Table of contents for 28 June 2017 in MCN

1983 Silverstone Armstrong Brit team uses a carbon frame and swingarm for the 250cc racer. It wins British championship and gets a 250GP podium. 1990-94 Cagiva 500GP Cagiva was the most notable GP team to try full carbon, plus carbon headstock/ally hybrid frame and a carbon swingarm. 1999 Bimota SB8R Suzuki-engined road bike has carbon swingarm pivot/ally hybrid chassis. It proves successful and in SB8K form, wins in WSB. 2009 DucatiDesmosediciGP9 Ducati ditch steel trellis for carbon frame and swingarm. Casey Stoner says carbon-framed Ducati was ‘best bike on grid.’ 2017 BMW HP4 Race and Ducati Superleggera Manufacturers launch carbon production bikes. BMW is track-only, but Ducati is road legal and has carbon frame and swinger.…

1 Frame changer One of the most dramatic changes is the ditching of the Panigale’s monocoque ‘frameless’ design in favour of a more conventional twin-spar cast frame. Still around half the size of a normal frame, it can be seen emerging from the headstock and arcing to the rear bank of cylinders. 2 clothes Emperor’s new The outline, attitude, and silhouette are all unmistakeable – making it clear that Ducati want the new V4 to look like an evolution of the existing road family, not a clone of their MotoGP Desmosedici. This hints that they’re unlikely to call it a Desmosedici – while it seems equally likely it won’t inherit the Panigale name, either. That instantly recognisable face has put on a few pounds, though. The front-end and flanks are…

The Wankel, or rotary, engine was made famous in the two-wheeled world by the JPSbacked Nortons raced by Steve Spray and Trevor Nation. However, the Wankel engine concept was nothing new and Norton had been building one for nearly 20 years at this point. Originally designed by German engineer Felix Wankel in 1929, his style of motor is very different to a conventional engine. Despite using the same four-cycles (intake, compression, ignition, exhaust), where on a normal motor these happen above a moving piston in a barrel, in a Wankel they happen in the space between a three-sided symmetrical rotor. A shaft passes through the centre of the engine and the rotor rotates around this, creating the four distinct cycles against the inside of the motor as it orbits around.…

 I had a short motocross career, where I raced for around six years. I progressed through the mini series and had success racing in America. But I crashed in ’79 while trying to avoid a crashed rider and hit his bike at speed. That finished my career. But luckily I already had a career in retail. ‘I’m helping rides who have been seriously injured’ I’m fortunate enough to be pretty self-sufficient, so I can spend all my time concentrating on charities after setting up the Holden On Tight charity, which supports the two-wheel community. I know a lot of people in the motorcycle industry; from AMA to MotoGP and Motocross, which really helps with the charity work. And I’ve also been given a lot of stuff over the years, which…

OXFORD HARDY £189.99 Like a fine wine, a waxed jacket only gets better with age. The Hardy uses dry wax technology meaning it requires no re-proofing, just wearing. Cut short for sporty riders, it’s just the ticket for the café racer inside each of us. www.oxfordproducts.com BUILT ISSUE 6 £4.99 Issue 6 sees the Built chaps head to Paris to see Bad Winners, Blitz and T birds as well as JPD Cycles in the USA and a revisit to the guys at OEM to check out their latest build, simply named “Triumph”. www.builtmag.co.uk…

‘It taught me more about riding than I could have ever read or watched’MCN READER MATT LINDLEY SV650 FACTFILE 645cc V-twin + 69-75bhp + 125mph + 40mpg Contacts www.sv650.org,http://forums.sv650.org Want one? £1250 (scruffy) to £5699 (brand new) ‘I couldn’t have wished for a better big bike to begin on’MATT LINDLEY MCN READER AND SV650 OWNER Great bikes aren’t always performance or tech marvels. The ones that affect most lives are not poster exotica or superbikes needing superhuman skill. Instead they can be unassuming but pleasing and versatile machines that are within reach of the many. And there’s no greater example of this in recent history the SV650. Launched in 1999 the SV is, simply, one of the most successful and bestselling motorcycles so far this century. Still in production after 18…

Super Sausage Café, Towcester, Northamptonshire Why it’s special Voted Britain’s Best Café in 2016, the Super Sausage is rapidly becoming a biker hotspot. The real charm of this café is given away by its name and the excellent food will leave you searching out that preload adjuster before your ride home. Info www.supersausagecafe.co.uk Joey’s Bar, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland Why it’s special Located in Joey Dunlop’s home town of Ballymoney, Joey’s Bar pays tribute to the 26-times TT winner. Info www.joeydunlop.co.uk The Leadburn Motor Crossroads Café, Penicuik Why it’s special One of Scotland’s biggest biker cafés, it attracts petrol heads from all over the nation. Info Search for Leadburn Motor Crossroads Café on Facebook. Brooklands, Weybridge Why it’s special Although the historic banked circuit is pretty much gone, you can almost…

