Table of contents for 20th February 2019 in MCN

The bloke in the lairy leathers came past me as if I was standing still... and yet he looked in total control of his ten-year-old TDM. “I’m not having that,” snarled my inner demon. The Ducati SuperSport surged forwards as I gave chase. A few corners later and the smooth TDM rider had disappeared into the distance. Feeling somewhat inadequate, I pulled into the next roadside café and headed inside for a cuppa. On my way in I noticed the TDM parked up and the white-haired rider was also heading for brew. I discovered this 73-year-old biker of nearly 60 years loved to get out on his do-it-all Yamaha as much as he could. Age does not necessarily slow you down. Look at how good Rossi still is (see page…

It was another fantastic Carole Nash MCN London Bike Show at the weekend and, although we might be a little biased, it certainly looked to be the best one yet. The 2019 event welcomed 40,411 motorcycle fans to ExCeL to do what we do best: look at bikes, sit on bikes, watch some bikes and chat about bikes. Lots of people even went the full monty and bought some bikes. What more could you want? Shining bright There were so many new bikes at this year’s show that it’s impossible to name them all but there’s no doubting which were the star attractions. Norton drew the biggest crowds of all thanks to their new 650 twins. The modestly-priced Atlas and the Ranger are a big departure for the premium British…

The Metropolitan Police spent the weekend at the MCN show giving advice to bikers on how to avoid theft as well as updating them on their battle with the gangs. Operation Venice is the taskforce the Met have set up to stem the rise in bike theft and moped enabled crime. The operation has been a huge success for the police, with a 35.6% reduction in theft in the last 12 months compared to the previous, while there has been a 48.6% drop in moped/scooter crime over the same period. As well as proactive measures, including the controversial use of tactical contacts to end pursuits, a large part of the success in London has been through educating owners on appropriate security. The Met say that in many cases, owners have…

Just weeks after Indian trademarked the ‘Raven’ name for motorcycles, it has emerged that the American brand have also trademarked the name ‘Renegade’ for the same purpose. To us ‘Renegade’ sounds like the perfect name for an entry-level model with a younger focus and more aggressive styling. Indian’s current entry-level bike is the Scout Sixty, which at £10,349 is nearly £1500 more than Harley-Davidson’s first proper big bike, the Iron 883. The Scout’s styling is also much more traditional compared to the brash Iron, potentially making it less appealing to the younger generation. We could imagine the Renegade taking the cooler styling of the Scout Bobber but with a lower capacity and less powerful engine, as well as a lighter weight chassis and build. If they could sneak it in…

SLAM MXR125 Eloisa and Kristian on their first bikes. It looke like these will certainly not be their last. Jeremy Keohane HUSQVARNA WRE125 This is me with my Husqvarna WRE125. I was still smiling, even though I had just drowned the engine! Jack Cornick YAMAHA RS100 Here’s me aged about four on my late grandad’s RS100. It’s him that’s to blame for my love of bikes. Scott Kelly BULTACO SHERPA My first trials bike, a 1970s Bultaco Sherpa. 40 years later I have just bought a GasGas! Andrew Roberts SUZUKI GT550 My trusty GT550 in 1979. After a few hours your feet felt like they were buzzing with the vibration. Paul Frolich YAMAHA DT250 Trying to perfect a wheelie on my Yamaha DT250 circa 1979. Unfortunately, four decades later I…

Scrambler-style bikes are big news and big business too. While Triumph’s original off-road-styled retro, the 2006 Bonneville Scrambler, was something of a slow-burn, the class has exploded since Ducati brought out their own, easy-going-but-fun Scrambler family in 2015. So much so that both marques have brought out significantly updated versions for2019. Triumph’s biggest news, of course, is their all-new Scrambler 1200 duo, a pair of serious off- roaders based around the full-bore, 1200cc, 90bhp Thruxton version of the Bonneville twin housed in a pukka off-road chassis and all starting at £11,500. But it’s their significantly revamped smaller version, the Street Scrambler, based around the smaller, softer, cheaper 900cc Street Twin platform, that’s arguably more relevant to most customers. This model, previously £9000, already had stacks of appeal for its combination…

