Table of contents for 30 March 2016 in MCN

Ex-BBC MotoGP commentator and motorcycle racer Steve Parrish is taking to the track again with an all-new race series – for buses! After years of campaigning, he has finally got the go-ahead from the governing body and agreement from four major tracks that will host the series, starting in 2017. Parrish told MCN: “Finally we have a motor racing series in which the spectators are directly involved. The passengers will act as ballast, transferring their weight/bodies from side to side to keep the bus stable”. A recent test at Donington Park had every one of the 40 passengers thoroughly enjoying the experience and have signed up to take part. Chris Herring, Motor Sports Director for the Circuit of Wales, commented: “It’s always refreshing to welcome new motorsport ideas. Fortunately we…

‘Rob Herring? Wasn’t he ÒThe nearly man of British motocross”?’ That’s a little harsh. Rob was arguably the brightest star of a 90s generation of home riders, winning 11 British championships and one of the heroes of the British team that won the Motocross Des Nations in 1994 for the first time in 27 years. Despite numerous GP wins, however, he never claimed a world title. What brought it all to an end? A broken wrist in 2000, following two previous breakages. “I ended up with two broken wrists within 12 months,” Rob told MCN. “I wasn’t mentally ready to retire, but physically I had to.” What happened next? “I hadn’t really planned anything,’ Rob continues. ‘So I did what most of the guys do: a bit of coaching.” Later,…

‘All revs and vibes, threshing pistons and howling exhaust’ If you want power from an old British bike you buy a Trident. Never mind that it was a stop-gap design to turn a twin into a multi, and is therefore heavy, over-complicated and frankly daft; these days you can get all that sorted at Brentford’s P&M Motorcycles. Owner Jim Hodges asked them to throw everything at his engine: 850cc machined-from-solid barrels, forged Omega pistons, Carillo rods, a cross-drilled and balanced crank, Megacycle 51135 cams, a gas-flowed head with central 10mm plug conversion, hardened exhaust valve seats, plasma nitrided valves, high capacity Morgo oil pump and Pazon ignition. The result is 80-85bhp, no oil leaks after three years and the most dramatic power delivery you can imagine: all revs and vibes,…

1999-2000 Yamaha YZF-R6 (5EB) 599cc 16v inline four, 118bhp @ 13,000rpm, 49ftlb @ 11,500rpm. Aluminium frame and swingarm, fully adjustable RWU fork, 169kg. 2001-2002 Yamaha YZF-R6 (5MT) Lighter pistons and modified rods, less weight, different handlebar angle. 2003-2004 Yamaha YZF-R6 (5SLB) 599cc 16v inline four, 121bhp @ 13,000rpm, 51ftlb @ 12,000rpm. Aluminium frame and swingarm, fully adjustable RWU fork, 162kg. Refinements to 90% of engine internals for more power, with fuel injection. Redesigned lighter frame and swingarm, revised suspension. Styling update, new headlights. 2005 Yamaha YZF-R6 (5SLM) 599cc 16v water-cooled inline four, 121bhp @ 13,000rpm, 51lbft @ 12,000rpm. Aluminium frame and swingarm, fully adjustable inverted fork, 162kg. New cams, bigger throttle bodies, refined fuel injection, modified frame, inverted fork with new front tyre size (120/70 R17), new brakes, new rear…

Not jumping for Moto2 joy Well that is the first round of MotoGP done and dusted, and what a boring anti-climax it turned out to be. For excitement it didn’t come close to the two World Superbike rounds we have seen so far. As for Moto2 the race was a joke, with half the riders making a jump start you would not see in a club meeting. Call yourselves professionals? Norman Humphries, email Great telly but shut up! It’s great to have MotoGP back and BT Sport do it so well, except for the commentary. I wonder if they could just do the sound of the bikes as an alternative! Keith Huewen? Can’t he just shut up for five seconds in every minute? He loves calling every rider ‘kid’, even…

The Japanese often refer to the Kaizen principle when trying to achieve continuous improvement. I’m not sure Paul Weller or Madonna have given the theory much thought even though their ability to constantly reinvent themselves has led to distinguished careers spanning several decades. And while Toyota has adopted the philosophy to ensure minimal waste, Triumph probably weren’t following their lead when they went back to what they do best with a whole new range of powered-up retro roadsters. One could absolutely argue that Triumph’s journey has been more about trial and error than continual improvement. And with 2016 seeing a return to some core Triumph values that’s not to say that the Hinckley outfit are a one-trick pony. The Street Triple transformed the middleweight part of the market and the…