Yamaha’s new TMAX is as comfy as a tourer, big on standard equipment, fun, refined, spacious, easy to ride and oozes presence. It’s as at home gobbling up miles of motorway as it is barging its way around the Arc de Triomphe. It’s still the go-to big scoot, and wins the test. BMW’s C650 Sport has zippier performance and is our top choice for two-up trips, but it lacks the TMAX’s all-enveloping weather protection and toys. The Honda X-ADV is great value, superb on fuel, well-built and the most fun here, but lacks the practicality of a big scooter.…

‘There’s everything from a bike show to a dog show…’ Held annually, on the first weekend of June, Bikefest Ireland causes a usually quiet, picturesque corner of south west Ireland to be invaded by every manner of two-wheeled machine. The population of Killarney swells as around 50,000 attend the event over the course of the weekend. Based on the outskirts of town, the Bikefest Village is free to enter. With bands playing throughout the day and well into the night, there’s a real buzz about the place. With everything from a bike show to a dog show, to demo rides of the latest Harley-Davidson fleet there’s loads to keep everyone busy. Taking part in one of the organised rideouts is a great way to see the local area, but with…

2002 HONDA FIREBLADE CBR900RR £3500 Fuel 18 litres @ 38mpg = 155miles Power 149bhp Torque 78ftlb Weight 168kg (claimed) Seat 815mm PED BAKER Enjoys tinkering nearly as much as riding Height 6ft 4in Weight 95kg ped.baker@motorcyclenews.com An oil and filter change is such a simple task but a hugely satisfying one. I always try to purchase OE parts where I can and usually order a new sump plug bolt and washer too. For the small cost of a new bolt (£3.25 for the Blade) it’s not worth re-using the old one. I couldn’t use my socket style filter remover on the Blade as the downpipes are too close to the end of the filter. After trying two different strap wrenches I finally managed to loosen it with a car type…

Smart fuelling At partial throttle settings, which is where a lot of trail riding is done, carbs run relatively rich, but our TPI bikes are 30-40% more efficient. On a wide-open throttle, it’s 3-5% better than a carb’d machine. Less oil Oil consumption is way down too, reduced by 50% to ratios of 70:1 to 100:1, and with a 700cc oil tank that means eight tanks of fuel are covered, useful in competition events in remote areas. Transfer ports Although you’d struggle to see the changes to the configuration of the transfer ports and thermodynamic arrangements from the 2007-spec engines, we had to work hard at getting the stream and direction of the incoming charge right with the injector positioning. Sensors Like a four-stroke engine there are five sensors detecting…

Let’s talk about traders of motorcycles and their related parts. It’s getting increasingly difficult to determine who’s a private seller and who’s actually running a business on the sly. Print classified adverts highlight trade sales in bold type, or mark them as ‘Trade’, and they also tally how many adverts you place. If they think you’re doing more than a private individual should, they may insist you declare yourself a trader. The taxman allows a ‘profitable hobby’ – meaning if you have a stamp collection, and you sell a few and make a few quid on them, or even sell an entire collection and make a lot, you will pay no tax unless they think you bought with the intention of selling for a profit. eBay is notorious for people…

2008 XR1200 Colours Orange, black Dealer £7000 Private good £6500 Private average £6000 This one This XR’s £6125 asking price reflects its relatively high 17,351 mileage and less popular black paint. 2008 XR1200 Colours Orange, black Dealer £7000 Private good £6500 Private average £6000 This one This low mileage bike in a private sale was snapped up almost instantly. At £6499 the seller undervalued it by £500. 2008 XR1200 Colours Orange, black Dealer £7000 Private good £6500 Private average £6000 This one This bike has just 288 miles on its clocks, hence the £7995 price tag. It will sell, especially as it is orange! 2011 XR1200X Colours Black Dealer £8500 Private good £7500 Private average £7000 This one This X-model has been heavily customised, which is why it has a…

GIGI DALL’IGNA Ducati Corse Director: “For me the ECU works really well in MotoGP so I do not see any problems using the same philosophy in Superbike. For sure the effort that Ducati puts on the racing is important. It is high in MotoGP and also Superbike, but I do not see any reason why Honda and Yamaha can’t get similar results to Kawasaki and Ducati. I simply don’t understand.” ICHIRO YODA Kawasaki: “They decided in 2015 to keep things the same for five years. So why do they break this promise? The rumour are that Kawasaki and Ducati is out of balance compared to other teams. So they would like to see more competition between us and the others. But my understanding is that this is not coming from…