Down and Out Motorcycles is a story of one man turning his passion for customs into a business that despite all its success, remains true to its roots. Based in Yorkshire, the company was set up by Shaun Walker after he took the plunge and turned his hobby into a career. “I’d always been into building customs, but only in my home garage,” explains Shaun. “In 2013 I took two to the Bike Shed Motorcycle Show in London just to see what people thought of them. Back then it was more grassroots and you took a cheap old bike and built it how you wanted to before selling it to fund the next project.” With Shaun’s workmanship setting his bikes aside, it wasn’t long until he was receiving commissions. In…

‘I feel better at 40, I have fewer problems in my life’ At the first round of the 2019 MotoGP championship next month in Qatar, Valentino Rossi joins an even more elite group. Already one of the very few competing in any sport with a genuine claim to be The Greatest Of All Time, Rossi will line up on the grid having passed another milestone: middle age. The Italian turned 40 last week but, despite being the ‘elder statesman’ of MotoGP for quite some time, he admitted to MCN when we sat down with him that the event had still caught him by surprise. “F***, 40-years-old. It’s desperate! But it’s important, because if you’re lucky it’s half way. You feel it because it’s 40 and it’s something special and you…

KTM reckon that supermoto isn’t dead, and judging by ride I’ve just experienced on the revised 690 SMC R, most of which was spent giggling uncontrollably, I concur. This year sees the latest generation LC4 motor slotted into a tweaked chassis, with the added bonus of electronic rider aids and a quickshifter/blipper, and KTM claim 65% of the bike is all-new. We spent the morning tearing up tarmac on some stunning roads around the Algarve before heading to Portimao’s kart track for a thorough assessment of this barmy new supermoto. But were KTM right to revive this super-niche model? 1 Suddenly, 74bhp is exciting KTM (and sister company Husqvarna) are the only people genuinely persisting with single-cylinder technology, and huge amounts of work has gone into making the LC4 engine…

It’s the time of year for taking on a project, something to keep you occupied in the garage until the sun starts shining again. For between £2500 and £3500 you can get something resembling a bike but will still need a bit of mechanical knowhow. But choose wisely and you could find yourself loving every minute of the rebuild, while ending up with a bike worth way more than you paid for it. YOUR EXPERT MCN’s resident used bike guru, Neil Murray has been buying and selling bikes for decades and can sniff out a bargain or a dog of a bike at 50 paces. £2800 2010 TRIUMPH 865 SPEEDMASTER 865cc | 60bhp | 690mm seat height • Dealer £4000-£5500• Private £3500-£4500• This one £2800, 12,500 miles The Speedmaster is…

It’s the ultimate biking weekend of the year. The Devitt MCN Festival of Motorcycling is the largest outdoor bike show in the UK and boasts the biggest test bike fleet in Europe. Bring your helmet and get involved. 1. Ride the 2019 bikes It’s all about riding. This is the only event in the UK where you can test bikes from all the major manufacturers in the same place. There are hundreds of test ride slots all up for grabs. The only thing you need to do is bring your licence and helmet and book yourself onto as many rides as you can. 2. Two full days of proper racing The Dirt Track Riders Association will be holding a two-day round of oval racing at the Festival. Races include everything…

Petronas Honda rider John McPhee came away from his team’s private test at Sepang delighted with his progress. Working with a largely British crew, he says that their experience means that he will be much better prepared on track. “I made a big step on each of the three days, and my race pace was really good from day one. On day three I was able to pull a lap time out of the bag and then maintain a faster race pace, too, which is good overall. I tried not to focus too much on lap times and more on getting a good base setting because we know come the start of the season we’ll be fast.”…

