Table of contents for 19 April 2017 in MCN

With spring now fully in bloom, #ride5000miles members are starting to pile on the miles. Remember that this isn’t a competition – it’s simply about getting out and enjoying your bike, but if there was some kind of leaderboard, MCN readers Russell Carter and Ian Speight could well be at top. Both have completed over 3000 miles so far. Russell was the first to get into contact with his big-mile antics after a dream road trip in Europe . “I was on my KTM 1190R Adventure and my wife, who only took her test three-and-a-half years ago, was on her 1050 Adventure. We both completed the miles in three weeks. Rain, wind, snow, ice and of course some fantastic sunshine in the South of Spain!” BMW S1000R and GS-riding Ian…

Kawasaki Z650 Z900 Z1000R Triumph Explorer XRT Tiger Sport Speed Triple R Street Triple RS Thruxton BonnevilleT100 Street Twin Cup Bobber Street Scrambler Yamaha YZF-R1 YZF-R1M YZF-R6 FJR1300AE Tracer 900 Tracer700 MT-09 MT-10 MT-10SP MT-07 XSR700 XV950R SCR950 XT1200Z TMAX DX D’elight Ducati Monster 950 Multistrada 1200E TP Monster 1200S Hypermotard Panigale 959 Monster 797 Scrambler Classic Scrambler Desert Sled Scrambler 62 Supersport Suzuki GSX-R1000 DL1000 DL650 GSX-S1000F GSX-S1000 SV650 GSX-S750 KTM 690 Duke 1290 Super Duke R 1290 Super Duke GT 1090 Adventure 1290 Super Adventure S 1290 Super Adventure R 1290 Super Adventure T…

‘The best riding in the world is when you go off-piste’ Q1. What are you riding? I’ve got a BMW GS Rallye that I use for the BMW Off-Road school. Last year I was using the 800GSA. Everyone knows the 1200GSA is the daddy but I really enjoyed the 800 as I’ve had a few back problems the last couple of years and it’s quite a bit lighter. Q2. Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? I’m such a Dakar fan that it has to be Toby Price. I know Sam [Sunderland] won it this year, but Toby is such a fantastic all-rounder. He’s won so much stuff in so many disciplines. Q3. What’s your worst habit? Losing the keys to my bike. Q4. If you could have one riding…

The TT always serves up amazing races and even more amazing tales of determination, bravery and commitment. This year will be no different. Whether it’s Dave in a van with his three-year-old ZX-10R or Guy Martin making a shock return on a fleet of top-spec machines – the 2017 TT script has been started and the story is already intriguing. While the main characters in the high-speed drama may be Ian Hutchinson and Michael Dunlop, the supporting cast could throw up a few surprises. Few would begrudge Guy his first TT win, but what about if that happens in the Zero TT (see page 4). Of course it counts – damn right it does. But it’s not quite the same as a Senior or a Superbike TT win is it?…

Booming, aggressive and more than a little lairy, the Z1000 R Edition is an engaging beast to fire down your favourite B-road. Based on a seven-year-old platform, it’s proof that you don’t need to be at the cutting edge of motorcycle development to have an enjoyable time. New for this year, the R Edition adds designer trinkets to the proven Z1000, which Kawasaki have also tweaked to get though Euro4 regs. The main change is the introduction of a new …hlins shock and Brembo M50 monoblock calipers, as fitted to the ZX-10R and H2. It raises the price to £11,549 – £1300 more than the standard machine. Save for cosmetics, the rest of the bike remains the same, so that’s a muscular 1043cc four-cylinder lump packed with meaty midrange goodness…

5-VALVES PER CYLINDER The FZ was the first of the many great 20-valve fours that became something of a trademark for Yamaha in subsequent years. AN ENGINE INCLUDED IN THE OVERALL DESIGN Before the FZ it was common to design an engine then try to squeeze it into a chassis. With the FZ whole package was designed at the same time. PROPER HANDLING A long wheelbase and low centre of gravity led to excellent handling in an era when this was by no means common. TRACK ENTERTAINMENT Between 1985 and 1988 it beat Suzuki's GSX-R750 in three out of four British Superstock Championships.…

Taking the B3400 west from Basingstoke offers relief from this roundabout-strewn town, and while it’s littered with speed limits it’s a lovely road for a ride. Continuing into Whitchurch you need to be careful to follow the signs for Andover to make sure you don’t end up on the A34, which is an easy mistake to make. Once out of Whitchurch and back on the open roads it’s a mere eight miles before you hit Andover and need to look for the A343, skirting to the north of the town before heading towards Newbury. The A343 is a scenic, tree-lined road with undulations and gentle bends that are enjoyable to ride. The magnificent Highclere Castle appears through the trees on this stretch and you should recognise it if you’ve been…

