Table of contents for 1 November 2017 in MCN

Guy out of action Guy Martin was due to race at the European Classic Endurance race with MCN’s Michael Neeves and classic racer Pete Boast at the weekend, but had to pull out after the birth of his first child, Dottie. Neeves and Boast just missed third. Tiger teaser Triumph teased a new Tiger – or two – in a video last week. The film appears to reveal replacements for the Explorer and 800, suggesting a revamp of the whole range. It also confirms new engines, cornering lights on the 1200, illuminated switchgear and a TFT dash. Watch it now at motorcyclenews.com V-Strom gets GT’d Suzuki have given the V-Strom range the GT treatment, with new versions of both the 650 and 1000 which now include full three-piece luggage. The…

Cars for bikers The Tokyo Motor Show is primarily a car event, so Yamaha took the opportunity to show their Cross Hub concept vehicle, which uses an odd diamond-shaped seating layout. The best bit? You can fit a full-sized motorbike in the flat bed at the back. Bikes for robots Yamaha also updated their Motobot motorcycle riding robot, with the changes meaning the robot can now do high speeds on track aboard an R1. At the same time, they also showed their MOTOROiD concept (above), which uses AI so rider and bike become one (not like that). Bikes for animals Honda unveiled three new Cubs and a Monkey at the Tokyo Show. There was the Super Cub 110, to celebrate producing 100 million Cubs, a retro-styled Super Cub 125 and…

Creating a buzz Bultaco have revealed a new bike based on their Brinco platform, called the Albero. The Albero is Bultaco’s next step in electric urban mobility vehicles that bridge the gap between bicycles and motorcycles. The Albero has 44ftlb torque and a top speed of 27mph. A capital idea Transport for London and the Mayor of London have launched a range of new measures to raise motorcycle riding standards in the capital. The new measures include a fully-funded post-CBT course aimed at delivery riders. A safer racer The FIM have introduced a new testing regime and tougher standards for racing helmets that will be mandatory from 2019 onwards. The new test includes standards for oblique impacts (head-on collisions). Indian sales soar Polaris Industries, the parent company that owns Indian…

FURYGAN FREDDY £339.99 The Freddy is a classic leather motorcycle jacket inspired by old American flight jackets. Made from soft cow leather, it has D30 armour throughout and a thermal liner for chilly mornings. www.nevis.uk.com 100% BARSTOW GOGGLES £69.99 The firm have made top notch motocross goggles for years and now they’re making the retro-styled Barstow that mixes modern tech with old-school looks. www.ride100percent.com DAINESE IMOLA72 BOOTS £299.95 Dainese began making boots in the 1980s and now they’re recreating the gear from that era. Same style but with modern protection. www.dainese.com BUILT ISSUE 8 £4.99 From fields in Wales to fields of dreams, Issue 8 of Built travels the world in search of the best custom bikes plus the people and events that make it all really special. www.builtmag.com…

Sepang’s intriguing MotoGP race once again raised the thorny question of team orders. Many race fans hate to see one rider (capable of winning) let another rider (not so capable of winning) through so that the chunkier points go to the man who has the best chance of taking a championship. Team orders have caused many blazing rows over the years and were even banned in F1 in 2002 after Rubens Barrichello very obviously let team-mate Michael Schumacher through on the run to the finish line. The ban was lifted in 2011 after further confusion and controversy. MotoGP teams field more than one rider to increase the chances of taking a title. When one rider no longer has the chance to take that title and the other does, of course…

One point six seconds. That’s all it took Leon Haslam to react when he pulled his front brake lever, hoping to slow his JG Speedfit ZX-10RR from the 171.876mph it was travelling at in order to make it around Brands Hatch’s super-fast Hawthorn bend, only to find that the lever came back to the bar. Just two bar of brake pressure was recorded as he pulled that lever, nowhere near enough to slow the machine, so Haslam knew he had to act quickly. Stamping on the rear brake, putting 55 bar of pressure through the foot-operated lever rather than the usual ten, Haslam was able to knock around 20mph off his speed before throwing himself off the side of the bike and hoping he would miss the McAMS Yamahas of…

