Table of contents for 17th December 2019 in MCN

CCTV can be a great theft deterrent and provide evidence to police in the event of a crime. Here are three options for CCTV systems you can fit yourself: • Blink XT2 - £79.99 – Amazon – Battery-powered, two-way audio1080p HD recording day or night. • Argus Eco - £67.49 – reolink.com – Wireless battery or solar powered, 1080p HD video, two-way audio. • EZVIZ 4 channel 1TB - £199.99 – ezvizlife.com – real-time 1080p HD, cabled system with closed-circuit hard drive.…

Carbon fibre might have been around for decades but it’s still something of a wonder material when it comes to combining strength and low weight and, after several false starts, it’s finally becoming widely accepted as a structural solution in MotoGP and for high-end road bikes. Although cosmetic carbon bodywork has been the norm for both racing and posing over the last 25 years or so, efforts to use it in bike frames have been sporadic and met mixed success. Big thinkers with small budgets have made it work; John Britten’s V1000 and the old Armstrong 250 campaigned by Niall Mackenzie spring to mind. But unsuccessful bigger efforts like Ducati’s 2009 Desmosedici GP9 have tarnished carbon’s reputation. ‘Trellis-style design is likely to emerge first’ Recently, though, we’ve seen a spate…

‘T’is the season to buy a pre-reg...’ Now is the sort of time I often buy a nearly new bike. Most of my dealer purchases have been made between October and March, when dealers have bills to pay and income drops as sales slow down but overheads, especially energy bills, increase. As New Year dawns, in come 2020 bikes which, unless they’re brand new models, always have an effect on the residuals of the now outdated ones from 2019. And if 2019 bikes look ancient, those from 2018 seem positively antediluvian. I was browsing the ads for Moto Guzzi’s V85TT and spotted a 2018 V9 Roamer, 2000 miles from new (being a Guzzi, not even run in) with sensible extras like a rack and screen. Price? Six grand. Or nearly…

Q ‘Audi driver floored it as I went past’ I have received a letter from a firm of solicitors saying that I was responsible for their client’s injuries after an accident and seeking compensation from me. They claim their car driver has whiplash injuries. I was following an Audi on my Yamaha VMAX and as I went to overtake when there was a clear straight ahead, the driver floored it. I think he was unhappy with me for going to overtake. This meant that the gap between me and the oncoming car was not as great as I thought. I just managed to get back onto my side of the road but the oncoming car swerved to avoid me and went into a hedge. I stopped but the Audi driver…

STEVE HUME Age 65 Height 5ft 11in Current bike 2019 CFMoto 650MT First bike Honda 50 Dream bike I quite fancy the new Africa Twin How long have you been riding? Since I was 16 “I’ve been riding for ages and have owned loads of different motorcycles but the CFMoto is my first Chinese bike. I was riding a Yamaha Virago 550 and popped into my local bike shop, which is when the CFMoto caught my eye. The styling was very appealing and I honestly didn’t believe it was a Chinese-built bike to start with. I took an older CFMoto out on a demo and was sold, it was fantastic to ride and very comfortable and the 2019 model was the same but better looking! Price was certainly a massive…

Dad of 5 ½ year-old Lincoln, Matt Watterson races enduro and has competed in the notoriously tough Red Bull Romaniacs – here’s his tips for getting kids onto two wheels: 1 Ditch the footrests “When Lincoln switched from a balance bike to the smallest Oset, we zip-tied up the footrests so he could ride it the same way. Once confident, he started trying to perch his feet on the sides so we knew it was time to put the pegs back.” 2 No kit, no riding “Full riding kit is essential and also that they understand they can’t ride unless they wear it. Armour and neck braces are second nature to my boys now because they’ve always worn it. There’s lots of good quality stuff out there.” 3…

‘Life with the Diavel 1260S has been a bit of a slow burn’ It’s been an interesting year of riding, not my most enjoyable but that’s not the fault of the Diavel 1260S. The Ducati is a stunner and has a shopping list of top spec parts that includes a two-way quickshifter, Öhlins suspension and more riding modes than I’ve had hot dinners. For many it would have been a blast from day one – but for me it’s been a slow burn. 200 miles The bike arrives with just a couple of hundred miles on the clock and my first ride saw me full of trepidation. With keyless ignition, it’s a quick push of a button and the 1262cc engine growls into life. I love character of a twin-cylinder…

