Speaking as one of your readers who enjoys life on two wheels both with and without an engine, those of us who use the roads for recreation need to stick together. If the cycle-haters get their way and succeed in restricting bicycle use on our roads then restrictions on motorbikes will soon follow. Peter Collyer, email Hodgson's such a gent After spending all day shaking hands, posing for selfies, and chatting to everyone who came to say hello, the brilliant World Superbike champion, BSB champion, MotoGP rider, and top TV presenter that is Neil Hodgson took the time to call my wife Deborah at home and wish…

1988 “It all started when I was ten years old. I watched the Dakar on TV and I pestered my parents for a bike of my own. They always said no but eventually relented and bought me a trials bike” 2013 Lyndon raced at Dakar with his dad Robin as his mechanic, finishing in the top ten on one stage, which was the best British result since 2001. 2014 With a special KTM 690RFR bike adapted for long-distance travel Lyndon set out on Races to Places, intending to take 18 months to ride around the world. 2019 Having actually taken five years to do it and managing to squeeze in 11 races on virtually every continent, Lyndon arrived home to native Yorkshire.…

I LIKE • I really like the triple. It’s one of the main reasons I got the bike. • I love the looks, it’s a soft but aggressive looking bike. • It’s a comfortable ride and well suited to the kind of riding that I do. • The versatility – it’s capable of tackling both a road and dirt track in the same day, which opens up both worlds to me. I DON'T • Switch for the heated grips is very small. • It dives too much under braking. • The OE Bridgestone tyres are not the best. Loaded topbox makes • the front light. • There was too much play in the gear lever, but I solved that with a SW Motech item. QUICK SPECS •800cc •94bhp •221kg •840mm…

Don’t be put off by a few scratches... Our local Yamaha dealer has recently taken delivery of his new Ténéré 700 demonstrator (later than he hoped as Yam have been selling every one that comes into the country). It’s only been out a few times, but the black plastic side panels are already scuffed from eager customers seeing what it’s like to stand on the footpegs in their chunky adventure boots. This shouldn’t put you off. Yes, the panels start to look scruffy – but it’s just something that occurs when you use the 700 as intended. And it’s why Yamaha have made that part plain black – it’s simple, and easy (and cheap) to replace. So if you’re looking at buying a used adventure bike, don’t focus on getting…

Although stand-alone running lights aren’t a legal requirement, manufacturers have been fitting them as standard to new models for the past six years and they make a lot of sense for helping your bike stand out to other road users during the day. DRLs have to be bright enough to be visible during the daytime but not so bright as to dazzle oncoming vehicles at night, which is why they’re not to be relied upon to provide extra illumination in the event that your headlamp is a bit lacklustre. Buying a purpose-made kit for which has been E-marked is the best way to ensure that the lights you’re fitting are both helping you stand out whilst not making a nuisance of yourself. A proper E-marked kit will also generally be…

Eugene Laverty enjoyed a positive start to his BMW career as he got his first laps aboard his new S1000RR. The Irishman ended both days inside the top 10, improving by 0.643 on day two. “Overall, it was a good test,” Laverty said. “This is the best chassis I’ve ever ridden. The way the bike turns and enters the corner is incredible.” Laverty was also reunited with crew chief Marcus Eschenbacher. The duo worked together during 2012 and 2013 at Aprilia, winning 10 races. Eschenbacher was with the factory KTM team in MotoGP last season. Teammate Tom Sykes also made good progress ahead of his second season with the team. The 2013 champion finished seventh, only 0.121 behind Scott Redding’s Ducati.…

‘I’d like a holiday but it’s surgery time’ ‘I want to avoid situation with shoulder’ Marc Marquez has been forced to undergo unscheduled surgery on his right shoulder after dislocating it during the final test of the 2019 season at Jerez. It was initially believed the injury was a direct result of an innocuous slow speed crash at turn 13 on day one at Jerez, but the 2019 world champion revealed its origin stem back to the chilling crash he suffered at Sepang during Q2 at the Malaysian GP. “Before Motegi I had some issues with the shoulder and then after the crash in Malaysia I had a dislocation,” the six-time MotoGP champion explained. But the fact it dislocated again last week in Jerez led him to fly to the…