1 Bike Stop Cafe, 104 High Street, Stevenage, Herts. 9am-5.30pm. 01438-317038 or www.bikestop.co.uk 2 Revved Up Tea Bar, High Street Seafront, Walton on the Naze, Essex. 07947-408542 3 The Square & Compass, Darley Dale, four miles from Matlock Bath, Derbys. 01629-733255 4 Oasis Snack Bar, Monmouth Rd, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. 01873-855375 5 TT Pit Stop Super Sausage Cafe, A5 Watling St, Potterspur, Towcester, Northants. www.supersausagecafe.co.uk or 01908-542964 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…

Q How can I break the bead on Tiger’s tyre I picked up a puncture in one of my Triumph Tiger 800 XCx’s tubed tyres in Normandy, and as I change tyres on my Yamaha TTR250 all the time, I invested in tyre levers, a repair kit and spare tubes for the next time. But, when I got another flat on a weekend tour recently, try as I might I couldn’t break the bead, so I still lost a day trekking to a suitably-equipped dealer. How do those Dakar riders do it? Philip Hore, email A Answered by Dylan Jones, Yamaha Off-Road Experience Off-road tyres tend to be softer than road-going rubber, so we find that a firmly applied boot heel will work with the wheel well supported. But, if…

‘You can have a new bike for less’ Personal Contract Purchase now finances 20%-30% of all new bikes sold in the UK, and it’s growing fast. But it might not be right for you, so make sure you understand what it is and how it works. You can have these new bikes for less than you might have ever imagined – and what’s more you can have another new one in three years’ time, probably without increasing your monthly outlay, or having to find a fresh deposit. This is how it works… • Work out what you can afford as a deposit and in monthly repayments for the duration of the contract. • You can get PCP on any amount from £1500 upwards. • Choose your new motorcycle (or a…

‘It was not my first choice, but I am excited about working with KTM’ JOHN McPHEE MotoGP owners Dorna have finally confirmed wide-spreading changes to their plans for next year. The biggest change will see John McPhee’s British Talent Team in the Moto3 class closed down, with the Scottish rider instead being placed with French team CIP Moto KTM. That leaves the British Talent Team, run by former world championship contender and talent-spotter Alberto Puig, contesting the Spanish Junior World Championship instead. That team will field British Motostar champion Tom Booth-Amos. The deal will see a more direct route to the premier class for the first batch of graduates from the British Talent Cup, the one-make series set to run alongside British Superbikes, MotoGP and World Superbikes next year. “We…

‘Anything can happen this season and I am going to Valencia relaxed’ ANDREA DOVIZIOSO Ducati have admitted that they issued team orders at the Malaysian GP in a desperate bid to keep Andrea Dovizioso’s world title hopes alive. With Ducati’s superstar signing Jorge Lorenzo leading in the closing stages of the race, Dovi second and championship leader Marc Marquez down in fourth, Ducati sent a coded message to race leader’s dash. Senior Ducati personnel admitted after the race that the ‘SUGGESTED MAPPING 8’ communication that appeared on his dash was in fact team orders to allow his team-mate through. As it turned out, Lorenzo had a massive moment and his team-mate took the lead - and the win - fairly and squarely in the end. Lorenzo told MCN after the…

“I would have 100% accepted team orders if I had been in Jorge’s position. That’s your job, that’s what you’re paid for – not to let people past, but to do what the team tell you to do. He was trying to break away though, so that he could come out of the last corner in the lead, sit up and let him though. In my opinion that’s why he nearly crashed, because he was trying to tracks at Valencia in November. It’ll be cold, we’ve seen so many strange things there before like off-the-throttle highsides or cold-tyre Michelin crashes. “If I were Marc Marquez, I’d be going home from Sepang feeling tight. He’s got to be under pressure, because now it’s his championship to lose and Dovi just has…

