Table of contents for September 12th 2018 in MCN

In a world that attributes more value to vacuous celebrity and Instagram followers than hard work or genuine talent, one of the few remaining breeding grounds for real role models is sport. Not all sports demand the same level of talent, risk or bravery, but the rule largely holds firm that dedication, professionalism and sportsmanship resonate throughout all top-level pursuits. But the weekend saw two of the most spectacular falls from grace witnessed live on our tellyboxes this century. The first was an incandescent Serena Williams, who lost her mojo – and the US open – with a disgusting display of vitriol despite being guilty of most of her escalating infringements. The second was the appalling ‘race rage’ incident that saw Romano Fenati’s unchecked aggression cause a monumentally reckless move…

Readers Chris Berry The Ride Norway and back When to do it Summer Miles 6201 Time required 17 days Don’t miss this “Before Tromso I had to sit behind a pack of reindeer following one with a bell around its neck. It was great to finally ride over the famous Tromso bridge into town." THE BIKE I went on my 1976 BMW R75/6 with all its oil and bolts checked. THE LOFOTENS What a spectacular set of islands to visit, this place has everything! FINLAND The flies in Finland were mad. I had to keep stopping to clear my visor. BERGEN Day 12 was 469 miles from Trondheim to Bergen. What a ride. THE TRIP SEND US YOUR TRIP PICS EMAIL YOURPICS@MOTORCYCLENEWS. COM…

APRILIA TUAREG 125 Here’s me and my first proper bike, an Aprilia Tuareg 125 Dakar replica grey import. Was about as reliable as the British summer. Looked and sounded great though! Daniel Marshall PUCH MONZA Dad bought me my first bike for my 16th birthday. I wanted a DT50 but he bought me ‘a real bike!’ What a headlight! Mark Knowleden YAMAHA DT125LC Built from new and often repaired by the late great Steve Hislop. My brilliant DT125LC parked on top of my mate’s Viva. Keith Donaldson HONDA CBR125 This is my son, Oscar with his Honda CBR125 in 2005. First of our many trips to Finchingfield over the years. Graham Lawrenson JAMES COMMODORE Here I am with my 225cc James Commodore back in 1965. Great days! Campbell Sharpe KAWASAKI…

You could be forgiven for thinking it’s impossible to enjoy yourself on an adventure bike unless it’s equipped with the computing power of a Boeing Dreamliner, at least six riding mode options, Bluetooth connectivity and the ability to update your social media at every comfort break. And it’s even easier to forget that one of the most effective and enduring adventure bikes on the market has virtually none of these things. Simplicity has been the key to the Suzuki V-Strom 650’s success since its appearance in 2012 and one of the reasons it remains so popular. Today we have the 650X GT version on test, which, with its pannier and topbox set, is as deluxe and highly spec’d as the 650 gets. The X GT is £1000 more expensive than…

The V-Strom’s large analogue rev counter with easy-to-read digital speedo is dated but clear. There is a useful gear indicator while important information such as range and ambient temperature are only a fingertip away. Our test BMW F750GS Sport is equipped with the TFT display similar to the superb dash used on the R1200GS. Comparing the clocks of the BMW to the Suzuki is like comparing a sundial to the latest Apple watch. SUZUKI SUZUKI SWITCHGEAR It’s easy to use, and you can play with the traction control on the move. Everything is straightforward, but feels budget compared to the BMW. BMW BMW SWITCHGEAR Sophisticated switchgear gives the BMW a quality feel. The nav wheel can be used to scroll through the dash functions and navigation tools. FUNCTIONALITY…

Peter Hickman overcame numerous obstacles to hold on to his sixth place in the championship standings and become a Showdown title fighter for the second consecutive year. The BMW rider entered the weekend seven points clear of rival Danny Buchan with Christian Iddon and Jason O’Halloran also in the battle for the final Showdown spot. And while Hickman extended that buffer slightly on Saturday a plethora of technical issues saw him suffer in Sunday’s two races. The Lincolnshireman was just a lap and a half from securing his Showdown position in race two when his S1000RR had an oil sensor issue, forcing him to retire. While a number of problems in the final race saw him eventually fail to score a single point. Hickman’s problems turned what appeared to be…

