Table of contents for 26 July 2017 in MCN

A fast learner British Olympic cycling star, Jason Kenny, has realised that sticking an engine in the frame makes bike racing a lot more fun. Having swapped pedals for a ZX-10R last week, he got himself an ACU race licence, and will race a Ninja 300 in the Kawasaki Team Green Cup at Oulton Park on August 4-5. Wait almost over After a long wait, Suzuki have confirmed that their new GSX-R125 and GSX-S125 will arrive in dealers in September – nearly a year after they were revealed. Prices have also been set, with the R costing £3999, and the naked S available for £3699 – considerably less than Yamaha’s YZF-R125 and MT-125. H2 Carbon stolen A moped gang was caught on camera breaking into Daytona Motorcycles in Ruislip Manor…

“I’m a lucky man. I’ve been riding motorcycles since I left school and had a passion for them since I was seven. In the early days, I would ride trials in the winter and go road racing in the summer. I was fortunate enough to have a successful time with it, too. I won the North-West 200 three times on the trot – that’s when it ran over 200 miles, not like the sprint it is today. I also remember winning the Scottish Six Day Trial and the NW200 the week before! Overall, I won over 1482 trials events in 55 years. “I’m still racing and going on ‘high-speed’ parade laps today, but what’s most important is my museum, which I started because of my passion for motorcycles, I’ve always…

WHAT MEMBERS HAVE BEEN DOING More than 3000 people have now signed up to our challenge to complete 5000 miles in a year. “It’s been a great success,” says MCN’s Matt Wildee. “The Facebook site alone has become an inspiration, it’s a brilliant place – a place where people share routes, pics of their rides, bikes and help each other out.” “I’ve loved having a target,” says MCN reader Paul Nicholson. “It’s really encouraged me to get out, especially on those days where the weather hasn’t looked the best when normally I’d have stayed on the sofa. It’s also encouraged me to go to new places, I’ve explored so much more of the UK than ever.” Even if you don’t think you’ll complete the 5000 miles, it’ll still give you…

1 WHAT BIKE? This supercharged lump was built to race Glemseck – what’s it based on? 2 NAME THE RIDER This trophy room belongs to a man with a serious stare. Who is he? 3 NAME THE BIKE This Vincent is one of the most collectable ever built. Name it. 4 WHICH SUZUKI? No, it’s not a left-over film prop from Thunderbirds. What bike? 5 NAME THE CELEB He’s best known as a TV chef, but he’s also a massive bike addict. 6 PRODDY CLONE What famous production bike did this Dakar Rally weapon spawn? 7 NAME HER Give her a bike and a desert, and you won’t see which way she went. 8 NAME THE YEAR It was the first production front brake disc (which barely worked). WIN AN…

‘The ballistic surge of power at 6000rpm just blew me away’ MCN READER, DYLAN OWEN FIREBLADE FACTFILE 1992- 1998 893-919cc four-stroke four + 122-130bhp + 185-182kg Contacts www.fireblades.org, www.1000rr.co.uk Want one? £1600 (scruffy) to £10,000 (immaculate 50th anniversary) YAMAHA YZF-R1 £16,549 (AS TESTED) • 197bhp •199kg This version was launched in 2015 and won our MCN comparison test that year. The distinctive engine and soundtrack (helped by a £750 Akrapovic end can) set it apart. DUCATI 1299 PANIGALE £17,995 • 194.5bhp • 190.5kg Ducati took the win in our 2016 superbike test. Even in stock spec the Panigale is the lightest bike on test, distinctive and stunning; but also the most expensive bike here. BMW S1000RR £16,775 (AS TESTED) • 195.7bhp • 208kg The standard BMW is well priced at £14,150, but BMW upgraded…