‘It’s safest to pass on the straight but be sure to start early’ RIDING EXPERT Michael Neeves MCN Senior Road Tester and Elite instructor at the Honda Ron Haslam Race School It’s good to overtake Overtaking is one of the most satisfying parts of a trackday. It’s good for the ego, especially if we think we’re on a slower bike. But for those being overtaken it can be terrifying – scary enough to put a novice trackday rider off forever, so the trick is to waft by like you’re invisible. Do it on the straights The safest place and most courteous place to overtake is on the straights. If your bike is much faster than the guy you’ve just caught, be patient and wait for the next straight to zip…

Price £22,385 Fuel 22.7 litres @ 49mpg = 245 mile range Weight 376kg Seat 680mm Power 88bhp Torque 110ftlb JORDAN GIBBONS A lover of custom bikes and BMWs, but has experience with a wide range of bikes Height 5ft 6in Weight 72kg jordan.gibbons@motorcyclenews.com ‘The brakes are really impressive and you can pull up in a heartbeat. Take that, Harley bashers’ Joining the MCN long-term test fleet this year is the Harley-Davidson Street Glide, a true representation of the American bagger. In truth I’ve always quite fancied a big Harley but I’ve never been quite sure why. Is it the noise? The look? The fact it’s the ride of the Terminator? They’ve always stirred something inside me, so I’m relishing the prospect of cruising around on one this year. Outside the…

THE EXPERT Tony Woodward Tony has worked for Kent Cams (www.kentcams.com) for 31 years and has been designing performance cams for World and British Superbike race bike teams for more than a decade. He used to race Yamaha a RD250LC and then progressed to TZ250s. ‘It has to happen at precisely the right time so the engine runs sweetly’ The job of a camshaft is to open the inlet valves to let air/fuel in, then open the exhaust valves to let the spent fuel out. This all has to happen at exactly the precise moment, so the engine runs well and the valves don’t hit the pistons as they shoot up the cylinder. In most modern engines, the camshaft is turned by a belt or chain connected to the crankshaft.…

1979 Kawasaki Z650B £2360 Seller says US import, 30,000 miles, original exhaust, twin discs, scratch on tank, new MoT Neil says Lovely bikes: I’ve owned one. Double front disc is desirable. 2006 Kawasaki KRR150 £2400 Seller says Asian two-stroke model, Tyga exhaust as well as stock, does 125mph. Neil says 125mph? Yeah, sure. Lovely fun bike, but parts will be a struggle. 2014 Vespa GTS 300 £2350 Seller says 6800 miles, receivership sale, everything works. Neil says Vespa’s biggest scooter, and about £800-900 off used list price. Bargain. Lock it up well, mind. MCN BIKES FOR SALE   12,626 bargain bikes for sale right now!…

JAMES WHITHAM Racer-turned-Eurosport commentator 2001 HONDA RS250 I’d buy the best 250cc pure two-stroke race bike I could lay my hands on –probably something like an early 2000s Honda RS250. I love them and they’re fetching good money now. NATHAN COLOMBI Built Michael Dunlop’s XR69 and looks after classic Suzuki GP collection 2017 KTM 300 EXC I’m lucky enough to get to ride dream bikes on track like Schwantz’s Pepsi Suzuki, so I’d go for something different: a 300cc two-stroke KTM enduro bike. I’d ship it to New Zealand for me to ride with the change. MICHAEL NEEVES MCN Senior Road Tester 1990 YAMAHA OW-01 An FZR750R OW-01. They’re actually rarer than RC30s. I remember them cleaning-up when I was club racing back in the day. Even in race trim…

2016 Victory Vegas Colours Black, red Dealer £9499 Private good £8000 Private average £8500 This one This 2016 Vegas is in standard trim with no accessories. It only has one mile on the clock. 2015 Victory Vegas 8-Ball Colours Black, red Dealer £9099 Private good £8400 Private average £8k This one With just over 1000 miles, this 8-Ball is almost new and has a few nice extras, justifying its £9850 price tag. 2012 Victory Judge Colours Black, red Dealer £8000 Private good £7000 Private average £6700 This one This sporty Judge has covered 7154 miles and has a FSH. It’s £8495 with a few extras. 2014 Victory Hammer LE Colours Black, white, red Dealer £10,500 Private good £9500 Private average £9000 This one This £10,495 2014 Hammer hasn’t topped 2000…

There’s no denying Norton took a big step forward with the SG5 factory racer at last year’s TT with Dave Johnson almost clocking a 131mph lap and securing a top 10 result in the opening superbike race, but the Aussie reckons this year’s bike is even better after his first spin at Jurby. With a chassis almost identical to the road-going V4 Superbike Norton revealed last November, Johnson says the bike is a ‘100% improvement’ when it comes to turning. “It’s definitely a step forward on last year’s bike,” he told MCN. “Within no time I was quicker than my best lap at Jurby last year and that was in really good conditions during the TT.” Johnson has also noticed the benefit of the Norton team expanding to two riders…

Shane Byrne MCE British Superbike champion Marquez is a smart kid, and he showed last year that his approach has changed. Ultimately, that won him the world championship, and if you think Mav going to the Circuit of the Americas and beating him is going to pop his head – of course it isn’t. Maverick has some momentum right now, but if Marc can regain some points bearing in mind he didn’t finish in Argentina, that’s what he’ll want to do. Racing is a funny old game – one minute you’re heading down Craner Curves at the same speed as the lap before and the next you’ve knocked yourself out! It can happen to any of us and you’re always walking a tightrope, and Marc has been around long enough…

