Table of contents for October 24th 2018 in MCN

Up at six, kettle on, riding kit on and out of the house by half six to meet a few mates for an early morning Saturday blast. This (at the time) seemingly normal behaviour continued for a couple of years back in the 90s and it all worked so well. And then I missed a week for one inane reason or another. The following week, a slight chill in the air seemed less enticing than a warm bed. Before I knew it, I was 40 and wondering why I didn’t meet up with some like-minded motorcyclists for a weekend ride anymore. Once a habit is broken, it can be very hard to re-establish. These things are as easy or as difficult as we choose to make them. While we are…

‘I had it flat out in top and it felt really stable’ TT racer Michael Rutter was one of the first people to sample KTM’s 2019 Super Duke GT when he rode it recently on the Isle of Man for a KTM promotional video. The new bike features redesigned aerodynamics, new WP semi-active suspension and a new dash. It boasts the same 1301cc, 173bhp V-twin as KTM’s Super Duke R super-naked. “It surprised me just how good it was,” said Rutter. “I spent the day with the bike, taking it from the ferry over the Mountain and a did couple of track sessions at Jurby. The level of handling and performance surprised me.” Rutter, the winner of this year’s TT Zero race has lapped the TT course at over 131mph…

With the massive sales success that the big-capacity GS has enjoyed for years, the new BMW R1250GS was always going to be an evolution, not a revolution with the headline change being its ShiftCam variable valve timing for more torque and power. But this improvement comes at a price with the base model now over £13,000. But if that’s too steep there are six other generations of mighty GS to choose from. 2019 R1250GS What is it? An evolution of the best-selling R1200GS with extra cubes, more advanced rider aids and variable valve-timing MCN says “Whether you’re touring, commuting, scratching or getting muddy the R1250GS still comfortably does it all.” Want to buy one? £13,415, £2700 deposit, £165 per month on a three-year PCP deal, 9.9% APR. www.bmwmotorradfinancialservices.co.uk/ 2004 R1200GS…

‘Two lads on a smashed-up scooter fly towards us’ The motorcycle crime spree in London has led some bikers to take things into their own hands. One such group is Biker Biker, who invited MCN to one of their anti-theft patrols to show what goes on. No option “I’ve had three Gixxers nicked,” says Shane, BikerBiker founder. “I wanted to do something other people aren’t. At first it was just me and the wife going around looking for stolen bikes but soon people saw what we did, liked it and wanted to join in.” One of those is Elliot. “I found these guys and just joined in. It’s so rare to find a group of people doing something for the community for absolutely nothing.” Before heading out Shane briefs us…

Power should be increased to a meaty 120bhp 1 What, no enduro? Still no sign of a 950 Enduro to match the 1260, which is a shame as it has great off-road potential 2 Extra safe Cornerning ABS and updated traction control will be the cornerstone of a new safety package 3 Going hydraulic A new clutch is one of the biggest changes to the 950, which has been updated for Euro 5 rules 4 Get sprung The remote preload adjuster has moved, which could be down to a larger change to the suspension 5 Hey big spender The 950 is over £11,000 so with the new electronics it could push the price to £12,000 Ducati have been hard at work on their whole Multistrada line-up. As well as the…

Last week's piece with Ted Macauley detailing his friendship with the great Mike Hailwood made for stirring reading. We all know Hailwood was a genius on two wheels but the insights offered into his personality and lifestyle were amazing; like something from a movie. It really must have been quite something to have come down the drive at a party to find the man himself playing drums in a jazz combo. That's not something you'd expect with the current crop of motorcycle racers and I definitely think we have lost some of the charm of racing with the current scene so dominated by big-money sponsors. It's hard to take people seriously when they can't be photographed without wearing a hat advertising one highcaffene, mega-sugar drink or another. And don't get…

1 Everything starts with design The industry-standard Solidworks computer software is used to design Talon’s products, whether that be hubs, sprockets, aerospace components or, as seen here, a caliper bracket for Ariel. 2 Sprocket blanks Sprocket blanks are cut from 7075T6 aluminium (although some specialist ones are made from hardened steel). 3 ‘Hobbing’ The teeth are cut on a Churchill hobbing machine in batches of 20-30 sprockets at a time. 4 Final machining After the basic sprocket is cut the interior cutaways are done on one of Talon’s many CNC machines before being etched or engraved with the model and spec and finished in rumbling bins. 5 Checking and measuring An Axiom Coordinate Measuring Machine checks for variance and accuracy. 6 Storage and despatch Talon’s stores impress, too. This bank…

