Table of contents for 24 May 2017 in MCN

PAUL PHILLIPS “John is the biggest star and the TT’s greatest ambassador,” the TT boss said. “There would always have come a time when he would not be on the start line but it is a shame it has happened like this through injury.” LEE JOHNSTON “John has been there every year since I started watching the TT on television and from when I started racing myself. He was always very helpful with information and it will be strange not to have him there with us this time.” CLIVE PADGETT “John rode for us for seven years and we won TTs together. I will miss him out there racing but most of all I will miss John my mate who I go for a beer with and who calls into…

Since the 2006 Yamaha YZF-R6 introduced the motorcycle world to high and low speed damping, there has been a fair degree of confusion over what it actually is. Technically, it is better calling it ‘fast and slow’ damping rather than ‘high and low speed’ and is best thought of as the speed the oil is moving around the suspension system. High speed damping refers to a sudden and fast force being applied to the suspension such as when you hit a pot hole while low speed is a more progressive and smooth movement of the suspension. Within a suspension system the damping is controlled via oil flow through small tubes and also shims on the piston. Low speed damping is adjusted via a needle in the tube varying the oil’s…

‘It has the most effective wheelie, slide, and traction control this side of a race paddock’ You’ve read exotica tests like these a dozen times before, so you know how it goes: a new fabulously expensive, limited- edition Italian superbike is released and it’s lighter and faster than ever. Job done. We almost didn’t need to go to Mugello to ride the new £72,000, 215bhp 1299 Superleggera to discover these most obvious of revelations. Sure, it’s the most powerful production Panigale ever built, this side of a £116,000 RS customer-spec race bike (like Shakey’s), or a money-can’t-buy factory superbike (like Chaz’s). With its carbon fibre chassis it weighs just 156kg dry, so it’s lighter than a full-blown superbike, too. And exclusivity is guaranteed, because only 500 will be built and,…

 With a new V4 superbike around the corner the 1299 Superleggera is the lightest, most powerful Panigale ever. But is it also the final hurrah for Ducati’s L-twin superbike? ‘A few years ago a carbon chassis was impossible’ “No, it’s not meant to be goodbye to the V-twin superbike. The Superleggera is the maximum expression of what we can do. We wanted to get all our knowhow from racing and new production techniques and put it together in the most amazing motorcycle we could produce. “When we made the 1199 Superleggera, we thought that was the maximum we could ever achieve, but here we are with the new bike. To maintain this level of weight, power torque and technology with a 100cc bigger Euro4 engine is an amazing achievement. “A…

What the hell are Bybre brakes? The KTM comes with Bybre. Eh, what? After a quick two-minute Google session I discovered my brakes are fake Brembos. Or to put it correctly, Brembo is the proprietor of ByBre, Breco and Marchesini brands. More literally, ByBre is an abbreviation of ‘By Brembo’ and the brand is specifically dedicated to small-to-medium displacement motorcycles and scooters. I know I’m small, but I don’t go into H&M for H&M Kids clothing – give me some Brembos! KTM PowerParts Christmas has come early, ’cos mama’s going shopping! Akrapovic slip-on? Yes please (£461). I’m also looking at some racy rearset footpegs, and a tank bag to help my commute. The £137 rear bag (10-30 litres) also fits perfectly on the KTM’s pillion seat, so I need this.…

‘With a free weekend, I eagerly bolted the engine back together’ 1987 YAMAHA SDR200 Price £1400 Weight 105kg Power 34 bhp @ 9000rpm Torque 20.2ftlb @ 8000rpm BRUCE DUNN MCN speed testing expert and vastly experienced 250 two-stroke racer Height 5ft 6in Weight 65kg Did I say this wasn’t going to be a nut-and-bolt restoration? I might’ve been kidding myself. Having stripped the SDR down, I found myself boxing up various chassis parts, such as wheels, subframes and brackets, and taking them off to my local powdercoaters for refinishing. When they returned it was like the past 30 years had been rolled away, as they looked just like new. This started a bit of a chain reaction; the freshly powdercoated parts only served to highlight just how scabby some of…

Q How can I stop my judder trouble? I have a lovely 1998 Yamaha R1 that sometimes suffers from a nasty case of juddering when pulling away or pulling up at a walking pace. This tends to occur when the bike has been running for a while. If I pull in the clutch and then release it again when the juddering has started it seems to solve the problem. I have adjusted the clutch bite point and replaced the clutch plates, but the problem persists – and this is the second R1 I have owned that suffered from this issue. What could it be? Adrian Evans, email A Answered by Charles Marvell, Flitwick Motorcycles The juddering sounds like a worn clutch basket. Early R1s had a recall on the clutch…