1 Green Welly Stop, Tyndrum, A82, Crianlarich FK20 8RY. Ideal stop off on this week’s Special Ride (see page 36). 01838 400271 2 H’s Café, Kent Motorcycles, A2 near Barham, Kent. Stop off for a snack and chat on your Kent ride. http://kent-motorcycles.co.uk 3 Yondermann Cafe, Wardlow Mires, Derbys, SK17 8RW www.yondermanncafe.com 4 Oasis Snack Bar Monmouth Road, Abergavenny NP7 5HF. Open daily. Proper old-school biker cafe. 01873-855375 5 Pool Quay, Dream Machines happens every Tuesday night during the summer. It’s worth making the trip to Poole for that alone! www.pooletourism.com GET YOUR MEET ON THE MAP If you have a bike-friendly cafe aenue w and nt wan et yo get r mee you on tmeet monthe comap tact,ema sonl: mcn sam. @ williams motorcyclenews.co.uk@motorcyclenews.com…

RST Tractech Evo CE £79.99 A fantastic pair of vented racing gloves, with a strong yet lightweight build which gives sublime feel and helps keep hands cool. The glove has Kevlar thread, reinforced palms and a split carbon knuckle. Sizes XS-2XL Alpinestars GP Pro R2 Glove £199.99 Using a Kevlar lining on some of the fingers and top of the hand, the GP Pros have palm pad panels, a moulded knuckle protection system, perforation for increased ventilation and are hugely comfortable. Sizes XS- XL Oxford RP-1 Leather Race Glove £69.99 A well-constructed sporty leather glove with a bridge between little and ring fingers. The palm and little finger are reinforced with Aramid fibre and there are twin Velcro closures at the wrist. Sizes XS- XXL Knox Handroid Glove CE £199.99…

THE EXPERT Fabrizio Cossa Cossa has immersed himself in the world of airbag suits for the last seven years and works at Bike Stop in Stevenage. The first sketch of a motorcycle airbag appeared in 1993 from Dainese. However, it was 2000 before the first prototype was introduced, while Alpinestars began work on their system in 2001. The D-Air Racing system was first used in anger at a race in 2007. In 2011 the D-Air Racing went to market. Since then, Alpinestars has entered the market with the Tech-Air Street in 2015.…

Panigale 959 An capable and agile bike, the 959 offers a less threatening slice of exotica than the bigger Panigale. Deposit £1535, 36 x £208.54, 6.4% APR Optional final payment £6741, 5000 miles a year. Hypermotard 939 SP Huge fun for fast weekend blasts on one or two wheels. Deposit £1535, 36 x £221.04, 6.4% APR Optional final payment £5882, 5000 miles a year. Monster 1200 One of the best Monsters ever made, offering big power and even bigger grins. Deposit £1535, 36 x £177.79, 6% APR Opt final payment £5077, 5000 miles a year.…

‘Reports suggest Iannone only speaks Italian on technical issues’ Suzuki seem to have simply bitten off more than they can chew with two new riders, a host of new technical staff, all of which has been compounded by having a MotoGP rookie who has already missed half the season through injury. They’ve struggled to get to grips with the bike, due in part to Andrea Iannone’s crew chief Marco Rigamonti also being a new arrival. He has come with his fellow Italian from Ducati to a machine he doesn’t know. And it’s been made worse by Iannone’s sometimes-difficult attitude, with reports leaking out of disharmony in the Suzuki garage due to his attitude, frequent outbursts of anger, and his refusal to speak technically in anything but Italian, much to the…

‘Road racing needs Guy more than he needs it’ I’m pleased that Guy’s stopped – he’s unlike any other pro racer. To compete at the top level of road racing requires huge commitment, dedication and, as some top riders admit, a slight disregard of your own personal safety. And as Guy says, “I’ve ‘He doesn’t need to race, he’s made his money in other ways’  been warned enough.” He doesn’t need to race any more – he’s made his money in other ways. He can have a life doing the projects he enjoys without all the hassle that comes with being besieged in a race paddock as Britain’s best-known and most interesting motorcyclist. Whatever he does, we should all wish him well.”…