The clocks will soon be going back, temperatures are getting cooler, the roads wetter and the temptation to put your riding into hibernation until spring is growing. But don’t. You’ll be missing out. It’s never been easier and more fun to ride long into the golden months. Here’s why. Anyone with memories of riding in the ’80s will confirm we’ve never had it so good in terms of clobber and tech to ward off winter worries. Clothing’s the obvious place to start (but is certainly not the only one; modern tyres, brakes, roads and more are just as important, though we’ll come to those later). Back in the ’80s, any warmth came from army surplus shops, rain protection from plastic Rukkas or Edwardian waxed cottons while Thinsulate and foil linings…

Ever since I first cocked my leg over a motorcycle I’ve been a year-round rider, and I’ve never been stopped by a spot of inclemency. Now that this non-stop summer looks like it’s finally showing signs of stopping, I thought it was only fair to run the rule over the Honda CB1000R+, as it will be joining me on the road every day this winter. Tyres are wearing well With 2500 miles under its belt, the CB1000R is still on its original Bridgestone Battlax OE tyres. The front still looks mint, while the rear is just beginning to show signs of losing its lovely radius. Having not seen a great deal of rain over the past three months, I’ve only recently had the chance to see how they perform in…

RUN WHAT YA BRUNG, SANTA POD RACEWAY, PODINGTON, WELLINGBOROUGH. NN29 7XA OCT 28 ‘Burn some rubber’ Ride up and test your skills in a straight line at the monthly Run What Ya Brung event. The Route Burn rubber as you leave Santa Pod behind and head to Wymington, turn right at the New Inn Pub before joining the A6 for a quick right, left signposted to Yeldon. Head towards Pertenhall where you join the B660, a firm favourite with the MCN team, the rolling 15-mile stretch combines technical tight twisties with smooth sweepers before arriving in Bedford. Head north on the A6 and at Clapham turn left to Pavenham before heading to Hinton where you return to the Santa Pod raceway. Info www.rwyb.co.uk Entry £10 and £25 sign-on. Runs can…

Deep down, owning a Ducati is something that most bikers would love to do. There is just something very special about opening your garage door and seeing a blood red bike from Bologna waiting to be rolled out into the sunlight. But cost is always a prohibitive factor when buying new as, Scramblers aside, even cheap Ducatis can cost an arm and a leg. But what if someone else has taken the depreciation hit for you? £7499 HYPERMOTARD SP 821cc | 194kg | 108.5bhp | 890mm seat height Dealer price Up to £8500 Private Up to £8000 This one £7499, 4233 miles The Hypermotard SP arrived in 2014 and replaced the old air-cooled version with a bike powered by an 821cc water-cooled desmo V-twin. It was always a fairly full-on…

The Sunflower Trophy meeting produced a thrilling finish to the Irish season at Bishopscourt on Saturday. Making his debut on the 1.8-mile Co Down circuit, Buildbase Suzuki’s Richard Cooper fought back from an excursion onto the grass at half distance to snatch victory by just 0.015 seconds from Danny Buchan on the FS3 Kawasaki in the 12-lap feature event. Michael Laverty finished in third place on the Tyco BMW. The Bennetts British Superbike trio finished in that order in all three superbike races. “To win both of the earlier superbike races was good but we all knew the Sunflower race was the main event and you could see that the gloves were off with Danny and Michael,” Cooper said. “After I got shoved off track I thought it was time…

‘Iwenttoo early andasked toomuchofthe fronttyre’ Andrea Dovizioso’s hopes, however slim, of beating Marc Marquez to the 2018 MotoGP crown ended when the Ducati rider crashed out at Motegi allowing his Repsol Honda rival to power away to win the race and 2018 title. The Italian’s downfall in his attempt to thwart Marquez has been his inconsistency, with a series of crashes preventing him from taking the fight to the final round at Valencia. Dovi has crashed out four times this season, more DNFs than he had in the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons combined. With mistakes coming as the pressure ramped up, Dovi admitted that Sunday’s crash was entirely his own doing. “I was trying to prepare the exit of the corner in a better way than the lap…