When racing in the Supersport class, Dixon’s talent was recognised by multiple MCE British Superbike Champion Shane Byrne, who took the youngster under his wing and started managing him. “I learnt a lot from Shakey,” Dixon tells MCN. “He taught me a lot about being more professional and how to go about things. You’ve only got to look at what he’s like!” However, ahead of the 2017 season Dixon decided to call time on his professional relationship with Byrne as he set his sights on beating BSB’s benchmark. “It just wasn’t going to work with us racing against each other, what would happen if we came into the last corner of a race and one of us took the other out? “If I wasn’t racing against him he’d be the…

SAM LOWES Started: 10th Finished: DNF Took a best-ever qualifying of tenth after progressing through to qualifying two for the first time. Despite crashing out of Sunday’s race, Lowes came away from the weekend excited to have made a major step forward. SCOTT REDDING Started: 5th Finished: DNF Redding made a strong start from fifth place on the grid, until a fading front tyre forced him to slow. Looked set for a strong top 10 finish until he crashed out of seventh at the chicane on the penultimate lap. BRADLEY SMITH Started: 22nd Finished: DNF Already injured after his Barcelona crash, Smith crashed again at Assen. Struggling to find a rhythm as he learned a new set-up on the KTM RC16, he ran into turn seven too hot and tucked…

Marc VDS Honda rider Jack Miller took an important step towards securing his future with both team and manufacturer for 2018 and beyond at the Dutch TT after delivering a result second only to his incredible win at the circuit 12 months ago. The 22-year-old came home an impressive sixth place in tricky conditions, showing once again how he’s turned into a much more mature rider this season by keeping his cool when he needed to as rain started to fall during Sunday’s race. He said: “I just kept pushing forwards. I felt that even battling with Dani Pedrosa for tenth all race was a decent result in itself as he’s on the factory bike – but to close the gap to the leaders and come home in sixth means…

‘I don’t know what Rins was doing, but I lost even more to Valentino’DANILO PETRUCCI He may be the new kid on the MotoGP block, but Pramac Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci left the eighth round of the 2017 MotoGP championship at Assen lamenting what could have been after being beaten in the run to the line by just 0.063 by Valentino Rossi. The 26-year-old Italian had once again stunned his more experienced full factory rivals by finishing second, a result that backs up his breakthrough Mugello podium three weeks ago. Able to make a break with race-winner Valentino Rossi and put pressure on his friend and fellow Italian right until the chequered flag, Petrucci hit out at the Dutch marshals for the lack of flags shown to backmarkers on the…

Jorge Lorenzo came home a distant 15th at Assen – a circuit that has haunted the 30-year-old since he smashed his collarbone there in 2013. The Ducati rider had looked finally to have found the wet weather performance that deserted him last season, but with Sunday’s race bringing just enough rain to affect grip but not enough to require rain tyres, he was left at a complete loss by the lack of grip. He said: “I wasn’t really fast in the dry, but I was really consistent and I was faster than Iannone and getting closer to the group in front. “But when it started to spit with rain, I dropped my pace so much faster than the guys in front and I ended up in 15th. At that point,…

‘I’ve passed that spot 2000 times, and today was the only time I’ve fallen’MAVERICK VIÑALES While Valentino Rossi was enjoying the taste of victory, team-mate Maverick Viñales was left with a bitter taste on the other side of the box, after crashing out of Sunday’s race while doing his best to hunt down the escaping Italian at the front. Suffering the price of a poor wet qualifying that left him a distant eleventh on the grid, Viñales was forced to work hard in the opening laps of Sunday’s race to fight his way through the pack. He looked to be making good progress until disaster struck on lap 12 of 26. Pushing his way through the field, the Spaniard made a mistake as he changed direction from right to left…

Ducati News agency Reuters have reported that Harley-Davidson have instructed Goldman Sachs to look into the potential purchase of Ducati. Audi are reportedly looking to sell Ducati in the wake of the emissions scandal. Harley refused to comment. More riders get their bikes back Tracker, the stolen vehicle recovery specialists, have released new data that shows the value of bikes successfully recovered in 2016 has increased by nearly 10% to £687,000. Tracker say that while nothing beats a good lock, their patented VHF technology can help with recovery. Freddie Sheene to ride dad’s bike Suzuki have confirmed that Freddie Sheene will ride his father’s recently restored 1976 Suzuki XR14 at the Sheene Festival at Oliver’s Mount, July 22-23. His 1979 winning bike will also be there, ridden by Steve Parrish…

