Table of contents for October 10th 2018 in MCN

Norton are set to build a limited edition of 50 Commando 961 Street models, with the stunning new bike being officially unveiled tomorrow night at the Donington Hall factory. Born out of the vision of Henry Cole and his bike building buddy Guy Willison (of The Motorbike Show fame), it’s a re-imagining of the 961 platform, combining Norton’s vision of a modern Commando, and Cole’s 40-year dream to build his perfect Norton. Conceived, designed and built by Cole and Willison, it has now become an official Norton numbered limited-edition model that will cost £17,950 with production to start in December. The bike started life as a standard Commando 961 Sport MkII, before Cole set about restyling it within the constraints of maintaining its Euro4 homologation. “We didn’t think ‘let’s build…

Ducati have launched an approved pre-owned scheme through their dealer network. To qualify, bikes must be less than six years old, have covered less than 30,000 miles and must pass a 35-point technical check. Each approved bike sold comes with a 12-month transferrable warranty that covers labour and various components including the engine, gearbox, frame and control units. Each bike also comes with 12 months RAC roadside assistance. At the time of writing there are over 150 bikes listed in the scheme ranging from a Panigale V4S to a Scrambler Sixty.…

Ever since the advent of social media, there’s been a fresh 21st century first-world irritation regularly boiling my blood: the mindless theft of photos and other intellectual property which are the intangible creations of the human intellect. Except, of course, they are tangible. This narrative trickles over to every other industry but, being a hardworking freelancer who deals with this on an everyday basis, it’s a particularly personal and poignant matter in the motorcycle sector. When you work your balls off, slaving over creative content and putting every fibre of your being into publishing informative, and hopefully entertaining, substance to the world, only for other websites, Facebook pages and Instagram accounts to steal said content; it’s a far bigger deal to those on this side of the fence. Whether it’s…

You know you’re old when you realise that a Fireblade is now eligible for classic insurance. The earliest ones came out in 1992: more than a quarter of a century ago. There are some used bikes that are just hallmarked, attested, certified and guaranteed good used buys, and the Blade is in that pantheon. The trick is to work out what offers the best bang for your buck. Forget the original 1992 model, with its fairing full of holes like someone discharged a shotgun at it. They’re very collectable and silly money: up to four grand for a minter with its original pipe (unobtainium, practically). The Urban Tiger version isn’t much less. The RRX model from 1999 (the end of the original 918cc engine) is maybe £3500. But that’s still…

SAVE£270 Shoei X-Spirit III Assail TC-10 £429.99 As worn by Marc Marquez, this top-of-the-range Shoei features advanced aerodynamics, while the six-layer multi-composite shell makes it one of the lightest around. www.helmetcity.co.uk SAVE£100 RST Kate leather jacket £149.99 Waxed leather jacket with bags of retro appeal. Features soft CE armour at shoulders and elbows, a removable quilted thermal lining, and antique-looking brass detailing. www.sportsbikeshop.com SAVE£40 G-Moto Active Boots £49.99 Short trainer-style boots made from a mix of suede and mesh panels. There’s light armour at the ankles and heels, as well as a steel shank for safety. www.getgeared.co.uk SAVE£105 Belstaff jacket £425 This is a lightweight version of Belstaff’s original Trialmaster, designed for commuting or summer use. That said, it still features a waterproof membrane and soft D30 armour, so it’s…

‘ Ha! Is that for people who can’t ride a real bike?” At the start of the day, none of the Niken’s three wheels have turned in anger and yet it is already getting stick. With the nasty man disappearing in my mirrors, life on the Niken for the next eight hours and 200+ miles is a little strange. Its extra front wheel ushers in a whole new riding experience and I get gawped at regularly. Despite its controversial looks, more cars pull out on me than in my whole year. What’s going on? How could you miss this ‘praying mantis on stabilisers’ (© builder, Cirencester) bearing down on you? And despite seeing dozens of fellow motorcyclists, not one has nodded back. I get the feeling most riders treat the…