While we used to save up for years, or take out a personal loan or straight finance, the greatest number of financed new bikes are now bought on PCP. Why? MCN readers who’ve done it mainly cite one of two reasons: cost, or ease. The overall outlay is certainly less with PCP; as long as you don’t pay that final balloon figure (which means you never actually own the bike). Equally, if you want to change bikes during the contract period, even swapping brands in the process, that’s pretty easy, too. This flexibility and low monthly outlay makes PCP about as close to a win-win situation as you’re ever likely to get where motorcycles and bank balances are involved. But it might not be right for you, so make sure…

Kawasaki Z1000SX 1043cc | 235kg | 140bhp | 815mm Cash price £10,442 Deposit £1592.02 Mileage 4000pa Rate 6.3% APR Optional final payment £5337 Kawasaki have not only rectified the niggles of the old model, but also added a few extras such as traction control (KTRC), driven by an integrated Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). This is also partnered to the new Kawasaki Cornering Management Function (KCMF) which modulates braking force, meaning the SX’s traction control and ABS are lean angle-sensitive for the first time. The recently updated model’s screen is 15mm taller and the fairing is 28mm wider at each side and now overlaps the frame. As a result the mirrors are also wider, too, by 20mm, to give a clear view behind. The new seat is also wider and…

John Haynes OBE, creator of the Haynes Manual, founder of Haynes Publishing and driving force behind the Haynes International Motor Museum has died after a short illness, aged 80. A lifelong car lover, Haynes’ love of all things mechanical began when he persuaded his school housemaster to allow him to miss sport to spend time converting an Austin 7 instead. Haynes then sold the car and had so much interest he produced a booklet on how he did it, selling the first print run of 250 copies in just 10 days. After leaving school Haynes joined the RAF, during which time he developed and raced several cars. In 1965 an RAF colleague bought an Austin-Healey Sprite sports car in poor condition and asked Haynes for help in rebuilding it. Haynes…

This year’s show was as action-packed as ever with both the Wall of Death and Michelin Thunderdrome taking place over the weekend. The Wall of Death saw some exciting firsts including the first hands-free loops on an Indian Scout flat-tracker, while the Thunderdrome brought the usual heady combination of thrills and spills. This year’s racing saw a combination of former champions including Wayne Gardner and Neil Hodgson doing battle with the stars of tomorrow including Kyle Ryde and Tim Neeve. In the very first heat youth was no match for experience as Gardner’s steady approach bagged him the win as Richard Cooper and Tarran Mackenzie slid out. TT men Peter Hickman and James Hillier battled it out, too, but their big, road racing builds were a touch too large for…

Members of MCN’s #ride5000miles community have been busy improving their riding skills, with many passing IAM and RoSPA courses. We caught up with a dedicated band who are not content with taking the course, they’ve become instructors and now spend their spare time passing on their riding know-how. Honda Crossrunner rider Bernie McFarlane attended a training course run by his police officers which spurred him on to volunteer with IAM and RoSPA. “Both organisations teach from Roadcraft (The Police Driver’s Handbook) but have a slightly different approach,” he said. “RoSPA conduct an assessment every three years and if you pass you’ll be awarded a bronze, silver or gold riding standard. “The IAM groups are more fun and each local group organises trips, regular rides and monthly meets with guest speakers.…

1 Light and airy To keep things fun, Cake have kept the battery quite small so it weighs just 16kg 2 Going the distance Despite its size, the 51.8v battery packs 2.6kWh giving a range of up to 50 miles 3 Strong armed Like all electric motors, it’s powerful with the little Kalk putting out 31ftlb of torque 4 Gripping stuff The tyres are designed to work on light trails while still offering plenty of grip on the road Swedish motorcycle manufacturer Cake have unveiled the oddly-named Kalk& which they say is a road-legal version of the Kalk OR. The original Kalk OR was billed as a halfway house between a mountain bike and a motorcycle, weighing just 69kg but with a top speed of 46mph. The Kalk& builds on…

