Table of contents for 19 October 2016 in MCN

From its inception in 1977 the Honda Britain racing team was the dominant force not only in British domestic racing but also in the old TT Formula 1 world championship. Sporting its iconic red, white and blue livery, the early Honda Britain team ran such riders as Phil Read, Joey Dunlop, Ron Haslam and Wayne Gardner until the team format changed in 1987. So what became of the squad? Honda Britain? I’m no expert but aren’t Honda from Japan? The Honda factory in Japan had officially withdrawn from racing following the 1967 season, leaving local-market dealer and importer teams to keep the race flag flying, mainly in production-based racing. Then in 1977 Honda UK announced it was going to produce a factory-prepared 820cc version of its CB750F2 machine for Phil…

 A major part of the legacy of the Road Racers film is the fact that it documented the genesis of Joey’s Dunlop’s 31-year career in racing. ‘Joey was in stark contrast to playboy heroes like Sheene’ Although Joey had already been racing for almost a decade by the time David Wallace arrived in Armoy with his crew, 1977 was the year when the Ulsterman really started to make a name for himself. The 25-year-old was regularly winning Irish races and was beginning to make his first forays on to the English short circuits as the film highlights. Did Wallace have any sense of what lay ahead for the quiet family man who would become an international superstar? “There were clues of course,” the Road Racers director says. “Joey won his…

• First Prize TOMTOM RIDER 410 PREMIUM + BANDIT PREMIUM WORTH £800 TomTom Rider Great Rides Edition – the new TomTom Rider 410 comes with 100 of Europe’s most thrilling routes pre-installed, and world maps, too. The TomTom Bandit Action Cam allows you to capture your ride in 4K Ultra HD. • Second Prize TOMTOM RIDER 410 EU WORTH £319.99 TomTom Rider Great Rides Edition. The new TomTom Rider 410 comes with 100 of Europe’s best routes pre-installed. • Third Prize TOMTOM RIDER 40 WORTH £279.99 Allows you to create your own perfect adventure thanks to different thrilling ride options.…

As a rule, I tend to avoid modified bikes. Generally, this is because they are changed to one particular person’s idea of what they should be, do or look like, and that limits their appeal. Another reason is because so many are bodge jobs and few people are capable of significantly improving a manufacturer’s product. Yet another is that they increase your parts hassles, unless you know exactly what has been done. Changing things like rear shocks and other service items is one thing. But say you buy a 1200 Bandit that’s had a GSX-R front end fitted. What model? K4? K7? And what are the brakes from? And that master cylinder doesn’t match anything you’ve seen. And then you find that the calipers are from a Yamaha… The real…

‘Fit crash bars because the tank is the first thing to touch down’ ‘I had a naked CB1300 for about ten years and loved it. It was a fantastic bike, I loved owning it but it was certainly thirsty. CBs are really bad on fuel economy, but worth it for the riding experience. I think of them as the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles. ‘When it comes to buying used, the CB is a pretty safe bet but it does have a few of the usual Honda problems. The steering head bearings have virtually no grease on them from the factory. Be careful on the naked ones when it comes to their clocks, if you leave the CB1300 out in the rain for a while you will find you can’t adjust the…

£2394 Suzuki GSX-R750 SRAD This 1998 bike shows 24,391 miles on the clock. It looks remarkably free of damage, and comes with a period blue ART silencer, double bubble screen and crash protection. £3995 Ducati 748 This is a 1998 version with the correct gold Brembo wheels, new cam belts, new battery, valves checked, BOS cans, front and rear paddock stands, two keys, and a single seat unit. Looks tidy. £1895 Honda VTR1000 Firestorm This 1998 example looks clean, and comes with two keys, a solo seat cover, screen, adjustable levers, hugger, belly pan and an extensive history file. £2995 Kawasaki ZX-7R This is a year 2000 model, with a mere 14,000 miles on the clock. Comes complete with an aftermarket Akrapovic end can, recent new tyres and service, and…

HUSQVARNA 701 SUPERMOTO £7999 FUEL 13 litres @ 51mpg = 146 miles WEIGHT 145kg SEAT 890mm POWER 65bhp TORQUE 50ftlb LIAM MARSDEN All-weather commuter who’s happy on any type of bike HEIGHT 6ft 1in WEIGHT 75kg Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or something like that. So after a couple of weeks riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000 to the south of France and back I was eager to swing a leg back over the 701 and feel the instant hit of torque from the big single-cylinder engine. The rush of an inline four at high revs is addictive, but for everyday fun at sensible speeds you can’t beat the instant gob of torque delivered by the Husqvarna, no doubt helped by its light weight and flat seat. It makes a lot…