 Q1 What are you riding? ‘I’m sometimes too fast on normal roads – I can’t help myself’ Yesterday I rode a BMW K1600GTL and I own a Beta 200 trials bike. Trials is the best discipline when it comes to balance and co-ordination. Q2 Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? It’s still Rossi for me after all these years. I met him 20 years ago when I was at Dainese – I met him as a little guy. He was charming then, but to do what he is doing at his age is special to us all. Q3 What’s your worst riding habit? I’m sometimes too fast on normal roads. I can’t help myself. Q4 If you could have one superpower, what would it be? It would be to…

When did you start collecting Knievel memorabilia? In January 2012 I was researching Evel and became very curious as to why there was no museum and quickly figured out, at least partially, why. Aside from the family’s collection, most of his memorabilia was scattered all over the world. He gifted helmets, leathers and other personal effects regularly. Also, quite an abundance of items were stolen then auctioned, etc. I quickly started negotiations with one individual and by late February, 2012, I acquired my first three sets of leathers, one being Evel’s, one Robbie’s and the third being Kelly’s only set [Robbie and Kelly are Knievel’s sons – ed]. What sort of value would you put on the memorabilia? Priceless. How do you put a value on a major part of…

OUR FIRST BIG BIKES The SV650 and 650S became the choice ‘first big bike’ for a whole generation. Here’s Gilles Vismans from Holland with his. MINITWINS RACING The SV also made a great, affordable, entry-level racer – so much so that a whole new class was built around it – Minitwins. 650 V-STROMS The brilliant SV engine went on to power Suzuki’s 650 V-Strom, Cagiva’s Raptor 650 and more. CHEEKY SPEED The SV wasn’t just a great first big bike – it was a fun and fast one, too, more than enough, in fact, to attract the attention of the boys in blue.…

NEW Yamaha X-MAX 300 £4949 27.6bhp • 179kg • 292cc • 21.4ftlb It’s like buying half a TMAX, but with barely any less value or versatility. SuzukiBurgman650 £9099 54.3bhp • 277kg • 638cc • 45.7ftlb Big bike capacity and drive, with luxury levels of distance comfort. Honda NC750S DCT £7031 54bhp • 227kg • 745cc • V-twin Want near to scooter levels of twist-and-go practicality in a motorbike shape? This DCT NC750S is for you. USED Yamaha TMAX 530 £6495 8700miles • Hot grips • Topbox They get snapped up fast, and this is the cheapest one on MCN BikesForSale right now. Be quick.…

‘With every twist and turn you’re rewarded with dramatic views’ The Wild Atlantic Way is an epic, 1500-mile coastal route that devours six regions of Ireland, each with their own character and dramatic, beautiful scenery. The route follows a circular path from the bustling town of Killarney, which doubles up as a great base to explore this stunning part of the country. From Killarney take the tree-lined N71, part of the famous Ring of Kerry, south-west out of the town, through the centre of Killarney National Park and start to climb. Cut into the mountain-side, the road is narrow and hugs tightly to the rock face. At one of many designated viewing spots, Ladies View, take a moment to park up and admire the valley below. The road narrows further…

1 Manor Farm Café, Bellerby, North Yorks. Under new management and bike friendly. 01689-624705 2 Adelaide Farm Café, A258 between Sandwich and Deal, Kent. Regular meet, great tea. 01304-620158 3 Strong Adolfo’s, St Breock, Wadebridge PL27 7LR. www.strongadolfos.com 4 Willingham Woods, Willingham Road (A631) Market Rasen LN8 3RQ www.willinghamwoods.com 5 Ace Café, Stonebridge, London. The clever kids might all be favouring the Bike Shed right now but there’s always stacks going on at the Ace plus some great food and drink on offer. www.ace-cafe-london.com 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…

SUZUKI GSX-R1000R Price £16,099 Fuel 16ltr@47mpg = 165 miles Weight 204kg (measured, full of fuel) Seat 825mm Power 188bhp@12,500rpm Torque 87ftlb@10,500rpm MICHAEL NEEVES Sportsbike lover, Ron Haslam Elite instructor, raced in Thundersport GP1, Island Classic and Endurance Legends this year. Height 6ft Weight 72kg Suzuki’s new GSX-R1000R might have a new chassis, a swathe of electronic rider aids and clever VVT motor, but when it was finally unveiled, all the talk was about its humungous silencer. It had to go and in its place I’ve fitted a Yoshimura Titanium R-11sq slip-on race can (£734 www.performanceparts-ltd.com). But to see how much difference it would make to performance, I first took my Suzuki to Geoff and Mark at Hilltop Motorcycles (www.hilltopmotorcycles.co.uk) to see what power it makes in standard trim on their…

