Inhoudsopgave van April 4th 2018 - MCN

‘Imagine if Indian were to do a sportsbike... ...we have the performance edge to pull it off’OLA STENEG€RD Indian now have the brainpower to launch a range of new bikes after recruiting Ola Stenegärd, BMW’s Head of Vehicle Design, and the man responsible for machines like the S1000RR and the RnineT. After 15 years at BMW, he’s joined Indian‘s holding-company Polaris and revealed that he’s even been thinking of building sportsbikes and race bikes as well as developing their range of cruisers and flat-trackers. Get chopping “Part of the attraction for me was Polaris having a grounding in powersports,” he said. “Even going back to 2001, I don’t feel Indian comes with the baggage of other brands. Of course it’s big twins, of course it’s American but it’s one of…

 Ahead of the unveiling of the Z900RS, Kawasaki gave three pre-production models to three famous Japanese custom builders in what they called the ‘Beyond Z’ project. One of those custom builders was Doremi, who customised the Z900RS to look like the Z1s that were being raced in the AMA championship in the 1970s by the likes of Wes Cooley. Now Doremi have taken another Z900RS but this time they’ve customised it further and whacked a massive supercharger on the side. ‘They’ve also fitted a new tank, seat unit, exhaust, bodywork and 18in wheels’ Called the Z900RS MkII, the creation has been heavily restyled. Doremi have fitted their own tank and seat unit, custom side cowls, original style 4-4 exhaust, front mudguard and indictors. They’ve also fitted a set of Morris…

The clocks have finally changed – bringing with them lighter evenings and the chance to get out and ride. There’s even been the occasional sunny weekend for the 5000+ members of our #ride5000miles group to enjoy. Riders racking up the miles include Lucy Biswell, who took her Honda Firestorm for a 263-mile Monday spin around Wales, stopping to enjoy an ice cream. “I had the A44 to Aberystwyth to myself. It was ace! It’s so much better riding during the week,” she said. Elsewhere, Mike Britt enjoyed his first trackday of the year aboard his Suzuki GSX-R600 at Donington Park. Mike completed 340 miles in total, 100 of which were on track. Rob Hope headed out with a few friends to the site of former popular biking haunt, Hartside Top…

Not quite so British I enjoyed the article on British bikes (MCN, March 28). I’m old enough to know them first time round and am glad to see old names revived. I will be accused of sour grapes, but Chinese-built AJSs, Franny-Bs, etc, hardly count as Brit bikes – just re-branded foreign models. My first bike at 16 years old, in 1959, was a Royal Enfield, and they at least have a design/development setup in the UK. I’ve had my moan and look forward to your next piece on Brit bikes, whether UK-built or not. Keep up the good work on two-wheeled life. J Campbell, email When Pat beat Ago I can remember seeing Pat Mahoney race at Mallory Park in the 1975 Post-TT races (MCN Letters, March 28). At…

send pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com…

The AK550 is Kymco’s largest capacity scooter yet and, at £8879, has the likes of Yamaha’s proven, premium TMAX in its sights – but does it deliver? To find out, we’ve been riding it in all kinds of weather on our daily commute, country road rides and motorway blasts. It’s certainly spacious, with ample room for my 5ft 10in frame, yet the 785mm seat is also low enough to inspire confidence and allow feet to easily reach the floor. The fairing offers decent weather protection at speed yet is sufficiently narrow to not impede cutting through town traffic. What’s more, with a long wheelbase and 15-inch wheels it’s stable. On the downside, at 226kg dry, it’s hefty, but that mostly disappears on the move. It’s very comfortable. Both the screen…

Triumph Street Triple S • £8200 • 111bhp Entry-level Street Triple has basic rider aids, Nissin brakes, Showa suspension and analogue/ LCD clocks. Also available as a 660cc, A2 licence-friendly 47bhp (can be derestricted to 94bhp) version. Triumph Street Triple R • £9100 • 116bhp Higher spec with a more powerful motor, colour dash, updated switchgear, the same Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa rubber as S, Brembo M4.32 monobloc calipers and the TC, ABS and riding modes (except Track) from the RS. Low ride height version available. Triumph Street Triple RS • £10,100 • 121bhp Top of the Street Triple tree with even more power, Brembo M50 monobloc calipers, adjustable span/ratio Brembo master cylinder, Öhlins rear shock, extra (Track) riding mode, quickshifter, Pirelli Diablo Super Corsa SP tyres Yamaha MT-09 •…