Josh Brookes says he won’t win this year’s Bennetts British Superbike Championship if the McAMS Yamaha squad can’t find improvements with the YZF-R1 ahead of the Showdown at Oulton Park this weekend. While the 2015 champ was able to fight at the front in all three Silverstone races, his only podium – second in race two – was gifted when Jake Dixon and Tarran Mackenzie crashed on oil on the final lap. After losing 12 podium points to rival Haslam, the Aussie was candid about his title chances. “If we continue like this we cannot win the championship,” confessed Brookes, now 49 points adrift of series leader Haslam. “I’m riding the best I ever have but at the minute I cannot win with the tools I’ve got. We need to…

‘Fans with weekend tickets get a percentage’ Silverstone have promised to refund all fans who attended race day at last month’s cancelled British Grand Prix, telling spectators in a series of emails issued on Friday that they can expect their money back for Sunday tickets or a percentage of their weekend tickets. Exact details and percentages remain unclear, with further details set to be announced in the coming days. The refunds also look set to include Sunday parking, with fans who bought single-day tickets being told that they would be refunded for their parking. Fans who bought weekend tickets have yet to be informed of any parking refunds. Purchasers of hospitality tickets for the event also remain to be told of what exactly their refunds will comprise. Fans who purchased…

Crutchlow says that Alex Rins was ‘weak’ in Sunday’s race, after he says the Suzuki rider sat up and let him past during Sunday’s duel. He told MCN: “He was just weak. He saw me coming and he moved over to let me past. But he had a great race because he came with me for a couple of laps, held his position and finished fourth!” But while Cal might have been surprised by Rins’ actions, the Spaniard was delighted. Taking a gamble on a soft tyre he wasn’t sure would last the distance, he says the combination of a strong start and a consistent rhythm let him take one of his best results of the season.…

‘We’re happy with this podium – we knew Ducati would be fast’ Marc Marquez has admitted that he’s coping just fine without winning races in the premier class as he continues to edge closer to a seventh world title. Without a race victory since Germany in July and forced to settle for podium finishes as many times as wins this year, the reigning world champ retains a healthy 67-point championship lead. And despite being lucky to finish second in Sunday’s race when Jorge Lorenzo crashed out in front of him, he says that the feeling he gets from the championship battle more than makes up for the lack of trips to the top step of the podium. “We’re very happy with this podium because we knew that at this track…

MotoGP riders have called for the introduction of an F1-style super licence for the premier class after rookie Christophe Ponsson replaced injured Tito Rabat at the San Marino GP. Having never ridden a MotoGP machine before, the Frenchman’s first experience of carbon brakes and Michelin tyres was in Friday morning’s free practice session at Misano where he finished 7.4s off the pace. He was also a distant last and lapped in Sunday’s race. In F1, drivers must qualify for a super licence before they’re allowed to race. MotoGP riders are now calling for a similar system – or at least mandatory testing – prior to making their premier class debut.…

‘It apes the style and tech features of their new 1100’ In a bid to regain their retro crown, Ducati have revealed an updated Scrambler 800 that apes the style and tech features of their new 1100. They’ve also redefined where the word ‘scramble’ comes from and invented the word ‘Joyvolution’… let’s just stick to the bike shall we. All change The bulk of the changes are little cosmetic updates, so working from top to bottom: the tank has been beefed up with new customisable side panels, the seat is lower and flatter with grey edging, the headlight has a new chrome surround, the engine is now black with machined fins, there’s a new exhaust heat shield, levers, foot controls and new wheels too. Don’t worry though, there’s a little…