Wolf Nimbus-K two piece leathers, jacket £499.99, trousers £369.99 Tester Andy Calton Time tested 18 months, 3000 miles What’s good? I wear the Nimbus-K jacket for everyday riding and love its simplistic look and comfort. The Kangaroo and full-grain cowhide make it feel resilient, yet supple. Keprotech stretch panels help when moving around, on or off the bike. It also has an Outlast lining which keeps your body at a constant temperature. I’ve worn the leathers in temperatures of 10-28°C and found it comfortable. It can get a bit sweaty at the top end of that range and I turn to a textile jacket when it gets really cold. The jacket zips easily onto the trousers with a big chunky zip that goes from hip to hip to keep trackday…

Q What it be absurd to settle for a third? I was overtaking a long line of stationary cars (heavy traffic moving slowly once every minute or so) on the right-hand side using the area with broken chevrons when a car pulled out and knocked me off. I couldn’t have avoided it by braking or steering to the right because I was next to his window when he started his action. Luckily there was no oncoming traffic and I was only slightly hurt. The man behind the driver also confirmed that I was riding slowly outside stationary traffic and that the guy used no indicators as he tried to do a U-turn. Now his insurance is claiming I was overtaking and hence am mainly to blame, resulting in them wanting…

‘We’ve sold about 20. It’s getting young people to step up from a 125’ You can bag a Honda CBR500R for less than £50 a month if you purchase on PCP with Hunts Motorcycles – but don’t hang about because the offer is due to end at the end of the month. The CBR500R has proved a popular bike with beginners and experienced riders alike and won the sub-500cc category in the 2016 MCN Awards. With sporty styling and decent handling, the 500R offers big riding thrills on a budget. The upright bars and roomy seat also give an additional layer of comfort, making it an ideal commuter bike. Available in a range of colours, as well as being A2 compliant, the Honda packs a 471cc parallel twin with ABS…

Held cut prices on clothing kit Quality kit firm Held are lowering the prices on the majority of lines available in the UK. Prices are being reduced by an average of 12%, with the company’s Gore-Tex range going down in price by an average of 18.4%. Bargain! www.held-uk.co.uk Lorenzo goes sharking SHARK have hooked up with Ducati MotoGP star Jorge Lorenzo to produce a behind-the scenes-video, showing the development of their MotoGP Race-R Pro Profile helmet. The video takes a detailed look at the design process – from the drawings on the computer, to producing a mould in their 3D printer. www.youtube.com/user/ sharkhelmetsvideo Oxford battle scooter crime Oxford Products have declared war against scooter theft in London – producing a range of locks and covers to add a little more…

‘The race series bikes used stock engines, which shows how tough they are’ “Like many Harleys, the XR has a Kevlar belt and just like chain drives, you should always check the condition. Belts aren’t susceptible to failure, but if the pulleys pick up a stone this can punch a hole through the belt. If the hole is in the middle of the belt and not more than 7-8mm in diameter it’s not a problem, but if the damage cuts the edge of the belt it can lead to a tear and a snapped belt. “The good news for the XR is that unlike some models that require the swingarm to be removed to swap the belt, you only need to take the right-hand shock off. A belt costs roughly…

‘I took a few risks and it took a few really pin perfect laps to get there’JOHN MCPHEE British Talent Honda rider John McPhee leapt back into form at the Dutch TT to take a strong third place in a typically frantic Moto3 race. Not making life easy for himself by qualifying back in 19th after making the wrong call on tyres – and having suffered a string of disappointing weekends – McPhee was able to fight through the pack into the battle for seventh. Working with eventual race winner Aron Canet, the duo bridged the gap to the leader and launched themselves into the fight for the lead. However, despite going into the final laps confident that he had a strong plan to take the win, the frantic and…

Tailor your bike’s airflow to suit you. Cheat the wind, reduce buffeting fatigue, gain high speed, long distance comfort with the 7-way adjustable Vario-Touring-Screen and Spoiler, from only £89. German made high-quality, effective screens. Manufactured to TÜV standards from a unique and virtually unbreakable aircraft canopy grade material – with a perfect fit and finish - plus lifetime warranty. ...there’s no better screen than an MRA! Call us now to discuss the best screen for you 01773 831122 or visit... www.BikeHPS.com Price inc. VAT at 20% but excludes delivery. Lifetime guarantee to original purchaser. Calls may be recorded for training/security purposes. E&OE. “...it’s like riding a different bike, the buffeting and noise is greatly reduced, what a difference.” MK, Hertfordshire Read more feedback at.. www.bikehps.com/mra…