Josh Brookes was able to salvage a fourth place from what was a tricky weekend for the Aussie and his Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha team. A tough practice and qualifying saw him hampered in race one and he could only manage 10th. But he faced an even bigger challenge in the second outing starting from 11th on the grid. However, a strong charge through the pack saw him pick off his rivals to eventually finish fourth after passing Honda’s Jason O’Halloran on the final lap. “We started the weekend with a bike that was fairly difficult to ride,” said Brookes. “So obviously, there are positives to be taken from the strong results! “We’re just missing a couple of tenths in the early stages, the front end of the bike is…

 Young gun Luke Mossey fired a warning shot to the old guard of the MCE British Superbike Championship as he stormed to his debut race victory at Brands Hatch on Monday. ‘It’s great to see young riders. It’s not all about the old guard!’LUKE MOSSEY And not only did the 24-year-old beat his older and more experienced rivals once, he showed it wasn’t just a flash-in-the-pan win by doing it again in a hard-fought second race. On the pace throughout the weekend, Mossey’s maiden win saw him become the youngest rider to win a BSB race since Alex Lowes in 2012. After taking the BSB Riders’ Cup for being the best-placed non-Showdown rider in his debut year in 2015, Mossey upped the ante again in 2016. His performance earned him…

John McGuinness was upbeat after his first test on the 2017 Mugen Shinden he will chase his third Zero TT victory on in June. Having dislocated his left thumb at Castle Combe a week earlier after crashing his superbike Honda, the 23-times TT winner was delighted with the new bike and his recovery. He said: “Six days ago I was lying unconscious on the track at Castle Combe and now I am here riding the Mugen. “Riding here has perked me up. My hand is sore and I probably shouldn’t be riding but these guys work on the bike around the clock, 365 days a year, so I needed to be here. “All the tweaks that I asked for on last year’s bike have been done” he said after completing…

TTaking sides This year’s Isle of Man TT programme has been revealed, and it’s time to pick sides – with a choice of covers featuring Ian Hutchinson and Michael Dunlop. Hutchy is the only rider to have won five races in one week. Meanwhile, Dunlop is the first to lap in under 17 minutes! Single-minded The internet lit up this week as the story of Nikki Misurelli went viral as the girl who got her licence, sold her belongings, and set off to ride round the world to spite her ex-boyfriend. It’s all true – apart from the spite bit. Misurelli says: “My ex is simply the one who gave me the idea.” Talking Italian Italian bikes (and cars) will be packing Bristol city centre this Saturday, April 22. The…

BENNETTS Motorcycle insurance specialists, Bennetts, make insuring your bike as hassle-free as possible, so you can focus on your next ride. www.bennetts.co.uk AIRHAWK Airhawk’s Comfort Seating System will help you ride for longer and in more comfort. motohaus.com METZELER Metzeler have a wide range of top-notch tyres capable of clocking up 5000 miles on. metzelermoto.com SENA Sena’s range of tech products include communications and cameras. Make those miles memorable. www.sena.com Join #ride5000miles Facebook group…

 “I started the museum back in 1984. Me and a few friends seemed to have an awful lot of bikes and as the unit was available we thought we’d put them all in together and call it a museum, just like that. “When we first started we would save the money from our annual show to buy more bikes, but they would either not get worked on or not get restored - when it’s your own bike you fix it as a matter of course, but with a communal bike everyone tends to leave it for someone else. I soon worked out that it would be better if people brought their own bikes and left them here, so that’s how it’s always been. They bring one in for a year,…

Givi 40.5 X-Carbon £385 What’s good The first carbon lid from the Italian luggage supremos. Designed with sports touring in mind, the new X-Carbon is lightweight at just 1210g (small) and features an advanced ventilation system, drop-down sun visor and a double D-ring chin strap. Available in two shell sizes, covering XS-XXL. What’s not The anti-scratch visor is Pinlockready, but the anti-mist insert costs extra. www.givi.co.uk 1Down5Up hoodie £27 What’s good New British biker lifestyle brand brings a fresh selection of amusing casual hoodies to keep you warm on chilly spring nights. The range features a whole host of slogans and designs expertly printed on to a quality heavy-blend cotton/ polyester hoody. T-shirts are also available. What’s not Racers and trackday fans may well want a 1UP5Down alternative! www.1down-5up.co.uk Kushitani…

MAY 27-28 THE BIKE SHED LONDON It’s the place where all the big hitters from all over the country and beyond come together to celebrate the very best in the custom-culture of motorcycling. Visit thebikeshed.cc JUNE 14-18 WHEELS AND WAVES Expect French sunshine (most of the time), custom machinery, flat-track racing, surfing and the chance to ride the now famous Punks Peak. Visit wheels-and-waves.com JUNE 30–JULY 2 THE MALLE MILE Billed as a ‘gentlemanly motorcycle race’, it’s basically a place where a load of like-minded enthusiasts come together. Visit mallelondon.com JULY 7-8 DIRT QUAKE VI The weird and wonderful gather in Kings Lynn to take part in the most bonkers racing you’re likely to see outside of Wacky Races. Visit sideburnmagazine.com SEPTEMBER 1-3 GLEMSECK 101 Glemseck has become a mecca…