Franco Morbidelli took the Moto2 crown at the weekend without needing to turn a wheel, after a crash for title rival Thomas Luthi in qualifying left the Swiss racer unable to compete in Sunday’s race – handing the title to the Brazilian-Italian Marc VDS rider. Going into the weekend 29 points ahead of Luthi and with one hand on the trophy, Morbidelli only needed to control the situation even without his rival’s injury – but nonetheless came home on the final step of the podium to cement his success and savour a moment few thought the former European Superstock 600 champion would see. He said: “I didn’t feel like the champion until I’d crossed the line. I didn’t come from the usual background, and it was hard in the beginning.…

Brembo were founded on January 11, 1961 by Emilio Bombassei and Italo Breda. Initially called OMdS, which stood for Officine Meccaniche de Sombreno they were then located in Paladina, Italy. The company name Freni Brembo, an acronym of the founder’s surnames, was introduced 10 years later. The firm initially concentrated on making discs and calipers for cars before adding motorcycle brakes to their portfolio in 1970. It wasn’t long before their products were standard fitment on Moto Guzzi, Laverda and finally Ducati motorcycles. They now make over 1,000,000 motorcycle discs and calipers a year, have 35 manufacturing plants worldwide and boast an annual turnover in excess of €1 billion and employ over 9000 people. Most MotoGP teams use Brembo brakes. Yet motorcycling is still just a small proportion of Brembo’s…

How good is this? You can save cash on your favourite biking read – and get a set of riding jeans that’d cost you £107.99 in the shops! The SR4 Bull-it jeans are tough yet comfortable and look great both on and off the bike. • The traditional design gives you five pockets, including a coin pocket • The jeans are not just fashionable; they also include abrasion resistance coverage for up to four seconds! The side and rear have a triple seam construction for enhanced durability and abrasion resistance • They are made from water resistant material with a thermal barrier to keep you warm and comfortable and have integrated pockets for CE hip and thigh protectors • They come in nine waist sizes (28-44) and three leg lengths…

We can’t promise you’ll actually have tea with her Majesty, or be anywhere near her – but a dozen quaint tea shops line the promenade just outside Windsor Castle’s walls. You never know, she might pop in for a crumpet! After downing your cuppa, head past the guard and into Old Windsor before having a blast through the long straight runway which cuts its way through Runnymede. Hook a right for Virginia Waters where a bunch of squiggly switchbacks and sharp corners await. The road will also take you past the Wentworth Estate, click into second gear and take it slow as you mosey past the houses – see if there are any you fancy buying. It’s the most expensive place for properties in the UK mind, so it’ll cost…

THE EXPERT Jon Wright Jon is the Motorcycle Data & Technical Manager at EBC Brakes based in Northampton. Still privately owned, EBC Brakes is a world leader in the manufacture of brake components and its brake discs are all manufactured in the UK. The basics of brake discs Most motorcycles use disc brakes, which use calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a rotor or disc mounted on the wheel. This causes friction, which slows the wheel. Disc brakes are more efficient than drum brakes as they are more easily cooled and thus less likely to fade. Due to this friction however, disc wear can occur. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW… What’s the metal? Discs used to be made of low carbon steel, which were prone to rust. Today it’s…

Well, I’ve been threatening it for while, but I’ve now actually gone and done it! I’ve bought a 1976 Honda C90 step-through. It seems like the perfect time to do it, with Honda having just sold their 100 millionth Super Cub. I decided to buy my very own partly because I like Honda’s C50/70/90 series, partly because while prices have shot up in the last few years, they’re still affordable and I got one cheap! I was running through the bikes for sale online, as I do every day, and lo and behold, there was a nice red C90, all of four miles away from me. The ad stated that there was no V5, and described it as a 1997 model, but I could see it was a mid-70s one,…

HUGO WILSON Editor of Bike Magazine DUCATI 900SS “I’d have a Pierre Terblanche era Ducati 900SS, with the curvy styling and fuel injection, preferably in yellow. They are a massively under-rated road bike that give a really involving ride, fantastic handling and a great sound. The earlier models are now going up in value, but the later versions are better bikes with lighter throttle action.” CHRIS NEWBIGGING Editor of Performance Bikes Magazine TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675 “I’d have to work to find my choice, but I’ve seen one or two early 675s for that money. Realistically, that means an ex-category D write off, but the looks, sound and character of Triumph’s sweet supersport triple put it head and shoulders above anything else. You’d need to spend a bit more later tidying…