Assen loses grip Previously renowned as the grippiest wet weather circuit on the MotoGP calendar, Assen came in for criticism at the weekend, with a number of riders, headed by Valentino Rossi, complaining that the track has lost its special feeling. Mahindra quit Indian manufacturer Mahindra have announced that they will withdraw from Grand Prix competition at the end of the 2017 season, despite a number of highly successful years in the Moto3 class. The firm, will instead concentrate on their successful Formula E team. Rabat’s all folks It looks likely that Franco Morbidelli’s move up to the premier class will leave former Moto2 world champion Tito Rabat hunting for a job. Rabat is believed to have multiple options for 2018, including a ride with the Avintia Ducati squad or…

 We’re now eight races and five tests into the Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales teammate relationship, and up until now it’s been all sunshine and smiles, with many in the paddock amazed at how well the new boy and the old hand, notorious for turning teammates and rivals into quivering wrecks, were getting along. ‘He is notorious for turning rivals into wrecks’ But, with the pressure now bearing down firmly on Viñales’ shoulders and Rossi getting into his stride as the championship returns to the European circuits that he loves, Viñales might finally be starting to get a taste of what it means to come under the kind of pressure that few are able to exert quite like nine-time champion Rossi. It all started at the Barcelona test where Rossi…

What do Ralph Lauren, Rockstar, Playboy, Carole Nash, and Bell&Ross all have in common? They have all commissioned bikes from Shaw Speed and Custom, the custom wing of the Shaw Harley-Davidson dealership near Brighton. Shaw Speed has won awards worldwide, including first place in the Modified Harley class at Sturgis AMD World Championship. The shop has a remarkable ability to continually come up with breathtaking new ideas, as this small selection of bikes so graphically illustrates….. ROTHMANS The Rothmans Scrambler is yet another example of how the Sportster works as a platform for so many styles. The only limitation is the builder’s vision. The client for the Rothmans Sportster was inspired by the Martini twins that the Speed Shop previously built. The 1970s motorsport-themed bike features: RSD bars, risers, levers…

End of an era Ducati have released a video that clearly implies we will see a ‘Final Edition’ of the 1299 Panigale unveiled on July 7 at Laguna Seca. Ducati posted a teaser video online with the words: “When the end tells the whole story.” Scout hits peak The Young Guns customised Indian Scout, dubbed Miracle Mike, has won the Punks Peak sprint race in San Sebastian. Former GP Rider Katja Poensgen piloted the bike to victory at the Wheels and Waves festival, comfortably seeing off the rival BMW R nineT. Sheene’s Supra Barry Sheene’s ex-works Group A Toyota Supra from 1985 is being sold at auction in the Silverstone Classic Race Care Sale on July 27. Sheene raced cars with a modicum of success after his retirement from motorcycle…

 Taiwanese motorcycle manufacturers Kymco have long been known for their great-value scooters and now they’re releasing another in the UK: the memorably named City Plus 125i CBS. So, what’s new? ‘It even comes with a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty’ Well first and foremost the City Plus has a new fuel-injected 125cc engine that is now Euro4 compliant, but which Kymco say still delivers 100mpg and a respectable top speed of 65mph. There are big changes in the handling department too, with a 14in rear wheel and longer travel suspension to help the bike cope with our terrible roads. The brakes are now linked front and rear for better control, too. Kymco have also redesigned the saddle, which they say makes it more comfortable while increasing the underseat storage area at…

As we approach the halfway mark of the MotoGP season, some may say we are in a similar position to when we started – trying to decide between the three main protagonists – Andrea Dovizioso doesn’t count as one of these... does he? Only, actually, we do have some answers to a lot of the questions we were wrestling with a few months ago. Maverick Viñales does feel pressure and does make mistakes. Any notions of him running away with the title have now surely been dismissed. Marc Marquez can muscle decent results ouf of the unruly Honda RCV and Valentino Rossi can still be a force. It is Dovi that remains the most difficult question to answer: can he really threaten for the title? It seems the Ducati works…