YAMAHA DT125 Outside Heathrow Airport in 1984 having a bit of fun on the Yamaha. Tom Kerkham HONDA CB570K Aged 18 in 1976 at Scarborough for Oliver’s Mount road races. Rob Shearer HONDA CHALY 50 My first ride when I was 15 in Greece. Georgios Charalampidis DERBI 50 This was my Derbi, a 50cc Spanish racer in 1970 or 1971. Riding around Paris. Lee Anderson YAMAHA RS125 Had to sell my drumkit to buy my first proper bike. Goodbye music, hello motorcycles! Ross Gates TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD My brother and I raring to go with my dad in around 1958. Steven Jary…

Indian on tour Indian’s rolling roadshow is about to embark on a six-month tour of the UK, bringing the range, and test ride opportunities, to a dealer or show near you. The tour kicks off on April 22 at Prime Factors and Krazy Horse, and finishes up at Brightona and Copdock on October 1 – with special activity happening at the MCN Festival on May 13-14. Full dates at indianmotorcycle.co.uk. Free extras Hunt down a new Tiger 800 (XRx, XCx, XRt, XCa) or Explorer (XRx, XCx, XRt, XCa) right now, and you’ll get the OE Expedition Aluminium Pannier Kit worth £535 for free. Or if you prefer the Street Triple 675, you can land one from just £79 a month complete with free belly pan, fly screen and seat cowl.…

1982 Honda CB750F Freddie Spencer “This bike won Daytona with Freddie and is as factory as f**k yet it’s got sit-up-and- beg bars, standard seat and it’s naked. That makes it really cool in my book.” 1966 RC149 125cc Luigi Taveri “McGuinness told me this was the unsung hero of the 1960s Honda racers and he’s right. I had always thought it was the 250/6 but it’s not in the same league as the 125/5. The little bike revved to 23,000rpm and won a world title. ” 1966 Honda RC166 250cc Mike Hailwood engine “It is still a great bike that won every 250 Grand Prix that year and I will be getting to ride one at Castle Combe in August!” 1979 Honda NR500 Mick Grant, T Katayama “Honda built…

‘Ignore the hype and enjoy them for what they are’ Despite sharing a common name, these three bikes offer a very different take on the scrambler theme. With the Triumph you get an off-road image, but on a bike that is a very refined and pleasant road machine that lacks a bit of soul but is extremely easygoing. The BMW is a beautiful, stripped-back and uncluttered bike that comes with a wonderfully raw and exhilarating ride, which is engaging and spirited. It costs a premium, but you get a far more grown-up machine for your money thanks to its larger-capacity boxer motor. Which leaves the Desert Sled. Ducati have absolutely nailed the scrambler theme by delivering a bike whose performance reflects its styling and attitude. You can scramble this scrambler…

‘He was the youngest-ever top-class world champion until Marc Marquez’ Born in Shreveport Louisiana in 1961 Freddie was a child prodigy, racing in dirt track meetings from the age of four. Soon he was racing every weekend and father and son would clock 100,000 miles a year travelling all over the USA. Success followed him wherever he went and it was no surprise he turned professional. After impressing in AMA Superbikes, Freddie made his GP debut on Honda’s NR500 four-stroke at the British GP in 1981. By 1983 he was 500GP champion aged 21 – the youngest-ever champion until Marc Marquez. His double 250 and 500 world titles came in 1985. “It felt like an amazing thing to achieve, but I had been racing for 19 years. After it happened,…

Written by Freddie with renowned racing author Rick Broadbent, Feel charts Freddie’s humble upbringing to him hitting the big-time, to coping with the pain and crashes of a difficult career. Told in a unique, original style, the book is a warts-and-all, personal account of his life, revealing his inner thoughts, his battles with injury and is an insight into how it feels to get so much success so young. We’ve all been reading it and it’s bloody brilliant. Out on Thursday, it’s one of the most interesting autobiographies we’ve read.…

More power While the torque figure of the Street Glide is impressive, the peak power isn’t. There’s a lot of potential in the engine, with stories circulating of people getting 130bhp out of them, so the bike will go under the spanners to see what’s achievable. More comfort The low back end gives the Street Glide very little suspension travel meaning speedbumps and potholes take their toll. The shocks are adjustable, so that will be the first step and if that doesn’t help then I’ll look for an upgrade. More noise Swapping out the air filter and the pipes means allows the engine to breathe more freely and is the first step for many Harley owners. It also has the added effect of giving the bike a tastier exhaust note,…