PBM Only five points separated Scott Redding and Josh Brookes last season. With the former now gone to WSB, Brookes will automatically become the title favourite. You certainly wouldn’t bet against the veteran. The Australian has 49 race wins in BSB – only Ryuichi Kiyonari and Shane Byrne have more than that. Meanwhile, Christian Iddon has a fantastic opportunity to taste success after switching from Tyco BMW. Despite winning the Riders Cup, Iddon failed to finish on the podium in 2019. The minimum target for him will be to qualify for the Showdown. FS-3 RACING KAWASAKI It’s set to be an exciting year for FS-3 Racing. They’ve become the official Kawasaki Superbike team and have expanded to two riders. Danny Buchan continues after his most successful season yet. His first…

‘Factory teams should follow Mercedes’ lead’ It’s tempting to say that the factory MotoGP teams could learn something from Mercedes Benz, the dominant team in F1, and their star driver, Lewis Hamilton. Not on how to build bikes, nor how to ride them (although Hamilton may have had some tips for Valentino Rossi at last week’s love-in [p8], swapping four wheels for two...) but in how, in stark contrast to the illogical, herd mentality of MotoGP teams, Mercedes bring imagination and more than a little motivation, to the way it does rider/driver ‘deals’. If the MotoGP factory teams continue their current obsession with parallel, two-year contracts then soon all 12 factory gigs could be locked up until 2023. Most of these deals are about to be sealed by, at the…

D30 armour This soft, squidgy British-made substance made its way from the military then into snow sports, before finding a home inside bike kit. Much thinner than traditional armour for the same performance, it’s changed the fit and feel of bike kit this decade without compromising safety in an accident. Getting a grip in winter Riding in the cold and wet became fun in 2010 when Metzeler launched the incredible Roadtec Z8. Then Michelin moved the game on in 2011 with the Pilot Road 3. With a tread pattern that looked like a racing wet they used sipes technology for the first time on a bike tyre. Self-tinting visors Not a fan of swapping visors? Shoei and Lazer provided the answer in 2014 by producing visors coated with Transitions photochromatic…

There’s no glitzy prize - it’s just for fun (and a great way to avoid family fights over the last turkey drumstick) WHAT the hell is that? Identify these bike bits 1 What was this turbine bolted to? a) Suzuki GSX-R1000R b) Kawasaki Ninja H2R c) Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade 2 Which bike featured this shocking moment? a) Ducati Panigale V4 S b) Kawasaki ER-6f c) Yamaha YZF-R1M 3 This bike turned 21 this year a) Yamaha YZF-R1 b) Honda CBR900RR FireBlade c) Kawasaki ZX-9R 4 Which bike’s frame went all-carbon? a) Ducati Superleggera b) BMW HP4 Race c) Bimota YB11 5 What’s this comeback kid? a) Brough Superior SS100 b) Triumph T120 Bobber c) Harley-Davidson Roadster 6 Whose wonky face is this? a) Aprilia RSV4 RF b) Honda CBR1000RR…

Rea marries a Kawasaki ZX-10R After becoming frustrated at Honda, and without a worthwhile seat in MotoGP being available, Jonathan Rea switched to Kawasaki. The move triggered an instant rivalry with new teammate, and then champion, Tom Sykes. The duo would have several disagreements both on and off the track, with Sykes eventually leaving the team at the end of 2018. Rea has won five consecutive titles with Kawasaki, leapfrogging Carl Fogarty (4). Along the way, Rea has won 73 races and finished on the podium a further 53 times. Nobody has been able to get close. Alvaro Bautista may have won the opening 11 races of 2019, but he still ended the year 165 points behind Rea. Ouch. Sykes loses by half a point Who would have thought that…