In 1916, the Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke (Bavarian Aircraft Works) was formed by Gustav Otto out of Flugmaschinenfabrik. The son of Nikolaus Otto, who is credited as the father of the modern internal combustion engine, Gustav joined forces with Karl Rapp. Rapp had set up Rapp Motorenwerke in 1913 building V8 and V12 engines for military aircraft. In 1917 Rapp Motorenwerke became Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) and in the same year was joined by Austro-Daimler engineer Max Friz. In 1922 BMW bought Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke, who were building the Helios motorcycle, powered by a BMW engine. BMW’s technical manager, Franz Josef Popp, asked Fritz to design a completely new BMW motorcycle. He took BMW’s 498cc horizontally opposed twin, mounted it transversely in the frame to avoid the rear cylinder overheating as it did…

Speed demon Lee Munro, great nephew of racer Burt Munro, has set a new speed record on a customised Indian Scout in the 1350cc ‘Modified Partial Streamliner’ category. Lee reached 186.861mph on the bike in preparation for Bonneville Speed Week in August. Harley hassles Harley-Davidson have been forced to reduce shipments of bikes in anticipation of poor sales throughout the year. Shipments for 2017 are down between 6-8% as the American brand struggles to attract new riders. Yes Minister! Personal injury specialists Minister Law have started a new programme to help support their clients who may have suffered distress after a crash. The Back to Biking programme uses a simulator to help riders prepare to return to the road. BMW on the boil BMW have reported their best ever sales…

“It’s Guy from Lincolnshire” has barely registered in my right lughole, as the bloke who’s just called me starts to explain, in detail – and very quickly – how renewable energy still only accounts for 9% of global supply.. Guy Martin is not your archetypal motorcycle racer. Guy Martin is not your archetypal anything. He’s a one-off. He didn’t break the mould – there was no mould! And while news (exclusively revealed to MCN, see page 24) of his intention to retire from international road racing will be met with sadness in some quarters and cycicism in others, I just hope he continues to spread the word about how great motorcycling is. Setting aside his vast success at many different road races, and his 17 TT podiums, what we really…

‘I went flat out on a Triumph 675 prototype, maybe 160mph’ Q1 What are you riding? I have Domiracer #50, but that doesn’t get used much, it’s a bit of a special so I normally use one of our test bikes. If I do miles I tend to use a Commando for the comfier riding position. If it’s a quick blast it’s a Dominator, so cool. Q2 Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? It’s a toss-up between Valentino and Michael Dunlop. Rossi has so much skill and consistency and Dunlop has commitment beyond belief. Both guys play the psychological game hard but remain grounded. If I had to pick, it would be Michael. You can tell both guys love bikes, that’s the main thing. Q3 What’s your worst riding…

‘I often get people wanting to buy my Urban Tiger, but it’s part of the family’ Revolutionary motorcycles, by their very nature, don’t just have a profound effect on a few – they have a huge influence on the whole of motorcycling. Kawasaki's GPz900R, for example, with its pioneering, liquid-cooled, 16-valve motor and integrated, fully-faired design, set the template in 1983 for all superbikes to follow. While Honda’s 1969 CB750K, for another, introduced the very concept of the four-cylinder ‘UJM’ – or Universal Japanese Motorcycle – which dominated biking for the next two decades. But the very best of these also affect us personally, individually… as reader Dylan Owen recalls of his early Honda FireBlade. “I had a ’96 FireBlade,” he told MCN. “It was my first real superbike. I’d…

Adam Child Age 41 Height 5ft 6in CV MCN Senior Road tester and TT racer with 16 year’s testing experience. Bruce Dunn Age 51 Height 5ft 6in CV International racer who has been performance testing bikes since 1991. Rupert Paul Age 55 Height 5ft 9in CV Vastly knowledgeable sage, with 32 years of riding experience. Jon Urry Age 40 Height 6ft 2in CV Has been professionally testing bikes since 2003. Simon Hargreaves Age 49 Height 6ft 1in CV Professionally testing bikes and writing about them since 1992. Jimmy Doherty Age 36 Height 5ft 9in CV Former British Superstock championship and R6 cup rider.…