With dealers struggling to find quality used stock, your minter has never been more valuable At this time of year it’s easy to assume that brand new bikes are the stars of the showroom, but in fact it’s used machines that are most in demand, and dealers simply can’t get enough of them. Despite tempting finance packages, the list-prices commanded by many of 2017’s new motorcycles puts them well out of reach of the majority of buyers, so the competition in the sub-£10,000 used market is now getting fierce. “I’ve never known a time like it for used bikes,” says Saul Towers, Sales Manager at Flitwick Yamaha. “We’ve literally got three used machines in the showroom at the moment, so I’d hate to imagine how hard it must be for…

Jorge Lorenzo Stay strong @NickyHayden. Keep fighting! #GoNicky Dani Pedrosa Best wishes @NickyHayden! Stay strong my friend! #GoNicky Colin Edwards Thoughts and prayers @NickyHayden family, friends, and crew #fingerscrossed Ben Spies Everybody pray for @NickyHayden and his family right now please. Jonathan Rea Praying for @NickyHayden and family! Chaz Davies Keep fighting Nicky Jeremy McWilliams Thoughts with @NickyHayden today, road cycling getting more dangerous day by day. #ThinkBikes Shane Byrne Thinking of you and your family @NickyHayden – stay strong buddy Leon Camier Horrific news about @ Nicky_Hayden – keep fighting brother... we’re all praying for you!!! #kentuckykid Stefan Bradl Hey mate, we all know you can fight. My thoughts are with you and your family #69 Mick Doohan Extremely sad news I just read of my pal @NickyHayden we…

 The opening laps of Sunday’s Moto3 race at Le Mans descended into utter chaos as well over half the field crashed when oil was leaked onto the track after a number of riders were allowed to re-join after a first-lap crash. ‘I was in the gravel trap and saw 15 riders behind me!’ JOAN MIR The second lap incident that brought out the red flags at turn six saw 20 of the 30-rider field fall at the corner, with eventual race winner Joan Mir among those to come off. He said: “I think I was the first rider to crash, and I looked over my shoulder in the gravel trap and saw maybe 15 riders behind me! I knew there had to be oil down, but the difficult thing at…

He may only be five rounds into his rookie MotoGP season, but the Tech3 squad have already rewarded Zarco with a new deal to remain with the squad for the 2018 season. Team boss Herve Poncharal told MCN it was a no-brainer after recent results: “Perhaps he could have waited a bit longer to make this decision, but he told me that he is happy and ready to commit himself to us. We are very proud to have that sort of confidence from Johann. He has already brought some amazing things to the team, such as huge excitement and joy, but he has also given us some pride back. I’m sure the best is yet to come, but what he has done in the first rounds is really impressive.”…

“It was a good day for Maverick – a strong race, a good battle, but again it was just with Yamaha riders. It asked the same questions and gave the same answers as Jerez, but we’d like to see a battle with Yamaha versus Honda mixed up a bit now, as a motorbike fan! “But we’re happy with Maverick’s pace, especially considering we didn’t do a lot of laps in the dry. We’re happy to recover those lost points, too. Yes, we won the first two races, but then we had a bit of a disaster for a while, with a completely unexpected crash in Austin. Everyone has crashed already now, and Marc has crashed twice. He learned a big lesson last year, but he’s already been on the floor…

‘The team have done a lot of work on the bike and it was lovely at the Ulster GP where I won’IAN HUTCHINSON HUTCHY AGE 37 Debut 2004 Fastest Lap 133.115 mph Podiums 25 Wins 14 Road to TT 2017 November 2016 Hutchy confirmed to remain with Tyco BMW & McAMS Yamaha February News emerges that Hutchy will switch to Dunlop tyres for 2017 March First test of 2017 with Tyco BMW at Cartagena in Spain April Competes on Tyco BMW in National Superstock championship May Three podiums at the North West 200 ‘IF YOU FIGHT FOR WINS THERE IS GOING TO BE RIVALRY. BUT IT DID GO A BIT TOO FAR LAST YEAR’ The final practice session at last year’s TT set the scene for the week of unprecedented…

A true all-rounder, Hayden excelled not only in the premier class to take the 2006 world title from Valentino Rossi, but also in his early years as an AMA Pro flat Track racer and production rider both in the AMA Superbike series and was currently in WSB with the Red Bull Honda team. Beyond his racing talents, though, Hayden was loved by the paddock and his fellow competitors. One of the few racers that no-one ever has a bad word to say about, the American was rare in having taken a championship without ever having made an enemy in MotoGP. Something acknowledged in the huge outpouring of grief and comfort from riders, teams, media, and organisers since the news first broke of his terrible crash. That extends to his fans,…

Goodwood does Brooklands The 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed (FOS) will pay homage to the Brooklands circuit, celebrating 110 years since the Surrey track first hosted racing on June 28-29, 1907 – the same year as the first Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. This year’s FOS takes place from June 29 to July 2. Historic work The excellent National Motorcycle Museum has two of its five halls closed to the public from Monday, June 12 to Friday, June 16, so if you’re planning a visit it’s probably best to avoid that week. Plan for another time, and you’ll get the full fabulous five-hall experience. Sunday worship The world-famous Ducati Museum in Borgo Panigale, Bologna will be flinging open its doors every Sunday throughout the summer (9am-6pm) - making Wednesday the…