Tester Richard Newland Time tested Three months/3800 miles What’s good This new Spartan Carbon Silicium DOA, to give it its full name, is seriously impressive. I’ve worn Shark’s Race-R for several years, as well as using their Explore-R, and like both but the Spartan trumps them for comfort, usability and fit. It’s very well priced, too. The quality of the lacquered carbon is lovely, and at 1290g it feels noticeably light. As you’d expect, the lining is removable and washable, the closure is a double D-ring, and the strap end secures with a popper. The visor is anti-scratch, and comes with a MaxVision Pinlock insert – which has been faultless in use. The clear visor is backed up with a very effective drop-down visor operated via a slider on the…

OHV, SOHC or DOHC? In really old engines the cam would be driven directly from the crankshaft via a chain, which then used a complicated system of pushrods and rockers to operate the valves – these were called overhead valve engines (OHV). Then came overhead cam engines that had just one inlet and one exhaust valve per cylinder, all opened with a single camshaft – hence Single Over Head Cam (SOHC). But since designers have started using two inlet and two exhaust valves, you now need two camshafts to operate them, these are Double Over Head Cam engines (DOHC). It’s all about timing Timing is essential. The cam has to open and close the valves at exactly the right time or as they open they could hit the pistons as…

USED SV650 2010 Suzuki SV650 £2800 Miles 17,500 Seller says Three owners, service history, excellent bodywork. This little cracker is far too good to send to the trade. MCN says Find out if you can get the original exhaust included in the sale. USED SV650 2005 Suzuki SV650 £1990 Miles 27,621 Ad says Three owners from new with some service history and all previous MoTs to back up mileage. Great condition, decent tyres and will be plenty of fun. MCN says See if you can get the stock exhaust. NEW PCP SV 2017 Suzuki SV650 645cc V-twin + 75bhp + 197kg + 785mm + 50mpg Cash price £5839 Deposit £1500 36 monthly payments of £60 Optional final payment £2696 APR 4.9% Mileage 5000 per year NEW PCP MT-07 2017 Yamaha…

Kushitani return Super-cool Japanese kit brand Kushitani will soon have a UK showroom where riders can check out and buy the firm’s range of kit. Opening in Boston, Lincolnshire, the shop will let riders experience Kushitani’s handcrafted race suits, gloves and jackets, as worn by legendary riders such as Wayne Gardner. www.kushitani-uk.co.uk Unseen Sheene The Sheene family have opened up their archive in this new book. Barry Sheene The Official Photographic Celebration of the Legendary Motorcycle Champion contains previously unseen shots alongside the story of the star’s life told by Rick Broadbent, and a foreword by Barry’s son Freddie. On sale May 4, priced £20. www.bloomsbury.com Kriega’s 2017 range hits shops Kriega’s 2017 range is making its way to dealers. The new products include the new OS range of soft…

Honda’s exquisite, homologation-special V4 racer-for-the-road, the legendary RC30, has long been biking royalty. But it is so exclusive and expensive it remains out of reach for most. But its little brother, the NC30, is the mini-RC30 for the masses. Conceived originally as a Japan-only model to capitalise on Japan’s then 400cc licence restriction, the NC30 was launched in 1988 as a faithful, slightly slimmed-down copy of its bigger brother. So, its uniquely wooden-sounding, gear-driven V4 was just as flexible (albeit speed-restricted in Japanese spec to 112mph); its handling and braking were simply delightful (and easily capable of embarrassing bigger bikes) and its quality and detailing were in keeping with truly exotic superbikes. Best of all, though, when the NC started to become available in the UK as a grey import…

 “When it comes to the Freedom engine they are so simple they are basically bulletproof. As a mechanic I love them as they are so accessible – the spark plugs, air filter and oil filter are on display. But some people still get confused and forget they are a semi-dry sump (the tank is in the crankcase) and that means you check the oil level when the engine is warm. That said, I’ve never known one to burn any oil and the hydraulic tappets mean they never need setting. ‘It looks like a bolt is missing from the engine, but it’s meant to be like that’ “A full service history is a good thing on a Vegas as the motor needs servicing every 5000 miles or after a year. Servicing…

Since taking his first ever MotoGP win in 2013, Marc Marquez has been unbeatable at the Circuit of the Americas. Winning every year by a big margin and backing it up with four pole positions to boot, he’s made the track his own. But why has he got such an impressive record at the track? It’s all in the nature of the Herman Tilkedesigned circuit and its numerous low-speed stop-and-go corners that play perfectly into the riding style that comes most naturally to the three-time MotoGP champion. He’s able to use the superb turning of the current RC213V to make the most out of the first and last corners, the slow speed T11 onto the back straight. And while he’s slamming on the brakes, diving into the turns and squaring…

 If Shane Byrne thought his start to the 2017 season had got off on the wrong foot at Donington Park after missing both races with concussion, things got even worse at Brands Hatch when he dramatically crashed out of the second race. ‘I don’t do negatives. We’ll do some winning – there’s a long way to go’SHANE BYRNE A poor start left Byrne with work to do in race one and despite fighting through the pack to join the leading group, he was unable to get past Christian Iddon or Leon Haslam to clinch his first rostrum and podium points of the year. Catching the front group relatively early on in race two, things were looking up for Byrne until he crashed out after making a move on Haslam with…