WHAT CAPACITY? 1 This is Triumph’s 2019 Moto2 engine – but what capacity is the triple? WHERE’S THIS? 2 This race to the clouds can only be one place on Earth. Name it. WHO’S THIS? 3 Name the eight-time world champ collecting his MBE in a Quasar. NAME THE BIKE 4 It could boil water faster than one of those fancy new kitchen taps. WHICH YEAR? 5 There’s no prize for guessing whose bike it is, but which year is it from? WHO’S THIS? 6 Who’s this Repsol Honda GP star looking pensive in pitlane in 1999? WHAT BIKE? 7 It might look like a Pan Euro, but it isn’t... Can you name this tourer? WHERE’S THIS? 8 Race tracks don’t get much more extreme than this – but where…

Ducati Museum Location Bologna, Italy How to get there Ride to Italy, then head for Via Antonio Cavalieri Ducati Whygo?AfantasticselectionofDucati’s most famous race bikes and road bikes Contact www.ducati.com Prices €15 or €10 if you own a Ducati! Factory tours are €15 extra and must be booked in advance Opening 9am–6pm, closed Sunday (also closed Wednesday in winter) David Silver Honda Collection Location Leiston, Suffolk How to get there Aim for Aldeburgh. Why go? Privately owned, it is a collection of over 150 immaculate Honda bikes built from 1951 to 1991 Contact www.davidsilver hondacollection.co.uk Prices £10, Senior £5 Opening Monday–Friday 9am-5pm. Saturday 9am-4pm National Motorcycle Museum Location Birmingham How to get there J6 off the M42 Why go? It holds the largest collection of British bikes in the…

‘The M3 will soon become a distant memory as you join tree-lined lanes’ If you have a trip to the continent planned this year via the port of Portsmouth you’ll more than likely find yourself on the M3. While motorway and dual carriageways make for quick progress they can be tedious. To liven up the journey try this little cut through from the M3 at Basingstoke to the A3 just north of Petersfield. At junction 6 take the A339 signed towards Basingstoke and follow the ring round towards Alton, you’ll pass under the M3 and it will soon become a distant memory as the tree-lined country lanes welcome you. With undulations and sweeping bends it’s rather difficult to overtake but the scenery is pretty and the change of pace from…

‘Delay your turn-in and it’s very hard to run wide’ Find a quiet country road with a bend in it. 45mph and 90 degrees is ideal – it keeps things simple. Now find a couple of safe places to U-turn, so you can go round the corner several times. Warm yourself up with a few passes, and then notice how you’re getting round. Let’s say it’s a left-hander. As you approach, the vanishing point (the furthest point on the road that you can see, where the two kerbs meet) will be fairly static. That tells you it’s a fairly tight corner. And as it’s a left-hander, you will probably be making your approach on the right-hand side of your lane, near the central white lines, so that you can get…

HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET 750 Price £5995 Power 52bhp Torque 43ftlb Weight 223kg Seat 710mm EMMA FRANKLIN 125GP racer with a love of sports and performance. Height 5ft 7in Weight 60kg Step1 Plotting As we’re keeping the same offset but just increasing the physical size of the yoke and the bore diameter for the fork legs, Danny plots the dimensions of the original Street 750 yoke using a Mitutoyo Co-ordinate Measuring Machine. Step2 Designing Noting the dimensions gathered by the plotting machine, engineers like Danny use their years of skill and expertise to design the new part within a CAD programme, like Solidworks. This stage can takes many hours. Step3 Programming The machine operator then uses the CAD design to programme the CNC machine, inputting many lines of code to tell the…

SDOC100 Motorcycle Gel Cleaner £12.99 Not only is this the self-proclaimed number one bike cleaner in Germany, as well as taking top honours as the highest rated cleaning solution on the MCNShop.com, but it’s also the weapon of choice when it comes to MCN staffers cleaning their bikes. It’s tough on grime but gentle on paint. Muc-offNano-Tech £6.38 The tiny particles used in Muc-off Nano-Tech allows the solution to penetrate deeper into grime than the previous evolution of the product. Muc-off claim it’s completely safe on anodising, paintwork, chrome, carbon-fibre, suspension seals, rubber, and brakes. Plus it’s kind to the environment and it’s not too pricey. Silkolene Fuchs Wash-Off £6.62 A cost-effective spray-on/hose-off bike cleaner suitable for all street and off-road bikes. Specially designed to rapidly remove all types of…

THE EXPERT Michael Viertlmayr Head of Offroad Engine Research and Development at KTM. He joined the TPI project two-and-a-half years ago. “We began our direct fuel injection (DFI) project in 2004 and started out with Orbital, an Australian firm that had focused on marine applications. There aren’t the same size issues on a speedboat as on a bike, so their design meant we’d have to create a new frame. “The air-assisted DFI system with injection straight into the combustion chamber looked promising in terms of consumption and emissions. But getting those figures meant lean mixtures and there were issues with piston durability. “Then we looked at a system from Graz University in Austria. This was much simpler and the fuel injection pressure was much lower, just 3.5 bar, the same…