Inspired by the Trans America Trail, the TET (Trans Euro Trail) is a 23,000-mile predominantly off-road ride across Europe. It’s a community derived route pulled together by experts called Linesmen who are rich with local knowledge. The idea is that it is 100% legal with the simple ethos of encouraging respectful motorcyclists to embark on a ride or an adventure of a lifetime. Typically aimed at smaller bikes, the TET is also tackled by many on big adventure bikes. It’s not a race or a competition so if the going gets too tough, you can simply find an alternative route. You can either stay in hotels, B&Bs, campsites or, where permitted, wild camp. All the information you need including downloadable GPX maps that can be put straight into your satnav…

‘It’s too easy for people to see you on top and think life is rosy’ It’s been an incredible four years for Jonathan Rea. Since signing for Kawasaki at the end of 2014, he’s won 53 of his 100 races on the ZX-10RR, secured four consecutive world titles and has statistically become the most successful racer in WSB history, even eclipsing legends such as Troy Bayliss and Carl Fogarty. Now having bagged title number four last time out at Magny Cours, the Northern Irishman, who is showing absolutely no signs of slowing up and will race with Kawasaki until the end of 2020 at least, has released his book; Dream, Believe, Achieve. It covers his career from his first ever ride, his emergence as one of the UK’s hottest racing…

an eclectic selection of over 1400 bikes and is located within the grounds of the race circuit. Finally, and this is a real bucket list item, the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi is a staggering showcase of Honda’s past and present. If you don’t mind spending a few quid on an airfare there is the Ducati Museum in Bologna and also in Italy the MV Agusta Museum in Milan and the Moto Guzzi Museum in Mandello del Lario. BMW’s museum in Munich contains both BMW’s two and four-wheeled history as well as loads of race vehicles. For the dedicated, the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee charts the firm’s history and contains over 130,000-square feet of H-D glory while the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Alabama (right) houses…

‘There’s a good mix of roads and you can crack on’ Ian Atkins loves nothing more than an afternoon exploring some of the best roads East Anglia has to offer on his Triumph Tiger. “I enjoy the good mix of roads, there are parts where you can crack on with a few straight-ish stretches particularly from Harleston to Beccles,” says Ian. “There’s a few technical, testing bendy bits on the way back to Harleston, too. There are a few good cafes on the route but I tend to wait till I’ve finished the ride and stop off at Mark’s Kitchen in Harleston. They serve some great meals at really decent prices.” THE ROUTE • 47 miles • Countryside blast…

‘I’ve very nearly got right to the edge of the tyre’ ‘I got into bikes because my mum said I couldn’t have one,” says Matt Watson, who’s since jumped into life on two wheels with both Dainese-clad feet. “I used to have a Suzuki SV1000 which I loved because it sounded great, but it was a nightmare to do distances on; I was having to stop and fill up after a little over 100 miles. Then my Daytona 675-riding mate got me switched on to the idea of a Triumph. “I went to Birmingham Triumph and took test rides on both a Speed Triple 1050 and a Street Triple RS, but as soon as I got off the Street Triple I had a smile a mile wide; it was just…

With top quality, motorcycle-specific USB ports available, there really is no need to resort to using stuff designed for cars, or worse still: items designed for cars that you can buy online direct from China. Not only will these items be of poor quality but they probably won’t be waterproof, nor feature any of the smart voltage-detecting properties offered by a good USB port. Some of my standout bike bodges have been when people have fitted car electrical components to a motorcycle. I remember a Yamaha YZF-R125, only a year or two old, fitted with a complete Halford’s special sound system; speakers sticking out of the side of the fairings and the insides a nightmarish mess of reams of speaker wire. Oddly enough, the owner brought it to me because…

To win the title in race one… • If Dixon finishes 1st, Haslam must finish 3rd • If Dixon finishes 2nd, Haslam must finish 6th • If Dixon finishes 3rd, Haslam must finish 11th To win the title across all three races… • If Dixon wins all three, Haslam must finish 11th or higher in all three • If Haslam DNFs race one and Dixon wins, Dixon would need to finish more than 11 points ahead of Haslam in race two to take the title to the final race. Keep up with the title chase on @MCNSport twitter…