Nicky Hayden was one of the good guys, you can ask anyone and the messages of support that poured from all quarters of the biking world after his accident in Italy are proof that nobody had a bad word to say about him. It’s rare in any sport for someone to reach the very top and yet stay friends with his fellow competitors and rivals. The words of Valentino Rossi sum it up best: “a great talent and always at the top; but more importantly, he is a great guy. Nicky is one of the best friends I’ve ever had in the paddock.” News that Nicky had succumbed to his injuries came too late for a full tribute in this week’s MCN. The presses were already rolling as news broke…

BMW HP4 RACE £68,000 • 212bhp • 171kg You wait all your life for a carbon-framed production bike and two come along at once. The new HP4 RACE has a 7.8kg carbon fibre twin spar frame, self-supporting seat unit and wheels, but unlike the Ducati has an aluminium swingarm. Power is up to 212bhp and the inline four-cylinder motor is fitted with a close-ratio gearbox. It has BMW’s latest-evolution electronic rider aids and it’s dripping with race parts, including racing Öhlins, Brembos, and a 2D dash. Honda Fireblade SP2 £22,000 • n/abhp • n/akg Honda have gone quiet about their homologation special SP2 and we’re still unsure of its exact power, weight, price or even when it will arrive in the UK. Only 500 will be produced and it’s been…

BANK HOLIDAY BLASTS ‘Riding the North Coast 500 is the perfect way to spend a Bank Holiday wekend’ Scotland Inverness to Inverness on The North Coast 500  Rich Newland, Deputy Editor 1 Scotland has some of the quietest, and most stunning, roads in the whole of the United Kingdom (we’re still united, aren’t we?), and this route means you don’t even have to do your own road hunting, or rely on pot luck or Google Earth for research. As the name suggests, the route clings to the coast like a particularly voracious limpet, gifting you some of the most mesmerising scenery you could hope for. Just don’t get too distracted, because the roads are sinuous and demanding – not to mention wildly rewarding. Factor in some lunch stops, and…

Honda CB1100RS £11,139 The Euro4 tickled CB1100EX gets a new stablemate this year in the shape of this RS model. It gets a fatter fork, radial brakes, cast wheels and twin remote reservoir shocks. BMWRnineTRacerS £11,360 The Racer S benefits from beautiful laced rims instead of cast, heated grips, a chrome exhaust and LED indicators. The timeless design and crippling riding position are standard. TriumphThruxtonR £12,200 The T120 is the basis of a large family of modern classics, topped by this Thruxton R. Öhlins piggyback shocks, Showa Big Piston Fork, Brembo monoblocs – it’s got it all.…

‘If you run low the bike goes into limp-home mode, not ideal on the M1’ ENERGICA EVA Price £27,999 Fuel n/a Weight 296kg Seat 795mm Power 75kW/99bhp Torque 125ftlb LIAM MARSDEN All-weather commuter, happy on any type of bike HEIGHT 6ft 1in WEIGHT 75kg As soon as the Energica became available I jumped at the chance to get to know it for a week. I love sci-fi and it doesn’t get much more space-age than an electric motorcycle that soundslikea Star Wars speeder.After a couple of mornings commuting, the time had come to take the Eva a little further afield. In Eco mode Energica claim a range of 124 miles. I wanted to test that, so I decided to visit my mother in sunny Yorkshire, 123 miles away. Perfect, right?…

Michael Dunlop ‘It’s in my Blood’ Autobiography £20 We’ve got ten copies of Michael’s autobiography to give away. It covers the whole of his racing career plus insight to this great racing family. Enter until: May 31 Oakley Crossrange Sunglases £157 We’ve got a pair of Oakley Crossrange sunglasses up for grabs just in time for the red-hot summer (maybe)! With interchangeable arms, 100% protection against UVA, UVS and UVC rays, they’re a welcome addition to any summer wardrobe. Enter until: June 30 Sportsbikeshop Gift Voucher £50 Sportsbikeshop are the UK’s number one online retailer of motorcycle helmets, clothing parts and accessories with more than 18,000 products in stock, from over 100 different brands. Enter until: May 31 Limited Edition Kyle Ryde Print by Billy Art £30 This pencil art…

THE EXPERT Steve Panter Steve has run aftermarket carb specialist Allens Performance (allensperformance.co.uk) for 10 years. He is a mine of technical advice, and also an expert on two-strokes. Think of your carburettor as having a big pond of fuel at atmospheric pressure. At the top you’ve got air flowing into the engine through a restricted diameter, so that reduces pressure, because the air has to increase the speed to maintain the flow. This causes fuel to flow from the bottom of the carb, through the jets, to the top. That difference in pressure is what we call the signal strength. The trick is to get a signal without restricting the flow of the air too much. The flat slide CRFs, TMRs and FCRs we sell are basically as far…