SUZUKI V-STROM 650 XT £7599 THE BIKE Weight 215kg Seat height 835mm MPG 55 Mods to date £1250 luggage system, £75 screen, £225 heated grips THE RIDER Andy Davidson Staff Writer andy.davidson@motorcyclenews.com Height 5ft 7in Weight 73kg His riding Long-distance adventurer with nine years’ riding experience Fourteen thousand miles and one year later, it’s time to reflect on our time together. A hundred miles of primarily straight, boring roads allows my mind to wander and ponder the pros and cons of the V-Strom 650. The M1 offers the perfect opportunity to weight up the highs and lows of living with the Suzuki. At the beginning of the year, I contemplated which bike would be best for long commutes while offering all-round capability for the occasional adventure. The V-Strom XT…

BMW Club leather jacket £325 Tester Richard Newland Time tested One year/2500miles What’s good? The Club is more of a casual jacket you can ride in than an armoured jacket you can wear casually – and that’s exactly what I wanted. It only gets worn on nice sunny days, when I don’t want to be weighed down by a bulky armoured jacket at my destination – or as a casual jacket when I’m not on the bike. I love the classic styling, the clean lines, and the slightly aged look to the soft-feel leather (1mm-1.2mm all over). The elbows and shoulders are lightly armoured (all removable), and there’s a slot for a back protector if you want to upgrade (I prefer to wear a separate one). The full lining is…

‘If no-one comes past me then I will know I am on it!PETER HICKMAN MCN has been given exclusive access to one of the most eagerly awaited announcements of the road racing year: the 2016 TT start numbers. The big shock in this year’s listings is Peter Hickman’s rise up the ranks from a starting position of 17 in last year’s Superbike TT to the No5 slot in June. That will see the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider head down Bray Hill just 10 seconds behind Ian Hutchinson on the Tyco BMW and the same distance in front of BMW’s Michael Dunlop. With only split seconds now separating the leading riders in every race, the start position in the TT time trial has more significance than ever before. Hickman’s fastest lap…

“Bruce is an absolute natural,” says team boss, Clive Padgett. “That is why he is so fast but I also think that he is completely comfortable with us, the mates he goes racing with. Bruce and I were having an ice cream at Goodwood last year and I was telling him about some of the things I had planned for the bike for this year. He said that sounded really great.” “Does that mean we are going again next year?” Padgett enquired. “Yeah, I’ve still a few wins left in me yet,” was Anstey’s instant reply and the deal was done for another season on the roads. “Bruce is in love with the motorbike he is riding,” Padgett says. “Over the last three years on the opening Monday night of…

Bradley Smith’s contract with Tech 3 was already due to expire at the end of 2016 – so by wrapping up a new deal with KTM so early the 25-year-old has saved himself the pressure of job hunting. That means he can now concentrate on the season ahead. In the past, Smith has been prone to letting off-track stress affect his on-track performance. Most notably in Germany in 2013 when a weekend of difficult negotiations coincided with five crashes in one race meeting. “It’s a bit surreal, because it’s weird to be talking to everyone about 2017 when we’ve only just done the first race of 2016, but for me it was important. After a situation like we had in Saschenring a couple of years ago, where there was a…

KTM’s head of motorsport, former GP motocross racer Pit Beirer, has told MCN that Bradley Smith was not only the most logical choice for the factory, he was also the first name on their list. The German, who first approached Smith in January, says he met all the qualities KTM were after and that in the end he was the only rider they entered into negotiations with. “To take the current world champion onboard would have stretched our budget to the limit and given us someone who would not have taken the time to help develop the bike – it would just be too crazy. “We want to grow with the rider, so we cannot use a rider who is close to retirement to build the project. Then, if you…

‘The special edition celebrates 58 years since Mike ‘The Bike’ Hailwood first rode for Ducati’ This Ducati Scrambler has been built by Ducati Thailand as a tribute to the legendary racer Mike Hailwood, with his son David on hand to see the first example of just 58 being built. The Hailwood special edition has been built in collaboration with the Hailwood family and celebrates 58 years since the first time Mike ‘The Bike’ Hailwood rode for Ducati; hence just 58 examples being built. The most striking part of the bike is the Hailwood tribute paint scheme which is based on that of the Ducati 900SS Hailwood rode to a famous victory on his return to road racing at the Isle of Man TT in 1978. The official limited-edition model costs…

If you like your Guzzis more traditionally styled, then the Roamer could be right up your street. Using the same basic platform as the Bobber (see page 12), the Roamer adds a bit of chrome to give it a more cruiser look as well as taller bars and a 19in front wheel. Which is where the problems start… Whereas the Bobber has a slightly odd feeling to its front end due to its wide balloon tyres, the 19in front on the Roamer is actually considerably more unpleasant, and when combined with the 16in rear it makes the Roamer ponderous to turn and vague in corners. While I’m sure owners will get used to this feeling, and chalk it up as character, for me it ruined the ride. And that’s not…