SUZUKI V-STROM XT 650 £9999 Accessories £1,720 Fuel 18.5 litres @ 52.5mph = 208 mile range Weight 216kg Seat 835mm Power 70bhp Torque 45.7ftlb OLI RUSHBY BSB reporter, long distance commuter seeking practicality, riding for five years Height 5ft 7in Weight 85kg oli.rushby@motorcyclenews.com ‘It didn’t fare too well during the harsh winter despite a coating of ACF50’ After 11 months and 9768 miles, my time with the V-Strom 650 XT has come to an end. Having spent the past few years on A2 licence-friendly bikes, I was looking forward to stepping up to something more substantial and the Strom seemed to fit the bill. When it arrived, I wasn’t sure how we’d get on. It’s a bit tall for me, quite heavy at 216kg, and I remain to this day…

So far, so good Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 £220-250 per pair (120/70 x 17 & 180/55 x 17) Tester Adam Child Where Official launch test, Morocco What’s good? Bridgestone have focused their efforts on wet weather grip, behaviour, traction and overall feel. They’ve added more grooves on the shoulder and reduced the number in the centre. The company have worked to achieve the correct balance between block rigidity and deformation and they’re claiming a 3% faster lap time at their wet handling track. To achieve these new results, they haven’t sacrificed longevity and the wear of the new T31 is on-par with the older T30. I’ve recently covered 4500 miles on my long-term Yamaha R6 on the older rubber and I’ve been impressed by its durability. Unfortunately, we couldn’t…

Q Can you get out of a PCP deal? With the great popularity of PCP finance as a means to getting a shiny new bike, I was wondering about financial liability if something happens to the person that has taken out the deal. For example, what would happen if somebody died or became permanently disabled mid-term in a three-year PCP deal? Also, if a bike was written off where would the liability lie to settle the outstanding finance, especially if the insurance valuation didn’t meet the value of the outstanding finance? Ian Ronald, email A PCP stands for Personal Contract Purchase/Plan. It is now a very common way of buying a bike or car and you pay a deposit, then monthly payments for usually three or four years. At the…

Away from tarmac, trackdays and long-distance touring, there is a whole world of off-road fun waiting to be enjoyed. Riding off-road is a sure-fire way to boost your fitness and learn bike control that will translate into making you a better rider. For the dirt novice, your best bet is to take your pick of the mid-capacity four-stroke enduro bikes. They’re unintimidating to ride, user-friendly, but still offer enough shunt to keep your wits sharp and your eyes wide with wonder. With a list price of £6233, 2017 CRF250X enduro models are currently available on 0%APR over two years when you place a deposit of £976.90. The 249cc CRF is an ideal machine on which to take your first steps on the rough stuff. Honda’s offer lasts until April 30,…

‘The winner will almost certainly be a member of the rally world elite’ The Dakar is the holy grail of rally riding, but the Merzouga, starting this month, is seen as the next toughest test. There is a five-round rally world championship - the FIM Cross Country series - that has races in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Peru, Argentina and Morocco. But there is another race that is now top the list for both factory riders and amateurs preparing for Dakar. Run by ASO, the organisers of Dakar, the Merzouga Rally has established itself as a seriously challenging event, run with the same ethos as Dakar itself - long days, big dunes, extreme temperatures, difficult navigation and even a marathon stage where the riders do not return to the bivouac, so…

‘We always say to Honda we need more stability, an easier to ride bike’DANI PEDROSA ‘It’s a very short bike so is unstable on fast corners at longer tracks’MARC MARQUEZ Honda have made huge strides with their RC213V, taming the aggressive and hard-to-ride machine into something more controllable for reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez and his fellow Honda riders. But while they might have made progress in the last three months, there’s still plenty of work to be done to return to the ultra-smooth days of their dominant V5 machine a decade ago. Since a disastrous 2015 which saw Marquez lose his only title in the premier class title, Honda have been working hard to find a better balance between power and rideability in a bid to refine their…

‘Rea won the award in recognition of his remarkable feats in 2017’ Three-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea was honoured by the Royal Automobile Club last week as he was presented with the prestigious Torrens Trophy. Rea won the award in recognition of his remarkable feats in 2017, including becoming the first rider in history to win three successive WSB crowns as well as amassing an all-time points record after winning 16 out of 26 races over the season. Cal Crutchlow won the award last year for becoming the first British rider to win a premier class Grand Prix in 35 years, other previous winners include Ian Hutchinson.…