2011 Triumph Tiger 800 Colours White, black, blue Dealer £5500 Private good £4500 Private fair £4000 This one It’s got 28,000 miles up its jumper, but has been lovingly cared for by a main dealer and has useful accessories. £6500. 2012 Triumph Tiger 800 Colours White, black, blue, dark blue Dealer £6000 Private good £5200 Private fair £4800 This one One to keep you warm this winter thanks to its heated grips and guards. Just 7800 miles. £6699. 2013 Triumph Tiger 800 XC Colours White, black, blue, red Dealer £6500 Private good £5700 Private fair £5200 This one Off-road variant of Tiger 800 has spoked wheels with a 21in front. 15,428 miles, £6299. 2014 Triumph Tiger 800 Colours Black, dark blue Dealer £6600 Private good £6000 Private fair £5500 This…

15 th  CAL CRUTCHLOW Started 10th Complaining about an issue with his tyre after the race (something that Michelin dismissed afterwards), Crutchlow admitted to cruising around after some early scares. “I felt that we would be a lot more competitive in the rain, but we had something categorically wrong with the rear tyre of the bike. I had a lot of vibrations and I was in survival mode for the whole race. Only when it started to dry towards the end of the race was I able to really open the throttle” 12 th  BRADLEY SMITH Started 16th Setting a blistering pace in the early laps of the race to run inside the top six, Smith later dropped back on the new Red Bull KTM, but was pleased…

Suzuki stars back on a go-slow The Suzuki pair of Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins have gone from heroes to zeroes in only a week after stunning top eight performances at Phillip Island couldn’t be repeated in Sepang. Instead, Rins crashed out of Sunday’s race twice while his Italian team-mate, a race leader 12 months ago, came home a distant 17th. Team manager Ken Kawauchi said: “I’m so disappointed because in Sepang, the race was a disaster. We have to investigate the data to see why Andrea couldn’t ride as he should and get a good result.” Miller continues cracking comeback Jack Miller has continued the run of strong form with a solid eighth, despite struggling for grip. He said: “The opening laps were not at all easy and it…

One Ducati rider who came away from Sunday’s race thoroughly unhappy with his race despite a strong result was Danilo Petrucci on the third GP17 machine. More mechanical problems meant that he was unable to play a part in the battle for the podium – and he may have been able to help out fellow Ducati man Dovizioso by taking points from Marc Marquez. The former Italian policeman was left frustrated on the sighting lap for the race when his Pramac machine stopped, forcing him to sprint all the way back to the pits just in time to miss pit lane closing. That sent him to the back of the grid for the race, making his ride to sixth place all the more impressive – but leaving him angry at…

‘We should have our own roads because car drivers don’t respect bikes’ Q1 What are you riding? I have a nice little museum with some bikes, some Ducatis. My favourite is my 1972 450cc Ducati Scrambler. I use it to go down to the beach. Q2 Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? For sure I admire both of our current riders, Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo. But I would say Mick Doohan. I have always admired Mick as a person, as a rider and winner of five world titles. Mick is my favourite. Q3 What’s your worst riding habit? I hate riding in the wet. I won superbike races in the wet, but also had a very bad crash in the wet at Misano and since then I have…

www.MCNShop.com Richa 2330 Waterproof Glove £36.99 This claw-style glove comes with reflective detailing and is waterproof and breathable. There are separate inner-fingers and a reinforced palm for protection. The two-finger design means there is less surface area for cold air to flow over your hands and chill them. ARMR Moto WPS340 Glove £39.99 Available in XS to XL, the WPS340 is made of a cowhide and goatskin construction and comes with pre-curved fingers and a Thinsulate thermal liner. There’s an adjustable Velcro cuff and breathable, waterproof lining. Spada Blizzard 2 WP Glove £34.99 These leather and fabric winter gloves come in sizes XS to XXL and have a 100% waterproof membrane. To help keep you protected, there’s a reinforced palm with leather overlays and a visor wipe on the left…