Think about the type of track riding you will be doing. If you are a total trackday nut it could be worth trying some dedicated track day tyres but bear in mind that most modern sports-touring rubber is more than adequate. You might feel like a hero, but never use race tyres on a trackday. You should lower your pressures for the best contact patch on track. Fronts can be 31psi and rears 30-31psi. Road tyres are up to the job Most modern-day, general-use sports tyres have enough grip for a trackday, even on a 1000. Even sports touring rubber is fine, especially in the cold and damp. Even Ron Haslam uses sports-touring rubber at his race school. Consider trackday tyres Strangely, most riders don’t use dedicated trackday tyres, but…

‘You’ve heard the expression: The older I get, the faster I was...’  Fuel 18 litres @ 38mpg = 155miles Weight 168kg (claimed) Seat 815mm Power 149bhp Torque 78ftlb ‘I learned more about the Blade in one day than I would in six months on the road’ ped.baker@motorcyclenews.com When we purchased the 954 Fireblade for the long-termer fleet back in March I promised myself I’d steer clear of trackdays. You’ve probably heard the expression ‘the older I get, the faster I was’? Well it’s been 15 years since I last rolled down a pitlane, and I was in for a shock. Michelin offered us the trackday place for just £49 on their Power Day at Brands Hatch (see separate story. below right) as we’d fitted a set of Power…

‘For the riding I do, the plusses and minuses cancel each other out’ BMW R NINET RACER Price £11,615 Fuel: 17 litres (149 miles@40mpg) Weight 220kgSeat 805mm Power 108bhp Torque 86ftlb matt wildee@motorcyclenews.com BMW’s R nineT comes in many shapes, styles and sizes. The brainchild of BMW’s bearded design guru Ola Stenegard, it takes the modular concept of manufacturing motorcycles almost to its limit. There is are two off-road models, two naked models plus my bike – the sportsbikelike Racer. But which is right for you? I’ve spent time on both the Racer (£11,615) and the most simple of the naked models, the Pure (£10,100). Both bikes share the same engine and running gear, but the differences between them are greater than you might think. And considering they’re basically the…

It’s one of biking’s oddities that people gush over big singles when they are stashed in a trail-style chassis – think Honda Dominator – but look the other way when they are in a dedicated road bike such as the Dominator-powered SLR650 The thinking is that a 650cc thumper is fine in a trail bike that is hard-pushed to do more than 100mph (nobody makes very fast trail bikes). A 650cc road bike, however, finds itself competing with twins, triples and fours, where you seemingly get a lot more bang for your buck. However, there are plenty of reasons for liking road thumpers. They are different, fun, incredibly cheap and easy to run and because people tend to overlook them, demand is low and so are prices. They tend to…

2011 Moto Guzzi V7 Café Classic (tested) Colours: Greeny gold Dealer: £4800 Private good: £4000 Private average: £3500 This one: A dealer sale, 4430 miles, one owner and all books and keys are present, £4899. 2013 Moto Guzzi V7 Café Classic Colours: Greeny gold Dealer: £5300 Private good: £4500 Private average: £4000 This one: Currently SORN, this is a private sale and in immaculate condition. Has done 3000 miles, £3950. 2015 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer Colours: Red and chrome Dealer: £6800 Private good: £6200 Private average: £5800 This one: A dealer sale with 13,045 miles on the clock. This is in lovely condition; £6795. 2016 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer Colours: Red and chrome Dealer: £7000 Private good: £6500 Private average: £6000 This one: A dealer sale with just two miles…

‘We want to be challenging Shakey, preparing for the Showdown’ LEON HASLAM It may have been a dream start to the 2017 MCE British Superbike season for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team with Leon Haslam and Luke Mossey sharing the first four victories of the year, but in recent races the wheels seem to have fallen off at the Bournemouth Kawasaki team. The previous round at Snetterton marked the first two races of the year in which a JG Speedfit Kawasaki didn’t finish on the podium, and that would also have been the case at Brands Hatch this weekend had Haslam not nicked a determined third place in the opening race. So what’s gone wrong for the Jack Valentine-managed outfit? Obviously Haslam’s Knockhill crash and subsequent injury didn’t help, but…