I’m not sure what goes through manufacturers’ minds when they decide to make a cheap naked bike out of something that was previously swaddled in plastic and adorned with expensive add-ons. In theory it’s a good idea, but in practice it rarely works. It’s often better to take an existing engine and build a budget naked bike around it, perhaps using a steel tube frame instead of an alloy beam, and so on. Suzuki are past masters at this. Bandit anyone? Some nakeds are utterly brilliant, like the Triumph Street Triple – which has ruled the category for a decade. And some aren’t. The Honda X11, the ‘naked Blackbird’, is a prime example of the type. Awkward, clumsy, with a linked braking system that didn’t seem as good as the…

2015 Indian Roadmaster Colours Black, red, red/ white Dealer £17,500 Private good £17,000 Private average £16,500 This one Has covered just over 13,000 miles and has a few tasteful extras, hence its £17,495 price tag. 2016 Indian Roadmaster Colours Black, red, red/ white Dealer £22,699 Private good £21,500 Private average £20,500 This one Pre-reg with one mile on its clocks. It’s not the 2017 bike, so there may be a deal to be had on its £22,699. 2017 Indian Roadmaster Colours Red, black, grey, black/ivory, green/cream Dealer £22,799 This one The updated 2017 Roadmaster costs £22,799 in single colours or £23,499 in two-tone. Finance deals are available to soften the blow. 2016 Indian Springfield Colours Red, black Dealer £19,599 Private good £18,000 Private average £17,000 This one Offers the same…

Kevin Schwantz is finding it ‘very tough to swallow’ the sad situation of his American motorcycling buddy Nicky Hayden. Emotions ran deep for Schwantz as he continued with his Suzuki GSX-R1000R media ride days at Mugello after receiving news of the injuries suffered by Hayden in a cycling crash. Schwantz was in Italy in his role as ambassador for Suzuki and staying on the Adriatic Coast at Gabicce Mare, close to Hayden’s Italian base at Cattolica. Just a couple hours before Hayden’s horrific bicycle crash near the Misano Circuit the two Americans were together jogging on the beach front near Cattolica. That is when fate intervened. “I was running towards Riccione when I came across Nicky also jogging on the beach front near Cattolica,” Schwantz said. “We ran for a…

‘The pass on Cal was on the limit. We were lucky neither of us crashed’DANI PEDROSA Dani Pedrosa is right in the fight for the 2017 MotoGP world title after a stunning ride in Sunday’s French Grand Prix. Pedrosa piled through the field from 13th on the grid to take a brilliant third place. The result leaves him second in the title race behind race winner and new series leader, Maverick Viñales. Backing up his victory last time out in Jerez with the Le Mans podium, the Repsol Honda rider has found his form much earlier in the season than usual, meaning that for the first time since 2012 he looks to be a legitimate title contender. Yet the result didn’t come easily for Pedrosa, who admitted after the race…

Marc Marquez looks like he’s gone back to his win-it-or-bin-it style last seen in 2015 after crashing out of his second race in five so far this season. His failure to score any points has dropped him to fourth in the title race and done serious damage to his aspirations of lifting his fourth MotoGP crown. Falling at turn one on lap 18 during Sunday’s French Grand Prix as he tried to stay with the Yamaha trio of Zarco, Viñales and Rossi, he admitted that he was caught out despite trying to keep calm during the race. “I was careful at a few parts of the circuit where crashes normally happen or where you feel on the limit. In turn one I didn’t expect it, and after hitting the bumps…

BRADLEY SMITH Started: 10th Finished: 13th Building on incredible progress from the RC16 machine, the KTM duo of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró backed up strong qualifying performances with good race results to come 12th and 13th. SCOTT REDDING Started: 7th Finished: DNF The weekend was full of promise after qualifying a strong seventh. However, he was one of a host of satellite Ducatis (including team-mate Danilo Petrucci) to suffer technical problems, retiring from the race with gearshift issues. TARRAN MACKENZIE Started: 29th Finished: DNF Treating his first weekend as a GP racer as more of an extended test, Mackenzie made solid progress to qualify only 2.5 seconds off pole. He was running well in the race until a coming together with Axel Pons meant he failed to finish. DANNY…

‘I knew I needed to take the victory, that I had to push the bike over the limit’ MAVERICK VIÑALES Maverick Viñales has eased himself back into the championship lead that he conceded to team-mate Valentino Rossi when he crashed out of the American Grand Prix two rounds ago with a stunning win at Le Mans. Taking the fight to Rossi and winning an important victory both on track and in the Yamaha garage. Taking a steady start to hunt down Johann Zarco and take the lead, he was unable to stop a late charge from team-mate Rossi in the closing stages of the race. And despite the frantic pace and fierce fighting that the pair were engaged in as they scrapped for the win, Viñales admitted afterwards that there…