“While it’s a new engine with increased bore of the engine to 78mm, we’ve kept it within the same package size – in fact it’s actually slightly smaller externally,” says Chief Engineer, Stuart Wood. “We’ve used a new technology for creating the liners to allow us to Siamese the bores together to make the package as small and light as possible. All three liners are cast as a single unit, rather than separately.” “We’ve also developed a unique firing order for the new Tiger 900. We’ve always had a 120-degree crank with equal firing order in the past, which works very well firing at 240 degrees consistently. But we’ve changed that completely for the new 900, so that the new crank is at 0, 90, and 180 degrees, and the…

•‘On the bike I can unwind and feel stress free’ Countless #R5K members are laughing in the face of winter by continuing to shun four wheels and commute to work on two every single day of the year. Simon Berriman, 46, who rides into central London from Hatfield whatever the weather aboard his BMW R1250GSA says that taking the bike is good for his mood, as well as saving loads of travelling time. He said: “I have quite a stressful job but I can get on the bike and unwind and get home almost stress-free. If you go on the train, you’re still looking at your phone and answering emails and you get home just as stressed as when you left the office. “I can jump on the bike and…

Here are Ken German's top tips for deterring thieves… • L ock Use a disc lock or a grip lock to secure the brake and throttle controls. You could also use a D-lock on the front wheel to stop it being wheeled away. • Chain Use a chain lock through the back wheel. Secure your bike to an immovable object such as a ground anchor or street furniture. Don’t leave any links trailing on the ground. • Cover Thieves often ‘shop’ for particular models. Using a cover makes your bike less attractive to them.…

Buzzing along, terrain rushing beneath your wheels and smile glued to your face, you feel unstoppable. But then it happens: The mechanical gremlin with its sadistic sense of timing and sh*t hits the fan. Sod’s Law somehow knowing that today is simply the worst timing. Why does it always go wrong when you’re having the most fun or in a rush? But that’s it. The bike says ‘No’. If only you’d looked after it better. But what if you had the knowledge for a roadside fix? Or, better still, could have prevented it altogether with thorough maintenance? I recently sent my trials bike into a full throttle backflip over a slippery rock ascent in an Andorran trials competition in the pouring rain… Yikes! And that was it. In that moment…

Q ‘Cops told me I wasn’t really insured’ I was out the other day and got pulled by the police. They said records showed that my bike was not insured. I explained that I was insured and used my mobile to show the insurance email I had with the certificate. They were having none of it and said that their records showed the bike as uninsured and told me it could not be moved. It transpired that my insurer had forgotten to arrange cover even though I paid and they’d issued a policy. Are the police entitled to stop you riding for reasons you believe to be false and if you can produce documentation like I did? Colin Howell, email ‘Police have the power to seize your motorcycle’ A Despite…

RICHARD MARSHALL Age 55 Height 5ft 10in Current bike 2019 BMW R1250GS First bike Italjet 50 scrambler Dream bike I’m happy with the GS! How long have you been riding? 43 years, 18 of which were on the road “Buying a GS was a simple case of it suiting all my riding needs. I cover about 6000 miles a year and as well as touring the UK and going abroad at least once a year, I also do a bit of off-road riding as I live close to Sailsbury Plain where there are loads of trails. “This is my third GS and I have considered buying other adventure bikes but none have been as good as the BMW. I like the performance of the boxer engine, especially its low and…

Which is best? There isn’t a simple answer. When it comes to demolishing any ride the GS is still the benchmark, but this efficiency can make it feel a touch uninspiring, which is where the Africa Twin comes in. The Honda isn’t better than the GS as it lacks the BMW’s years of refinement and development that have ironed out all of its small irritations, but what it does deliver is a spark of adventuring character that the GS has lost along the way. Back-to-back with the BMW the Honda’s not as comfortable, the motor lacks the stomping mid-range, the rider interface is frustratingly complex and the semi-active suspension isn’t as plush, yet as a result of its lack of polished edges the Africa Twin is more fun to ride…

Suspension upgrades and a Euro5 engine overhaul don’t move the TMAX game on by much, but they give the already athletic ‘twist-andgo’ a subtle injection of extra speed and poise. It’s still as adept at cutting through traffic as it is pounding motorways and giving riders of ‘proper’ bikes a wake-up call when they sneer at you. It’s a lot of cash, but when you consider it has the easy practicality of a scooter, the equipment level of a tourer, genuinely sporty performance and lots of useful security features, it isn’t hard to justify the cost. Tech spec What it costs £ 11 ,649 £10,199 base model On the road cash price PCP per month £135 x 36…