‘I’ve done the track-day thing and I scared myself’ What’s the appeal of a Brit cafe racer? Jim Hodges “I went through a mad period in my 30s. I had a ZZ-R1100 and a 916, which were absolutely fantastic. But every time I went out I was nearly killing myself – coming back shaking.” John Jones “I’ve done the R1 and Ducati trackday thing, and I don’t want to do it again. I scared myself. The beauty of these bikes is you can have fun at sensible speeds.” How did you learn to build bikes like this? Jim Hodges “I’d always had British bikes too, and I used to be really anal about originality. I had a totally original Hurricane, and put it back together with every single nut and…

KTM FREERIDE 250 R £5999 Tim Thompson, Head of Content tim.thompson@motorcyclenews.com Weight (dry) 92.5kg Hours running 18 Until this KTM came into my life bikes have been entirely about fast. That’s the whole point of them; only an idiot would buy a motorbike to go slow. Yet in my 35-year rush to own the quickest fifty, be the fastest courier in town, nail the Nürburgring and win the trackday, I never really learnt to do the neat, slow stuff. A U-turn on the lockstops at 0.3mph, for example, still unsettles me. So with the Freeride, maximum comfortable cruising speed 50mph, I get off the tarmac and head into the Northants wilderness to privately skill up on these embarrassing oversights. I make myself ride in walking pace circles and figures…

Oxford RP-5 £199.99 Full-grain cowhide jacket with hidden stitching to maintain integrity in a spill and overlays in key areas to add extra protection. FLM Ladies Zero £194.99 Made from supple 1.2mm leather, it has CE-approved shoulder and elbow armour and a pocket for an optional back protector. Richa Mugello £249.99 Richa reckon their Mugello covers all bases, including track riding – as you’d expect for a jacket named after a famous circuit. RST Tractech Evo 2 £239.99 Smart and sporty jacket with triple and double-stitched seams on the 1.1-1.3mm cowhide.…

It’s fair to say that wings have ignited strong views in the past few months. The teams, at least at the minute, hate the wings on cost grounds. There’s no denying that there’s a potential to spend a huge amount of money on them – the reason why the Grand Prix Commission has already banned them in the support classes. Yet, there’s no complaints about cost from Ducati, the biggest user of the technology to far. And it’s unlikely that aerodynamics will be too expensive for Honda and Yamaha, either. Because here’s the crux of the issue; MotoGP is a prototype class, all about developing technology for the future. And aerodynamics is the perfect example of the engineering mentality that makes the series what it is – ‘restrict anti-wheelie electronics?…

Working not only as an expert consultant with the factory Ducati squad in 2016 but also lending his experience to the satellite squads, Stoner has been working closely with British rider Scott Redding during winter testing. And, with first hand experience of the Pramac racer, the double world champion says he’s been impressed with him and his willingness to learn. “Both Scott and Danilo [Petrucci] are really receiving of advice, which is what makes you a better rider. Scott has been doing a great job, but I think he lost a bit of confidence at Qatar after the crashes. “In general, the whole preseason he’s been getting stronger and looking more and more competitive. The first race in Qatar was, I’m sure, disappointing for him, but he’s showing he can…

1945 MV Agusta formed near Milan and enjoys decades of racing and road bike success before the start of a less stable modern era. 1991 Cagiva – lead by Claudio Castiglioni– buys the MV Agusta motorcycle brand. 1997 The first modern MV Agusta arrives in the form of the all-new F4 750. 2004 MV Agusta, and its large debts, are sold to Malaysian car company Proton. 2005 MV is sold again to an Italian finance company, with Castiglioni involved once again. 2008 Harley-Davidson buy MV for £56million and begin hugely expensive R&D process that lays the foundations for the current range of three-cylinder bikes and changes to the four-cylinder machines. 2010 Castiglioni buys MV Agusta back from Harley-Davidson after the US company opt to concentrate on their own models. 2011…

£195/month Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro Cracking adventure variant of the Multi – and for a bike with a £16,826 price tag, this is a cheap way to get the keyless fob, at £195pm after a £4121.39 deposit. £219/month KTM 1290 Super Adventure Fully-loaded continental slayer, the 1290 comes with a 10,000 mile annual allowance, and could be yours for £219 per month, with a £4850.60 deposit. £149/month BMW S1000XR Sport SE If your distance riding includes a bit more pace and cornering than the average tourer, how about this? £2873.96 up front, and £149pm gets you on board. £129/month Triumph Tiger 800 XCA Want a little less mumbo? You don’t have to go large. Grab a middleweight Tiger for £1968.70 up front, and £129pm. Like great deals, head to the…

With very few exceptions it’s possible to see a positive reason for the existence of almost anything with two wheels and an engine. Honda’s Integra is, however, one of those exceptions. The Integra manages to fall into the no-man’s-land between a scooter and motorcycle, thoroughly failing to satisfy either camp particularly well – which is probably why the Integra has, so far, bombed in so many markets. On the face of it there’s nothing much wrong with the Integra. It has the same 745cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor used in the NC750X and S models. It has the same pleasingly easy-to-ride chassis (but a different swingarm), wheels, brakes and suspension, too. It handles really well for a scooter thanks to the fitment of bump-smothering 17in wheels and decent Bridgestone T30 sports-touring…