The latest Tiger 1200 XRT is at the head of a pack of six versions of Triumph’s Explorer range: three road variants (XR range) and three with a more off-road bias (the XC range), with ascending levels of spec. It’s a far cry from the first ‘bitsa’ incarnation from 24 years ago, but that machine’s analogue appeal is turning it into a cult bike and there are another 13 versions of the Tiger out there to suit every budget. 2018 1200 XRT What is it? A refined, plush adventure bike with a suite of electronics including multiple rider modes, semi-active suspension, cornering ABS and TC, keyless ignition, hill start control, heated everything and a quickshifter. MCN says “Triumph have thrown the electronic kitchen sink at the third generation of Tiger…

‘I left at 4.30pm last night and rode here non-stop’ R5K MEMBER JOHN JESS Even the threat of drizzle in the Oxfordshire air couldn’t keep scores of #ride5000miles members from attending last weekend’s Saturday Social at the H Café in Wallingford. Bikes of all shapes and sizes packed the car park as members drank tea, ate sausage sandwiches and talked bikes. And MCN was on hand to ensure that no one left empty-handed. With members arriving from all over the UK as well as mainland Europe, MCN distributed stickers, free copies of the paper and even a selection of top prizes for the lucky few. Chris Bradbury, Tony Glenister, Clive Sanders, Kevin Newbery and Shaun Doody all won pairs of tickets to the Assen Round of the British Superbike Championship.…

Kawasaki have unveiled their first ‘performance’ 125s for a quarter of a century with the launch of the Ninja 125 and Z125. Based on the single-cylinder sports Ninja 250 and naked Z250SL introduced in 2015, they duo appear to share many components including their trellis-style tubular steel frames, running gear, wheels and brakes. They have similar styling to their bigger brothers, too, and Kawasaki claim (not surprisingly) they give a big-bike feel. The liquid-cooled 125 produces the maximum A1-licence power output of 15bhp and what Kawasaki calls a ‘revving top-end’. Both represent the first sporty Kawasaki 125 since AR125 production stopped in 1994. Further details of both machines will be unveiled at the Intermot international bike show in October.…

American brand Feher have unveiled a new full face motorcycle helmet with a built in air conditioning unit. The ACH-1 has a small heat pump fixed to the back of the lid that makes cold air to pump around the helmet shell and expels hot air out of the back. There are no other external vents on the ACH-1, so the helmet relies on the internal air channels to cool the riders head. Riders can either plug the helmet into the bike or use one of the bundled battery packs that provide between two and six hours depending on size. The weight is competitive (1450g, presumably for an XS) and they can be bought online for an introductory price of $549.99 (that’s approximately £423 right now). KNOW THIS • Feher…

This week we take advantage of late summer sun and make for the south coast to find out what’s on the menu at one of East Sussex’s favourite biker haunts, the Route 1066 Café. Just north of Battle along the A21, this old-school café calls out from the roadside with a bold ‘Get your Chips at Route 1066’ sign. It’s a touch of twinkle-eyed humour that makes stopping hard to resist. Although it’s only been a café for six years, there’s an established feel that makes you think that it’s never been anything else. Rock’n’roll transport caff romance is what the 1066 Café is all about. There’s plenty of parking with seating inside and out, so on a nice day you can either sit and watch the bikes come and…

It’s Britain’s best road test route. A tough 250-mile mix of A and B-roads, a stretch of busy 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 for sportsbikes, and Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground and the dyno for hard and fast data when needed. You want answers? We’ve got ’em. 1 Fuelling foibles Is a 15-litre tank enough on a middleweight adventure bike? For 2018, BMW have moved the GS’s fuel from under the seat to a more conventional position, but capacity is five litres less than the Suzuki’s. We’re ready to hit the MCN250, and optimistic that Suzuki’s V-Strom might be able to complete the route…