‘How he won on that Norton I will never know’ CAREER STATS TT starts 39 First race 1985 Formula One Last race 1994 Senior TT podiums 19 (rate 48.7%) TT wins 11 (rate 28.2%) Fastest lap 123.500mph 1992 Hizzy was just unreal. He came and he dominated – he blew everyone into the weeds. I remember watching him going down Bray Hill on the Castrol Honda RC45 in 1994 and thing was just howling. It was that distinctive V4 sound, he was No1 on the road, the helicopters were up and people were there waving their programmes with their radios on. If you had never been to the TT before and you saw that – just wow. He always had immaculate white leathers on, buried behind the screen and gone…

CAREER STATS TT starts 63 First race 2004 Formula One Last race 2019 Senior TT podiums 27 (rate 42%) TT wins 16 (rate 25%) Fastest lap 133.115mph (2016) He has won as many TTs since his accident as he did before, and that for me is incredible. He’s the only man ever to win five in a week – which is huge. Things like Hizzy v Foggy gets everyone excited, but that was just one race, Hutchy won five in a week! Where DJ was such a natural, Hutchy is a worker. He needs to understand things, he needs to understand how the suspension works, the rate of the linkage, tyre technology and once he does and his planets line up, he wins loads. He was a bit raw at…

THIS WEEK SUNDAY 22ND Santa on a Bike Rideout Cannon BMW, Witham, Essex Entry 10am, £10 per bike Info Facebook: Santa on a Bike Ride Out THURSDAY 26TH Plum Pudding Races Mallory Park, Leics Entry £11 Info 01455-502214 or www.mallorypark.co.uk THURSDAY 26TH Cold Turkey Day at 10am and Harley Night at 6pm Ace Cafe, Stonebridge, London. Entry 10am and 6pm Info 020-8961-1000 or www.london.acecafe.com SUNDAY 29TH Huddersfield Autojumble – Christmas Event Old Market Building, Huddersfield, West Yorks. Entry £2.50 Info www.phoenixfairs. jimdo.com Great Christmas Escape Dodge the family with this trail ride and lunch, Andover, Hants. Entry 10am, £40 Info www.thegreatchristmas escape.co.uk Ace Cafe bike day Ace Cafe, Stonebridge, London Entry 9am, entry free Info www.london.acecafe.com YOUR HANDY EVENTS GUIDE Find more great things to do in your area…

British kit firm RST have just launched their first range of airbag jackets at prices they say will finally put the technology within reach of everyday riders. Until now, electronic airbag clobber has cost anywhere from £1500 to £3500, however a partnership with innovative airbag specialist In&motion has enabled RST to offer their entry-level GT textile jacket with fully-integrated electronic airbag for just £399.99. The Derbyshire-based firm have also developed bespoke airbag versions of their GT leather jacket (£699.99), Adventure X jacket (£499.99) and top-spec V4.1 one-piece race suit (£899.99). The garments are exactly the same spec as their non-airbag counterparts, but have over 40 subtle fitment changes in order to seamlessly accommodate the airbag technology. Stuart Millington from RST told MCN: “We intend to democratise airbag technology so that…

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? Most will undoubtedly involve trying to eat healthier, stopping smoking/drinking, hitting the gym for a few weeks and, of course, squeezing back into leathers or generic riding gear after a period of festive overindulgence. But what about more bike-specific resolutions? Seeing as riding has become more of a lifestyle than a hobby in recent years, you shouldn’t ignore improving yourself as a rider, regardless of your biking experience or skill level. I’m pretty sure a large percentage will immediately spring up those defensive barriers and suggest they don’t need to learn anything from the fast group of a trackday, or from the front of their Sunday riding pack, thanks to an unhealthy dose of ego and bravado. I, for one, was one of…

Salty roads? No thanks Interesting poll last week. Winter riding is not my cup of Darjeeling. Ice, salt etc on the roads? It’s much safer on four wheels. Plus I don’t have a winter hack to use, and the KTM 1290 Super Duke R SE I’ve had from new has never seen rain and definitely no salty roads. Just watch your bike quietly rot away in UK during winter use, no matter how well you clean it. Phil Hadley, email Go on, get some training I was following a group of bikes and was surprised at their lack of skill and wondered if they had been making the same mistakes since they passed their tests. It made me ponder my own skills. I’ve been riding for 40-plus years but never…