Be Wiser Ducati is the first to name their 2019 line-up, but the Bennetts BSB grid is already starting to form. • Brad Ray will stay for a third season with the Hawk Racing squad. • Glenn Irwin is confirmed for the Bournemouth Kawasaki squad. Ben Currie is expected to join him. • Danny Buchan will be staying with the FS-3 team racing a Kawasaki. • Jason O’Halloran is set to replace Brookes at McAMS Yamaha to join rookie sensation Taz Mackenzie. • Ryan Vickers could be talking to RAF Regular and Reserves. • Danny Kent could ride the Halsall Suzuki at Brands as he seeks a full time ride. • Peter Hickman is set to stay with Smiths Racing, leaving two rides at Tyco BMW and Honda up for…

Quizzed about how the current MotoGP era compares to the golden days of the 1990s, Marquez joked that he knows exactly which rider he’d want to be emulating. He said: “Maybe I’m quite like Schwantz because I brake on the limit while Dovi is more under control! But my target is to change my style, because I want to be more like Rainey or like Dovi. To be smooth, to lean a little bit, and accelerate cleanly, but that’s not possible at the minute.”…

With the longest heatwave in 40 years and an autumn giving perfect riding weather, 2018 has been one of the best for biking in living memory. And #ride5000miles members have been making the most of it. If you haven’t joined up, please do. Our Facebook group is an inspiring place, full of help advice and lovely, lovely people. These are some of the highlights of an amazing nine months. January Ex-MCNer Andy Davidson starts his globe-trotting trip. It’s been fraught… Paul Robinson clocked 1000 miles in January. Good lad! Gary Pollard and Co took cover from the rain at The Plough near Horsham Bradley Martin and partner lived it up at Route 1066 Café near Hastings “Bit more rinsing, son.” Gappo Mancini got help cleaning his HP4 Gill James headed…

1 THE ALTERNATIVE TT A36, Foxdale to Port Erin, IOM ‘There’s no speed limit!’ Nominated by Scott Wright Length 10 miles Why it’s great “An open, winding road with a fresh smooth surface and no speed limit! Known as the The Sloc, it is quiet and fun to ride.” Watch out for Walkers. Every June it is host to a huge organised walk, it’s popular all year round. Take a break at Cosy Nook, Port Erin beach. Has possibly the best views of any café, anywhere! Stop for a picture at The top of a hill. The views across the fields out to sea are stunning. Best bike for it Any supersport 600. 2 STORM THE CASTLE A822 Dunkeld to Crieff, Scotland ‘A joy from start to finish’ Nominated by…

• ‘The Katana signals a new way of working for Suzuki’ PAUL DE LUSIGNAN, SUZUKI GB Suzuki have promised to launch at least ten new bikes by 2021. Speaking at the official unveiling of the new Katana, Suzuki president Toshihiro Suzuki vowed that this is just the first of a host of new models as the Japanese firm bid to upgrade their range. “This bike is a great demonstration of Suzuki’s future. We aim to strengthen our line-up, while creating new series from existing models. By the end of 2021 we plan to launch more than ten new models, focusing particularly on large bikes,” he said. “The Katana signals a new way of working for Suzuki,” added Paul de Lusignan, director of Suzuki GB. “Designed by an Italian designer with…

Despite the fall in Edinburgh bike theft, a new venture now allows users to store their bikes out of harm’s way. Moto Stable is a storage facility that allows members 24-hour access to a secure garage with a small workshop. It opened earlier this year, can hold up to 30 bikes and is protected by CCTV inside and out. Membership is currently £96 per month with short-term storage for visitors costing £25 per night. Moto Stable is located in Abbeyhill, near Holyrood, and there are plans to expand to further locations in Edinburgh, Glasgow and even London.…

Frame game Created to show 3D printing’s prowess, it’s lighter than a die-cast alloy frame but has similar strength and rigidity. Just aprototype 3D frame has never been ridden in anger but is potentially very useful for checking bodywork fit and styling integration. Powder layers Frame is made by melting tiny layers of powdered aluminium 50 microns at a time and building up the shape. • ‘It has similar strength to a cast beam frame’ BMW’S THORSTEN BURKETT In recent years 3D printing has been in the headlines for creating everything from prosthetic limbs to guns so it’s no surprise bike firms have now got in on the act. The technique began to be adopted by the R&D departments of bike firms as long as 15 years ago, first for…