Forma Adventure Boots £184.99 Tester James Archibald Time tested 6 months/15,000 miles What’s good? These are, without doubt, the most comfortable motorcycle boots that I have worn. They’re rugged and have seen me through plenty of miles this year. The soles are fairly chunky but not so much that they are rigid, they’ve remained flexible and give a good feel for what’s happening on the bike, both when sat down and also standing up on the pegs. They’re comfy to walk in, too. The trio of plastic buckles on each boot makes getting them on and off a breeze and means I don’t have to fiddle with laces. I like these boots so much that they’ve taken over as my go-to item of riding footwear. They’re so comfy that I…

Q Does old injury hit my claim? I was riding down a bus lane in authorised hours when a car driving on the opposite side of the road turned right across my path. I came off and my right foot was giving me serious pain. Paramedics and the police turned up. The policeman said there were three witnesses and they all were blaming the driver. I refused to go to A&E as I thought my foot was just sprained. However, a couple of days later I went and had an x-ray. I had an old injury on the same foot and it has flared up again and is causing me difficulty in walking. Assuming the driver’s insurer admits liability, how much compensation can I expect with my prior foot problem?…

Former WSB champion Tom Sykes admitted this year’s title race is all over bar the shouting after the Jerez round. Sykes needed to bite a sizeable chunk out of Rea’s 48-point lead in Spain, but the pair scored the same points. Sykes said after race two: “With 48 points of a deficit, I think we are done now. Even of it was 40 points we would be pretty much done. “The difference between 40 and 48 is quite irrelevant with only 50 still to play for. The fact of taking it to the final race compared to last year… I think that is quite good. We have to be looking on the positive side and learning from it.” Beating Rea on day one, with second place to his rival’s third,…

‘We overcame the switch to Ducati and the most competitive BSB season ever’SHANE BYRNE Shane Byrne became the undisputed king of BSB on Sunday when he became the first rider in history to win five MCE British Superbike titles. His victory came after an intense year-long battle with BSB returnee Leon Haslam that delivered one of the most exciting seasons of racing ever seen in the championship. The title justifies the decision by Byrne and his Paul Bird Motorsport team to leave behind four highly successful years with Kawasaki machinery and switch to Ducati, who hadn’t won a BSB race since 2011 – never mind the title. Speaking to MCN while indulging in a post-championship victory meal of beans, sausage and rice, Byrne said: “It’s been a tough year. Nobody…

Bradley Smith Qualified: 15th Finished: 13th A very happy – if somewhat sore – man on Sunday night, Smith didn’t expect to be taking home championship points on his first race back from a serious knee injury. Danny Kent Qualified: 15th Finished: DNF Believed before the race that his pace on a used tyre would allow him to be in the fight for the top ten, Kent was denied the chance when struck by yet another mechanical problem on the Leopard Kalex. John McPhee Qualified: 16th Finished: DNF Robbed of the chance for what he believed would be one of his best results of the season, McPhee was in the wrong place at the wrong time when Jorge Navarro went down in the first corner, taking McPhee with him. Scott…

What chance do his rivals have against him next season?’ Marc Marquez has done some incredible things in his short time in Grand Prix racing. From back of the grid wins to ten in a row and of course lifting the premiere class title as a rookie in 2013, he’s ripped up the record books at every opportunity. But Sunday’s win is arguably the most important victory of his career thanks to the circumstances that surround it. In the past his victories came on what is widely regarded as one of the best racing motorcycles ever constructed. All that went away at the start of the 2015 season, when Honda made a dramatic error with the direction of the RC213V’s development, taking away the Spaniard’s perfect bike and handing him…

‘When I passed the finish line I didn’t expect t-shirts, but my team believed’MARC MARQUEZ Marc Marquez admitted he’d surprised even himself by clinching the MotoGP title with three rounds in hand by winning Sunday’s race in Motegi. Victory at the Honda-owned circuit, where they celebrated the 50th anniversary of their premier class debut, meant Marquez wrapped up the title a round earlier than he’d expected. The now three-time MotoGP champ said: “I felt normal on Sunday morning. I had my breakfast at the same time and went to the toilet at the same time – when I’m more nervous I go to the toilet more times! “My friend Jose said ‘if something happens we’ll be at turn three’ and I told him to forget it, that we would see…