Iddon reignites Showdown hopes Christian Iddon reignited his hopes of a Showdown spot with a podium finish as he returned to action at Brands Hatch this weekend after an injury. The Tyco BMW rider said: “It’s nice to come back and be there or thereabouts. I’m still in with a shot.” Irwin fights back from bad injuries Glenn Irwin fought the pain barrier to score points as he returned from fractures sustained at Knockhill. Severely hampered on the left-hand bends, the Ulsterman was happy to finish both races. Dixon’s Brands Hatch comedown Knockhill double winner Jake Dixon endured a tough weekend after an engine failure in practice set the RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki team back. He managed an 11th and 10th and now sits eighth in the title chase…

‘Byrne is racking up podium credits; his main rivals have almost none’ Shane Byrne’s Brands Hatch dominance is an ominous prospect. Last year, while he was super-quick at Snetterton, Brands and Thruxton he only did the double at Brands. But this year he’s already done the double at Brands and Snetterton and now the five-times champion heads to what he says was the bike’s strongest circuit on the calendar – Thruxton. Even with the Showdown system, Byrne is racking up podium credits while rivals Leon Haslam and Luke Mossey have hit a bad patch. Josh Brookes also failed to score podium points this weekend. The more they allow Byrne to get away, the harder it’ll be at those three all-important rounds at the end of the year. No rider has…

BMW look set to back up a bigger and better F800GS with a bigger and better F700GS! MCN spied a new F800 – believed to be gaining 50cc - in April this year, so it’s not a huge surprise that our spy photographers have also now captured what appears to be the new F700 that underpins the range. The F700 and F800 share many parts, but the 700 has always been the one to wear cast wheels, lose 10bhp in a softer tune, and exhibit a more mild-mannered demeanour. This new bike follows that format – but also very clearly has the same new chassis, engine and styling upgrades as the new F800GS – which MCN believes will become the F850GS, meaning this variant is likely to be an F750GS.…

RICHA SCRAMBLER JACKET £179.99 The Scrambler is a classic, short cut waxed-cotton jacket that is ideal for use in the summer months. It’s made from Millerain cotton and has D30 armour, too, so it should be up to a bit of rough and tumble. www.richa.eu SW MOTECH FOR R NINET PURE FROM £135 Whether you want some extra luggage or to toughen up your bike, SW Motech have released a range of bits to accessorise your bike. Our favourite is the headlight grill. www.motohaus.com UGLYBROS SHOVEL-K JEANS £329 UglyBros are experts when it comes to safe casual riding kit, as their latest jeans demonstrate. They’re Kevlar-lined in all the right places with CE armour at the hip and knee, plus YKK zippers. www.uglybrosusa.com BUILT ISSUE 6 £4.99 If you love…

GARELLI 50 My first bike bought way back in 1975 at the tender age of 16, funky moped. Viv Dazeley NORTON COMMANDO My first Commando circa 1973 - the best bike I’ve ever owned! Will Shewring TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE My 1971 Triumph Bonnie. I bought it for £350 immediately after passing the test on my BSA Bantam. Those were the days! Roy Maddox AJS 350 Ron Buckworth on his 350 AJS back in 1953/4 KAWASAKI AR50 My AR50 in 1986, Dean Harrison (not the TT one!) SUZUKI TS185 Jumping my TS185 trailie – they call them adventure bikes now! Chris Scott…