Danny Buchan has come away from the opening round of 2018 pleased to have proved some of his critics wrong by delivering a strong performance in tricky conditions on the FS3 Kawasaki with 13th and fourth. Often accused of being unable to get the best out of a BSB-spec superbike and his lack of electronics, the 24-year-old was able to hold off the advances of reigning champion Shane Byrne in the second race. “It’s a good start – it was the start that we needed. I’ve worked differently this winter and we haven’t done as many laps as we’d have liked as a team. It was nice to capitalise on conditions and come home strongly.” “I’m a superbike rider and I know I can ride a superbike, but it’s just…

Honda Racing rider Dan Linfoot had a strong opening weekend that sees him third in the title race. But more importantly for the Yorkshireman, he says he’s pleased that he’s been able to make a solid start to the year without taking any risks. “I did not overdo it. Conditions were sh*t, and one of our main objectives was to not crash, bend the bike and lose confidence. I wanted a nice steady start, so that when we’re at the next round I’m able to go with the front runners. The weekend has done me no harm.”…

Tarran cracks up Tarran Mackenzie was victim to Donington’s unpleasant conditions when he highsided out of the delayed wet warm-up session on Monday. Coming down hard, the rookie suffered a small crack to his left wrist which saw him miss the second race. History lesson Thomas Strudwick won the first ever British Talent Cup race, edging ahead in tricky conditions to finish in front of 12-year-old Josh Whatley and pit-lane starter Fenton Seabright. The second race was cancelled due to Sunday’s weather, but the series will return to Donington next month alongside World Superbikes. Reid’s comeback Northern Irishman Andy Reid has bounced back from a broken femur at last year’s Silverstone round by taking his first win in the Superstock 1000 class. He crashed out of the opening two races…

‘The team have turned a corner and Ray could challenge for the title’ Two race wins may not a champion make, but it’s hard not to think that young gun Ray has the potential to fight for the British Superbike crown, whether it’s this year or in the future if he doesn’t get tempted away from the series. Returning to Britain from Spanish championships in 2016, Ray was almost an unstoppable force in the British Supersport championship, winning more races than any other rider once he’d dialed out a few issues with his FAB Racing Yamaha R6. He adapted to the superbike last year in a commendable fashion and his results were even more remarkable considering he was on lower spec machinery than teammates Sylvain Guintoli and Taylor Mackenzie –…

Orange trekking KTM have opened entries to their UK Adventure Rally, held at the Sweet Lamb rally complex in Wales. It’s three days of adventure riding open to all KTM adventure bike owners, plus participants get to try out the latest machines. For more info visit ktm.adventurerallybike.co.uk Blind luck Australian Ben Felten set a new land speed record recently, averaging 166.9mpg aboard his Kawasaki ZX-10R. Not an insane speed until you discover that Felton is clinically blind. Nice work, Ben! Blow off steam Speaking of speed records, Manxman Chris Wedgwood is hoping to set a new speed record on his Hayabusa, with a goal of 120mph. What’s his catch? Well his Busa is steam-powered. Wedgwood will be making his attempt at the Straightliners World Record Weekend at Elvington on April…

Husqvarna were formed in the Swedish village of Huskvarna as a firearms manufacturer in 1689 (hence the gun sight logo), however in 1877 the Swedish became less violent and the company started building other items such as sewing machines. In 1903 they produced their first motorcycle using imported engines (technically making Husqvarna the oldest motorcycle manufacturer although Harley-Davidson dispute this) and by 1919 the company were producing and racing their own bikes and motors. Considerable off-road success followed in the 1950s and 1960s and even Steve McQueen raced a Husky in the 1970s. In 1986 the Cagiva Group purchased the motorcycle side of the company and moved it to Italy while the chainsaw side stayed in Sweden. In 2007 BMW bought the company from Cagiva for €93 million. A few…

Be inspired May 13 will see a new Charity ‘Ride-To’ event, INSPIRE2018, at the newly opened International Bomber Command Centre at Lincoln which commemorates the work of Bomber Command in WWII. Tickets are £10 a bike and available on line from www.inspirelincoln.org.uk. Lock down The Met have started a new ‘Be Safe’ campaign to encourage riders to use extra security when locking bikes to make it harder for thieves to steal them. The Met recommend a minimum of a cover, a disc lock on the front and a chain lock on the rear. Fight for rights More than 100 motorcyclists attended We Ride London’s demonstration in Parliament Square last week. The group were protesting against the Mayor of London refusing to incorporate bikes into his transport strategy despite evidence from…