NEXT WEEK FRIDAY 12-14TH British Superbikes, Brands Hatch Triple-Header, Kent Entry Weekend Admission: Adult £38, Sunday Admission: Adult £28, Info brandshatch.co.uk An action-packed weekend of racing, with the Showdown for the fiercely contested BSB crown comes to a head. SATURDAY 13TH Battle of Trafalgar Party, Admiral Drake, Portsmouth, Hants Entry Free Info www.vicbikerspub.co.uk Entry 2pm-11pm Info www.rnvmcc.uk Celebrate Nelson’s victory with beer, bands and a raffle raising money for Combat Stress. British Sidecar Speedway, Belle Vue Speedway Stadium. Gtr Manchester Entry 6pm-9pm. Adults £10, Under 16s free Info bellevueaces.co/ The ACU British Sidecar Speedway Championship grand finale comes to Belle Vue. Expect thrills, spills and great racing. SATURDAY 13-14TH Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, Staffs Showground Celebrating the growing popularity of emerging and modern classics from the 1960s,…

BMW's tech step too far I have to disagree with BMW’s Stefan Hams (MCN, September 19). The issue is not safety, but money: riders crash bikes, BMW sell bikes, so if they can demonstrate technology to stop (incompetent?) riders crashing, the EU will insist on these expensive electronics being used on all bikes, so BMW will be able to put up prices and make more money. The comparison with cars is interesting. A friend has a Mercedes packed with clever sensors but it beeps constantly and distractingly because the road is narrow or it can’t find the white line or the surface is broken or another vehicle/wall/hedge is too close for the system’s liking. I’ll believe in the riderless BMW tech when it can cope with a course I set…

There was a time when you’d be lucky to find a cup of instant coffee in a bike shop, let alone a biscuit to go with it, but things are a little different today. This week our continuing quest visits the newly refurbished Harry’s Café at south-west super-dealer, Fowlers of Bristol. As we roll up it’s impossible not to be impressed by the scale of the building and what you find inside doesn’t disappoint either, as acres of bike kit and new motorcycles spread out all around you. The ground floor is all about kit, but with stomach-sating purpose in mind we mount the spiral staircase to the next level, only to be greeted by the latest offerings from a host of manufacturers including Triumph, Suzuki, KTM, Husqvarna, Moto Guzzi,…

Judging by the reaction to the Niken, from gentle ribbing and incredulity on the MCN250, to the vitriolic voices online, Yamaha aren’t going to shift many, in the UK at least. That’s a shame as it doesn’t take long on board to realise it’s something very special. The sensation is identical to a normal bike but with so much extra front grip it safely carves the gnarliest of corners with unbelievable speed and poise. It filters, wheelies, powerslides, will trackday, commute and comfortably munch miles. If it had a bigger screen and heated grips it’d be the perfect tourer. Two-wheels are still more fun and involving but you’ll never tire of the liberties you can take with that extra front wheel. YAMAHA NIKEN…

‘The Ducati museum is an anorak’s dream’ Museums used to be the kind of places you got dragged to on a school bus where the spotty kid would inevitably chuck up en route and all you left with was a pencil sharpener from the gift shop and the lingering smell of puke on your clothes. But with adulthood comes a new appreciation for history and visiting a motorcycle museum is a fantastic day out. You can’t rush a museum, which is why this is an experience best sampled alone or with a couple of like-minded friends. You need to take your time to appreciate the machinery on a plinth in front of you, drink in its engineering and chat about the time you saw it in action at a packed…

With nearly 6000 miles showing on the Scrambler’s cute and quirky LCD dash, it felt like a good time to answer your questions about life with this premium retro roadster. Q Q: Why is it so expensive compared to the 800s? Gareth Mayfield It’s a question I often find myself asking. Don’t get me wrong, the Scrambler 1100 is a good motorcycle, but is it really worth the £11,495 tag? It’s cheaper than its closest rival, BMW’s R nineT by about a grand, but the Beemer also comes with an extra 15bhp. And the attention to detail in the design, especially on this ‘Special’ version, is impressive from the chrome headers, to the diamond-stitched seat. It really looks the part. But I can’t help but think you’d not be getting…