We are living in an ever-shrinking world, not only in terms of global travelling, but also manufacturing. Nowadays every major motorcycle company is looking to save costs and the easiest way is to move production to the Far East. Triumph build their parallel twins in Thailand, BMW’s C400X scooter is made in China, KTM have an agreement with Indian company Bajaj to produce their small-capacity single cylinder bikes and all of the Japanese manufacturers have plants across Asia churning out models such as the Yamaha YZF-R3, Honda CBR500R and Kawasaki Ninja 400. But when a Chinese company launches a new bike under its own name, there is a knee-jerk reaction of distrust from the buying public. Why is this, and are we all being too hasty? With this in mind…

The Eva Ribelle accelerates with the ferocity a superbike would be proud of, is solid in the corners and has a riding position that mixes aggression with comfort. It’s smooth, quiet, easy to ride, well-built, lavishly-equipped and its new battery promises to deliver a more usable range. But it still lacks the involvement, drama and lightweight cheekiness of a top flight ‘super unleaded’ super-naked and is a fair chunk more expensive. As road-going battery bikes go, it’s the most accomplished and desirable we’ve ridden, but it still isn’t quite the future… but it’s getting there. Tech spec What it costs £19, 275 On the road cash price…

“My first experience with bikes was watching my dad race and fettle his bikes. I fondly remember, although it was very illegal, dad running his bikes-in on public roads. “I started riding motocross at two years old and racing at five. •‘Both my kids began riding at two years old’ My dad didn’t come from a motocross background so I had to figure a lot of it out myself. I used video to help me learn – my dad’s friend used to film me ride and I’d watch it back to see what I could do differently. Then I’d just watch any sort of bike racing that I could find and study it. “Both my kids, Jake and Tyler, began riding at two years old. We started them on balance…

For the last eight months, I have marvelled at the Versys’ seemingly faultless reliability, continually carrying me across the country in refined, silky-smooth comfort, despite daily use in all weathers for both pleasure and commuting. Unfortunately, this streak of stress-free riding came to an end in late August, after it became apparent that the bike had developed a fault with its quickshifter, with it refusing to change into either third or fifth anywhere above 6000rpm. Not wanting to risk causing damage to its internals, I sent the bike back to Kawasaki for them to see if they could diagnose the problem. And despite having the bike for around a month, they were unable to reach a definitive root cause, saying: “We investigated the problem that you reported and were unable…

“I don’t often get to ride out on my own, as most of my weekend rides in the countryside happen when I’m out conducting observed rides for the IAM. But Mark’s advice today has been a defining moment – a bit of a gem, really. ‘Don’t override your vision.’ Simple but so effective. I never ride thinking that I’m going to come off, but you have to be realistic – and when you ride too fast you’re just exposing yourself to more risk. Having it in your mind that you should be able to stop if you need to, without it becoming an emergency or panic situation is key. Teaming it with your riding observations and also the technique of using the limit point means that I can maximise the…

I LIKE • The handling is incredible. • The riding position is just perfect for me. • I love the way it looks (for the most part) and the overall stance of the bike too, it just looks great. I DON'T • I’m not a fan of the headlamps. • It’s too quiet when you’re riding steady. • You have to hold the clutch lever in to start it, but I don’t like that you have to declutch before selecting first. QUICK SPECS •765cc •116.4bhp •166kg •825mm seat height PRICE NEW £10,400 VALUE NOW £7995…

Another winter, and yet another publication bleating on about how dirt bikes are not only great fun in winter, but keep you sharp and make you a better rider. Thing is that it’s true, of course. Just how top racers ride in the dirt to improve their skills, so messing around on trails can make you a better road rider. Techniques that work off-road translate directly to tarmac and will make you smoother, give greater control and make you less tired at the end of a ride. Off-road capers get you used to the feel of a bike moving around. You learn not to hold on too tight when the bike moves, to keep a relaxed grip of the controls even when the bike wants to dance, to open the…