Johann Zarco says recent improved results are all down to him, with no additional resources coming to his Tech 3 team from Yamaha. After returning to his previous level after a mid-season slump, at the same time that the factory Yamahas are starting to improve, the Frenchman is adamant that, as both he and Tech 3 are leaving Yamaha at the end of the season, any improvement is more to do with circuits suiting the bike than anything else.…

Alvaro Bautista will replace injured Jorge Lorenzo at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, as the five-time world champion continues to struggle with the wrist injury he suffered when a mechanical failure on his Ducati highsided him during free practice in Thailand. After attempting to ride during Friday’s free practice at Motegi the Spaniard announced he was returning to Europe for further treatment instead of heading to Phillip Island and said the problem on Friday wasn’t one of pain but of risk. “The risk of displacing the broken bone is part of the problem. It feels very bad when braking because my body and my brain doesn’t allow me to push my wrist in corner entry and it even makes me feel unsafe on the bike. It’s a shame because I…

By Simon Patterson MOTOGP REPORTER Marc Marquez showed his utter dominance of MotoGP by being crowned world champion with three races to spare after victory at Honda’s home race at Motegi on Sunday. At just 25 years old it’s his fifth premier class trophy in six years and his seventh title in total. The Spaniard has been flawless all season despite strong challenges from an array of rivals. Going into the weekend he only needed to beat main rival Andrea Dovizioso to win the title but was adamant he was happy to wait until next time out at Phillip Island if it meant taking unnecessary risks. But when it came down to it on Sunday Marquez showed no such restraint. With Dovi choosing to lead from the front, Marquez eventually…

Globetrotter, adventurer and long-distance record-breaker Nick Sanders has been one of the fortunate few to get his hands on Yamaha’s new Ténéré 700 prototype. Ahead of its world launch which is expected in a few weeks’ time the seasoned globetrotter gave MCN an insight into what we can expect. “I’ve been riding the prototype as part of Yamaha’s World Raid, which has seen the bike ridden all over the globe,” Sanders said. “I’ve ridden it around the mountain passes near my home in Wales and it’s great. “Everyone has been asking me ‘is it genuinely a dual-purpose bike?’ and, yes, it is. Think of it a little like a smoother, more refined version of the XT660 single because of its 700cc parallel twin engine. A lot of bikes claim to…

MV Agusta have revealed their most exotic F4 special edition yet. Dubbed the Claudio in honour of Claudio Castiglioni, father of current MV boss Giovanni, it is the last machine of the current F4 series that we’ll see due to Euro4 emissions laws. Based on the mega-money WSB homologation F4 RC, the Claudio is the lightest, most powerful F4 yet, boasting 213bhp. And it weighs just 175kg (dry) in track day trim. Put together by MV’s special projects department, the level of detail and finishing is astonishingly high. There’s MotoGP-style switchgear and GPS datalogging, while the bike is held together with titanium fasteners. It also boasts full carbon-fibre bodywork with unique paintwork set off by bare, lacquered carbon. There are also unique, lightweight BST carbon wheels with a golden hue.…

RALEIGH RUNABOUT If I remember right this was taken in 1968 and shows me sitting on my cousin David’s moped. This was what got me into motorcycling and I’m still riding now. Leslie Miller HONDA CB200 Taken 37 years ago. That’s me on the right on my CB200 and my mate Fean on the left on his CZ250. Simon Rickwood AJS 350 My father-in-law Wullie Henderson got his first bike at 14. Dave Patrick YAMAHA LC As you can see from the haircut, Duran Duran were dominating the charts. Check out those white socks. Vance John HONDA CUB My brother and I on our dad’s bike. I’ve been riding bikes for more than 40 years now. Ian Palliser HONDA MONKEY CZ100 OUTFIT This is my son Allen on his Honda…