‘The front end is still excellent, and the TC is more than adequate’ HIGHLIGHTS • Still under £10k • Power hike - now 148bhp • New slipper clutch • Same brakes & shock Suzuki’s GSX-S1000 should have set the world on fire when launched back in 2015. An aggressive naked, powered by a revised GSX-R1000 K5 engine – and all for under £9k. What’s not to like? Unfortunately, quite a lot. It was plagued by poor fuelling and further long-term tests highlighted other niggles. The rear shock lacked control when ridden hard and although the brakes came from Brembo they lacked the bite we’d normally associate with the Italian brand. So now Suzuki have had another crack at getting the super-naked near the top of the pile. For 2017, there’s…

“I’ve no regrets about how the TT turned out, even coming back on the ferry. Why should I regret it? If I had come off at Dorans Bend and I was dead or I’d broke all my bits and bobs, maybe. But I got away with it. I’ve been warned enough. “There was a reason I didn’t race. I did one lap, two days before the Senior. We’d tried the Cosworth-tuned engine to begin with and then the Superstock engine, but for this one lap of practice we put the BSB engine in, which was sort of a middle-ground. I was halfway through the lap and thinking, ‘This is the best that this bike has been, I’m going to race it.’ But coming out of Windy Corner towards the 33rd,…

A TRUE HONDA SPORTSTER It might now sound unlikely but in 1992 Honda had forgotten how to do big sportsbikes, as the preceding CBR1000F proved. A NEW DIRECTION FOR SUPERBIKES For the first time lightweight was equally, if not more important than peak power. It took Yamaha six years to match it with the R1. A GREAT NAME Had it not been for a mistranslation from French to English from the Japanese, it would have been ‘Lightning’! GREAT PAINTJOBS The second gen Foxeye Blade saw the arrival of the Urban Tiger paintscheme. Arguably, it's never been bettered.…

‘Nothing matches its refinement or excitement’ The ZX-10R is still fast, and certainly packs enough power – but it’s all at the top-end, and that makes it hard to access on the road. It’s got a communicative chassis, but high pegs and low bars make for uncompromising ergonomics. Combined with its dated feel, it’s demoted to last place in this company. A step ahead is the Panigale. It’s the one we all wanted if we were buying with our hearts because it feels so special. It’s also roomier and smoother than you might expect, but awkward at low speeds and on bumpy roads. The most desirable fifth place finisher ever. Just ahead, despite being far from stock, is the S1000RR. It’s a brilliant bike, fits all sizes and is devastatingly…

The class of 2002 – fifteen years later Suzuki GSX-R1000 Claimed power 160bhp Claimed weight 170kg The reality The K1/K2 was the first big-bore GSX-R since the demise of the GSX-R1100 in 1998. It delivered a raging powerhouse of a motor delivering a real 140bhp. Fifteen years later it’s still ferociously fast, but looks dated… Watch out for Poor finish on all fasteners, awful bodges Pay £2000 for a bike that needs love, £3000 for a minter. Yamaha YZF-R1 Claimed power 152bhp Claimed weight 174kg The reality The first fuel-injected R1 has a creamy throttle response thanks to its clever carb/injection hybrid system. Like the 954, it still looks fresh and rides brilliantly. Watch out for Sticky EXUP valves, gearbox problems, frame covers hiding bent spars Pay £2000 for a…

‘A court could say that neither firm is responsible for your loss’ Q Can I claim for part lost in transit? I recently sent my rear wheel to be refurbished. It was hand delivered to a wheel straightening company to remove the sprocket carrier. This they did and then boxed up the wheel, which was collected by a separate wheel painting company. The company had a courier collect the wheel and repainted it, before returning it to me by courier. I opened the box and immediately noticed the sprocket carrier was missing. The first firm assured me that they placed it with the wheel. The second state that they did not receive it with the wheel and assumed I didn’t want it painted. Both companies have searched their premises and…

Huge savings at SportsBikeShop SportsBikeShop are offering 25% off products including selected RST and Rukka lines. Savings can be made across the RST Pro Series and Rukka Flexina and Flexius ranges. Jackets such as the RST Pro Series CPX-C Textile are just £134.99. www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk Triple treat Demon Tweeks are offering 0% interest on a three pack of Pirelli Angel GT tyres. Open while stocks last, the offer comprises of two rear tyres and one front tyre – the idea being that most of us go through two rears to one front. Free delivery is also available, with the promotion extending across a range of sizes. www.demon-tweeks.co.uk Strapless helmets A new style of helmet has been created, which is designed to keep your head safe without the need for a chinstrap.…