Matt Wilde Oxfordshire Orbit, 32.5 miles From Thame take the A329 to Stadhampton and a quick right, left on the B4015 through Chiselhampton. At the roundabout on the A4074 take the first exit,at Benson join the B4009, cross over the M40 and first left on the A40, after Postcombe take the B4012 back to Thame. THE ROUTE • Short but sweet • Flowing Mark Taylor Loomies Loop, 70 miles Head north past Goodwood, fork left on the B2141, in Petersfield join the A272 and head to Loomies, near West Meon. Retrace your steps to Petersfield and on to Petworth. Right on the A285 then the A283 to Fittleworth, fork right on the B2138. At Bury Hill join the A29 then the A284 to Arundel. Hop on the A27 to Goring-By-Sea.…

“I’ve never had a problem entering the motorway or duel carriageway, there always seems to be a gap, and I can smoothly enter without any issue. However, once on the motorway, I start to feel boxed in. I’m either too close to the car in front, or can’t find the room to overtake. I don’t want the car in the outside lane to be forced to brake. “I don’t mind speeding, but generally I’ll ride between 70-75mph, so I don’t just want to sit in the inside lane dodging lorries, I need to be able to overtake and make progress. “But now I can change lanes with confidence. Mark has shown me how to give early indication, so I don’t force the opportunity but create the opportunity. I feel much…

I LIKE • It’s so agile. The lightweight chassis and perfect geometry mean that the handling is superb • Great noise from the Arrow exhaust and the induction roar • The brakes are simply outstanding I DON’T • The dealership that sold me the bike closed down and there’s not many showrooms in the Midlands • Rusty chain. I just can’t figure out why it’s gone orange when I look after it • The mirrors vibrate at motorway speeds QUICK SPECS • 765cc • 121bhp • 166kg • 825mm seat height PRICE NEW £9900 VALUE NOW £8400…

When buying a trail bike at this price, you need to go in with your eyes open. They will have been enjoyed and abused over a number of years, so don’t expect too much in terms of condition. You should also be able to tell the difference between genuine wear and tear and signs of possible previous theft. Being lightweight and fairly desirable to young scrotes, these bikes are highly nickable so check any prospective purchase for clues. Damaged filler cap locks, busted steering locks, suspicious marks around the ignition barrel or maybe even a replacement or missing barrel, are all signs that a bike’s been forcibly removed from its previous owner. Give the engine and frame numbers a good looking-at too; they should match those printed on the V5,…

Cable ties Furnish yourself with a selection of cable ties in different sizes in order to make the tidiest job. OE-spec cable ties often feature a plastic clip to allow the tied loom to be fixed safely against the frame. Allen T bar Use a T-Bar to spin off the screw-headed bolts on your battery terminals rather than using a screwdriver. This will give you better feel and precision and prevent you damaging the terminal heads with too much force. Snippers Trim your cable ties back using a sharp set of snippers to create a professional job. Better still, cable tie pliers are an awesome tool for preventing getting the sharp tabs left over from not cutting off cable ties closely enough to the shank. Screwdriver If you’re the owner…

Ben and Tom Birchall were crowned FIM Sidecar World Champions for the second successive year in a dramatic end to the Sidecar World Championship at Oschersleben, Germany. It was a dramatic final few rounds with series leaders Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes losing a 24-point lead to the Birchhall brothers last time out in Grobnik in Croatia. That just left a single point between the arch-rivals ahead of the weekend’s title decider. Having set pole position, the Birchalls were leading with Reeves and Wilkes in tow, but disaster struck for the latter when a collapsed wheel bearing ruled them out of the fight for the world title. That left the Birchalls to cross the line and successfully defend their crown with a 24-point advantage.…

The arrival of Redding and Brookes at PBM marks the end of an era as the Cumbrian set-up parts company with six-time BSB champion Shane Byrne. Byrne won 65 races and five British titles with PBM, riding for them in 2003, 2007 and from 2012 all the way through to his injury in 2018. While even Byrne doesn’t know whether he’ll be able to race after the injuries he sustained earlier this year, should he be fit to return it won’t be with the Be Wiser Ducati team. “It’s difficult for me as I’m out injured,” Byrne told MCN. “I can’t expect PBM to keep a seat open not knowing whether I’d be back or not, but it would have been nice to have been told rather than learn through…