BSB RESULTS FINAL POSITIONS RACE 1 FINAL POSITIONS RACE 2 CHAMPIONSHIP TOP 10 SUPERSPORT STANDINGS SUPERSTOCK 1000 FINAL POSITIONS SUPERSTOCK Race One 1. Cooper, 2. Buchan, 3. Hutchinson, 4. Hedger, 5. Rogers Race Two 1. Hutchinson, 2. Jenkinson, 3. Cooper, 4. Hedger, 5. Buchan BSS RESULTS FINAL POSITIONS SUPERSPORT Race One 1. Mackenzie, 2. Irwin, 3.Farmer, 4. Currie, 5. Seeley Race Two 1. Mackenzie, 2. Seeley, 3. Farmer, 4. Allingham, 5. Currie Race Three 1. Mackenzie, 2. Allingham, 3. Seeley, 4. Currie, 5. Twyman LAPS LED AT BRANDS…

The main changes from Bruce Anstey’s 2016 Zero TT-winning Shinden 5 to the sixth incarnation of the Mugen electric bike involve the motor and the battery invertor. “The battery cooling system is a new design,” Kunio Yoshimi, the Shinden’s chief designer, explained. “Battery temperature has been a problem and the new system weighs less. The motor is also new, made in-house by Mugen.” Overall these changes shave 5kg off the new bike. The team were also testing a new shock and linkage which will make the rear suspension more adjustable. Improved aerodynamics and new software to control battery output, completes the tweaks for 2017. Mugen run a simulation for the bike over the TT course each year and the projected target for Shinden 6 in 2017 is a 122mph lap,…

Camping is a great way to experience all that the Festival has to offer. Not only can campers watch the Saturday night speedway racing for free* but they also gain early access into the show, giving them the opportunity to be the first to sign up for test rides, plus access to the retail zone to bag an early bargain. There’s also some great evening entertainment for those who stay all weekend – Yamaha will be hosting the MT Dark Side Party on both Friday and Saturday evening with plenty of live music to get the party in full swing. Advance day tickets and camping packages are now on sale, with discounted day tickets at £15 online, seniors (over 65) £11 and camping starts at £30 per person. Children go…

Yoshimura Motors was set up in Fukuoka by Hideo ‘Pops’ Yoshimura in 1954, a former aircraft mechanic who turned to bike tuning following the war. After his engines enjoyed early glory in two and four-wheeled racing, it was success in endurance racing that catapulted Yoshimura into the public eye. In 1973 Yoshimura Racing America was opened and in 1978 the Yoshimura Suzuki GS1000 won the Suzuka 8-Hour race with Wes Cooley and Mike Baldwin riding, cementing close ties with the Suzuki factory that remain to this day. Interestingly, the firm’s second 8-Hour victory in 1980 was the closest winning time ever and that’s why the firm continues to run the ‘Lucky 12’ number on its factory Suzuka race bikes to this day.…

Old meets new World GP Bike Legends have linked up with Yamaha for 2017. While the riders on the World GP Bike Legends circuit will still be seen on the fiery 500cc two-stroke GP bikes of the 1980s and 1990s, the partnership means they will also race new R1s to allow for some more spirited track action. Thunderfest is go Thunderfest will take place at Darley Moor again this May 1. Thunderfest is a time trial in which riders compete against the clock to ride the tough Darley circuit as close as possible to their declared speed. An adult ticket costs just £12, under 16s get in for free. A historic move H&H Classics are moving their motorcycle sales from Donington Park to the National Motorcycle Museum from June this…

WHAT IS THIS? 1 Bit of a German monstrosity. We’re liking the protective gear… WHAT YEAR? 2 When did Yamaha launch their crossplane crank R1? WHO’S THIS CHAP? 3 Who is this drawing of? And no it’s not former president Richard Nixon NAME THE CORNER 4 Great shot from the Classic TT, but do you know the corner? WHAT’S THIS BIKE? 5 A 90s oddity. Can you name the bike? There’s a bonus point if you can identify the designer as well WHO’S THIS BLOKE? 6 We’ve disguised Josh Brookes’ team-mate as a bear. What’s he called (the rider, not the bear)? WHO IS THIS LEGEND? 7 Not only a great racer but an engineering pioneer too. WHAT BIKE BRAND? 8 It’s an early offering from a famous Italian factory.…

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R £13,999 The mighty Beast was updated earlier this year, and barks out an impressive 177bhp. The fully adjustable WP suspension is also revised with heavier fork springs for 2017. Similar power to the Aprilia, but with more torque. DUCATI MONSTER 1200 R £15,995 The stunning R version gains an extra 15bhp over the S model, taking it to 160bhp, but while it’s 15bhp down on the Aprilia on paper, it’s also a notable 6.5kg lighter, at 180kg. YAMAHA MT-10 SP £13,399 Launched just last month the new SP features semi-active suspension from Öhlins, a full colour dash and a 160bhp crossplane R1-derived engine. Less power but £2600 cheaper than the Aprilia. MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 1090RR £14,799 The range-topping member of the Brutale family uses a…