‘If we get any used models they soon fly out of the door. They’re bulletproof’ “They are pretty bullet proof, actually. They are quite a basic bike – in modern terms – and there are not a lot of frills on it. All you’ve got is fuel injection on this model and no other modifications. A good service history is still always important though. “If it’s a spoked model, you need to check for corrosion on the spokes and literally nothing else! They are bulletproof and have shaft drive and never really need attention. They have nothing in the way of reliability issues – they really are that good. “They are very simple and lovely to ride and need very little maintenance. As long as they are regularly serviced, then…

It’s fair to say that Whitham has been there and done it when it comes to racing. From competing at the Manx through to getting top six finishes at the TT Whitham was also a major force within the British Superbike paddock, winning the title in 1993 on his Fast Orange Yamaha YZF750. He also raced at Daytona and way back in 1992 competed in the French 500GP at Magny Cours. In 1994 he headed into WSB riding a factory Ducati, winning a race in Indonesia and finishing seventh overall. 1995 saw a return to BSB and his first diagnosos of Hodgkin’s disease mid-season. He bounced back in 1996 winning 10 races on the Cadbury’s Boost Yamaha and finished runner-up to rival and friend Niall Mackenzie. The 1997 and 1998…

Suzuki team boss Davide Brivio says Iannone and the team just need more time to get the bike and the rider working better together. “The situation is more difficult than we expected, and with Andrea we’re still working on both sides. As a factory and as a team, we’re trying to make the bike suitable for his style, and on the other side he’s trying to adapt himself to the Suzuki. “Coming from a different bike, it’s not an easy or quick job. We both need time, especially Andrea, because he has to acquire a different riding style. I’m sure that when he completes this job we’ll get what we expected – but we need more time.” But the Italian team boss was also quick to agree with Schwantz’s estimation…

‘If you don’t lead into the first corner it can be really hard to pass at all’ DEREK SHEILS Derek Sheils maintained his superb 2017 form at Faugheen road races in Co Tipperary on Sunday, with victories in the Open and Grand Final races. The Dubliner dominated both superbike events on the Burrows Suzuki, leading from start to finish and setting a new outright lap record for the 2.2-mile circuit in the feature race. “If you don’t lead into the first corner here it can be really hard to pass so I concentrated on getting a good start and all went according to plan after that,” the Dubliner smiled. Sheils has lost just one National superbike race this season but his Irish championship lead over arch rival Derek McGee is…

‘I tried too hard at the wrong part of the circuit. I’m only human – I made a mistake’JOSH BROOKES Josh Brookes looked set to have a barnstorming Brands Hatch battle with Shane Byrne, but his incredible practice and qualifying pace did not result in the race pace he promised. The Yamaha star was the only man able to match Byrne’s pace in practice, but was hampered by a mysterious lack of grip in the opening race and could only finish fifth. In race two he shattered his own long-standing lap record around the Brands Hatch GP circuit as he set out to chase down early race leader Shane Byrne. But disaster struck as he tucked the front on the entry to Surtees after halving the gap to Byrne. The…

James Ellison enjoyed his strongest weekend of the season to walk away as second highest points scorer of the weekend behind Shane Byrne. It’s been a frustrating season for the Cumbrian so far, who has shown blistering pace on his McAMS Yamaha but been unable to turn that into consistent results. While he admits a sixth-place finish in race one isn’t what he goes racing for, the runner-up spot in the second outing meant he finally finished a weekend with a solid points haul. “I think this is the first weekend we haven’t led a race, but I’ll take that if we can walk away with two strong finishes including a podium rather than being on the deck,” explained Ellison. “It’s been an infuriating year, knowing we are so strong,…