Gary Holmes “I returned to riding after a 20 year break last year, after five ironman races, cycling challenges and a heart attack! I did 4000 miles last year, so I thought I should go for 5000 this year! I bought my Fat Bob on January 2, so it should be easy to keep tabs on the miles!” Robin Doughty “I saw it last year and thought ‘Yeah right, I can barely do 1000 miles on this thing’. After that, I got my full licence, traded in my 125 and bought a new bike. Four months in and I’m starting to think that 5000 miles is easy.” Colin Nunn “I’m 62 and started riding seven years ago. I’m new to #ride5000miles and am aiming to keep in touch with the…

I’m writing this on Bank Holiday Monday in the MCN office. We’ve been crowded around the TV set, watching British Superbikes and everyone is speechless at the performance of double-winner Bradley Ray. The mad-haired 20-year-old from Kent made the veterans of BSB look conservative and in some cases second-rate. For most of the two races, Ray looked like he was on another level, choosing lines others were scared to run and holding the likes of James Ellison, Shane Byrne and Leon Haslam at bay. Ray made his debut in BSB last year and, although he was occasionally impressive, no-one would have guessed this would happen. Right now, he looks like a star in the making. This is exactly what BSB needs. Back in 2008 the Donington rounds of BSB were…

BMW S1000RR RACER £25,000 Fuel 17 litres @ 64mpg = 211-mile range Weight 185kg Seat height 815mm Power 208bhp Torque 84ftlb MICHAEL NEEVES Races in Thundersport GP1, Endurance Legends and Island Classic. Ron Haslam Elite instructor Height 6ft Weight 72kg michael.neeves@motorcyclenews.com Back when I started racing in 1988 (I know… I should’ve grown out of it by now), testing was the preserve of professional teams who had the kind of budget sloshing around to hire a circuit for a few days. For the rest of us there was nothing: no track days, no Friday practice before a meeting and sometimes not even a warm-up lap before a race. We went straight to the grid on our proddie 250s fitted with cold Avon AM22/23 tyres and lined up in grid spots…

Royal Enfield Polo Shirt, £29.99 Comes in many colours and sizes; our prize is black, size L. Enter until: May 31 Stealth All Adventure Helmet, £99.99 This peaked lid has a drop down visor, is vented and has removable liners. Enter until: April 30 S-Doc 100 Classic Cleaning, £49.99 We’ve one of these great cleaning kits up for grabs from German bike care specialists, S-Doc 100. It includes cleaner, anti-corrosion spray and much more. Enter until: May 31 Oxford Anchor Force Ground Anchor, £74.99 Keep thieves at bay if you are the lucky winner of this hardened steel ground anchor from Oxford products. Enter until: April 30…

THE EXPERT Si Martin has a TEC Diploma in motorcycle Engineering from Merton College and 30 years experience building, modifying and repairing motorcycles from Supermonos to CBX1000 café racers. Grip is the one thing that riders crave above everything else and that’s particularly true at the front end – as we push the boundaries of that palm-sized contact patch through each bend. So, doubling the contact area with a second front wheel sounds like a no-brainer, but achieving it while maintaining the exclusive riding dynamics of a mono-track vehicle is a massive brain ache. Yamaha are the first to attempt to take the technology beyond the realm of scooters. Convincing an inherently conservative market that the Niken is a ‘proper’ motorbike requires them to keep it as close as possible…

Lord knows how much time I spend perusing classified ads and eBay pages. It must be two hours a day, and even more at weekends. Once, I’d buy just about anything if it was priced right, but there are bikes that are simply tough to sell, for one reason or another. So which bikes don’t I touch? Firstly, anything that never sold well when new. Obviously, there are bikes that were made in limited numbers (I have a first-gen Kawasaki H2...), but as a rule of thumb, if something was spurned by buyers when new, a few years down the line it’s even more spurned. Think Cagiva River or Suzuki GSR600 (I mean, have you ever even seen one?) and the Honda Deauville. Second is bikes with nonstandard paint. Usually…