Wait, wait, wait… green light. I smash my bike into the redline and dump the clutch. It’s the start that all racers have dreamt about. Sadly those dreams are called nightmares, as I’m left sitting on the grid, in an ill-fitting linen suit while a former superbike champion sniggers at me from the pit wall. Welcome to DirtQuake. Beyond the Thunderdome If you’re not at all familiar with it, DirtQuake is a flat track racing event with a bit of a difference. Competitors still charge around a dirt oval (remembering to turn left at each end) but unlike the proper DTRA flat track races, DirtQuake competitors race on a weird collection of homespun machines that wouldn’t be out of place in Mad Max. In fact, the collective mishmash of deathtraps…

Jordan Gibbons, Senior Reporter High-mileage daily rider with rather eclectic bike tastes It begins with a low and even rumble. Then it morphs into a wild animal, screeching and growling. Next comes the induction roar as it gulps in oxygen. Finally, you reach the full-fat screaming as the needle tickles the redline. Brrp goes the quickshifter and it all starts again. And again. And again, because the noise cuts straight to the petrol-drinking lunatic inside you who steals control of your right hand. It turns out that a 1200cc triple with 139bhp on tap is the Tiger’s star attraction. Who’d have guessed? In hindsight, I should have. The clues were right there when Triumph first unveiled the bike. They made over 100 changes to the 1200 for 2018, including a…

‘It’s nice to own something different’ ‘Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d own something like this,” admits Bryn Fitton, the surprise owner of a Ninja H2, Kawasaki’s supercharged showstopper. “I’d been left some money after my dad passed away so I was looking for a classic bike as an investment, something that I could ride but would also hold its value.” After being tipped the nod about former British Superbike rider Chris Walker’s new showroom, Byrn went over to the Grantham-based dealership and discovered the BSB star working the shop floor. “He showed me a Z900 A4. It was lovely but it was £14,000 and dribbling petrol all over the showroom floor. Then he said, ‘well, what about an H2?’ I nearly fell over, I said they’re…

If you are talking punch for your pound, it doesn’t get much better than a 1990s sportsbike. They may be over two decades old, but power doesn’t age and figures of over 120bhp at the rear wheel are more than enough for rapid road riding. Very rapid road riding! Better still, there’s not too much to go wrong. With simple old carbs and a huge wealth of knowledge to tap into, an older sportsbike is actually a safe bet. £2395 1999 HONDA CBR900RR 918cc | 183kg |128bhp | 810mm seat height • Dealer price up to £3000 • Private up to £2500 • This one £2395, 27,400 miles With just £2500 to spend, a FireBlade is your ideal starting point as Honda lavished high build quality on their premium sportsbike.…

1 Find your bearings Found in the headstock of the frame, your bike’s steering head bearings are responsible for the smooth movement of the bars. Typically there will be a bearing at both the top and bottom of the headstock with the yokes either side and the steering stem in the middle. To maintain correct function, bearings need to be adjusted and greased regularly. 2 Check for play There are a couple of ways to check the condition/adjustment of the bearings, the first is looking for lateral play. Make sure the front wheel is safely raised with no weight on the wheel or steering. Hold the forks at the bottom each side with the steering straight then pull and push the wheel. Any amount of play or slop means the…

Once bikes like the Yamaha FJ-series get to a certain age, if they are still on the road they tend to be looked after by enthusiasts. So when Phil ‘Doc’ Hacker at the FJ Owners Club in the Cotswolds was contacted by a rider in London who had a 30-year-old FJ1200 with the ‘incredibly low’ reading of 32,000 miles on the clock, he wasn’t expecting the suspension linkage to look like a shipwreck. Doc said: “It was on an advisory from an MoT examiner, which is within the guidelines, but the tester had obviously taken the bloke to one side and told him it needed sorting.” ‘The MoT tester had told him it had to be sorted The bolts had seized solid at both ends of the shock and they…