What is Andrea Iannone thinking? Having pointless vanity surgery to make his jaw line prettier so close to the start of the season that he has to miss vital testing time is outrageous and disrespectful to his team. His bosses at Aprilia must be absolutely livid and it has to be said that he has made something of a laughing stock of himself considering he has looks that most folks would be more than happy with. Contrast that with stand-in rider Bradley Smith who got the job done for Aprilia, worked well with the team like a total pro and won praise from temporary team-mate Aleix Espargaro. If I was running the team I'd be looking to dump Iannone and his new fizzog and get in the down-to-earth commitment of…

It’s Britain’s best road test route. A tough 250-mile mix of A and B- roads, a stretch of motorway, plus plenty of towns, villages, blind corners, ballistic straights, and a huge range of grippy to slippy tarmac. There are two cafés, an off-road section for adventure and trail bikes, track time at Silverstone for sportsbikes, and Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground and the dyno for hard and fast data when needed. You want answers? We’ve got ’em. 1 Starting similarities Even before we set off it’s clear these two are well matched, sharing key ingredients such as 800/900cc twins and rugged retro styling right down to their headlamp grilles and bash plates. But the Ducati’s clearly more aggressive and modern, taller and more dirt-orientated with the Triumph smaller, lower and more 60s…

The Desert Sled is among the most hardcore and aggressive of the 800 class scramblers and remains so, benefitting from its 2019 improvements. It looks and rides great, but if you’re a novice you’d be better off with other variants of Ducati’s Scrambler 800. Triumph’s improved Street Scrambler, though, delivers pretty much the best of both worlds with heightened, yet still relaxed, performance and improved spec and style. The result is not just cool looking, but practical, comfortable and pleasing. It’s not perfect (the tank is too small, for example) but it delivers most of what the Ducati does, has fewer irritations (the Ducati’s indistinct clocks, unintuitive modes, tall and uncomfortable seat and exposed riding position all annoy over distance) and is more comfortable and versatile, too. £9300 TRIUMPH STREET…

‘It’s been a bike for every occasion’ It may not be the most powerful bike in class and it certainly isn’t the most advanced but what the last 15,000 miles on the Africa Twin has taught me is that, as a package, it works. The Adventure Sport version of the Africa Twin is well equipped as standard so the mods I’ve made have been minimal but significant. For off-road riding I added SW Motech footrest extensions (£110) which bolt on to the standard footrests in place of the rubber inserts and increase the size dramatically. The other addition was SW Motech SYS bag 30/30 luggage which proved to be a well-designed and robust system that enabled me to carry everything I needed in terms of camping and cooking equipment when…

1. PLAN AHEAD Your overtake should start on the corner before. Turn tighter, lift the bike up and get on the power, ready for the slingshot 2. LONG VIEW Look through the rider in front and keep an eye on your braking point. Only make the pass if you’re alongside 3. BRAKE! Brake at your usual marker and keep your eyes fixed on the corner. Let go of the brakes at your next marker, then tip in 4. LET OFF If the other rider’s late on the brakes, brake at your marker but let off early, modulating your speed until you’re past NO RACING If you are lapping faster than the other riders, there’s no need to make a do-or-die braking move. It’s not a race! SAFE SPACE Avoid slipstreaming…

Sam Lowes kicked off his make-or-break year in Moto2 in the strongest way possible by dominating the first test of 2019. Riding in an unofficial test at Jerez, albeit with an admittedly incomplete grid, the Briton delivered not only absolute speed but knockout race pace as well. Knowing this could be his final year in the series if he suffers another year like 2018, Lowes is already in a better place than he was 12 months ago. Back with Gresini, a team he loves to work with after going completely unpaid in 2018, he’s already upbeat about the year’s potential. And while he finished 0.10s clear of 2018 race winner Luca Marini on the time sheets, there was even better news for Lowes at Jerez when he was also faster…