ADAM ‘CHAD’ CHILD Age 40 Height 5ft 6in MCN Senior Road Tester. MCN’s resident road racer and hugely experienced road tester Chad has been riding for over 24 years and for 2016 is running a BMW R1200RT in our longterm fleet. MICHAEL NEEVES Age 46 Height 6ft 0in MCN Senior Road Tester. 30 years road riding experience and Thundersport GP1 Elite competitor. He’s ridden more RC213V-S road bikes than anyone outside of the Honda factory. DAN SUTHERLAND Age 21 Height 5ft 9in MCN Contributor. Dan started his biking journey at 16 and bought his first sportsbike as soon as he passed his test at 17. He’s just sold his GSX-R600 to make way for an angry ZX-6R B1. LIAM MARSDEN Age 26 Height 6ft 1in MCN Web Producer. Knows more…

To celebrate 90 years of Ducati, the Italian firm produced a very special 1299 this year: the 1299 Panigale S Anniversario. Only 500 will be made, which makes it more exclusive than a Desmosedici RR. It costs £2945 more than the S and for the extra cash you get the latest-evolution electronic rider aids, which will appear on the 2017-model 1299. It also has a lighter lithium battery, a lower swingarm pivot, a numbered top yoke, MotoGP replica paintwork, magnesium-coloured wheels and engine covers. You also get a race kit that includes an Akrapovic exhaust, carbon and billet aluminium goodies. We were the first motorcycle publication in the world to test one back in September. It’s still the same decadent 1299 S we know and love and takes a certain…

There’s been this moment, my MT-10 moment, that every day this summer has turned me upside down. It happens mid-tacho, at 8000rpm or so, when the MT transforms from being a useful, comfortable, slightly worthy FZ-1 update into the angriest super naked of then all – a breathtaking high-definition device that’s more random wheelie generator than motorbike. The rear tyre digs in, the bars waggle and the shift light screams for gears. Second, third, fourth... fifth – the front tyre pings up off the slightest bubble in the tarmac in all of them – while the gnarly crossplane engine sounds, wonderfully, like it’s breaking. It’s ridiculously exciting, yet for all its aggression the MT is easy to ride – to point at a corner and execute with control and margin.…

NOLAN N87 HELMET ‘You get what you pay for’ is a popular saying up north, which would generally sway me away from helmets in the the same £150 price bracket as the Nolan N87, until you look at the spec sheet and realise the Nolan isn’t a bum basic helmet. It’s Pinlock-ready, comes with an internal sun visor and a removable, washable lining. The N87 is ready to be fitted with Nolan’s N-Com intercom system, meaning no faffing about trying to get aftermarket systems to fit. It’s also designed to be used with the Nolan ESS (Emergency Stop Signal) system, an LED light which uses accelerometers to sense when you slow down and activate the LEDs. If you wear glasses there are grooves built into the helmet for better comfort…

Many film makers have tried to capture the essence of road racing, often with mixed results. Most have failed to find the right balance between the fascinating personalities and explosive action that make the sport such a stunning spectacle. Richard de Aragues, the director of the 2010 TT film Closer to the Edge, managed to capture some sense of this heady mixture. But De Aragues, and almost everyone else who has ever pointed a camera in the direction of a bike flashing down a closed public road, has paid homage to the film that paved the way for all of their efforts. The 1977 documentary, Road Racers, which followed the exploits of the legendary but fated trio of Irish road racers, Joey Dunlop, Mervyn Robinson and Frank Kennedy, set the…

It was a wonderful privilege to finally meet David Wallace at the Armoy road races this year because I have always felt that I owed him a great debt. I began following the Irish road racing scene just as the Armoy Armada and Joey Dunlop were starting to make a name for themselves in the early 70s. Joey, Mervyn and Frank were people that I, and dozens of other young bike race fans, could readily identify with. We had grown up in the same sort of areas and our lives were very similar. Our parents worked in similar jobs, drank in the same pubs and we were all involved with the same sort of machinery. It was no surprise then that we were delighted by the trio’s success. When I…

Even when Harley-Davidson makes big changes to its machines as with the new Milwaukee-Eight motor, it doesn’t really make many differences at all. I’m amazed by how much effort and how many detail changes have gone into Harley’s new motor. And, though a welcome improvement, I’m also left a bit lukewarm by how much difference it actually all makes. But I’m not surprised. It’s the whole point. Harley’s customers like it like that. The Street Glide was, since 2014, already the definitive bike of its breed that all others could only aspire to emulate. Now it’s slightly better still. That should keep the Harley faithful on board.…