2004 BMW Rockster Colours Various Dealer £4100 Private good £3500 Private average £3300 This one £3999, in fantastic condition, with manual, maintenance book and documented service history. 2004 BMW Rockster Colours Various Dealer £4100 Private good £3500 Private average £3300 This one £2950 buys you this 2004 bike in white/ black. A private sale, the bike comes with full luggage unit. 2004 BMW Rockster Colours Various Dealer £4100 Private good £3500 Private average £3300 This one Our test bike. With 20,011 miles on the clock, extras include heated grips, tank pad, aftermarket pipe... 2004 BMW Rockster Colours Various Dealer £4100 Private good £3500 Private average £3300 This one Just over 19,500 miles, this trade sale is in great condition with tasteful modifications. Insurance MCN COMPARE Sample MCNCompare.com quotes for £4000…

‘On track the RC211V wasn’t scary at all’ The current Honda might be a beast to ride, but it hasn’t always been that way, with their V5 machine from the 990cc era one of the most rider-friendly machines ever raced – as MCN’s chief road tester Michael Neeves had the chance to find out when he rode it at Valencia in 2006. “I got the chance to ride the great Nicky Hayden’s 990cc V5 RC211V twice, first in Sepang in 2005 and a year later the day after he’d a claimed his MotoGP crown. “The cherished laps spent with the V5 all to myself are something that’ll stay with me forever: the hard-edged, ear-piercing cackle of the motor, eye-watering race fuel and a sea of Repsol shirts strike fear into…

‘It was an iffy weekend and you can easily get it all wrong’SHANE BYRNE Shane Byrne was happy with a steady start to his 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Donington Park. The reigning champion finished second and fifth in the weekend’s two races and despite admitting that he was a little annoyed not to have stood on the top step, he acknowledged he was in a much better position than this time last year when he missed both races at Donington Park after knocking himself out in warm-up. “You can’t win the championship at the opening round, but you can definitely do yourself no favours if you get it wrong,” he told MCN. “So, to come away second in the championship means that we’re happy – especially compared to…

Irwin’s neck break Glenn Irwin bounced back from a heavy crash on the opening day of action to take a pair of solid top seven results from the weekend at Donington. He had a suspected broken neck, but medical staff concluded it was an old injury. Dixon starts slow Jake Dixon had a rough opening weekend of the season with mechanical problems in the first race leaving him a distant 11th. He looked to be making progress in race two only to end up off the track and forced to settle for 12th. A wet weekend Freak weather played havoc with the weekend’s schedule at Donington Park, with the opening race moved forwards to Sunday evening. It was the right call with low cloud, lower track temperatures and torrential rain…

Roof Boxxer Carbon £395 What’s good Remember how we all flipped our lids when Roof hit the market back in 1995? Now they are back. The latest Boxxer Carbon has a new carbon and glass fibre shell – making it 100g lighter than the fibreglass Boxer V8 variant. What’s not If you didn’t like Roof back in the day you won’t be keen to splash your £395 now. www.neodistribution.co.uk RDMOTO crash sliders for the Suzuki GSX-R1000 £44.95-£84.95 What’s good Designed to suit the latest incarnation of the big GSX-R, these protectors are made from a robust polyamide, complete with anodised aluminium covers. The range includes traditional mushroom protectors and frame sliders. What’s not The anodised look won’t appeal to everyone and they only fit the current machine. www.skidmarx.co.uk Tucano Urbano…

MCN’s campaign to encourage as many people as possible to cover 5000 miles in a year is all about getting the most enjoyment possible from your motorcycle. You’ll end up a better rider and a happier person. What’s more, you’ll be able to tap into stacks of brilliant riding tips and know-how. How do I do it? Make a note of your mileage at the start of your biking year. Many members take a photo at the start of the term and at the end and share it on our Facebook page. Make a concerted effort to ride your bike more. What do I win? Nothing – but satisfaction, a greater love for bikes and biking, and perhaps a little bit of fame. We regularly feature R5K members in the…

FURYGAN BRONSON £368.99 Made from soft cow leather, with a khaki liner, the Bronson has timeless styling plus D3O armour in the shoulders and elbows. www.nevis.uk.com SIMPSON VENOM £299.99 Now available in a mad stars and stripes colourway, the Venom brings the classic Simpson style bang up to date with modern Euro-friendly protection. www.trimotive.com MERLIN G24 DRAX £149.99 A sturdy boot made from 2.4mm thick leather. Backed up with a waterproof membrane, they also have reinforced ankles and a CE-approved footbed. www.merlinbikegear.com BUILT MAGAZINE £4.99 If you like bikes like this, you’ll love Built. Full of customs constructed by trendy chaps, usually with facial hair, it’s perfect for those with oil (either beard or engine) in their blood. www.builtmag.co.uk…