Yamaha’s MotoGP woes are far from fixed despite good results for their riders in Sunday’s Thai Grand Prix. Maverick Viñales, Valentino Rossi and satellite rider Johann Zarco came home third, fourth and fifth respectively, but with Michelin’s stiffer construction tyres for the Buriram circuit playing to the strengths of the M1, it’s too early to say if their ongoing grip issues have been fixed. Struggling since midway through last season with grip and acceleration issues, the Buriram track’s combination of slow corners and long straights looked to be a recipe for disaster for the Japanese firm, so it was something of a surprise when Rossi and Viñales were able to run at the sharp end. And while they’ve brought new parts to this weekend’s race and an improved understanding of…

Welcome to the #ride5000miles End of Summer Celebration. It’s been the best biking year in living memory; the summer has been long and hot and even now, in autumn, there is still plenty of sunshine and grippy tarmac. And our members have been making the most of it, having fun, riding bikes and clocking more miles than ever before. If you haven’t already joined our R5K Facebook group, then what are you waiting for? You’ll be joining a friendly community of thousands of bikers who help and support each other, sharing advice and great routes, and now the community has grown, are even meeting up for rides. R5K is a living, breathing thing and being part of it can only make your life better. Over the next 16 pages you…

‘The fun is in winging it and seeing where you end up’MATT BISHOP 1 ‘We’re riding a scooter and sidecar around the world!’ Matt Bishop and Reece Gilkes, Honda SH300 Best mates Matt Bishop and Reece Gilkes are currently 22,000 miles and 10 months into riding a scooter and sidecar around the world. “We’re halfway round now and have been through 26 countries, which is further than we thought we would get,” Matt told MCN from America. “Before this trip neither of us had really ridden a motorcycle so it has been a huge adventure and took 18 months of planning,” he added. The pair have ridden through Europe and Africa before shipping the bike to South America and riding their way up to Texas. “Riding a normal bike around…

Triumph have announced a range of new finance offers to tempt you over the autumn period. Any Tiger 1200s registered between now and November 30 are available at 6.9% APR and include a £900 voucher for clothing or accessories. The Street Triple 765 and Tiger 800 are also available on 6.9% APR finance and include a £500 deposit contribution until the end of October and November respectively. The Bonneville Bobber, Bonneville T100 and T120 offer has been extended until the end of October and also includes a £500 personalisation contribution with 6.9% APR finance available. Triumph are also offering 0% APR finance deals on the Street Twin family when bought through HP. Visit your local Triumph dealer for more information.…

Simply head online to MCN’s #ride5000miles Facebook page and vote for your favourite biking stop-off. Entice us with pictures of floury bacon baps and sizzling big breakfasts, or simply a brief eulogy as to why your nomination is the best biker café in Blighty. We’ll then visit one each week until we’ve sampled the 25 tastiest. At the end of summer we’ll reveal the five best ranking cafés on tour, and open them up to a public vote before crowning the winner of MCN’s inaugural Golden Sausage Award. Nominate your top nosh-pit at Facebook.com/groups/ride5000miles, or via mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com…

Q ‘What’s the law say on cancelled GP?’ I bought two adult weekend tickets for the British GP plus camping which cost £445 and have been offered a refund for the Sunday entry fee amounting to £180. I am unhappy with this refund and believe that the refund due should be no less than the full amount on the basis that a cancelled concert would give a full refund if the main act did not appear. Steven Glautier, email A Your first port of call would be the booking terms and conditions which surely has a clause dealing with cancellations and refunds. While one can understand why a race could be cancelled due to adverse weather and thus dangerous conditions for the riders, I understand people have raised question marks…