‘I can’t remember asking so much from a bike that, on paper at least, isn’t an all-out sportsbike ’ YAMAHA MT-10 £9999 FUEL 17 litres @ 35mpg = 131 miles WEIGHT 210kg SEAT 825mm POWER 158bhp TORQUE81.9ftlb TIM THOMPSON Loves big trips to epic race tracks then beers HEIGHT 5ft 7in WEIGHT 75kg tim.thompson@motorcyclenews.com Thirty-four laps of the Nürburgring. That makes, let me see… add the four to the eight, carry one… 450 miles without blinking. Lapping the 13-mile Nordschleife is fast riding at its purest and a box I and several thousand other idiots try to tick at least once a year. I think of it as a road without speed limits rather than as a race track, so you go like the clappers but focus on a…

DUCATI XDIAVEL S £18,395 FUEL: 18ltr @ 44mpg = 173 miles WEIGHT: 247kg SEAT: 755mm POWER: 156bhp TORQUE: 95ftlb EMMA FRANKLIN 125GP racer with a love of sports and performance HEIGHT: 5ft 7in WEIGHT: 59kg During a whistlestop visit up north to Liverpool to visit my parents, the XDiavel and I popped in to the Scotch Piper Inn for their regular Wednesday evening bike meet. Despite the nights drawing in at a frightening rate and autumn’s chill gripping the air, there was an impressive turn out of riders with some quite frankly stunning machines. The XDiavel nestled in next to a wonderfully original Honda CBX1000 and a lovingly restored Kawasaki H2, other highlights included a pair of lovely Suzuki GT750s and a pristine Aprilia RS250. If you’re in the area…

With the nights drawing in, it’s time to stand out. Luckily for us, today there are more ways to do so than wearing a traditional Sam Browne belt. Here’s our pick of the latest high-viz kit available on MCNShop.com RST Safety Jacket £39.99 Designed to be worn over a bike jacket, this vest will help you stand out on those autumn rides. With reflective Scotchlite on the shoulders and flanks, you’ll be conspicuous from all angles. Icon Mil-spec Mesh Vest £50 Designed to meet US military specifications for reflective vests, the Mil-spec also features front and rear pockets, additional reflective strips, and adjustable panels at the sides to ensure a perfect fit. TwoZero High-Viz Cyclone Jacket £29.99 Innovative high-viz waterproof jacket features an expandable rear panel to cover both rider…

 Chaz Davies continued his assault on World Superbikes with another emphatic double win at Jerez that leaves him within sight of second place in the championship. ‘I am thankful to my team. They spent their holiday looking at data’CHAZ DAVIES Davies’ Spanish rout brought his eighth and ninth race wins of the year and his fourth double of 2016. Since the summer break Davies has been mounting a one-man Panigale assault on the previous Ninja citadel. He spoilt the Kawasaki party again at Jerez by finishing 3.290s clear of Sykes in race one and 5.893s ahead of Rea in the second outing. Davies puts his renewed vigour down to rediscovering a sweet spot in his Panigale’s front-end settings after recent summer tests. Davies told MCN: “With an eight-week summer break…

Gino Rea (GRT MV Agusta) collided with a fallen rider’s machine on Friday in WSS practice and hit his face so hard that he suffered bruising all over his face and forehead. Rea (below) also broke three fingers in his left hand, and was ruled out of the race. Valencia looks to be on the cards for a WSB return in 2017 , although rumours of Catalunya being a WSB venue seem hopeful at best. The reason is that Jerez will not host a WSB race in 2017, barring a miracle. Brno and Portimao are other possible venues in Europe. Josh Brookes flew solo at Jerez for his Milwaukee BMW team as Karel Abraham had to miss the races after suffering a 40°C fever. Brookes had a best ride of…

The undisputed GOAT of the World Supersport paddock, Kenan Sofuoglu became even more of a legend at Jerez by taking his fifth championship win one round early. Not bad for a man who left the first round with no points, and had to fight off competitors from more than one manufacturer. “I knew it was going to be difficult in 2016, with a lot of rivals, but after winter testing and winning the title in 2015 I was very strong,” said the winner of 38 WSS races. “At Phillip Island I had a tyre problem and a crash so I started the season with no points. This was a big disappointment for me.” As well as a host of rivals, Sofuoglu also had a new set of technical rules to…

Shane Byrne’s fifth MCE British Super-bike title didn’t come easy with Leon Haslam pushing him hard until the final weekend. It was a rollercoaster year for both riders, with the duo taking nine wins and 16 podiums apiece. Ultimately it was Byrne who came out on top and MCN spoke to the people that know what it takes for their insight in to his historic victory. PAUL BIRD PBM Be Wiser Ducati teamowner “This title means more than the first one we won together, or even the first championship the team won with Steve Hislop. It was a big challenge going back to Ducati and a lot of people doubted what we were doing and there were a few wry smiles earlier this year when we were finding things quite…