Therewasatimewhen learner-friendly, entry- level bikes were about as appealing as a dancing prime minister, but thankfully that’s changed. Now, both young and old riders have a plethora of genuinely attractive models to choose from. And to help us prove the theory we’ve cherry-picked Honda’s recently introduced CB300R, KTM’s highly-regarded 390 Duke and Husqvarna’s distinctive Svartpilen 401 to go up against the MCN250 test route. The theory is that you don’t have to have a A2 licence to enjoy these bikes and they certainly don’t look like budget-conscious bikes as they glint in the autumn sunlight. The classy Honda looks slightly overshadowed by the funky KTM and outlandish Husqvarna but it’s still neat, stylish in its own Honda-esque way, without shouting ‘look at me’. Released in the summer, the CB300R is…

Considering its premium price, you might expect the Husqvarna to have the most up-to-date and sophisticated clocks, but that’s not the case. The full-colour TFT dash on the KTM is the best here and is easy-to-read and navigate via the mode switches on the left bar. The Honda’s clocks are, as you might expect, functional and simple. KTM SWITCHES The four buttons on the left bar allow you to scroll through the informative 5.2in TFT clocks on the move; the only bike here that has this function. HONDA SWITCHES A huge horn button is where the indicator should be and there’s no mode button, but overall they are simple and straightforward. HUSQVARNA SWITCHES The Husky’s illuminated switchgear is a welcome addition and they’re also simple and give a feeling of…

Links between racing and aerospace are nothing new so it’s no real surprise that Talon Engineering of Yeovil, famed in off-road for wheel hubs, sprockets and more, were born out of nearby Westland Helicopters. Set up by ex-Westland engineer George Sartin, Talon are the UK’s only hub producers; world leaders in tech, making 10,000 pairs of wheels a year and 100,000 sprockets. And that’s just part of the story. About 50% of Talon’s business is in specialist engineering, designing and producing everything from aerospace components for the Eurofighter Typhoon to the exquisite, machined aluminium frame for the Ariel Ace, just down the road in Crewkerne. Now run by George’s son and ex-leading enduro rider Rob Sartin, Talon are still a stone’s throw from Westland (now called Leonardo) on Sea King…

In 2016 Ducati’s Multistrada 1200 Enduro arrived with wire wheels, a mud-friendly 19in front wheel, longer suspension, a 30-litre tank and electronic rider aids, all aimed at making light work of tricky trails. But its sheer size put it out of reach for many. So now there’s a new one: the 1260 Enduro is lighter, has a punchier engine and chassis tweaks for more feet-down manageability. We rode it in the mountains of Florence and got dirty on some challenging trails. 1 Don’t make costly error At £17,755 (or £17,955 for the textured sand version) you need to be sure you’ve the skills to ride it off road as you could be facing a big bill after a topple-off. You get lots of goodies as standard including cornering traction control…

Jon Ashley rides his BMW S1000R from Manchester on an annual pilgrimage, with a group of mates, to the Isle of Man. Rather than visit during TT week, they opt for the quieter Southern 100 meeting and take the chance to explore the island. His favourite 30-mile loop takes in part of the 37-mile TT course. Jon says: “We base ourselves at Ramsey, to the north of the island, where TT racer Conor Cummins has his Conrods Coffee Shop. Conrods is great for a spot of lunch and there’s fuel available in the town. “The TT circuit has some fantastic, mind-blowing elements and the mountain is epic and that 12-mile stretch is unforgettable.” ‘Don’t think you have the skill of a TT racer’ THE ROUTE Island dream Mountain section Amazing…

HOW LINES HELP YOU STAY ON TRACK 1. SWOOP OR SQUIRT? Typically, bikes with less than 400cc will use wide, sweeping U-lines. Larger bikes benefit from squared-off V-lines. 2. SCRUB OFF Scrub off just enough to get you to the apex on momentum. Coast to the corner; getting on the gas before the apex will push you wide. 3. MAKE A V Just after the braking point, angle the bike in towards the inside of the corner to reduce the radius of the turn and the lean angle of the bike. 4.TAKEA SHORT CUT Choose an apex that lets you stand the bike up and get back on the throttle at the earliest opportunity. 5. USE ENOUGH BUT NOT TOO MUCH Run to the edge of the track on exit…