419 miles Friday, May 31. Moments after the grabbing the keys I’m heading to the Nürburgring, marvelling at the Beemer’s lightness and low-down torque. Cruise control, heated grips, quiet screen and neutral riding position make it the most comfortable superbike I’ve done big miles on. I’m loving the bold colour display, built-in satnav and dazzling LED lights. ‘Rain’ mode, with its softer suspension and throttle is perfect for comfy cruising. With 205bhp at the back wheel it’s a missile around the Nordschleife. Its crisp chassis, carbon wheels and all-round svelteness let it carve around the 12.9-mile super-circuit like a racer. New BMW calipers are more than a match for the old Brembos and rider aids complement a hot lap, unlike the old RR’s. The bike returns an average 47mpg (the…

“Although I spend a fair bit of time riding with others, I felt I had a particular issue when following riders in a group. I had a scary moment on a group ride in Wales when I suffered target fixation when following a rider and ended up on the wrong side of the road. It made me really analyse my riding but I still found I it hard to focus and not just follow the rider in front. “When I was riding with Mark on the riding clinic, he made some suggestions on how I could avoid the target fixation that can occur when group riding, such as forcing yourself to lift your vision up and ahead. During the ride, I had the opportunity to lead the ride and follow…

1. Triumph Scramble jacket £219.99 It think it’s more of a summer jacket, but I find it very comfortable with enough room to layer up and it has a removable liner too. The light colour shows the dirt but that just gives it character in my opinion. 2. Triumph Llangollen textile trousers £85 I used these on my trip to Scotland and the waterproof liner kept me warm and dry. They have enough pockets for my stuff and they also zip down into shorts. There’s protection for both hips and knees. 3. Klim Krios helmet £374.99 There’s no buffeting and the wide opening offers great vision. The fit was good straight out of the box. 4. Forma Adventure Low boots £179.99 I’ve had these for six…

RATINGS POOR ★ AVERAGE ★★ GOOD ★★★ VERY GOOD ★★★★ EXCEPTIONAL ★★★★★ Dainese Gran Turismo jacket £949.95and trousers £549.95 Tested by Martin Fitz-Gibbons for 10 months, 2000 miles This textile two-piece is sold as “the finest Dainese road touring garment”. Think of it as the Italian firm’s answer to a top-end Rukka suit. The spec is appropriately top-end. Its laminated Gore-Tex outer stays 100% waterproof in downpours, with rain running straight off like you’re inside a Teflon forcefield. As the kit doesn’t absorb water it doesn’t get heavy, doesn’t sap your core temperature and dries quickly. Incredible. Armacor panels on the shoulders, elbows and knees add abrasion protection, armour is CE Level 2 throughout and a back protector is built in. A high collar and removable fleecey jacket (which can…

Screwdriver Grab a selection of screwdrivers to assist with the building up of your lighting kit’s mounting brackets. T-bars Speed and feel, that’s what a good set of T-bars can offer you. They’re ideal for removing delicate bodywork fasteners. Wire cutters A sharp pair of wire cutters will make splicing into your bike’s loom easy and strangely satisfying. They’re also good at trimming off any excess from cable ties you use to secure the wiring. Allen key T bars Use these to whip off or tighten up any brackets that you’ve removed. •Tell us about your favourite at mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com…

‘Their three riders all finished in the top four’ Yamaha proved they have the potential to pose a real threat in 2020 after an impressive all-round testing performance in Jerez. By the time the test concluded three Yamaha riders finished inside the top four and were the closest challengers to world champion Jonathan Rea, beating both Ducatis and BMWs. Although the Spanish track is a strong one for Yamaha, their pace still gives fans reason to be optimistic going into the winter break. Leading the Yamaha charge was newcomer Toprak Razgatlioglu who set the second quickest lap-time of the entire test. The young Turk rider gave Rea a real scare on Day One when he was only 0.019 slower than the five-time champion. Eyebrows were raised when Razgatlioglu left Kawasaki,…