The drama of a championship decider escalated further when the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team lodged an official protest over Byrne’s Panigale. Believing the Ducati squad were running a modified fuel tank to enlarge their airbox capacity, JG Speedfit team boss Terry Rymer took his concerns to race bosses. The Chief Technical Officer compared the PBM tank with a standard Panigale one and confirmed it met regulations. Byrne slammed the Kawasaki squad for resorting to such tactics at a late stage in the season. “It’s an absolute joke,” he said. “I’m not the type of person to bitch and whinge but the manner in which certain teams have conducted themselves this year is absolutely disgusting. “Everyone knows the tactic of accusing someone else when you’re losing. “For those protests to go…

‘He’s been able to change, be more mature, and if fourth was all he was able to do, then fourth was enough’LIVIO SUPPO Marc Marquez’s team boss, Livio Suppo, has heaped praise on the new champion’s developing maturity in 2016, admitting that he believes that the harsh lessons of 2015 made the now-five-time world champion both a more mature person and an even stronger rider. Coming from the ultra-fast 2014 Honda onto an aggressive and hard-to-ride 2015 RCV, Marquez spent much of last season in the gravel trap, crashing out of six races and losing any chance to become involved in the title fight between Yamaha team-mates Valentino Rossi and eventual winner Jorge Lorenzo. But having clearly learned from the experience, Suppo believes that it made Marquez into the rider…

‘Instead of relying on blistering speed alone he added a newfound maturity’ At the start of 2016, no one even expected Marc Marquez to be able to consistently challenge for race wins, let alone to take the title with three rounds of the season in hand. Outpaced by the Yamahas in 2015, Honda appeared to do very little in the way of bridging the gap to their rivals and in pre-season testing even Marquez looked out of contention onboard the difficult-to-manage RCV. But if we didn’t know it already, Marquez is something very special. Knowing that he didn’t have the package to outpace Lorenzo and Rossi, the 23-year-old revised his tactics and instead of relying on his blistering speed alone he added in breathtaking consistency and a newfound maturity, meaning…

‘We need to try and stay concentrated and start working on 2017 already’VALENTINO ROSSI Rossi ‘I felt nothing’ Valentino Rossi was surprised when he crashed out of Sunday’s race while trying to stay in contact with Marquez. “I didn’t feel anything,” he said. “Normally when you crash you feel something before, but I felt nothing at all, and it was a big surprise. “I was pushing, because I was trying to catch Marc. I didn’t want to catch him that lap, and I didn’t do anything crazy; my speed and time was very similar to the lap before. I pushed so that he couldn’t escape. I arrived there, and I wasn’t too wide or too fast, but… “In Austin I entered too tight, hit the bump, and the moment before…

It says a lot about the XDiavel that it’s managed to convert me, a dyed-in-the-wool sportsbike lover, into a laid-back, chrome-obsessed cruiser type. Its traffic-stopping looks are one thing - I’ve never ridden a bike that causes such a stir amongst the general public - but with 156bhp and surprisingly agile handling, it’s also got amazing performance too. I spent my first few weeks with the belt-drive bruiser riding it as hard as I would any sportsbike on the road, its feet-forward pegs amazingly never decking out. But with its performance credentials proven, I spent the rest of the summer just kicking back and riding the 1262cc motor’s tsunami wave of low-down torque. It’s even proved decent as a tourer too, with a 190 mile tank range!…

I often find myself pausing for a second or two to admire the Africa Twin before I get on. Adventure bikes aren’t traditionally the best looking things, but Honda have nailed this one. Its smooth lines, tasteful graphics and retro paint scheme give it a big presence, but without the mass of a BMW R1200GS. Don’t get me wrong it’s still a big bike, but I’m 5ft 10in and I can still manoeuvre it into and out of my garage without breaking into a sweat. I love the cockpit, it’s clear, concise and fuss free, as is the switchgear, which allows rider aids like traction control to be adjusted or switched off with a flick of a switch. There are no complicated menu systems here. The balance of power…

There aren’t many bikes that completely grab my attention. There may be the odd detail I like, maybe the colour, but the Triumph Thruxton R completely grabbed me by the booboo. I was hooked from the very first picture I saw, to seeing one in the flesh. But the biggest bonus is it’s every bit as good to ride as it looks. Producing enough torque to pull a house down and a smidge under a 100bhp, its 1200cc engine is an absolute joy. And with its 270-degree crank and balance shaft it has the characteristics and sound of a V-twin. I’ve covered just over 7000 miles in five months, so far, ranging from the daily commute to work, a spot of touring round the Lake District and a 2300-mile epic…