Q Am I barking up the wrong tree with claim? I came off my Aprilia RS125 when I had to avoid a fallen tree in the road. I ended up with some pretty painful injuries although nothing too bad. My insurer appointed solicitors to act for me and they have said they cannot take the case further because there is no evidence that the council knew the tree was rotten before it fell. The council also claim they do not have any inspection records, which seems suspicious to me – any ideas on next steps? Giovani Berni, email ‘The relevant consideration here is did the tree have external signs of rot?’ A The council are under a duty to take reasonable steps to ensure that trees overhanging the highway are…

Oxford show off their 2018 gear Oxford Products have been demonstrating their latest kit to dealers and we’ll be showing it all in MCN soon. As well as their own kit, visitors got to see items from Alpinestars, Bull-it and many more. www.oxfordproducts.com Boost your crash protection Forcefield have released a new set of armoured shorts, designed to offer added protection when motorcycling, snowboarding, skiing or mountain biking. The versatile garment comes with CE approved armour to protect your hips, thighs, buttocks and coccyx and is currently on a special offer of £79.99. www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com Last chance to win a Goldie The National Motorcycle Museum is running a raffle, with first prize being a 1960 BSA Gold Star 500 worth over £20,000. Second prize is a 1955 250cc BSA C11G. The…

The transformation of upstart Italians Aprilia between 1998 and 2002 from lightweight sports specialists famous for its RS125 and 250 strokers into a Ducati-rivalling V-twin superbike marque was, with hindsight, over-ambitious. Although the RSV1000 superbike was brilliant, it underachieved. Meanwhile, the RST1000 Futura was too wacky and the Caponord was flawed. The model that truly deserved better is the SL1000 Falco. Conceived as a street-orientated sportster it uses a detuned, 118bhp version of the RSV’s V-twin held in a twin beam aluminium frame and all dressed in more sober but still handsome and timeless half-faired bodywork. In terms of cycle parts and quality, though, the more subtle Falco is every bit the equal of its more showy brother. The suspension, including inverted Marzocchi forks, is top quality and multi-adjustable front…

“The Tiger 800 is a good all-round bike, and it hasn’t had any major problems. It’s a bike that we as a dealership and Triumph have had a lot of success with, so much so that the current range has now expanded to six variants. “The popularity of the bike in the secondhand market is strong, and obviously bikes with lower mileages, full service history and a good range of accessories fitted command higher values. “Our customers find that fitting a slightly wider tyre on the front improves the feel, and many of them opt for the Michelin Pilot Road 4 Trails. Michelin’s slightly wider profile has proved popular and all the feedback from customers has suggested that the bike handles a lot better when using this tyre. “In terms…

While the new arrangement for Dorna’s British Talent programme might well be much more suited to the task in hand than the original plan put in place this year, the announcement has caused undue stress more thanks to the process than the decision. First hinted at weeks ago, the uncertainty over his future must have affected John McPhee in the past few races – as evidenced by a return to form as soon as the news about his 2018 Moto3 deal was announced. The late announcement has also seen his crew in the British Talent Team scrabbling around to find employment in the Grand Prix paddock for the coming season. It’s no wonder that Dorna’s process surrounding a plan for the British Talent Team has upset more than a few…

‘I thought about fighting the Ducatis but decided to be safe’ JOHANN ZARCO Johann Zarco once again showed the factory stars how to do it at the Malaysian GP and now wants Yamaha to take him seriously. Taking the fight to the factory Ducati duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo and holding off the advances of championship leader Marc Marquez for 20 rain-soaked laps at the Sepang International Circuit, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider once again made his factory brethren look bad by coming home a whopping 20 seconds clear of Valentino Rossi in seventh. He has now beaten the factory machines five times and the Frenchman has staked his claim for a greater role in helping to develop the Japanese firm’s new bikes for 2018. Currently on…