While most of this weekend’s action focused on the fight for the title Showdown, BSB rookie and son of three-time champ Niall, Tarran Mackenzie upset the established hierarchy by challenging for victory in all three Silverstone races. Having qualified fourth, the young gun found his feet in Saturday’s opening race to sit comfortably in the podium battle before finding himself on the rear wheel of race leader Josh Brookes. Clearly not afraid to stick one over his team-mate, Mackenzie made his way past to lead his first ever BSB race before eventually finishing third. He went on to fight for the win again in the second race and looked set for another third when he crashed on oil left by Peter Hickman’s expired BMW. However, his star performance came in…

Jake Dixon is convinced he can still fight for the 2018 British Superbike crown despite a difficult weekend at Silverstone. Although quick, the 22-year-old was inconsistent and when fighting with Haslam in race two crashed out on oil on the final lap. With just fifth and third places, he lost 14 points to Haslam who is starting to look unassailable as the series heads into the Showdown, but Dixon insists it isn’t over yet. “I definitely still think I can win,” he said. “The pressure’s on Leon now. He gets nervous in the Showdown, he tightens up and that’s cost him in recent years… there are still seven races to go!”…

Grand Prix racing’s inaugural electric bike series is starting to take shape, with the MotoE team line-up and 2019 calendar announced at the San Marino Grand Prix. The new class will run a five-race series in 2019 with bikes run by MotoGP’s independent teams and a select few Moto2 and Moto3 teams – although news on riders remains to be confirmed. The season will stick to Europe for its inaugural year, due in part to the difficulties of the single-manufacturer Energica Ego bikes and their batteries being transported by air. The season will start alongside MotoGP’s first European race of next season at Jerez, before heading to Le Mans, Sachsenring, Red Bull Ring and Misano. The first news on 2019 riders for the series is expected to be announced next…

‘It’s possible the engine is the problem for us’ Valentino Rossi has hinted at a radical solution to Yamaha’s current engine woes, admitting after another disappointing race at his home circuit of Misano on Sunday that now might be time to re-examine their engine configuration. Along with Suzuki, Yamaha are currently the only manufacturer using an inline layout, which led to Rossi publicly pondering a switch to a V4 after Sunday’s race. Coming home a distant seventh at a race that means more to him than any other, and with teammate Viñales only a few places better in fifth, the duo were once again left despondent after a recent test at Misano had filled them with hope. But rising temperatures on race day meant they were once again struggling with…

Even Marc Marquez says Ducati is best But Lorenzo move raises doubts in 2019 When Jorge Lorenzo leaves Ducati for Honda at the end of this season it will surely be bittersweet for the Spaniard now that he and teammate Andrea Dovizioso are demonstrating just how strong they’ve made the Desmosedici over the last two years. Running most of Sunday’s San Marino GP in second behind his team-mate, the Ducati duo were on course for a historic one-two before a late tumble by Lorenzo left Dovi able to romp home unopposed. Making the most of a rapidly improving bike to take Ducati’s first home win since 2007, Dovi told MCN afterwards that the current GP18 is possibly the strongest bike on the grid. “Nobody can really know for sure, so…

Fenati slapped with two-race ban Fired from his current Moto2 ride Loses 2019 deal with MV Agusta Romano Fenati’s time as a Grand Prix racer could be over, after he was sacked by both his current Marinelli Snipers team and the Forward Racing squad he was due to ride for in 2019, after he grabbed Stefano Manzi’s front brake lever during Sunday’s San Marino Grand Prix. Fenati was pushed off the track by Manzi (who was docked six grid places at the next race for the stunt) earlier in the race. Seeking retaliation for the move, Fenati then applied his rival’s front brake while riding alongside him on the start-finish straight at 140mph. Originally handed a two-race ban by the FIM Stewards Panel in the aftermath of the crash, a…

In a step towards more modern looks Indian have redesigned the Chieftain to be sharper, bolder and generally cooler. Gone is the soft-edged image of old blokes on gentle tourers, replaced with young guys on aggressive cruisers. Sharper lines The fairing has been completely restyled with sharper lines and a smaller overall profile, although the height adjustable screen remains. The panniers have harder edges and sit tight against the huge silencers. The new ‘Rogue’ one-piece seat adds to the look, as do new badges on the tank and panniers. And if you prefer the timeless look of the old model, Indian still produce that as the Chieftain Classic. But it’s not just a restyle of course, there’s new tech too. The Chieftain range also gains all the new electronics Indian…