“So you’ve extracted your broken stud and methodically cleaned out the threads. You’ve bought a genuine replacement part and, all in all, you’re feeling rather pleased with yourself for a job well done. But don’t get carried away just yet, there’s still a chance the job could all go wrong with the final task: actually fitting the new stud back into the engine case. Quite often, engine studs won’t be symmetrical, meaning that they’ll have more threads on one end than the other, so you must make sure that you’re fully certain you know which end goes into the engine casing and which end sits out proud for the nut to screw on to. Quite often the end which sticks out will be domed whereas the end that screws into…

BIKE DEVIL DUCATI Gino Rea Bike Devil and Gino Rea return to the championship. The team have switched from MV Agusta to Ducati for their BSB project. Rea rode for the team a few times last season. PR RACING Joe Francis Remains with PR Racing for a second season. Francis built up confidence throughout his first full campaign in British Superbike, scoring points in four out of the last 10 races. CDH RACING Josh Owens Makes his full-time debut in BSB with CDH Racing. Owens replaced Dean Hipwell for the last four rounds of 2019 after the latter was diagnosed with Gilbert’s Syndrome. UNCONFIRMED EHA Yamaha Gearlink Kawasaki Raceways Yamaha RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki Silicone Engineering Racing Kawasaki Team 64 Kawasaki Team WD-40 Kawasaki…

“The focus during both post season tests was to analyse the new engine and we completed various back-to back tests between the 2019 and 2020 versions before confirming that the 2020 engine was a clear improvement. The comments from both riders were very positive and so far we have seen no negative effects. We wanted to lock-down the engine spec as it takes the longest to develop. We had chassis parts ready but we wanted to do one job properly and therefore chassis development will be the focus during our next tests in Sepang next year.” Canepa wins Sepang 8hr Niccolo Canepa mastered tricky conditions to win a disrupted 8 Hours of Sepang. A long delay, followed by a failed safety car race start, led to a race distance of…

Airbag helmets A decade ago, Spanish company APC launched their airbag lid. It activated when sensors detected a crash, and fired an airbag from the base of the helmet to help stabilise the neck. Few were sold and the company no longer exists. A Swedish company has created an airbag collar/invisible helmet for urban cyclists, but that’s as far as the story currently goes... Head-up display We’ve seen BikeHUD, Nuviz, Reyedr, Eyelights and others all promising to beam vital info about the road ahead (and behind) direct on to your visor so you’ll never need to look at your dash again. But as great as it all sounds, the idea has still not gone mainstream and it will probably take a revolution in TFT screen tech – thin flexible screens…

What an honour it is to talk about my TT heroes. There are so many that ten isn’t really enough, but I’ll give it a go. I’ve decided to focus on the modern era, riders that I knew, riders I know now, riders I can call my friends. I used to look up to a lot of riders so much: Joey, Hizzy, DJ, Foggy, Robert Dunlop, Trevor Nation, Dave Leach. They were just all massive heroes. None of them had an edge to them (Foggy maybe…). They all came out the same mould; they were good lads. But while it’s easy to focus on these guys, there are a lot of riders that swing by under the radar: Roger Marshall is one, Steve Plater, Josh Brookes. I could go on…

CAREER STATS TT starts 31 First race 2014 Superbike Last race 2019 Senior TT podiums 14 (rate 45%) TT wins 5 (rate 16%) Fastest lap 135.452mph (2018) We can’t not include Peter. He reminds me a bit of David Jefferies, similar height, he’s not a gym bunny, he’s not spending his day looking in the mirror is he? He’s in a real sweet spot – his team, his whole racing career. Also, the way BSB has fallen for him with all the manufacturers being competitive and good teams able to build competitive bikes. I see a bit of myself in him too. He’s not going through it all asleep. He’s got a good line of merchandise, he’s thinking outside the box and he’s very, very good with the public and…

CAREER STATS TT starts 43 First race 1988 Production C (600cc) Last race 2003 Production 600cc TT podiums 15 (rate 34%) TT wins 8 (rate 18%) Fastest lap 124.850mph (2002) I have a lot of respect for Jim. Not only did he win eight TTs but he was the guy that really helped me out back in 2004, which was when everything changed for me. Don’t get me wrong, I was a good TT rider and I was getting podiums etc, but I never really reached my full potential. Jim owed me a favour, so I asked him to come to the TT with me in 2004 to manage me. Up until then I’d always enjoyed a couple of pints and maybe I was a bit lazy getting to the…