The Honda Racing Corporation makes its return to World Superbikes for the first time since 2002, not that you would know it. The Japanese specialists have been conspicuous by their absence from tests in Jerez and Portimao, instead doing all of their laps in Thailand. On paper, the prospects are very exciting. Support comes from Moriwaki and HRC (the same arm of Honda which runs the MotoGP outfit), running through the Althea team which won the title in 2011 with Ducati. The experienced rider line-up features Leon Camier and a returning Ryuichi Kiyonari, who knows both Moriwaki and Pirelli tyres well from the Japanese championship. Latest opinion is that 2019 will be a development year before a new Fireblade arrives in 2020. Englishman Camier is now 32 and has long…

With a new World Superbike season kicking off this weekend in Phillip Island, pre-season testing has brought mixed messages. In many senses it’s business as usual, with four-time World Champion Jonathan Rea setting a blistering pace in Jerez and Portimao but there’s also a new order waiting to be established as new teams, riders and firms look to make their mark. At Jerez in January, Rea’s lap time of 1:39.160 was a frightening 1.5 seconds inside his own lap record. The ZX-10RR is the same model which debuted in 2016, albeit with updates including an engine putting out 600 more revs per minute than it did in 2018. It’s a clever engineering response from Kawasaki, re-homologating their road bike in order to allow more power for the race machine in…

Yamaha YZF-R1 998cc | 199kg | 197bhp | 855mm Cash price £16,642 Deposit £3873.55 Mileage 4000pa Rate 8.9% APR Optional final payment £7756.25 The snarling R1 uses a cross-plane firing order for truly unique delivery and boasts excellent chassis stability and a confidence-inspiring electronics package that’s all governed by its Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit allowing cornering ABS, slide control, traction control and more. It’s the best R1 ever built, if you ignore its R1M sibling! Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade 999cc | 196kg | 189bhp | 832mm Cash price £15,769 Deposit £2140.47 (+£2k cont) Mileage 4000pa Rate 0% APR Optional final payment £8064.42 This may be the poor relation to the SP and SP2, but don’t let that put you off. It’s still got more ability and pace than most riders. The…

Yamaha XSR900 847cc | 195kg | 115bhp | 830mm Cash price £9142 Deposit £2450.85 Mileage 4000pa Rate 8.9% APR Optional final payment £3803.75 Yamaha hit the retro nail on the head with the XSR900. If you are in the market for a modern retro with serious spirit, then look no further than this absolutely hysterical triple. Packing the same 847cc inline triple as the highly popular MT-09, the XSR has three fuel maps, two-level traction control and ABS as standard. Add to these modern safety aids a storming 115bhp and 64.5ftlb of torque and it all adds up to a bike that will leave you giggling like a naughty kid after every ride. And it looks kinda cool, in a Japanese neo-retro way. In order to deliver the old-school flavour,…

Harley-Davidson Iron 1200 1202cc | 256kg | 65.7bhp | 735mm Cash price £9395 Deposit £2022.88 Mileage 4000pa Rate 6.6% APR Optional final payment £4800 The Iron 1200 is only £6 per month more than the 883, which makes it a crazy bargain. The extra power does make it slightly more unruly, but only when you’re really pushing. Around town, squirting from traffic light to street corner, where this bike will spend most of its life, it really excels. And the 1200 is an absolute looker, too. Kawasaki Vulcan S 649cc | 229kg | 60bhp | 705mm Cash price £6592 Deposit £986.97 Mileage 4000pa Rate 6.3% APR Optional final payment £3004 Small, manageable, simple and good looking… but the Vulcan’s main selling point will probably be its bargain price. With a…