‘IT’S FAIR ENOUGH SAYING THE BMW IS GOOD ON THE ROADS BUT IT’S BEEN ME TAKING THE WINS!’ DUNLOP AGE 28 Debut 2007 Fastest Lap 133.962 mph Podiums 22 Wins 13 Dunlop’s year so far January Big questions for Dunlop, will he run his own BMW or stay with Hawk after their switch to Suzuki? February 21 Announcement that Dunlop will ride for Bennetts Suzuki February 22 First test at Mallory Park March Spanish testing alongside British Superbike team April Donington Park BSB Round 1 May Fourth at the 2017 North West 200 Having won four out of the last six Superbike and Senior TT races, Michael Dunlop is the man when it comes to the Isle of Man. Nephew of the late, great Joey Dunlop and son of Robert,…

He might have been away from the TT for two years, but 2015 BSB champion Josh Brookes is determined to make his mark as he returns to the Mountain course with Norton this year. Brookes’ praise for the V4-RR SG6 shows just how far the bike has come with the Aussie even claiming it handles better than his BSB bike on certain sections of Oulton Park. “Having ridden the bike at a couple of unfamiliar tracks, I was worried I was maybe glorifying or fantasising the idea of the bike being as good as it is,” Brookes confessed. “I was worried I might ride on a track I know and find it’s not as good as I thought it was, but I rode at Oulton the other day and that’s…

Like the competitors, your enjoyment depends on building up your knowledge. After 18 TTs since 1981, I’d suggest you do it like this… Rule 1 Be early. It gets really, really busy before the course closes for practice or racing. Rule 2 Learn the circuit. Ride, talk to locals, talk to other fans, use a map, watch videos. Rule 3 Practice getting round the island on closed roads. Start with the A24 Cooil-Foxdale road, the Douglas-to-Creg back road, ride across from Brandywell to Barregarrow, and figure out the TT Access Road at Braddan. Rule 4 Resist the urge to tussle with other riders. Overseas visitors sometimes forget to ride on the left. And hey, the fastest guy on Mad Sunday wouldn’t even come last in the slowest TT.…

‘I have been overwhelmed with the support and well wishes’JOHN MCGUINNESS A week after his huge crash at the North West 200, John McGuinness was in good spirits in his hospital bed in the Royal Victoria hospital in Belfast after having a skin graft on his injured right leg. “I was in a lot of pain and very sick for the first few days after the crash,” the TT legend explained. “But I have been overwhelmed with the support and well wishes that I’ve had from everyone.” The 45-year-old has received dozens of cards from fans and friends wishing him a speedy recovery from his injuries. “Both Becky and I have had so much support and I cannot thank the race fans, medical teams and fellow racers enough. All the…

MV’s Scrambler MV Agusta have released a teaser video of a new model, which looks to be a scrambler version of their Dragster. There’s only a dark silhouette to go on, but the dual purpose tyres suggest scrambler intent. Watch this space – and the video on motorcyclenews.com American Star With no large traditional cruiser in the current range, Yamaha sister-firm Star are teasing what appears to be a Harley/Indian-rivalling, large-capacity bike that is obviously tartgeting the American market. While details are scant, the promo video points to a big capacity V-twin designed for two-up cruising. Move fast... You’ve got a month left to take advantage of a Ducati UK deal where new buyers of a 959 Panigale get a free BikeTrac system, along with a free one-year subscription to…

 “I won my first motorcycle in a raffle. So I had to learn to ride this Harley-Davidson Sportster and do something with it. I decided to ride it to veterinary schools and give a couple of lectures. I started talking to a colleague about it and he said he’d ride with me. One thing led to another and all of a sudden we had 12 academic senior vets – all with motorcycles – offering to ride together. So, we decided to visit all seven vet schools in seven days and raise money for charity. ‘We’ve raised over £500,000 for charity and met the PM!’ “I had only ridden 50 miles on my bike before we set off, but we completed the 1500 miles in seven days and that was just…

BUILT MAGAZINE £4.99 Built is the new magazine all about handcrafted, customised motorcycles. Issue 5 is out now, order yours at: www.builtmag.co.uk INDIAN WOMEN’S CONNELLY BOOT £238 Timeless design, and superb build quality from Red Wing, these 11inch pull-on Indian branded women’s bike boots are premium leather heaven. www.indian motorcycle.co.uk DMD VINTAGE HELMET £199 This no nonsense open face from DMD with a sleek shell-shape that harks back to the open face glory years of the 1970s, albeit with lovely modern safety features. www.dmd.eu…

WHO’S THIS? 1 Who’s the gentleman on the left, with a super-slim Phil McCallen? WHAT BIKE? 2 Every 1970s sixteener’s wet dream. The colour’s the clue, but what is it? WHAT’S THIS? 3 Built last year for a world record, who’s this strange structure for? NAME THE BIKE 4 No points for CB750, which model is this bike? Year or K number wins it. WHAT BIKE? 5 It’s getting hot in here... with its clothes on it’s a £72k stunner. YEAR GAP? 6 How many years separate these two Blades? 15, 20, or 25 years? WHO’S THIS? 7 He toured European races, on his race bike, changed tyres and raced! WHO’S HOME? 8 He’s moved away, but which MotoGP champion grew up in Cervera? WIN AN MCN MUG! Get them…