100mph Bob McIntyre (500 Gilera) – 1957 Senior 110mph – John Williams (500 Suzuki) – 1976 Senior 115mph – Joey Dunlop (750 Yamaha) – 1980 Classic 120mph – Steve Hislop (750 Honda) – 1989 Formula One 125mph – David Jefferies (1000 Yamaha) – 2000 Senior 130mph – John McGuinness (1000 Honda) – 2007 Senior 131mph – John McGuinness (1000 Honda) – 2009 Senior 132mph – Bruce Anstey (1000 Honda) – 2014 Superbike 133mph – Michael Dunlop (1000 BMW) – 2016 Superbike 134mph – Dean Harrison (1000 Kawasaki) – 2018 Superbike 135mph – Peter Hickman (1000 BMW) – 2018 Senior…

Triumph have recorded increased profits for the year despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit. Revenue and pre-tax profits for the year to the end of June 2019 were both up, by £26.8m to £529.5m and £500,000 to £9.5m respectively. The firm also boosted R&D spending by 20.6% to £43.4m, saying: “We are committed to delivering our long-term vision through investment in people, products and facilities including an exciting electric powertrain project.” The figures come after a successful year supplying engines to Moto2 and the news that its new Tiger 900 will feature in the new James Bond film, No Time to Die, released next year.…

Dainese Smart Jacket £569.95 Uses the same tech as the firm’s race suits and D-Air Road jackets, ie an ECU and bank of sensors. Designed to be worn under or over regular kit. www.dainese.com Helite GP Air and Turtle 2 £750 French specialists first wireless system moves the game on via two sensors – one in the vest, another on the bike’s fork leg. Available May 2020. www.airvest.co.uk Held eVest Clip-in Airbag Vest £349.99 Also using In&motion tech and designed be compatible with Held jackets/suits.Subscription/purchase of In&box ECU required. w w w.held.de Furygan Fury Airbag system £379.99 Another working with In&motion but lightweight vest features breathable fabric to boost comfort. Subscription/purchase of In&box again required. w w w.nevis.uk.com…

Energica may have been making electric bikes in Italy since 2013 but they’ve also largely been ignored by those with petrol flowing in their veins. Yet things are now slowly changing as battery vehicles become more a part of everyday life, especially in the car and bicycle world. ‘Electric’ isn’t the dirty word it used to be. Racing isn’t doing the breed any harm, either, with Mugen lapping the TT Zero at over 120mph and grids-full of Energica racers swapping paint and in this year’s inaugural MotoE championship. And the Italian firm is now using that race experience in its 2020 range of road bikes – first in the Ego superbike and the classically-styled EsseEsse 9 roadster and now here in the £19,725 Eva Ribelle which Energica claim is ‘the…

•‘Introducing them to two wheels is very fulfilling’ You never forget your kids’ special ‘firsts’ – those milestone moments that etch themselves into your memory for life: the first word, first step, first time without stabilisers, first kneedown, first championship, first stoppie (complete with heelclick...) These days it seems as that if you’re serious about becoming a world champion you need to be riding not long after you’re out of nappies and then on to the starting grid soon after that. But there’s more to biking than trying to become the next Marquez -it’s the thrills, the freedom, the skill, the concentration and the life-long enjoyment bikes can bring – and introducing your little ones to the wonderful world of two wheels is a very fulfilling thing to do, just…

Mark says: “It’s easy to get sucked into riding too quickly, especially on roads that we know well, because 99.9% of the time everything’s fine and we get away with it. But we never truly know what’s around a bend, so if you’re overriding your vision by going too quickly to stop safely, you’re literally pushing your luck on every ride. By using the limit point to set your speed, you keep yourself within the safety zone as well as keeping yourself focused on the road.”…