Triumph are leading the way with a dizzying range of 470 parts and accessories for their new Bonneville range, including a pair of ready-made Inspiration Kits for the Thruxton and Thruxton R, to help make customising your new retro that little bit easier. The Track Racer Inspiration Kit costs £1800 supplied and fitted and includes a delectable selection of 1960s road-racer-inspired extras like a sculpted cockpit fairing, single painted seat cowl (where not already fitted), authentic LED bullet indicators, lower clip-on handlebars, rear mudguard removal kit with compact light, Vance & Hines slip on silencers, and a leather tank strap. Turning the Thruxton into a more laid-back café racer is the £1300 Café Racer kit, which includes a rear mudguard removal kit with compact rear light, Vance & Hines slip-on…

Nothing in speedway is how it used to be – track surfaces are different, bikes have changed hugely and riders will understandably no longer be pushed around when it comes to racing on unsafe tracks. The chances of meetings being abandoned are higher than ever as modern, high-revving bikes become even more unpredictable on inconsistent surfaces. Imagine relying on a spinning rear wheel for the majority of your ability to slow down and turn into a corner. Imagine that when you roll off the throttle the bike speeds up and straightens up. That’s what happens when the surface changes mid-corner, stopping the wheelspin and sending the rider spearing towards the fence. Something has to change, whether that’s the way the bikes work or the method of track preparation – and…

‘Re-flashing ECUs has been getting bigger and bigger’ Steve Jordan, 48, runs Steve Jordan Motorcycles, a tuning and servicing centre in Great Bookham, Surrey “We’ve got a mix of road riders coming out of hibernation and racers desperate to get out on track with their new bike. So it’s set-up and engine tuning at the moment. “We had a Suzuki SV650 in the other day that looked the part, but the handling was terrible. Like a lot of owners the guy had thrown in suspension from a ZX-6R, ZX-10 or GSX-R because it fitted. But the spring rates were all to pot. He’d have been better looking at a £400 Nitron shock, new fork springs and emulators. “Re-flashing ECUs has been getting bigger and bigger as modern bikes are running…

‘A YBR250 is as rare as a coherent speech from Donald Trump’ Why small is the new big Small bikes are big right now – just look at Yamaha’s 321cc MT-03 or the cut-down Ducati Scrambler Sixty2. But you don’t have to shell out a fortune on low-capacity, practical fun. Over in the used market there’s Suzuki’s little 250cc single, the GN250, which morphed into the TU250. Then there’s Honda’s CBF250 – a brilliant little bike, but sadly killed off in 2012. These are absolute gold, right now. A good one is about a grand, and it absolutely will not depreciate. I guarantee it. The CB Two Fifty, its predecessor, was killed off in 2004, and good ones are now harder to find. Yamaha’s YBR250 is very much in the…

Bradley Smith says that the decision to leave the Monster Yamaha team and join KTM’s new factory MotoGP squad for 2017 was an easy one. Regarded as not only a fast, but also a technically gifted rider, Smith has always been quite clear in his belief that his talents have to an extent been wasted in the Tech 3 Yamaha team, where their satellite status gives him very little opportunity to develop the M1 machine. By joining the factory KTM squad where the development of their new MotoGP bike will fall firmly on his shoulders, the Oxfordshire racer is relishing the opportunity to show what he is capable of. “It’s a project I believe is built for me. It’s a brand new bike, that needs building on and taking forward,…

The KTM factory deal is massive for Bradley Smith – but there’s no doubt leaving Tech 3 will be a wrench, especially as he credits team boss Herve Poncheral for sticking with him when times were hard and for making him the rider he is today. “It’s been an amazing journey to take me from Moto2, through the struggles and strains of the first few years on the GP bike and to where I am now. We don’t plan on stopping until we get to our very best, and it’s nice to know that they’re behind me in doing the very best job this season. “Herve’s dream for me was always to bring me up and show the world what I could do, then pass me on. That’s what he…

‘The GP16’s got great torque, lots of power – it’s the complete package’CASEY STONER Double world champion Casey Stoner needed less than a full day of testing to declare that Ducati’s latest GP16 machine is good enough to win. The Australian took to the track for a two-day test originally scheduled for three weeks ago but cancelled after Ducati fell foul of rules banning testing at any track two weeks prior to a race. Following unexpected heavy rain on day one of the test, the conditions cleared on the second day where Stoner was able to complete 65 laps on the GP16 machine. With his much anticipated feedback to Ducati engineers that the performance increase over the 2015 bike means the GP16 is absolutely capable of winning races this season.…