German ex-MotoGP podium-placeman Jonas Folger is heading home to race in the German IDM Superbike series in 2020. The former Tech 3 Yamaha rider, who spent 2019 as a test rider for the factory Yamaha MotoGP team, has signed for MGM Racing in a deal that includes three WSB wildcard rides. He also made five Moto2 appearances for Petronas Yamaha in 2019, however, his contract with Yamaha was unexpectedly terminated in November. The German has his sights set on a full-time ride in WSB in 2021.…

It may go against popular opinion but the Yamaha M1 was arguably the best bike on the grid in 2019. Its performance from all four riders on different race tracks gives weight to that theory. In fact the one and only weakness of what is an incredibly well-rounded package is an acute lack of straight line top speed. The emergence of super-fast French rookie Fabio Quartararo improved Yamaha’s prospects dramatically, with his riding style seemingly perfectly aligned with the strengths of the Yamaha. His ability to extract such a high level of performance from his 2018 model machine had the result of shifting the development focus within Yamaha. The result was a change in set-up direction which led to all four Yamaha riders finding similar levels of performance. The upgrades…

Maverick Viñales may well have topped the time sheets again at Jerez but the Spaniard remains seriously concerned about the lack of improvement in the speed of his Yamaha M1. On the second day. Viñales’ top speed of 176.1mph was a massive 6.21mph slower than the fastest man Danilo Petrucci on the factory Ducati and was slower than both Alex Rins’ Suzuki and Pol Espargaro’s KTM. Viñales’ speed was also worryingly over 1mph slower than the top speed he set at this year's Jerez MotoGP race – despite running a brand new 2020 specification engine. “Yamaha is working really hard but on the second day we saw 6mph difference on the top speed compared to Ducati, so we need to work harder," Viñales said. “For sure, in other areas we’re…

Record-breaker Zef Eisenberg has taken his high-speed experience and poured it into a limited-run production bike – the Eisenberg V8. Built using two Suzuki Hayabusa engines in a custom frame, the bike’s unlike anything that Eisenberg has built before. “I like things to look correct – that look like a bike should. I also wanted it to be quite light, so I ended up working with Radical,” explained Eisenberg. “They’d already done work with mating two Hayabusa heads to a sandcast bottom end but I wanted something more compact. We ended up creating this naturally-aspirated V8, which produces 480hp at 10,500 rpm. It’s the same configuration Ferrari use, because we wanted it to sing.” The work hasn’t just been mechanical – there’s been a lot of work on the electronics,…

‘It brings out the bottom feeders...’ People moan about iffy eBay sellers but in my experience there are more pain-in-the-arse buyers than sellers out there, especially for scooters. The Suzuki Address went up on eBay with an exact description, warts and all. I’d have been happy with £300 but in the last minute it soared past £400, paused at £485, and in the last seconds someone jumped in with £495. I looked at his feedback and my heart sank: New user, 10 trades, already managed to collect negative feedback and when he contacted me he said he’d “check it out”. I gently pointed out that he hadn’t bid just to look at it and he told me to offer it to the next bidder. Then all communication ceased. Non Paying…

Looking back on those heady days of Spring, when the tarmac was warm and the Speed Twin’s odo was only showing triple digits, I distinctly remember wondering how much abuse the rear tyre was taking. Sure, the Triumph retro’s no big-power sportsbike, but given the fact that the 1200cc Bonneville HT engine produces 82.6ftlb at just 4950rpm and its communicative lightweight steel/aluminium hybrid frame makes accessing that shove extremely easy, every corner exit on every ride became an exercise in exploiting that torque via whacking great fistfuls of throttle. Yeehaa! I was fully expecting the stock Pirelli Diablo Rosso III rear to be way past its best by the time I’d clicked through 3500 miles. But six months and over 4000 miles later, the rear rubber’s still clinging on in…

When a Suzuki GSX-R750 owner complained of ‘surging’ mechanic Mark Dickinson suspected the chain. Dickinson, 37, is Head Technician at Yamaha dealer, DMC Motorcycles in Dudley. He said: “I listened to his description and wheeled the bike around the workshop. As soon as I pushed on the bars I heard a ‘creaking’ sound, which I knew was a tight spot on the chain. ‘The load going through the wheel was immense’ “The chain didn’t look dry, so once I got the bike onto a paddock stand, I started to spin the back wheel. Normally you can spin a wheel easily with your hand – but not this bike: it got harder and harder then it freed off for half a revolution, before tightening up again.” The owner seemed to have…