Honda have also treated the CBR650F to the same updates same suspension and engine tweaks as the CB650F. It means the CBR has been transformed and justifies its place in Honda’s lineup and £7399 of your cash. The CBR gets semi-sporty clip-ons that are located above the top yoke for comfort. Compared to the naked bike they are 30mm narrower and set a little lower. Added to this is a new Fireblademimicking fairing and the transformation from plain Jane to head turning machine is complete.…

‘I was completely blown away – it really was the dog’s b*llocks’JIM LINDSAY, EX-MCN EDITOR FZ750 FACTFILE 1985-1991 749cc four-stroke in-line four 145mph 106bhp 30-50mpg Contact fz750.proboards.com Want one? £600 (scruffy) to £1200 (good condition) Produced between 1985 and 1991, the FZ750 is rightly recognised as the first of Yamaha's great modern superbikes – but it was a bit of a design gem that never quite sold in the numbers it deserved to, mainly thanks to Suzuki launching its game-changing GSX-R750 in the same year. Rather than the engine being designed first and the chassis being forced to fit around it (as was common at the time), the designers of the FZ were careful to integrate the whole package right from the drawing board. The 749cc inline-four engine featured…

The Suzuki has slightly more torque power and mid-range grunt, which are a real benefit on the road. The screen and bodywork on the Suzuki are also larger, and it’s comfier on long high-speed journeys, while it retains an engaging hooligan side, too – but I’d still choose the Honda. The new Blade has a superior feel to it, is more attractive, has more comprehensive rider aids, and out-handles the Suzuki. It’s also lighter, easier to ride and has better fuelling and brakes. On the road, most riders will feel more at home on the Honda. The only real downside to the Honda is its wind protection. The gap between the standard Blade and GSX-R is considerably smaller than the one between the respective SP and R versions, but the…

A scrambler used to refer to an off-road bike as ‘scrambling’ was an early form of motocross. However, this has all changed and a modern scrambler is basically a bike made to look a bit rough and ready. As a rule of thumb, a modern scrambler comes with off-road style tyres with the wheels an off-road mimicking 17in rear and 19in front. To really complete the look spoked wheels are ideal, but some use cast ones to save costs. As off-roaders require extra ground clearance, longer-than-standard suspension is generally added to lift the bike and wide motocross bars compete the look. If they are really pushing the boat out a manufacturer may include extra styling touches such as a leather or suede seat (brown, naturally), stacked pipes as these were…

i FACTFILE How to ride it Start at Windsor Castle and head towards Runneymede, Virginia Water before circling round for Eton, Dorney and Burnham Beeches. Where to eat The Pineapple Pub in Dorney for a big lunch, or the Clarence Brasserie and Tea Room in Windsor for tea and scones. Epic roads which slice their way through towering mountains are wonderful slithers of engineering, and amazing rides too. But they’ve got nothing on a weekend ride which includes tea with the Queen of England at her weekend getaway, Windsor Castle. Well… we can’t promise you’ll actually have tea with Her Majesty, or be anywhere near her, but a dozen quaint tea shops line the promenade just outside the castle walls. Pull up, order an Earl Grey and give a nod…

1 Strong Adolfo’s, Wadebridge, Cornwall. Great food and bike-friendly venue. 01208 816949 2 Star and Garter, Metheringham, Lincs, LN4 3BX. Bike and trike night every Tuesday. https://lincsbikers.co.uk #ride5000miles member Sally Weighill’s snap of the Star & Garter 3 The Ox and Plough, Old Buckenham, Norfolk. Bike meet on Tuesday evenings. 07887 691722 4 The Victoria Bikers Pub, Coalville, Leics. 6pm-11pm, 01530-814718 or www.vicbikerspub.co.uk 5 Lynn’s Raven Cafe, Whitchurch, Wrexham. Bike night every Thursday and they do some mean food. Search Lynn’s Raven Cafe on Facebook for more GET YOUR MEET ON THE MAP If you have a bike-friendly cafe aenue w and nt wan et yo get r mee you on tmeet monthe comap tact,ema sonl: mcn sam. @ williams motorcyclenews.co.uk@motorcyclenews.com…

KAWASAKI VERSYS 650 GT Price £7999 Fuel 53mpg, 21-litre tank, 244miles possible range. Weight 216kg Seat 840mm Power 68.4bhp Torque 47.2ftlb ADAM CHILD Road tester and racer, has ridden everything from the last 15 years. Height 5ft 6in Weight 75kg adam.child@motorcyclenews.com ‘It’s as if someone has upgraded the suspension without telling me’ I’ve been racking up the mileage on the trusty Versys 650, powering down the A1 and back on my 180-mile-a-day commute, taking on the best and worst of all weathers while doing so. The bike’s now clocked over 9400 miles and the original Dunlop Sportmax tyres have just about had it, so it’s time for a change. To be honest, they’ve performed really well: I didn’t know tyres could last so long, especially as they provided decent…