Saint Ives, Cornwall Saint Ives, on Cornwall’s northern tip, is bohemian-arty (Tate Modern gallery), surf-cool (Porthmeor Beach), and boat-fishing busy (bustling harbour). And we can ride there on the A39, the great, 170-mile Atlantic Highway running across north Devon. Ceannabeinne Beach, Durness Ride the best 500 miles in Britain (see Inverness to Inverness), with a day in between lounging on crystal white sands and swimming in pure azure seas. Scotland’s northern edge is dotted with picture-postcard beaches along the famous North Coast 500 loop. Anglesey Circuit, Anglesey Anglesey Circuit has eye-popping cliff-edge coastal views to surpass Australia’s Phillip Island. It’s tarmac genius. There’s no trackday scheduled for this Bank Holiday but there is supermoto racing which is well worth watching – it’s the perfect excuse for a ride to north-west…

Bypass busy beaches Grey suicidal slot-machine seaside towns, packed beaches reeking of day-old deep-fried doughnut batter and abandoned donkey turds. Two traffic-jammed roads get you in, but there ain’t enough tarmac in the world to get you out again fast enough. Don’t go there. Avoid motorway madness Bank Holiday motorways are basically giant car parks for people who’ve lost the will to live, but it takes a special kind of existential despair to take a bike onto one. What were you thinking? As for the Dartford Crossing on Monday evening… Beauty spots get ugly The Lakes, Dales and North Yorks Moors are great rides, but not on Bank Holidays when they’re clogged with fat motorists dozing in crawling caravan convoys. Steer well clear. Don’t worry about weather The forecast might…

‘Different takes on retro bikes’ The two bikes that stand out in this test are the BMW R nineT Pure C and Honda CB1100 EX, which are both fabulous machines to ride. However, they deliver two very different retro experiences. The EX is a traditional relaxed retro that is in many ways best thought of as a great-looking cruiser with a refined nature and a real feeling of quality. The BMW, on the other hand, is far more a modern take on the retro theme and that means stripped- ‘The BMW and Honda are fabulous to ride’ back, raw and quite aggressive. It’s a blast to ride, and sounds fabulous, but this attitude won’t appeal to everyone. Which leaves the slightly disappointing Bonnie. The Triumph looks stunning, and has superb…

‘The dash takes me back to my PlayStation days except I’m not trying to beat Spurs on FIFA’ Price £4099 Fuel 13.4 litres Weight 137kg (dry) Power 15bhp Torque 9ftlb MARIA VALLAHIS A 125 newbie, MT-125 owner, yearning for a bigger bike. Height 5ft 3in Weight 53kg New to the #MCNFleet17 is the KTM 125 Duke, and although it’s the smallest bike on the long-term squad this year, it’s far from insignificant. The 2017 update has given KTM’s smallest Duke a fair few additions to help it punch well above its weight. Firstly, it’s been given a full makeover, which basically means it looks incredibly similar to the hyper-naked 1290 Super Duke R. And secondly, when you switch the ABS off a yellow warning light flashes ‘not legal’ – so…

‘The Racer has a stability in fast corners that’s simply delicious’ BMW R NINE T RACER S Price £11,360 Fuel 17l (149 miles @40mpg) Weight 220kg wet Seat 805mm Power 110bhp Torque 86ftlb MATT WILDEE Former editor of Performance Bikes loves trackdays, spirited road riding and clocking big miles Height 6ft 2in Weight 86kg In the last 15 years of testing motorcycles for a living I’ve never had the keys to a motorcycle as universally admired as the BMW R nineT Racer. It draws attention from every walk of life too – from one-piece-wearing race-rep riders to skinny-jean hipsters and their comedy beards. There’s no getting away from the fact that from every angle the BMW is beautiful. I think it looks like sex on wheels. Before I’d even ridden…

Dainese Trickster race suit £1499 Tester Matt Wildee Time tested Two years/5000 miles What’s good Quite a lot. These are Dainese’s kangaroo skin offerings and as such are light, supple and very comfortable. Designed primarily for trackdays I’ve also used the suit for many long, 12-hour days in the saddle, too. Comfort is very impressive, especially because at 6ft 2in I’m at the top of their size range, but the number of stretch panels mean they can accommodate a range of body shapes. The lining is excellent – it’s so slippery that it allows you to move around with ease and despite being sweated in for the last two years, the antibacterial ingredient means it hasn’t developed any smells. (Yes it has – says everyone at MCN). It’s one of…