 This has unquestionably been Triumph’s year. It all started at the Bike Shed last autumn when they unveiled the new Bonneville range: five new and above all, perfectly judged, retro-styled machines. ‘Expect more new model news from the firm before the year is out’ Two new Thruxtons, two T120s and a Street Twin all looked achingly cool and at a time when the retro scene is in full swing, Triumph couldn’t have timed their launch party any better. Brand ambassadors David Beckham, Carl Fogarty and Charley Boorman broadened the British manufacturer’s appeal and reached out into the mainstream, capturing the imagination of new riders – exactly what our motorcycling world really needs right now. With that cool badge on the tank Triumph could’ve just got away with giving their out-going…

CAL CRUTCHLOW The LCR Honda rider claimed a brilliant win in Brno to become the first British rider to win a premier class GP since Sheene in 1981. MARC MARQUEZ The mega-talented Spaniard is on the cusp of winning his third MotoGP crown, and he’s only 23! He has rarely been off the podium this year. SAM LOWES The tenacious Brit has shown he has the speed to fight with the very best in Moto2 and he remains in the hunt for the world title. JONATHAN REA The reigning WSB champ has done it all right again this year and is firmly on target to become the first rider to win back-to-back titles since Foggy. LEON HASLAM Having raced in WSB for the past seven years, Haslam returned to BSB…

• 599cc, liquid-cooled, 4v, DOHC, four-cylinder four-stroke • Compression ratio: 13.1:1 • Air Induction System and Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-I) • Twin-injector Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T) • Slipper clutch • Close-ratio six-speed transmission • Magnesium head and case covers • EXUP valves contributing to excellent torque characteristics • Titanium exhaust silencer • Aluminium frame and swingarm • 850mm seat height • 190kg kerb mass • 17-litre fuel tank • 1375mm wheelbase • 120/70 R17 front tyre • 180/55 R17 rear tyre • Colours – Race Blu, Tech Black…

Q: Is ‘self-levelling’ really going to happen? A: You have to try to imagine the future in order to give you a chance of creating it. But in our design process we found a way, via gyroscopes built in to the vehicle, to make it self-balancing and that’s what you saw today. It may take some time to reach production but it’s on the way. Q. How does the ‘Flexi-frame’ work? A: What we have imagined here is that the Flexi-Frame steers the bike. We believe that through a variety of materials and technologies we can make that happen. Q. Why no protective gear? A: We are already beginning to see now that motorcycle gear is becoming lighter than ever, and we’re seeing the borderlines between casual and riding gear…

Many MotoGP fans find Marc Marquez annoying. Trouble is, he is annoying – annoyingly brilliant. He’s like one of the really irritating kids at school who was so effortlessly brilliant at everything. And his ability to adapt, evolve to suit and master his environment is incredible. He’s had a lot to deal with in his 23 years, not least having an epic and very public fallout with his childhood hero, Valentino Rossi, at the tail end of last season. But, as ever, he learned to cope with everything thrown at him. On top of the emotional reverberations of 2015, he then had to make an awkward Honda RCV comply with his wishes. Not outwardly a workman who blames his tools, Marquez fought incredibly hard to find a way. At the…

Joey Dunlop, Mervyn Robinson and Frank Kennedy all lived in the area around the small Co Antrim village of Armoy in the mid 70s, a few miles from the town of Ballymoney. The nautical moniker was designed to set the trio and their supporters apart from their Co Down road racing opposition of Ray McCullough, Trevor Steele and Brian Reid who became known as the Dromara Destroyers. The Armada were made famous by the Road Racers film, which depicted the struggles of the Armoy men as they battled against the Destroyers during the 1977 season. Subsequent success and tragedy ensured the trio’s enduring infamy. As Joey Dunlop progressed from being a small town Irish rider to becoming a five times Formula One world champion with the factory Honda team during…

1909 First V-twin Launched in Harley’s sixth year it produced an impressive seven horsepower with a displacement of 49.5 cubic inches (811cc), and was their first V-twin engine. 1911-1929 ‘F-Head’ An improved fixed head or ‘F-head’ V-twin is introduced and becomes the workhorse of the Harley range until 1929 in 61ci and then 74ci capacities. 1929 ‘Flathead’ The 45ci (737cc), side-valve ‘Flathead’ engine debuts in 1929 on the D model and proves so reliable variations are available until 1972. Named after the shape of the heads, it had side-valves, and a recirculating oil system. 1936-1947 ‘Knucklehead’ A new, overhead valve, 61ci (990cc) design with a circulating oil system gives increased horsepower and became the basis for all Harley V-twins to follow. Shape of rocker boxes leads to the nickname ‘Knucklehead’.…