Bikers from across the Bristol region will come together to take part in an annual Big Bike Theft Awareness Ride. This demonstration of community spirit aims to increase awareness of motorcycle theft and create support among the local non-biking population by showing just how many people are affected. The first ride took place in 2017 and the effects were immediate; within hours four people had been arrested, followed by several more over the following weeks and months. MCN spoke to Paul Walker of Bristol Bike Theft Awareness to find out what prompted such positive action. “We had an epidemic of bike theft in Bristol that was very much social media led,” said Paul. “Organised groups such as the Bristol Bike Takers were essentially stealing bikes for sport, burning them out…

• ‘Power is expected to be well over 200bhp’ 1 New front Converting the 2019 S1000RR to track spec is easier than ever, with the indicators in units with the mirrors. 2 TFT dash A single LCD screen replaces any conventional dials. It’s sure to be full-colour and with multiple configurations. 3 New rear  suspension The under-braced swingarm means the BMW’s rear shock has been repositioned. 4 New brakes The calipers appear to be smaller and lighter than the existing Brembos while the forks look unchanged. 5 What’s in the engine? Rumours suggest it could use a counter-rotating crankshaft to help cancel out gyroscopic effect. BMW shocked the superbike establishment a decade ago when they launched the original S1000RR. Now they’re about to do it all over again. Officially, you’ll…

O ‘It’s got a lot of power, but the front jumps about’ Biking royalty including Freddie Spencer, John McGuinness and Troy Corser were in action as the Goodwood Revival celebrated its 20th anniversary at the weekend. The Revival was founded by the Earl of Richmond (then Lord March) in 1998 as a way of bringing the halcyon days of motorsport back to one of Great Britain’s classic tracks – although its first meeting took place in 1948, racing at Goodwood was suspended in 1966 amid safety concerns. The main focus is classic car and bike racing and it’s proper wheel-to-wheel, elbows-out action. Riders competed as teams of two in the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy. Overall winners were Corser and Herbert Schwab, with John McGuinness and Glen English second. MCN senior…

Since my wife's beautiful Street Triple was stolen last weekend (from the National Motorcycle Museum, no less) we have been closely watching social media in the hope that something positive will turn up. Unfortunately, it has made me realise how close we are to becoming a lawless society. The scale of bike theft and motorcycle related crime is frightening and the reports of bystanders filming the perpetrators in the act, and the police not being interested when presented with the evidence, is unbelievable and totally disgusting. It therefore makes me very angry to hear senior police officers banging on about zero tolerance in regard to speed when these scumbags are committing crimes on a daily basis knowing that the police aren't interested in catching them. It certainly isn't 'zero tolerance'…

‘WOULDPEOPLE TURN UP AGAIN IF THEY WENT TO BRANDSHATCH?’ I often find myself thinking: ‘What the hell is wrong with World Superbikes?’ The Brits are dominating the series, but no-one seems to care! Why is that? When Foggy was winning, we loved it. Maybe the tracks need to change – would everybody turn up again if they went to Brands Hatch? It used to be mint when it was at Brands where thousands turned up and pretty much jammed all the local roads. It does need to be at different circuits to MotoGP if you ask me, and it needs spicing up a little. Jonathan Rea is a class act though, he’s a hero... But trouble is that every round is like: ‘oh look, Rea’s leading again.’ I guess we…

It’s a close run thing. If you want a middleweight adventure bike capable of both on and off-road that’s both compliant and rewarding to ride then you’re going to have dig deep and opt for the pricier BMW. The German machine’s not faultless, for example its lack of comfort over longer distances is a not insignificant weakness when compared with the Suzuki, but overall the BMW comes on top. But that’s not the full story because if you plan to do serious miles and value proper, all-day comfort above the latest technology and modern, easy handling, then the cheaper Suzuki is the machine for you, especially because it has the 250-mile range ready and waiting. Not only that but you’ll have a healthy saving to spend on your touring holiday.…