Carbs running poorly? Here’s what you can do... Is the fuel getting in? One of the biggest stumbling blocks with carbs is common sense and logic. People often don’t ensure a clean, uninterrupted fuel supply. They might rely on the filter in the tank, or put sealant in to bind up the rust. They’re not stopping to think how things work, and track down problems by a process of elimination. It’s best to assume that all fuel tanks – no matter how new, or how much time has been spent on them – are full of filthy stuff that’s going to get into your carburettors and block them. So put an inline filter in. That’s probably the most important piece of advice. Can I sort the tank? As I don’t…

Energica charging less Although not yet approved as part of the Plug-In grant scheme, Energica are discounting the price of their Eva and Ego bikes by £1500 to match the government subsidy. This takes the price of the Eva to £26,499 and the top-spec Ego 45 to £48,499, so there’s still a little way to go before these prestigious battery-powered bikes are affordable for all! Draggin’ top test Draggin’ Jeans’ all-new material has beaten rivals in an independent abrasion test. The test, which took place in conditions identical to those used for the CE-approval standard, saw Draggin’s new Roomoto MR7+ material exceed the requirements of CE Level-2 by lasting 7.91s on the abrasion belt – the equivalent of sliding down the road for 63.28m at 40mph. The material is used…

“The Roadmaster is in such a high specification as standard, owners don’t really have many options with when it comes to upgrading! “You get just about every luxury you can possibly think of as standard, so your choices are fairly limited. From the bikes we see coming in to Krazy Horse, Stage 1 kits seem pretty popular, which is a free-flowing air filter and exhausts as well and a new ECU map. This is a common addition to any cruiser as it really enhances the sound as well as the mid-range performance as the standard pipe and filter are quite restrictive. “A couple of owners go one step further and we have fitted a few cam kits to Roadmasters, which isn’t too big a job. “The Roadmaster has push rods…

 Cal Crutchlow, himself a keen cyclist, admitted that the news was very much on everyone’s minds throughout the French Grand Prix weekend, due to how well liked Hayden was in the paddock. ‘I’ve cycled with Nicky many times and he knows what he’s doing’ And while the Brit, like everyone else, raced on through the weekend, he admitted to MCN that it wasn’t easy considering the events of the few days leading up to the race. “You can’t blank it out, because I don’t know anyone in the paddock that Nicky isn’t friends with. At the minute, he’s the last person you think about before you go to bed and the first thing you do when you wake up is check for updates. It’s a very sad situation. “Nicky races…

‘The aim was to finish in the top six so I really can’t complain’ CAL CRUTCHLOW Cal Crutchlow admitted that he was just pleased to come home safely in Sunday’s French Grand prix after securing fifth at a track that doesn’t suit his LCR Honda machine. Making a rare decision before the start of Sunday’s race to deviate from fellow Honda rider Marc Marquez’s choice of medium front tyre and electing to go with the hard, Crutchlow admitted after the race that he believes he made the right call and came away with as good a result as he could have hoped for. “I was happy enough with the race, and I think I made the right choice with the front tyre. There were positives and negatives, but I finished…

Triumph deal close MCN expects Triumph to be officially announced as the Moto2 engine suppliers from 2019, at the upcoming Barcelona round of the series. The deal will see their new 765cc Street Triple engine replace the CBR600 engines currently used. Aspar to ride again The Pull&Bear Aspar Ducati squad announced an extension to their current Ducati deal at Le Mans. The team will have an option for either two GP17 machines or one GP17 and one GP16 – to be decided at a later date by the Italian manufacturer. Davies in GP test Chaz Davies had a MotoGP outing last week in an afternoon of testing at Mugello. He completed 50 laps as part of a thank you from Ducati for his WSB efforts. But, Ducati boss Paulo Ciabatti…

‘It’s the only race where people stop me and say ‘Eh Zarco! Podium?’ JOHANN ZARCO Johann Zarco has catapulted himself into superstar status in the 2017 MotoGP championship, after leading a considerable chunk of the French Grand Prix to bring home an incredible second place in only his fifth outing in the premier class. Already being spoken about as Rossi’s successor at Yamaha, Tech3 star Zarco led from the first corner for six laps and remained in touch with the battle for the lead between the factory Yamahas of Maverick Viñales and Rossi. His incredible performance has been building over the last few rounds after he led the opening race of the year in Qatar. But taking his first podium in front of a sell-out crowd of 104,000 partisan fans…

‘40 minutes in dry conditions before the race didn’t give me enough time’JORGE LORENZO Mixed conditions throughout the weekend in Le Mans left Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo with too much to do and too little time to do it, as the team worked to find a modified setting to compensate for their now outlawed winglets on the Desmosedici GP17. Modifying the setting that took him to podium success at Jerez, the Spaniard admitted to MCN after the race that he believes their potential was much higher than the sixth place he eventually brought home. “After Jerez I was curious to see how the bike reacted to Le Mans, because it’s a positive track for Ducati and for me. But the setting for Jerez didn’t work for me here, because we…