‘Traction control is so welcome in the rain’ ‘Sportsbikes are my passion,” says R6 owner Mark Bolton. “I’ve always been a petrolhead so performance bikes are very much my cup of tea.” Through previous jobs in motorcycle showrooms, Mark’s had access to some of the finest bikes ever made and even got a go on a Ducati Desmosedici RR, but it was the unveiling of the all-new Yamaha R1 that got him switched on to the idea of bike ownership again. “Tamworth Yamaha had a live link to the launch in Japan when the R1 was revealed and I instantly fell in love. A little while later I saw Padgett’s had a 50th anniversary R1 up for sale and I was up for buying it, but I did a quick…

Ex-GP star Jeremy McWilliams and BSB star Glenn Irwin went head-to-head in two memorable Supertwin races at Bishopscourt. The 54-year-old slid off his KMR Kawasaki while leading the opening encounter, but he took the battle to his young opponent on the Burrows ER6 in the second race. “I have never ridden so hard as I did on that last lap,” Irwin said after grabbing a 0.1 sec victory. Junior British Supersport champion Eunan McGlinchey finished third and set a new lap record on the McAdoo Kawasaki.…

MOTEGI STATISTICS • Length 2.98 miles • Corners 14 – 6 left, 8 right • Longest straight 0.473 miles 16 P Espargaro 35 17 Syrahin 34 18 A Espargaro 32 19 Smith 23 20 Nakagami 19 21 Redding 12 22 Kallio 6 23 Abraham 5 24 Nakasuga 2 FINAL POSITIONS MOTOGP FINAL POSITIONS MOTO2 TOP TEN CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS 1 Bagnaia 279 2 Oliveira 244 3 Binder 167 4 Baldassarri 148 5 Marquez 137 6 Quartararo 136 7 Mir 128 8 Schrotter 123 2018 LAPS LED – TOP SIX MOTOGP FINAL POSITIONS MOTO3 TOP TEN CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS 1 Martin 204 2 Bezzecchi 203 3 Di Giannantonio 175 4 Bastianini 142 5 Dalla Porta 131 6 Canet 118 7 Rodrigo 116 8 Kornfeil 108 9 Ramirez 90 10 MIgno 79…

Frenchman Fabio Quartararo was stripped of victory in Sunday’s Moto2 race after his Speed Up machine was found to be running below the minimum permitted rear tyre pressure. The ruling was introduced on safety grounds after teams went dangerously low in search of grip and detection systems inside the wheel were made mandatory. His disqualification promoted Francesco Bagnaia to first which moved him even closer to the 2018 title. With championship rival Miguel Oliveira third, Bagnaia now leads the standings by a significant 35 points with three rounds remaining.…

‘The base bike is very good. Now we’re working for the future’ Suzuki stars Alex Rins and Andrea Iannone once again showed just how strong the current GSX-RR is with another impressive showing. The pair first hunted down Valentino Rossi and then joined the battle for the lead. And although Iannone crashed out, Rins grabbed a strong third place after closing in on Cal Crutchlow in the later stages. The result again places Suzuki as the next best team after Honda and Ducati as Yamaha’s woes continue. Suzuki have consistently outscored Yamaha in the manufacturer’s championship over the last four rounds. This progress is something that Rins acknowledged after the race, saying the Suzuki has come on significantly during 2018. “The team has been working really hard since the start…

South West England bike dealer Moto Corsa have announced ambitions to become a low-volume motorcycle manufacturer by this week unveiling their first machine. They plan to produce up to 20 of the exclusive machines, each with a price tag of a cool £40k. With bespoke styling, high-end running gear and a monstrous 1961cc V-twin motor producing 100bhp and 135ftlb, the Moto Corsa 2K has been designed to fulfil a demand from the well-heeled for expensive, designer motorcycles. “At times of financial uncertainly there is still a desire for high-quality, bespoke bikes like this,” Moto Corsa’s CEO Dave Martin told MCN this week. “It drives really hard as soon as you open the throttle and sounds great.” The bike has been developed by T3 Racing’s Tony Scott, who developed the Spirit…

It may be approaching the end of the biking season, but there’s no reason why you can’t still sign up to our 5000-mile challenge. “The beauty of R5K is that you pledge to cover 5000 miles in a 12-month period, says MCN’s Matt Wildee. “So you can do it any time.” More than 8000 riders have signed up so far. At the centre of R5K is our Facebook group where riders share their goals, meet up for rideouts and banter about bikes. “It’s been a great help,” says new member Michael Mountfield. “I joined just before collecting my new GS on September 1. I enjoy the blogs and have received good advice from fellow GS riders.” Veteran Jon Ashley agrees: “This is a community with a purpose, a very simple…