2017 KTM RC390 One of the most exciting looking bikes on the A2 market. This bike comes littered with loads of neat little details. £99 deposit, 36 x £101.04, 6.9% APR, optional final payment £2103.75, 3000 miles per year 2017 Yamaha R3 Yamaha’s A2 compliant 321cc twin’s light and agile handling makes it the perfect entry point to the sportsbike market. £500 deposit, 36 x £87.84, 6.4% APR, optional final payment £2321, 4000 miles per year 2017 Honda CBR300R Taking styling inspiration from the Fireblade, the 300 offers big bike looks in a tiny package. £399 deposit, 36 x £69, 5.9% APR, optional final payment £1576.83, 4000 miles per year…

‘We would like to have better competition’DANIEL CARRERA Despite having the most accessible and affordable set of technical rules in its 30-year history the World Superbike paddock has become increasingly vocal and rebellious at the domination of the two main factory efforts of Kawasaki and Ducati. So far in 2017 the two manufacturers have won every one of the 14 races to date and such is their current superiority that their four factory riders have locked out the podium in 12 of those 14 races. One significant rule change currently being discussed is that WSB follow in the footsteps of both BSB and MotoGP and introduce a controlled ECU in 2018. Although it has been confirmed that this option is on the table, the details of what this will actually…

‘If I had to do 1000 push-ups a day to be world champ, I’d do 2000’JAKE DIXON ‘If I can get in the top six, then I can fight for the title’JAKE DIXON “I don’t do things by halves, I go big or go home,” Jake Dixon laughs when asked where Sunday’s double victory at Knockhill came from. His incredible achievement took the racing world by storm, especially given that prior to last week’s wins Dixon’s best result in BSB had been a sixth place at Snetterton last year. Since starting racing at the relatively late age of 14 in 2010, Dixon, son of former sidecar World Champion Darren Dixon, has been quick wherever he’s ridden, from the Aprilia Superteens class to National Superstock, British Supersport and he even…

‘I’m excited by MotoGP and I’m happy to be making the step up’FRANCO MORBIDELLI Moto2 title favourite Franco Morbidelli doubled up at Assen to take not only another win in the middleweight class and extend his lead to 12 points over Thomas Luthi, but also to walk away from the weekend with a new contract that will see him step up to MotoGP with his Marc VDS squad in 2018. The Italian-Brazilian racer set himself up perfectly to take the top spot at Assen, picking his way through the field to win ahead of championship rival Luthi, with Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami taking third after Mugello winner Mattia Pasini was docked a place for cutting the final chicane. But it was his off-the-track actions at the Dutch race that made…

‘I always thought I’d be good at poker… but I’d be rubbish’CAL CRUTCHLOW Cal Crutchlow showed once again his ability to run at the front of MotoGP after an incredible performance at the Dutch TT saw him capitalise on rain in the closing stages of the race, narrowly missing out on podium success by a mere 0.084s. Crutchlow made a slow start to the race, dropping back as far as tenth before a late rally through the field left him in contention for the podium, only to lose out to fellow Honda rider Marc Marquez through the final chicane at the Assen circuit. But, with enough rain falling during the race to bring a number of riders into the race to switch to wet tyres, Cal said that despite a…

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rookie Johann Zarco has run foul of fellow Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi for the second time this season after the pair tangled during the opening laps of Sunday’s race. The first contact was during a similar incident at the Circuit of the Americas in only Zarco’s second race. This time an overtake on Rossi resulted in contact between the pair – and Rossi was less than complimentary after the race. He said: “I’m starting to think that he isn’t a bad guy, but that he just doesn’t understand the size of the gap between bikes! Like in Austin, he tried something impossible, because I didn’t go too wide, I just rode my normal line. You have to take into account the other’s line when you try…

“ Cult of Doom refers to a Time magazine headline when they covered the sarin gas attack in Japan. The coffee comes from Rwanda and it’s grown near a lake that has a huge underground toxic gas chamber which occasionally leaks and kills everything. “ Mother Tongue is a Columbian coffee that’s grown in an area reputed to be the last place where the original Columbian language is used – and nearly all the workers there are female. “ Stone Heart is so called because the flavours are all notes of stone fruits. “ Lost Highway is the name of an American horror/mystery movie. A lot of American coffee comes from South America and the beans we use…