 Valentino Rossi did something during Sunday’s race that’s both very rare for him and that he didn’t need to do – he made a mistake. And while he put his hands up after the race and admitted that it had been a mistake that caused him to crash out of the race, perhaps the biggest error was taking the fight to Maverick Viñales in the first place. ‘It’s a move that could have a critical impact’ SIMON PATTERSON It’s been a slow start to the season for Rossi despite leading the championship going into Le Mans, with only a handful of podium finishes and no wins so far, his championship campaign has still been missing a trip to the top step of the podium – and the 25 valuable points…

In just three days time Ian Hutchinson, Michael Dunlop, Guy Martin and the rest will set off down the Bray Hill, kicking off what is shaping up to be an epic 2017 TT. Last year saw Hutchinson and Dunlop share the spoils, winning five races between them and they are heading into this year’s showdown as fierce rivals – both desperate to stamp their authority on the event. Fans’ favourite Guy Martin is back, onboard the new Honda Racing Fireblade, but for the first time in 22 years, McGuinness won’t be racing due to injuries sustained at the North West 200. We’ve spoken with all the other contenders from the laid-back Bruce Anstey through to Lee Johnston, Conor Cummins and James Hillier to name but a few. On the technical…

‘WHEN YOU WANT TO PUSH HARD, TO GET OUT OF SHAPE AND SPIN IT UP, IT WON’T LET YOU’ GUY AGE 35 Debut 2004 Fastest Lap 132.398 mph Podiums 16 Wins 0 Guy’s comeback bid August 2015 Guy’s last road race before he pulls out of racing January 2017 Surprise announcement that Guy has signed for Honda March First test alongside BSB and Endurance teams at Monteblanco April Guy makes road racing return at Tandragee & Cookstown May North West 200, withdrawn from Superbike & Superstock, finishes 23rd Supersport It seems like a lifetime since that heady day in January when Honda announced Guy Martin was to ride their new Fireblade at the 2017 Isle of Man TT. The Lincolnshire man was coming back to the roads after a year…

1 A radio Otherwise you have no idea what is going on. 2 An OS map Otherwise you have no idea where anywhere is. 3 Weather protection Sun hat, waterproofs, woolly jumper. Some days, all three. 4 Food and drink Handy for out-of-the-way spots. 5 A programme That way when you see your first lock-to-lock tankslapper you can identify the hapless sod on the bike – or even congratulate him later in the paddock. 6 A phone Just don’t stick it in the riders’ faces as they go past, eh?…

‘You carry all that with you until you head to the line and it’s your turn to start and then it all goes away’JOSH BROOKES Ask anyone who has watched the grid form at the TT and they’ll tell you about the intensity that surrounds the riders. It’s an atmosphere thick with fear and danger, yet alive with anticipation and expectation. Of course, there’s a buzz when the grid forms in BSB, WSB or MotoGP, but the senses are heightened by the reality that some of the guys waiting to take on the most challenging circuit in the world might not return in one piece. “You end up with a lot of nervous energy ahead of the race because of the people around you,” explains Norton rider Josh Brookes, who…

These bikes are almost proof that you can have too much of a good thing. With huge swathes of barely-tamed power, lightweight chassis that border on the edge of stability and the best suspension, brakes and electronics that money can buy, they wouldn’t be out of place on a WSB grid. Despite all the kit, there is a knack to making them fast – and often it confounds the team – to the point where a production superstock bike can be faster. So, to see what the top guys do to make their superbikes the best they can be, we grilled their crew chiefs. Rider Ian Hutchinson Bike S1000RR TYCO BMW SUPERBIKE Power 220bhp Weight 170kg Top speed 203mph Cost Superstock is £25k... go from there! Swingarm “We used a…

John McGuinness may not be racing at this year’s Isle of Man TT due to the injuries sustained at the North West 200, but he’ll be there in spirit, in part thanks to the incredible mark he’s left on the event over the last two decades of white-knuckle racing. Wins, lap records and a worthy successor to Joey Dunlop’s mantle of ‘King of the Mountain,’ we look back at some of those career highlights. Since making his debut in 1996, no single rider has matched his number of victories, podiums or garnered the universal love and respect that John McGuinness does. Record breaker  Always one to up the pace in recent years, McGuinness took great pleasure in breaking the 130mph barrier in 2007 Not just Honda  McPint’s first big bike…

‘We hope John can come back’ VALENTINO ROSSI JOHN’S ADMIRER “I saw that he had crashed, because I saw that Hutchinson had tweeted some messages to him, but I didn’t realise that it was so serious at the time! It’s a great shame, because John isn’t very young and that always makes it even worse. He’s a great guy, I like him a lot, we always speak with each other, and I send to him a great good luck message. He’s a determined person though, so we hope that he can come back to the TT again!” ‘He’ll come back without a doubt’ NEIL TUXWORTH TEAM BOSS “His whole year focuses around the TT, and he’s never actually had to miss one since his debut in 1996, so he’s going…