Yamaha TMAX 530cc | 213kg | 45bhp | 800mm Cash price £10,118 Deposit £2064.78 Mileage 4000pa Rate 8.9% APR Optional final payment £4505 The TMAX is an incredibly capable bike, and much more than the big hair-dryer you might expect. It handles and goes like a motorcycle should. It also has buckets of storage and is hugely comfortable. It’ll beat most bikes away from the lights and will cruise at 70mph all day long, with enough in the tank for clean overtakes, too. Honda Super Cub 125 125cc | 109kg | 9.5bhp | 780mm Cash price £3399 Deposit £69 (+£69 cont) Mileage 4000pa Rate 6.9% APR Optional final payment £1250.81 Honda have sold over 100 million Super Cubs since 1958. And this latest version is the cutest homage to an…

British bike builder Tony Scott has done it again, unveiling two new Triumph-based custom bikes: the Gemini Naked and Indianapolis. Both are based on the Triumph Speed Triple 1050, which already produces a mighty 160bhp at the rear wheel as well as a whopping 90ftlb of torque. The Naked (main picture, above) loosely follows the café racer theme by adding minimalist carbon fibre bodywork. Front suspension is courtesy of Öhlins, while Maxton provide a fully adjustable shock for the rear. British hose experts HEL take care of the braking duties and there are more trinkets including a keyless ignition system as well as Dymag carbon wheels. In addition to the more traditional Naked, ABR are also producing the Gemini Indianapolis (pictured in set right), inspired by the US flat track…

Whatever way you look at it, Valentino Rossi is a legend. He’s 40 years old and still competing at the highest level of motorcycle racing. Can he still win the title? I’d like to think he can. Troy Bayliss was 40-odd when he won his last title, Max Biaggi won at that age too. And then there’s me! ‘IT ONLY TAKES A BAD START FROM MARC TO OPEN IT UP’ I mean, look at what Rossi did in Sepang last year before he crashed. He did 12 laps within a tenth of a second of each other and that’s the hottest race of the year. That’s got to be one of the hardest, most physical and humid tracks in the world and it looked like he was going to pull…

The Triumph Street Scrambler has an all-new display, as used across other 2019 Bonnies, which is attractive and, on the whole, effective (tiny mode display, pointless numeric tacho and overly pessimistic low fuel light apart). The Sled’s stylishly offset LCD pod is adequate but is virtually impossible to read in poor conditions like the ones on the first day of this MCN250 test, its modes are less intuitive to use than those on the Triumph and its reversed rev counter (if you can find it at the bottom of the dial) is simply idiotic. FUNCTIONALITY…

It would have been pointless to tackle the unlit twists and turns of the B660 in the cold, dark drizzle at the end of day one, so we went back and did it in the glorious sun and blue skies the following day. And on the drying tarmac surrounding Kimbolton both bikes came into their own: the perky, upright, aggressive Ducati confirming itself as the most performance (and off-road) orientated offering in this 800cc Scrambler class. It’s one, arguably, for more experienced riders seeking to rekindle the style and spirit of big 70s trailies such as Yamaha’s XT500. But the faithful, unflustered Triumph impressed even more, now having enough oomph to hold onto the Duke’s coat-tails but delivering a more relaxed, versatile and, arguably, stylish ride through this twisty route…

1 Conception “Someone will have been looking at our bikes online and will say ‘I like this one, but in this colour or with this accessory,’” says Shaun. “A custom can cost from £8500 upwards.” 2 Strip show Once a bike is delivered, Shaun will strip it down. Generally he won’t remove the engine on a modern bike. 3 Sourcing parts Shaun will gather together any parts that he doesn’t physically make himself such as wheels and suspension. 4 Colour match “Paint choice and design is the hardest part, so I put the owner in contact with our painter,” says Shaun. “Getting the idea out of an owner’s mind and onto a tank is best left to professionals.” 5 Final countdown It can take up to a week to assemble…