Keeping it upright Electro-mechanical steering actuator allows the bike to turn and is linked to the IMU and angle sensor. Under control The topbox is all about navigation and has a large GPS unit and an IMU to help plot the machine’s course. Active sidestand Sidestand pops out of right-hand side and bike does a controlled ‘wiggle’ as it stops and drops onto the stand. We’re trackside watching a GS do its stuff. So far, so normal. But there’s one crucial difference: the bike is riding itself. It’s no party piece. BMW’s self-riding bike has been developed to showcase anti-crash technology. Using GPS and radar to monitor road position and a fully-automated riding system, the machine can navigate around a track, avoid obstacles and even start and stop on its…

The rolling hills of the South Downs are criss-crossed by great riding routes that’ll leave you ready for refreshment. This week we take a trip down the old A29 from Dorking to Bognor Regis and stop off at one of the most established snackbars in the region, Whiteways Cafe. The venue is set well back off the road which gives it a peaceful, secluded feel. Seating is outdoor, (although there is a recently erected sheltered section) and it’s a paper plate, eat-with-your-hands type deal. “There’s been a cafe here for over 50 years,” says Angela Gough, whose son Adrian owns Whiteways along with Dean Stoner. “On a sunny summer Sunday the car park is rammed with bikes and we have a constant queue for food all day long.” “I think…

Idon’t think there is any rule as to how many bikes you should have or can have. I think that if I was single I’d probably have 200 and then it probably would start becoming unhealthy; like an addiction that has got out of control. Saying that, it’s not unhealthy for a woman to have 50 pairs of shoes is it? But with motorbikes it’s a minefield as there is so much out there, so much different stuff and lots of bikes costing stupid amounts. If you did start to over-stretch yourself that could become a problem. ‘I’D RATHER HAVE TEN BIKES THAN A £200K FERRARI’ I still get a buzz out of buying a bike, but nowadays I try not to pay for them. Instead I try to include…

It’s Britain’s best road test route. A tough 250-mile mix of A and B-roads, a stretch of busy motorway, plus plenty of towns, villages, blind corners, ballistic straights, and a huge range of grippy to slippy tarmac. There are two cafés, an off-road section for adventure and trail bikes, track time for sportsbikes, and Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground and the dyno for hard and fast data when needed. You want answers? We’ve got ’em. 1 Beauty pageant Rolling all three into the autumnal morning sunlight, the appeal of these A2 machines is assessed. The Honda’s well put together but is overshadowed by the brash KTM while the Husky wins the beauty contest. But is it £900 more appealing than the KTM and worth a huge £1170 more than the Honda? 2…

If you really want Spanish weather in November and beyond, there is only one guaranteed option… go to Spain! Near-deserted roads, classic mountain passes, FIM homologated race tracks in every village(ish), and a wilderness so stunning it makes Brit adventure bike riders cry with envy. What’s not to like about a week in Spain this autumn? The correct way to get to Spain is to ride, but with the accent on getting to the warm weather as quickly as possible, a ferry makes more sense than ever in the autumn months. The downside is the crossing of the Bay of Biscay which can be notoriously choppy, so it’s worth having a cabin and battening down the hatches for part of the crossing. Go for it. www.brittany-ferries.co.uk ‘Jerez is a GP…

‘The air was rich with chips soaked in vinegar’ I want a giant mug of tea, so heavy I can barely hold it with one hand. I want a huge carpark full of diverse machines. I want greetings, smiles, and a friendly ‘ey-up’ from the locals. And I want my food served in huge proportions, preferably by a Yorkshire lass in a tabard. In other words, you can keep the Ace Café and the über cool Bike Shed, I’ll take the traditional Squires Café in Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire every time. When I was a spotty teenager, every Wednesday night was Squires night; an extremely sporty 30-mile ride from home to Sherburn with my tightknit group of likeminded buddies. This mid-week trip was mandatory, and luckily my Kawasaki KR-1 never let me…