1 Furygan Vince Corsaire leather jacket £389 I absolutely love this jacket, especially in summer with the linings taken out. It’s got fitted protection in all the right places and plenty of pockets too. 2 Dainese D1 Evo Aramid Fibre Jeans £189.99 The fit of these jeans is really good and these are the second pair I’ve had. They’re comfortable on the bike and you can walk about all day in them too. They’ve got all the protection you need and as an extra bonus are easy to wash. They look smart on and off the bike too. 3 Shoei GT Air £449.99 The fit is very good in general, however I found it very tight on my ears so modified the foam with a scalpel to…

RATINGS POOR ★ AVERAGE ★★ GOOD ★★★ VERY GOOD ★★★★ EXCEPTIONAL ★★★★★ 2500 MILES X-Lite X-803 Ultra Carbon £ 399.99 Tested by Martin Fitz-Gibbons for one year, 2500 miles The lightest, lushest and loveliest sports helmet I’ve worn. X-Lite describe the X-803 as “a pure racing helmet” but don’t let that put you off. I’ve spent 99% of my miles on the road and it’s proved quiet, stable and all-day comfy. The carbon shell isn’t just for show. My scales show this Large is a featherweight 1340g with the Pinlock fitted. There are four vents (two on top of the lid, one at the forehead and one at the chin) and with them all open you can feel loads of cool air streaming through. The visor has a huge aperture,…

Stud extractor sockets and ratchet The right tool for the job if you’ve got a stud that needs removing. Simply put it on a ratchet and use gentle pressure. Easy-out kit These kits can be bought for around £15 and can be used to help pull out any sort of fastener that’s been damaged or cross threaded. It’s a very satisfying tool to use. Drill bits Buy the highest quality drill bits you can afford – cheap items will snap and prove to be more trouble than they’re worth. Heat gun Infinitely handy for all kinds of tasks, if you’ve not got one you won’t know how much you needed one until you finally buy one. Pick them up for as little as £12. •Tell us about your favourite at…

While the amount of respect, friendship and love is clear between the two Irwins, as the two men head into the 2020 season there remains an ‘elephant in the room’. Glenn’s decision to race at the TT is clearly a very difficult one for Andrew to process. When asked about Glenn’s TT plans, a clearly emotional Andrew said (after a long delay): “To be honest, I don’t like it. It’s hard to talk about it. He’s my brother and one of the people I love the most and I don’t want to see him risking his life. I’ve shared my personal views with him and that’s between us. He’s 29 and it’s his choice to go road racing and I can understand why he wants to do it. “So will…

Suzuki will not join the bidding war for Yamaha young gun Fabio Quartararo as they plan to consolidate their 2021 MotoGP strategy with an unchanged rider line-up. Team boss Davide Brivio is in advanced talks with current riders Alex Rins and Joan Mir, deciding to stay away from what he calls “a crazy” rider market. But while this approach appears conservative, Suzuki have plenty of ambition to become title contenders with a precisely executed policy of in-house rider development. It’s now nudging 20 years since Suzuki’s last premier class crown, with Kenny Roberts Jnr in 2000. “We’re here to win the championship, the GSX-RR is a very good bike and we have a good organisation,” said Brivio. “So we’re trying to create our own top riders with young guys and…

Fabio Quartararo just missed winning a race with five runner-up spots in a stunning rookie MotoGP season, but it was also his low crash count that has added to his currency in the rider market. Riding the SRT Yamaha M1, Quartararo had just six spills in 2019, the lowest of the MotoGP rookies with Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) on 14, Joan Mir (Suzuki, 12) and Miguel Oliveira (KTM, 9). World champion Marc Marquez crashed 14 times in 2019, a dramatic drop from his high-risk numbers in 2018 (23) and 2017 (27). “Fabio is fast and does not crash very often which shows that he is in control of his talent, this is one of his strong points,” observed Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi.…

Sometimes you really have to immerse yourself in events before you can truly let them go. So here we are, waving goodbye – with a mix of joy and sadness – to a decade that was filled with some genuinely flabbergasting biking moments. Whether it’s tech that boggles the mind, racing gods rising and falling, machines that have changed us, or ideas that should have been smothered at birth, the 2010s have contributed a lot. And, of course, we’ve lost some incredible people who shaped our world, or who sadly never quite got the chance to. My first really tangible memory of 2010 was the first time I rode BMW’s S1000RR, a bike that I covered over 10,000 miles on that year (I had another in 2015, above). It was…