Set off on a trip without a dry run Even if it’s a quick spin, a dry run is right up there on the must-do list. We didn’t make time for one, and paid the price. Our bags were packed too high on the sides and one almost sat on the exhaust – resulting in a burnt bag and crispy camping gear. Our topbox was also too far forwards and we had to fabricate extension plates in Slovakia to move it back. Our sidestand also needed cutting down by about three centimetres. A dry run would have saved us learning all of these lessons the hard way. Overpack because, ‘It might come in handy’ We’ve finally realised that you can either leave at home the things you’re unsure about, send…

YAMAHA XMAX 400 £5999 Fuel 13 litres @ 67.15mpg = 126.4-mile range Weight 210kg (wet) Seat height 800mm Power 33bhp Torque 26.55ftlb MARIA VALLAHIS Into her second year of riding, trying out new things like riding on track and in Europe Height 5ft 3in Weight 54kg maria.vallahis@motorcyclenews.com An email from MCN reader Jim Scott raised the question about the XMAX 400’s seat height, something I’d never thought of before. Jim’s considering buying an XMAX and by following some of my reports noticed I was 5ft 3in. “The articles show your height and, from memory, you make no mention of any difficulties or issues with seat height when riding,” he pondered. Well, here goes: First, the seat’s width creates a false impression of height. The XMAX seat isn’t actually much different…

The Ackerman effect In order for a two-track vehicle to steer through a corner, the inside wheel must follow a tighter radius or the tyres will be forced to slip. Ackerman systems were developed in the very early days of motoring to overcome this problem. A steering link turns the fork assemblies via lever arms, with the angularity of each arm increasing or reducing the steering angle of each fork through a turn. It is not possible to achieve perfectly matched steering through the full turning range but this is less critical on a leaning vehicle such as the Niken, as the turn angle required to corner at high speeds is relatively small. Why four forks? Bikers expect their front end to be suspended by telescopic forks, however mounting the…

Buy tyres, get cheap track time Michelin Power Days are set to return for the third year, offering top track experiences across five British circuits, all hosted by double World Endurance champion Terry Rymer. These events cost just £49 when you buy selected sets of Michelin tyres from selected dealers. For further information, visit www.powerdays.co.uk New naked Arai arrives Arai have released a new model, designed to appeal to the cruiser and naked market. Available in a range of designs priced £449.99-£529.99, the Renegade V includes such details as a chin curtain, speaker pockets and replaceable interior. www.whyarai.co.uk Affordable trackday clobber The RST R-18 is a new, CE-approved one-piece suit designed for both trackday and road use, thanks to a less aggressive cut. Priced at £349.99, RST use the same…

 “The Rockster's potentially a future classic – particularly the final edition in black and white. Although not that popular originally because of their looks, they are a really good bike and today we sell them straight away whenever they come into the showroom. 'There are no real big issues, but it’s not rare for them to have pretty big mileage' “There are no real big issues with them, but it’s not uncommon for examples to have some pretty big mileages on them. If you were thinking of buying one with say 50,000 to 60,000 miles on the clock, you would need to think about replacing the clutch. This is a big job that will cost a few hundred pounds, so check with your local BMW dealer or decent specialist. “Potential…

Cody Webb was crowned 2018 FIM Super Enduro world champion in Sweden on Saturday night. The factory KTM-riding American wrapped up the crown with a fifth place on the night in the final round of the five-round series. Although unable to secure overall victory it has been a seriously impressive season for the Brits with young gun Billy Bolt securing second place overall on his Husqvarna after taking victory in Sweden. Jonny Walker made it two Brits in the top four. The worlds best Super Enduro riders will now focus on this years extreme enduro out door events which include brutal races including – Red Bull Romaniacs, Hell’s Gate and the Erzberg Rodeo.…

Private testing for Honda at Jerez The Repsol Honda duo were joined by the Alma Pramac Ducati squad for a private doors-closed test last week. Releasing no information from the outing, the Honda riders were believed to have no new parts to test but were instead concentrating on their electronics set-up. Aprilia debut new carbon swingarm Also in attendance at Jerez was Aprilia test rider Matteo Baiocco, running the Italian firm’s new carbon fibre swingarm for the first time. Following in the footsteps of Ducati and then Honda, it’s believed that the component could be available for Scott Redding and Aleix Espargaró as early as next month. Disabled racers return to Le Mans Motorcycle racing’s first ever race for disabled riders will have a second running this year as a…