‘Run your details with the speeding ticket through a comparison site’ Q Will ticket blunder wreck my theft claim? My bike was recently stolen from outside my house. I reported it to my insurance company and while we were going through the formalities it turned out I’d forgotten to mention I got three points for speeding. Will they try to avoid paying out? David Bramwell, Birmingham A When you enter a contract of insurance you have a duty to answer all of their questions accurately. Where any misrepresentation was deliberate/reckless (eg where the customer knew, or did not care, that the info was untrue or misleading) then the insurer can refuse all claims. Where the misrepresentation was careless the outcome depends on what would have happened if the insurer was…

The arrival of new models always has some effect on sales of the ones they are replacing. Honda have a new Fireblade, Suzuki a new GSX-R1000 and Kawasaki have tweaked their ZX-10R. None of these bikes are cheap, but it makes you think about 170mph-plus machines... and why not? If you look at the used market, there is one standout choice, and that’s Kawasaki’s ZZ-R1100. I write this a few minutes after watching a 1992/J bike, 20,000 miles only, new clutch, new brakes, and seemingly in damn good original condition, fail to sell at £1500. You what? Actually, the real shock was realising that the ZZ-R is now a quarter-of-a-century old, but really, there is no finer and cheaper way of going bloody fast. I also saw a 1997 D5…

‘Get yourself a new bike for less’ Personal Contract Purchase now finances 20-30% of all new bikes sold in the UK, and it’s a method of ownership that is growing fast. But it might not be right for you, so make sure you understand the ins and outs. You can have these new bikes for less than you might have ever imagined – and what’s more you can have another new one in three years’ time, probably without increasing your monthly outlay or having to find a fresh deposit. This is how it works… • Work out what you can afford as a deposit and in monthly repayments for the duration of the contract. • You can get PCP on any amount from £1500 upwards. • Choose your new motorcycle…

 MCE British Superbike star Josh Brookes made his debut on the factory Norton machine at Jurby airfield last week as he prepares to return to Isle of Man TT action. ‘The TT is all about flow and top speed and we’ve got plenty of that’JOSH BROOKES Brookes and team-mate, fellow Aussie Dave Johnson tested the 2017 Norton SG6 racer at the Manx circuit over two days. The new bike is said to be a significant improvement on the Norton SG5 Johnson took to a near-131mph lap last year. Returning to the TT for the first time since 2014 with Norton, 2015 BSB champion Brookes admits he had no idea what to expect from the madefor-the-TT prototype. “I want to say the test went better than expected but I didn’t really…

 We’re two rounds into the 2017 MotoGP championship and the hotly anticipated duel that we’ve all been waiting for between reigning champion Marc Marquez and new boy wonder Maverick Viñales has yet to happen. But that could all change this weekend. ‘The old win-it-or-bin-it Marquez will have to come out’JULIAN RYDER The trip to COTA (Circuit of the Americas) couldn’t come at a better time for Marquez, after making his worst ever start to a MotoGP season since graduating to the class in 2013. The 24-year-old currently sits eighth overall, a huge 37 points off the title lead with only a fourth place finish to his name in 2017. Compare that to the sensational start that Viñales has made with two wins and a huge points haul that could be…

BSB rookie Bradley Ray impressed at Brands Hatch this weekend to secure his first top ten in Monday’s second race. The result comes in spite of a difficult weekend for the local rider, who was left with limited parts after two big crashes in Saturday practice. Forced to ride on the factory parts Sylvain Guintoli had opted not to use, he struggled in qualifying, causing the team to take parts off a bike on Suzuki’s show stand ahead of Monday’s races. Back on the standard package he’s familiar with, Ray stormed from 19th to 12th in the opening race before taking an eighth place finish in the second outing. Even more impressive was that Ray beat former WSB Champion team-mate Sylvain Guintoli, who can’t find a set-up he’s comfortable with…

Giugliano out Tyco BMW’s Davide Giugliano missed this weekend’s races after a nasty fall at Graham Hill Bend in FP1. While the Italian had no broken bones, he was suffering with restricted movement in his neck. Hickman heads in right direction Smiths BMW man Peter Hickman might have gone under the radar a little with a seventh and ninth place this weekend but it’s enough to see him move up to fifth in the 2017 championship standings. It’s a fantastic four for Taz Tarran Mackenzie showed he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Supersport class this year with his fourth consecutive race win. After taking win number one at Donington Park, a further hat-trick this weekend sees him unbeaten so far in 2017. Stock argy…

There was light at the end of the tunnel for Honda Racing at Brands Hatch as they showed a significant step forward with the new Fireblade. After lapping severely off the pace and struggling to get into the top ten at Donington Park two weeks ago, both Jason O’Halloran and Dan Linfoot were able to secure best results of fifth after a breakthrough at a quick test on the Honda at Mallory Park early last week. The team had been struggling with the electronic fly-by-wire throttle connection – new for the Blade this year – but after going in an entirely new, simpler direction the duo were able to push on with the bike for the first time this year. “This weekend has pretty much been square one for us,”…