We all know that Valentino Rossi is an icon of Grand Prix racing, but the question is often asked as to whether he can justifiably lay claim to the title of Greatest of All Time. We’re not going to answer the question for you, but we will give you all the evidence required to make up your own mind! RACED IN 21 COUNTRIES (Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Austria, Czech Republic, Brazil, Australia, Argentina, South Africa, Portugal, Qatar, China, United States, Turkey, Thailand) DOB: TAVULLIA, ITALY 16 FEBRUARY 1979 AGE AT FIRST RACE 17 YEARS 1 MONTH 15 DAYS (Malaysia 1996) AGE TODAY 40 YEARS 4 DAYS LENGTH OF CAREER 22 YEARS 10 MONTHS 20 DAYS…

1996 • Team Scuderia AGV Aprilia • Wins 1 • Podiums 2 • Championship 9th, 125 championship • Main rivals Kazuto Sakata and Ivan Goi 1997 • Team Nastro Azzurro Aprilia • Wins 11 • Podiums 13 • Championship 1st, 125 championship • Main rival Noboru Ueda 1998 • Team Nastro Azzurro Aprilia • Wins 5 • Podiums 9 • Championship 2nd, 250 championship • Main rivals Loris Capirossi and Tetsuya Harada 1999 • Team Nastro Azzurro Aprilia • Wins 9 • Podiums 12 • Championship 1st, 250 championship • Main rival Tohru Ukawa 2000 • Team Nastro Azzurro Honda • Wins 2 • Podiums 10 • Championship 2nd, 500 championship • Main rivals Kenny Roberts Jr. and Max Biaggi 2001 • Team Nastro Azzurro Honda • Wins 11 • Podiums 13 • Championship 1st, 500 championship • Main rival Max Biaggi 2002 • Team Repsol Honda • Wins 11 • Podiums 15 • Championship 1st, MotoGP championship • Main rival Max Biaggi 2003 • Team…

‘I’m just happy my hips haven’t popped’ Remember the days when you used to laugh at drunk blokes trying out minimotos at the NEC? It was comedy gold but ever since the early 2000s the minimoto scene has declined, mainly due to the influx of cheap Chinese bikes. Instead of going to dedicated minimoto tracks, many mini thrill-seekers bought these bikes for as little as £99 and took them, illegally, to local car parks to ride. Remarkably the decline has been so severe that there are only two places in the UK, M4 Karting and Swindon Karting, where you can hire a minimoto to ride. Is this a trend that needs reversing? If you want a hysterical day out, then the answer is a resounding ‘yes’ because minimotos are brilliant…

Over the last 11 months the Suzuki SV650X has wormed its way into my heart like a hyperactive puppy and I will be sad to see it go. With just 75bhp on tap and suspended by rudimentary preload adjustable springs, you can easily get the SV-X to the edge of its performance envelope on the road. And that’s quite satisfying. It’s a barrel of laughs in the bends and eggs you on to corner ever-faster, before you fire it out the other side with a handful of throttle and a gentle V-twin growl. With a lack of wind protection, uncomfortable standard seat and a terrible turning circle, it’s as impractical as a puppy, too. But by mid-July, the Suzuki had replaced my own Kawasaki ZX-6R as my go-to weekend toy…

THE STUDENT Patrick Hennessey, 62, London FireBlade owner Patrick has been riding since the late 70s and in that time has owned all manner of bikes. Patrick’s riding problem “On trackdays I come up behind a rider and get stuck. I fixate on them, then I lose momentum and end up following them round.” THE TUTOR Michael Neeves, Chief Road Tester Neeves has been testing bikes at MCN for over 15 years, instructs at the Ron Haslam Race School and races a BMW S1000RR. Michael’s action plan “It’s not racing but a trackday still requires you to pass riders. I’ll show Patrick a technique that’ll maintain his flow in safety.” THE LESSON 1 Keep it on the straight Get an appreciation for the best places on the circuit to make…