BMW’s middleweight adventure bike won MCN’s Adventure Bike of the Year and for good reason. It’s surprised many this year with its torquey motor and all-round ability. I admit to being pleasantly surprised myself. I always expected a solid all-round package but the 850’s road-going performance and poise have been a revelation. It is anything but dull. But I wanted to discover what questions MCN’s readers and website users had about the F850GS and what their reservations would be about buying the £10.5k twin. Q How many miles can you do between fill-ups? Martin Buck A The F850GS may have a fairly modest 15-litre tank, but the 853cc, 95hp engine sips away on those longer motorway stints. After a steady ride back from the Simon Pavey Off Road Skills centre…

1 Do your homework Before you start, open the box and cross reference against the instructions to make sure everything is there, then get familiar with the concept of how the footrests go together. Identify which is the gear lever and which is the rear brake side. This Gilles Tooling kit makes identification easy as both sides come pre-assembled. 2 Release the brake Starting with the right-hand side, first remove the stock footrest, rear brake and hanger assembly. Next you need to access the brake master cylinder. To do this undo the main hanger bolts and rotate the assembly in order to get to the split pin which connects the pedal to the master cylinder. Remove this and the master cylinder will be free. 3 Make the switch On many…

Michael Rutter, the Macau Grand Prix’s most successful rider, will race a Honda RC213V-S at this year’s event as he chases his ninth win. The 46-year-old tested the Aspire Ho/Bathams liveried machine at Brands Hatch and Donington Park and says the half-a-million pound MotoGP-based V4 Honda is 98% ready to race. “Everything is falling into place and after Donington I felt like Marc Marquez,” the BSB and roads star joked. “It’s the most amazing bike I’ve ever ridden.” Rutter made his Macau debut in 1994 and took his first win in 1998. The eighth victory came in 2012 but he has finished on the podium each year since. “The RCV is something different and I need something different because it is going to be very hard to beat Peter Hickman…

‘The bike will be competitive from the first race next year’ Ducati’s V4 race bike made its debut at the Bennetts British Superbikes finale at Brands Hatch when test rider Michele Pirro completed a number of demo laps. It’s the first time the bike has appeared in public and comes before the official unveiling of the production version at the EICMA bike show next month. This version, the V4 RS, will be made available to superbike teams and was in full WSB-spec with Magneti Marelli electronics, race fairings, fuel tank, suspension and brakes. Ducati are determined to make the new V4 work as its predecessor, the V-twin Panigale, was the first model in Ducati history not to win a WSB title. The Italian marque’s record as the most successful manufacturer…

‘Here it was more normal. The others looked stronger again’ Valentino Rossi says Yamaha’s woes are far from over as both he and team-mate Maverick Viñales were again uncompetitive at Motegi. Finishing fourth and seventh respectively, the pair were unable to battle for the podium as the slow corners of the Japanese track exposed the Yamahas’ weaknesses. Rossi initially believed that after a strong third and fourth last time out in Thailand, things might finally be on the up after a torrid 18 months for the Yamaha team. But after testing new parts and electronic strategies, he was careful to remain cautious and thought the Buriram results might have been a mere blip on the radar; something, he told MCN after Sunday’s race, that he’s now sure of. “The changes…

Cal Crutchlow proved he’s worth his factory HRC contract in front of Honda’s big bosses by coming second behind new world champion Marc Marquez in Sunday’s Japanese GP. Looking like a podium contender all weekend, Crutchlow ran at the front before dropping off the battle for the lead between Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso. When Dovi crashed, Cal was there to pick up the pieces but still had to fight off Suzuki’s Alex Rins. But while many might have expected the Brit to take a safe option and ride shotgun for his team-mate Marquez, who was fighting Dovi fought for the crown, Crutchlow instead got involved in the fight. He said after the race that he felt he had an opportunity to take a fourth career win. In fact the…

A rare error from championship leader Jorge Martin has closed up the battle for the Moto3 crown, leaving the Spaniard just one point behind Italian title rival Marco Bezzecchi. Spending much of Sunday’s race as one of few Hondas in a pack full of faster KTMs, he was forced into the uncharacteristic error that left him with no points. Martin’s crash was capitalised on by Bezzecchi who took the win after just squeezing out Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Darryn Binder with a mere 0.042 separating the three on the podium.…