BYRON WATERMAN Age 54 Height 5ft 8in Current bike Yamaha MT-09 Been riding for Over 30 years First bike Yamaha TY50 Dream bike Ducati Panigale V4 “My MT-09 is very much for everyday use and I ride at least 40-miles a day; plus whatever I can squeeze in for fun at a weekend. I really like the styling of it, the characterful, three-cylinder power delivery and the comfortable riding position. In fact I fell it love with it as soon as I’d test ridden one. “I really like the Niken’s radical styling, too, and all the clever engineering that’s been involved in its production. As a result I think it will appeal to those who like the fact that the Niken is different and also probably more stable in the…

The 2015 Icon was a huge success and sold by the bucket-load. Now a carefully updated Icon looks set to follow a similar trend. Like the old model, it’s simple and easy-to-ride, but is now softer, more comfortable and has a refreshed look. Add welcome features like DLR and cornering ABS and a stronger package emerges. It’s a shame the price has gone over £8000 and its engine really needs a little more character. But even if you don’t buy into the image, marketing hype and lifestyle, it’s still a brilliant all-round and desirable road bike, now made just that little bit better. Tech spec…

Ian Jefferies Age 58 Riding 40 years Bikes Ducati Multistrada 1200S and Triumph Speed Triple First bike Kawasaki KH100 “I rode my Ducati Multistrada to Bologna last year to go on a factory tour and visit the museum, it was my first proper European trip and a brilliant experience. The factory tour was excellent, however spending a few hours in the museum was certainly the highlight. The museum is fantastic and the photos you can see on the internet don’t do it justice. It’s a wonderfully designed building, really well set out and obviously has had a huge amount of time and money invested in it. They have a great collection of bikes ranging from historic road bike to machines that I remember cheering on from the grandstands of race…

Yamaha’s MT-09 SP is a lovely motorcycle that as standard is only dragged down by two things; the harsh out-of-the-crate suspension settings and the poor quality of the OE tyres. Japanese manufacturers are notorious for driving very hard bargains when it comes to OE rubber while at the same time having very specific requirements for things like longevity and stability. The end result is that the stock Bridgestone S20s are very different from the ones you’d buy from a dealer; right down to compound and construction. Simply, they let down a brilliant bike. Slow to warm up, they offer very little in the way of feel and unnerve you in the wet. However, in the dry on an abrasive road surface they offer enough grip and I found their inherent…

SW-Motech Drybag 350 £61.70 Tester Simon Relph, one month, 1500 miles  Waterproof bags are the order of the day as we head into winter, especially as many bikes manage to spray everything off the road onto the rear of the bike. The SW-Motech Drybag 350 (35-litre capacity) has a waterproof zip on the top which is rolled down and securely strapped in place to guarantee no water gets in. The SW Motec is really easy to use and you don’t feel like you need an engineering degree to attach it to the bike using the four-point straps that are securely attached to the bag. On the side of the bag there is a small pocket, just big enough to house the shoulder strap and mounting straps when not in use.…

1. Shark Spartan Carbon £369.99 It’s so light, plus the spoilers on the back are really good on a naked bike as they stop your head from bobbling around. I’m really pleased with it. It’s so comfy and I got it for a good price at the bike show. 2. RST Slice two-piece discontinued It’s four years old so it is showing signs of wear, but it’s really comfortable now; it wasn’t when I first bought it as it took loads of breaking in. The jacket comes with a removable thermal lining which boosts versatility. 3. Hein Gericke Prosports gloves discontinued These are ancient and they’re wearing through at the palms. 4. Sharktooth intercom £220 I use it to connect to my satnav; it does do hands-free calling but I…

When a customer brought in his 2004 Kawasaki ZX636 for a rear tyre change, Richard Hewitt, a mobile bike mechanic working around Northampton, thought it would be a straightforward job. “The bike had done about 25,000 miles and the guy had been riding a 90-mile round-trip commute on it. The first issue was getting the rear spindle out, I had to use a copper mallet, and then a wooden drift so I didn’t damage the threaded end,” said Richard. ‘It would not have managed another trip’ “I lifted the sprocket carrier out of the wheel and that’s when the ball bearing fell apart! All the balls fell out and left the inner and outer bearing races in the carrier.” The races in a ball bearing are rings with a V-shaped…