Airbags became cheaper First commercially available electronic airbag suit: 2011 Dainese Mugello D-Air Although it was 2007 when we witnessed the first electronic rider airbag pop at MotoGP, when 125GP rider Simone Grotzkyj Giorgi rolled out of the Valencia gravel looking like the Michelin Man’s half-breed son, this decade has seen that pioneering tech become refined, perfected and – most importantly – cheaper. In 2011, riders who could afford the £2500 asking price bagged themselves the first commercially available Dainese D-Air Racing suit so they could be swan around on trackdays knowing that they were wrapped in the same safety tech that graced the muscular-if-sweaty backs of Rossi and Lorenzo. Things got fractionally cheaper when Alpinestars launched their Tech Air Racing and Street vests in 2012, which were designed to…

THE DECADE’S DISAPPOINTMENTS GUY MARTIN’S LAND SPEED RECORD Failure rating 8/10Marks for effort 9/10 He was all geared up to break the 376.36mph motorcycle land speed record in a Triumph-backed streamliner. However, going incredibly fast at Bonneville takes years of practice and development and there is a reason the record has stood since 2010. A top speed of 274.2mph was certainly impressive, but since that one solid run, Guy and Triumph’s assault on the record has gone somewhat quiet. 2012 TRIUMPH TROPHY TOURER Failure rating 7/10Marks for effort 7/10 Totally miss-judging the potential customer base, Triumph’s Trophy emerged in 2012 and was discontinued just five years later after failing to steal the lucrative R1200RT customer away from BMW. Although not a bad bike, it couldn’t stand up to the class-leading…

Enter the era of the Showdown! Leon Camier’s domination of BSB in 2009 led to a major rethink for the new decade. In an attempt to ensure that the championship went down to the wire to maintain suspense and excitement, the Showdown was introduced. The year was split into two; the main season and the Showdown. Only the top six riders after nine rounds qualified for the Showdown and they were all placed on 500 points. Additional points are then awarded for podiums. The rest of the field are then left to battle for the Riders Cup. The Showdown helped create some entertaining title fights throughout the decade, fights that have regularly gone down to the final round of the season. Stroke of genius. Hill triumphs by just 0.006s 2011…

‘127mph and he still managed a huge wheelie’ ‘Jefferies was wilder than Joey and Hizzy’ CAREER STATS TT starts 20 First race 1996 Junior 600cc Last race 2002 Senior TT podiums 10 (rate 50%) TT wins 9 (45%) Fastest lap 127.290mph 2002 Dave was Dave. He was big, he was cuddly, he was daft, but his ability was unreal. In 2002 he did the first ever 125mph lap in the Senior, he was miles and miles ahead of everyone else and then he drove the screw in even deeper on the last lap. He had everyone in the stocks and then he wound them even tighter. He did 127.29mph on the last lap, Lougher was second and I was third. I remember coming into the pits at the end of…

While this is all about my top ten racing heroes, I’ve focussed on the modern era but if you look at the TT as a whole I really am just scratching the surface. You don’t have enough space to list all the riders that have inspired me over the years, but here are a few…. Mike Hailwood , Giacomo Agostini, John Surtees, Tom Herron, John Williams, John Newbold, Charlie Williams, Tony Rutter etc etc… Greatest single lap Mike Hailwood Ducati 900SS 1978 – 110.62mph I’ve ridden that Ducati and what Hailwood did that day is impossible! I don’t want to be disrespectful to the people that own that bike now, but if that is what he rode then the man was a magician. And after coming back from being away…

Ride the hottest new bikes The Devitt MCN Festival of Motorcycling is all about riding. It’s the only event in the UK where you can ride bikes from all the major manufacturers in the same place. There are hundreds of test ride slots all up for grabs. In the morning you could be cruising the lanes on a Suzuki V-Strom and in the afternoon taking to the streets on a Triumph Tiger 900. The only thing you need to do is bring your licence and lid, and book yourself a ride or two. Extreme Bike Battle stunt show The UK’s most exciting multi discipline stunt show is coming to the Festival! Combining BMX, trials and a high flying FMX show the range of skills on display will be…