2005 Honda CB1300 Colours Red/white, black Dealer £4000 Private good £3600 Private average £3100 This one One of the few naked CB1300s listed on MCNbikesforsale, this 2005 machine has covered 22,730 miles and is on for £3999. 2007 Honda CB1300S Colours Red/white, black Dealer £4500 Private good £4000 Private average £3700 This one For sale from Wheels of Peterborough for £4495, this CB is in excellent condition with a relatively low mileage. 2008 Honda CB1300S Colours Red/white, black Dealer £3800 Private good £3200 Private average £2800 This one A perceived high mileage of 40,583 has seen this bike’s price drop to £3800, around £1000 less than list and a potential bargain. 2010 Honda CB1300S Colours Red/white, white/ black Dealer £5500 Private good £4900 Private average £4500 This one 10,786-miler from…

‘The modest 84bhp might not seem enough for some but it is still plenty’ ‘The Karoos would allow me to explore the BMW’s potential much more’ BMW F800GS £10,055 FUEL 16 litres @ 48.64mpg = 169 miles WEIGHT 214kg SEAT 880mm POWER 84bhp TORQUE 61ftlb JAMES ARCHIBALD Long-distance commuter with four years of riding experience. HEIGHT 5ft 11in WEIGHT 84kg I promised myself that I would learn to ride off-road this year having never done it previously and with the F800GS as my longtermer, I had no excuses. So that’s what I did earlier this year by attending some off-road schools coupled with a spot of green-laning, which taught me the very basics. But with still so much to learn I decided to head back to the Adventure Bike…

Last year Avon released the most advanced motorcycle tyre they had ever built: the TrailRider. Their first adventure tyre in more than 15 years, it combined almost all their two-wheeled technology and came in a wide range of radial and crossply sizes to suit all types of dual-purpose bikes. In keeping with the majority of riders’ needs, it was designed for 90% on-road use and 10% off-road. But those with muckier intentions wanted something more capable in the dirt, and now they have it in the form of Avon’s new TrekRider. This new tyre doesn’t replace the TrailRider in Avon’s range but sits as a more extreme alternative to it, designed for a 50/50 split of on-road use and light-to-moderate trail riding. The TrekRider is not simply a TrailRider with…

Yamaha are making big changes in a bid to turn around their World Superbike fortunes in 2017. Engineering operations and development for the R1 will move back to Italy, to the old Yamaha WSB factory site in Gerno di Lesmo, alongside the MotoGP effort. Crescent Racing will still be the operators and logistical force behind the World SBK team at races but development will take place with direct input from Yamaha. More Japanese input at races and in Europe is expected to help new signing Michael van der Mark and the retained Alex Lowes get on terms with Kawasaki and Ducati. There will also be well-supported Yamaha supersport teams from GRT Racing and most likely Kallio Racing in 2017, on the new R6, with places for Federico Caricasulo and Lucas…

 You’d have been given good odds on Jonathan Rea being crowned World Superbike champion this weekend, but it wasn’t to be. ‘Right now, leading the championship, we have done a better job than the rest’JONATHAN REA ‘We can go to Qatar very relaxed and confident we can go back-to-back’JONATHAN REA With a 48-point lead heading into the penultimate WSB round, Rea needed to extend his advantage by just three points to claim the title. But while he broke his Jerez duck by standing on the podium at the Spanish circuit for the first time in his career he left with exactly the same 48-point margin he had at the beginning. With just the Qatar round remaining Rea’s rivals can claim a maximum of 50 points, so there’s only a mathematical…

‘I’ve no regrets about coming back to BSB... and we almost did it’LEON HASLAM Leon Haslam left Brands Hatch on Sunday distraught not to have taken his debut MCE British Superbike title after a disastrous first race pretty much ended his championship dream. A snapped handlebar in the second qualifying session left him with no choice but to jump off his ZX-10R at Stirling’s bend to avoid a serious incident leaving him 17th on the grid for Saturday’s first race. Despite this, it looked as though Haslam would fight through after a strong start as the opening race got underway. But two red flags interrupted proceedings as the weather closed in. Falling on the first lap of the third and final restart, Haslam faced the task of bridging a 27-point…

VALENCIA TEST October 2015 Straight after Brands Hatch last year, Byrne flew to Spain to test the Ducati WSB development bike at Valencia. While his times were fast, it was at this point Byrne realised how much work it would take to turn the Panigale into a BSB race winner. CARTAGENA TEST March 2016 Cartagena marks the first time BSB competitors are on track at the same time and things didn’t go well for Byrne. Spending more time in the gravel trap at turn one than he did on the bike, he was quoted saying it ‘felt like it had 6000bhp’. SILVERSTONE – R1 April 2016 Byrne’s bike still wasn’t perfect for the opening round. He was bucking and sliding all over the track throughout the weekend as he grappled…