Barring disaster, Leon Haslam will get his hands on his first ever Bennetts British Superbike championship trophy at this weekend’s final round at Brands Hatch. The JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider carries a whopping 61-point lead over title rival Jake Dixon after a double victory last time out in Assen, while Dixon broke down in the second race. To put the lead into perspective, had Haslam gone into the 2017 final round, which he lost after a number of issues, with the same advantage, he would have been British Champion by 22 points despite his huge crash. And while nothing is clear cut in racing, Haslam needs to finish a minimum of 11th in the weekend’s three races should Jake Dixon, who has never won on the Brands Grand Prix circuit,…

They’ll be sharing a garage next year, so what do Josh Brookes and Scott Redding make of one another? Brookes on Redding ‘Most of what I know is from what I’ve read in the media or seen on social media. I’ve never really had any real conversations with him. We’ll see how we get on. The cream always rises to the top, so even if it takes a few rounds for him to learn things he should reach his potential.’ Redding on Brookes ‘We had a bit of an argument about the TT on social media, so I wouldn’t say we get on but I’ve never really spoken to him to be fair. I’m happy to wipe the slate clean, I’m not there to throw my weight around, I’m there…

‘Wild speculation is often worse than the truth’ There was something missing from the finish line of the Thai GP. It was Jorge Lorenzo’s Ducati, which might even have won the race if, er... circumstances hadn’t interfered. Actually there was something else missing. An explanation from Ducati about exactly what happened to slew the Spaniard sideways, and then shoot him skywards at some speed in Free Practice. Something caused his Desmosedici’s engine revs to drop rapidly, precipitating a horrible crash. But while Ducati admitted it had been a “technical” failure, they declined to give details. Which has just one result; wild speculation, that is potentially much worse than the truth. Better they should tell us, before we suspect the worst. Once upon a time, “technical” failures were easier to get…

Pecco Bagnaia has extended his lead in the Moto2 world championship to 28 points, going into the final four races of the year. Bagnaia scrapped with the Red Bull KTM duo of Brad Binder and closest title rival Miguel Oliveira in the opening stages of the race, but was able to break away from them in the final laps to secure what he thought was a five-point extension to his lead over the Portuguese rider. His title bid was helped further by a heroic late charge from Luca Marini on the second Sky VR46 Kalex that saw him blow past the Austrian bikes towards the end of the race to secure his fourth podium of the year and take crucial championship points off Bagnia’s rivals.…

1 MAKE A NOTE OF YOUR MILEAGE Your target is simple; ride 5000 miles in the next 12 months of biking. The idea is just to ride more, embrace the mileage and discover new experiences. So, make a note of your odometer’s figure at the start. Take a picture of it, write it down, or even put a sticker with the figure on your bike as a reminder. On modern machines with two trip meters, reset your second trip. 2 RIDE TO SOME GREAT PLACES Sounds obvious, but that’s all you need to do. These pages are full of great roads to ride and great events to visit, so go to some of them and don’t let that awesome bike rot in the garage. This isn’t about jacking in work…

‘It embodies what motorcycling is all about’ Name Nigel Robinson Age 60 Bike BMW S1000XR R5K miles covered this year 3675 “Last year I missed the 5K target by about 20 miles as it poured down and the final ride of the year was cancelled. I was gutted! But I’m going to make it this year. R5K is a brilliant idea and embodies what biking is all about; getting out there with a group of mates. The Facebook group means you can always find someone else up for a ride. It’s given me a reason to get out again, otherwise I’d have been at home cutting the hedge.” ‘It’s a great place to learn new knowledge’ Name Chris Faulks Age 57 Bike Suzuki GSX-R1000 K7 R5K miles covered this year…

‘I arrive at the end 20 hours and 907 miles later’MATT WILDEE Three thirty-seven in the morning and the carpark of the Holiday Inn near Land’s End should be quiet, but today it is a hive of bizarre, hushed activity. In the shadows, lit by the strobe of a flickering streetlamp, a man dressed as Elmo is fiddling with the carbs on his tartan-covered Kawasaki GPZ500S. Out of the corner of my eye, a rider on a VFR750 which looks like it has been dragged from a swamp is trying to coax his reluctant Honda to life. This is the start of the Longest Day Up charity ride: a thrash from Land’s End to John O’Groats in a day on £300 bikes, with no motorways involved. Over the last eight…