Ollie Chatterton has taken a somewhat unconventional path on his way to owning a Royal Enfield Himalayan at the age of 22. “I was a mod,” he says matter-of-factly. “I had a Paul Weller haircut and a Vespa 125 complete with fox tail and about 12 sets of mirrors. Then I decided to become a rocker; that’s when I bought my Enfield Continental GT. That was a nice bike but I spent all my time polishing it.” Instead it was while at local Enfield dealer, Cooperb near Wellingborough, that his rocker lifestyle was replaced with more dirty dreams. After seeing pictures of the new Royal Enfield Himalayan, Ollie’s off-road instincts were awoken. “I rode motocross as a kid and enjoyed it,” he said. “So when I saw Enfield were due…

1 Take a stand Changing your bike’s fork oil is a fairly straightforward job but you have to make sure you have means of supporting the front end safely while the wheel and forks are removed. This rules out a conventional paddock stand, so your best bet is a stand like this abba unit that supports the motorcycle from the swingarm pivot. 2 Twiddle the caps Loosen the fork caps prior to removing the forks, because trying to undo them once out of the yokes will be more difficult. Then undo the caliper bolts and any brake hose clips that are retained on the stanchions. Undo and remove the front mudguard. On older bikes it will also be necessary to undo the speedo cable if fitted to the front wheel…

• ‘My goal is simple: finish in the top three’ ALEX LOWES The man who can Age 28 Bike Yamaha YZF R1 Jonathan Rea aside, Alex Lowes has been the stand-out performer pre-season. Entering his sixth WSB season since stepping up as British champion, the Lincoln man’s target is clear: the podium in every race. Now more experienced, mature and realistic, he’s reclaimed what all riders need more than anything to succeed: confidence. “I feel really good. This winter’s preparations have been great. I asked the team to improve in a few areas and we’ve made some steps forward. I’ve also been working on my riding and feel really positive going to the first race. “This year my goal is quite simple: finish in the top three but, more importantly,…

There are big expectations of Ducati’s all-new V4. “We want to make it the king of WSB,” said company CEO Claudio Domenicali at February’s Aruba team launch. Big words from a man who has never been shy with the press. Of its three riders, factory star and three-time runner-up Chaz Davies, is the favourite, but the Welshman knows better than most it doesn’t always work that way. For the second year running, his preseason has been thwarted by injury with an old back complaint keeping track time to a minimum. New team-mate Bautista has made many a headline, which is unsurprising for a GP world champ who, at 34, after several seasons in the doldrums feels he still has a lot to prove. He has the credentials but also new…

Ducati Monster 797 803cc | 196kg | 74bhp | 835mm Cash price £8138 Deposit £1897.66 Mileage 5000pa Rate 3% APR Optional final payment £4009 Stylish, fun, and simple; it’s great to have an air-cooled two-valve engine back in a Monster package. There’s no traction control to lean on, but you do get the excellent Bosch 9.1MP ABS module and Brembo M4.32 calipers. The frame is a pleasing tubular steel trellis affair, and the 16.5-litre tank is also steel. A great way into Ducati. Yamaha MT-07 689cc | 182kg | 75bhp | 805mm Cash price £6492 Deposit £1452.25 Mileage 4000pa Rate 3.9% APR Optional final payment £2805 Sporting an excellent 689cc parallel-twin engine, with 75bhp on tap, and a 270-degree crank to give the MT a V-twin-like delivery in line with…

BMW F850GS 853cc | 229kg | 93.8bhp | 860mm Cash price £9875 Deposit £1959 Mileage 5000pa Rate 9.9% APR Optional final payment £4901.21 The star of BMW’s 2018 range has to be this great-looking new F850GS, which brings styling cues from the old F800, but little else. This is a totally revised model and brings a huge array of new features and updates to BMW’s adventure middleweight. At the heart of the new bike is the 853cc parallel twin (which it shares with the F850GS Adventure and the F750GS uses a detuned version), that’s gone through more than just a capacity increase. The engine has been completely redesigned with a new crank and 270-degree firing order, to give it more of a V-twin soundtrack and power characteristic. Paired with this…