‘We have a good base on which to continue to work to improve several aspects of the bike’ANDREA DOVIZIOSO Andrea Dovizioso may have had a year to forget in 2016, but he continued his strong end of season form after a clever race strategy saw him secure an impressive second place behind runaway winner Marc Marquez at Motegi. Admitting that it was far from an easy race for him, the Ducati rider called upon his vast experience to ensure that he was able to both hold off the advancing Maverick Viñales but also to stay in contact with Jorge Lorenzo in front, leaving him in the perfect position to benefit from his future Ducati team-mate’s mistakes. Dovi said: “The race was really very difficult. I started quite well but was…

Andrea Dovizioso “At the beginning the Honda wasn’t the best bike. He managed the championship in a perfect way, but a big part of that was that his speed was unbelievable considering the limit of the bike.” Maverick Viñales “He rode an intelligent championship – he pushed in some races but he stayed calm in others. Sometimes he pushed to be on the podium but other times he was happy to take fourth. They deserve it, because they started the year struggling.” Jorge Lorenzo “I want to congratulate Marquez because he didn‘t have an advantage from his bike this year and he was the most consistent rider, so he deserves this championship.”…

2010 In only his second year in Grand Prix racing, Marquez was on record pace from pre-season testing after signing up to ride a Derbi for Ajo Motorsport, the most experienced squad in the lightweight class. He started the season with pole position and a podium finish, took his first win at Mugello, backed it up with four more and cruised to the title at Valencia. 2012 Riding in a Repsol and Honda-backed squad created specifically for him, Marquez missed pre-season testing following a heavy crash that left him with vision problems that required surgery. Despite the setback he went on to dominate the season, wrapping up the title in Australia, taking nine wins and five podiums from 17 races. 2013 Moving to MotoGP as a rookie, big things were…

‘Now, more than ever, there’s a perfect machine out there for you’ The biking landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years and the choice out there is more diverse and interesting than ever. No matter how you like to get your two-wheeled kicks, more than ever, there’s a perfect machine out there for you. Even better news is that bike sales are on the up, so there’s a real feelgood factor in the bike world at the moment. Manufacturers are keeping the costs of their machines low and thanks in big part to PCP finance deals, it’s easier than ever to ride out of your local dealership with the bike of your dreams. This year it’s all about cool roadsters. Triumph’s new Thruxton R, the breathtaking new Yamaha…

During the summer I wanted to find out how fast I could commute the northern end of the A2, from Rochester to Borough tube station on Honda’s new CBR500R (the A2 on an A2-licence bike, geddit?). It’s a route I used to do back in the late 80s on my old GSX-R750J, from Kent to the South Bank Polytechnic in Elephant and Castle. Back then I used to race the couriers through the snarling queues on my Suzuki and dart the wrong way around traffic islands. Every traffic light was the start of an imaginary 500cc GP race, where I’d pretend I was Kevin Schwantz and wheelie off the line, ahead of the CX500s and NTV650s. This time I’m far more sensible. I happily let bikes overtake and ride in…

It was with a sense of trepidation that I attended the world launch of the MT-10 in May. I really wanted Yamaha’s new naked to be something special - a ‘super-naked’ like the best Europe has to offer. I wanted it to be Yamaha’s answer to the Aprilia Tuono V4, BMW S1000R and KTM 1290 Super Duke R. I wanted a naked R1. Japanese nakeds have tended to be conservative beasts. Machines like the CB1000R, Z1000 and GSX-S1000 are capable and fun, but they’re not exactly Blades, ZX-10Rs or GSX-Rs with their fairings ripped off. They don’t leave you wide-eyed and gasping for more. But the MT-10’s spec sheet looked good. Based on the current R1, the Yamaha has the same frame, suspension and brakes. It also shares its howling…

‘Riding every day has kept me fit. I practise every night for 10 minutes to keep my eye in’ There are very few motorcycle racers who have become so inextricably interwoven with the story of post-war motorcycling as the irrepressible Sammy Miller MBE. From his complete domination and reinvigoration of trials competition and bikes, to long chains of road racing success, he was the consummate multi-discipline rider. And once he stepped away from competition he became a key foundation of the classic competition scene, opened one of the world’s finest museums of vintage, classic and modern motorcycles, and continues to restore and rescue bikes on a daily basis. He is a true living legend, still buzzing with the passion and energy that have defined his life in motorcycling – and…