In a bid to retain their edge in World Superbikes, Kawasaki have updated the ZX-10RR with titanium rods, new finger-follower valve actuation and revised electronics and suspension. The 2019 model revs 600rpm higher and produces 4bhp more power and 2ftlb more torque than before. Aside from new paint (lime green only, folks) it has revised suspension and electronics. MCN tested the single-seat homologation special at the Autopolis track in Japan. 1 Less weight, more revs The cylinder head is all new with finger-follower valve actuators instead of conventional buckets (see What’s New in Tech on page 13 for more on finger followers), and Pankl titanium con-rods, which save 102g per rod, 408g in total. All these lighter internals combine to allow the engine to rev faster and 600rpm higher. On…

KOP HILL CLIMB FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 15-16 ‘It’s 200 bikes versus the hill’ This weekend marks the 108th anniversary of the Kop Hill Climb and there’s the chance to see over 200 bikes take part in the challenge as they assault the hill. Away from the action there’s trade stands, live music and a fun fair to keep the whole family entertained. The route Leave Princes Risborough on the A4010 in the direction of Aylesbury. It’s a pretty ride into Stoke Mandeville as you nudge the northern edge of the Chilterns and head onto the A41 through Aylesbury. It’s a quick stretch as you head towards Bicester and about a mile from the town centre, turn right to Ambrosden and continue to Islip. Turn right on the B4027 and at Stanton…

1 st LEONHASLAM JG Speedfit Kawasaki Points: 568 Wins: 12 Podiums: 16 How he got here… Having finished every race this year in no lower than seventh, Haslam has decimated his opposition to dominate the 2018 title chase. How will he do? Odds-on favourite for the title, he’s been a cut above over the first nine rounds and his form suggests nothing will change in the final three. He has to stay focussed, though, to avoid a repeat of 2017 when he threw it all away. 2 nd JAKE DIXON RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki Points: 523 Wins: 1 Podiums: 11 How he got here… 11 podiums from the last 15 races shows just how consistent Dixon has been this year, but the lack of race wins is what leaves…

Leon Haslam continued to dominate the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike championship with a remarkable treble victory at Silverstone. The JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider holds an impressive 45-point advantage over Jake Dixon as the series heads into the three-round title fight starting at Oulton Park this weekend. That lead is the biggest any rider has carried into the Showdown since the format was introduced in 2010 and, should his current form continue, there’s little doubt Haslam will be returning to World Superbikes in 2019 as reigning British Champion. The 35-year-old has won 12 of the 19 races so far this season and finished on the podium in all but three. But Silverstone’s success was still a surprise after suffering a monumental highside in Friday’s practice session. While he didn’t sustain any…

Sam Lowes was once again been left suffering with top speed woes on the Swiss Innovative Investors KTM, admitting after Sunday’s Moto2 race that his crash was his mistake but that it was in part triggered by issues elsewhere. “I had good pace but I tried to pass them and ran on,” he told MCN. “After that I ended up in the group and just made a mistake. The bike is so slow I have to try and make up the difference on the brakes. The front was already struggling and then I pushed it even harder and I crashed.”…

Karel Abraham will make the switch from Aspar to Avintia Ducati in 2019, making a step up in machinery as he also moves from a GP16 Ducati to a two-year-younger GP18. Although not yet official, the Czech rider looks set to replace Belgian Xavier Simeon as the team retain Tito Rabat. Abraham has had a difficult season so far on the GP16 bike, thanks in part to what is acknowledged as a hard to ride machine which was designed to use Ducati’s revolutionary winglets only to lose them thanks to rule changes, Abraham will be hoping that the move to GP18 machinery will allow him to return to his more competitive form of 2017.…