Table of contents for 5 April 2017 in MCN

‘Auto-pilot’ car causes a stir A Tesla Model X reportedly on ‘auto-pilot’ has bumped into a police motorcyclist in Arizona, USA. The officer was at a red light when the car started creeping forward. We Ride London The organisers of We Ride London, a campaign to highlight the lack of provision for bikes in London, are holding their first awareness ride on April 6. The ride leaves The Regent’s Park at 1.30pm and will arrive at City Hall at 3.30pm. Visit www.weridelondon.com. Stunting Scot Kevin Carmichael, a world renowned ‘extreme motorcycle rider’, has been appointed as KTM’s official stunt performer in the UK. The Scotsman has been performing stunts since 1997 and will be using a 690 Duke, a 1290 Super Duke R and a 250 EXC-F for his future…

NITROUS BOOST EXPLANINED Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a chemical compound of nitrogen and oxygen that can be stored in liquid form when it is under pressure and at room temperature it is a stable and non-flammable gas. However, when it is subjected to heat and pressure it splits down into its component elements of nitrogen and oxygen, and that’s when the fun starts. When nitrous oxide is injected into an engine’s combustion chamber it breaks down and the release of the oxygen allows the fuel within the chamber to burn more efficiently, producing more power and allowing more fuel to be burnt, further increasing the motor’s performance. In addition, the vaporization of the nitrous oxide liquid has a cooling effect, again improving combustion by increasing the density of the air…

Try to Triumph Triumph have launched a custom competition in association with trendy London bike hang-out, the Bike Shed. To enter, owners must post a photo of their customised Triumph on the firm’s Facebook page before April 14, along with a brief description (under 150 words). Head to bit.ly/TriumphCustoms for more. The winner’s bike will featured at the Bike Shed’s annual show and a £250 Triumph clothing voucher will also be handed out. Spyder plan The Spyder Club are taking their fantastic fleet of new bikes to the TT – which means that you can choose to fly in for the island festivities, and hire a bike for the days you want one. They can even supply you with full riding kit to save you looking like a nervous flyer…

1 TEST RIDES Test ride all the new 2017 models: Huge test fleets from ALL the major manufacturers will be available to book on the day. 2 BARGAINS Grab a bargain: More retail stands than ever before selling both premier brands and heavily discounted kit. 3 ACTION Red-hot racing: The Dirt Track Riders Association will run an entire round at the Festival and on Saturday night there’s a Peterborough speedway match.* 4 STUNT SHOW See serious skills: Trials ace Steve Colley will be dazzling the crowds with his gravity defying skills over various objects. 5 PARTS Start a project or finish one: Tons of parts, whole bikes, tools and more will be on offer in the huge autojumble. Book now on: 0871 2301108 or visit www.mcnfestival.com…

YAMAHA FS1-E Me and my Fizzie… summer of 1989. Dave Scargill BSA 250 STARFIRE My first bike in 1975 just after I passed my test in Bolton, Lancs. Dave Walsh SUZUKI TS50ER This was 1983 and I’m no better at wheelies now. Dave Ralphson SUZUKI GT185 17 years old back in 1981. I’m holding it back with my feet because the clutch was dragging. Mark Hardy HONDA 400/4 My lovely Honda 400/4 from 1979 – I’ve still got the Lewis Leathers jacket!. Janet Short HONDA CD90 I was 12 back in 1975 and learning to ride in Manchester. Bob Page send pics to: mcn.letters @motorcyclenews.com…

 Scrrrrsh! Footrest-to-tarmac contact makes me jump; it’s only the first corner, and the SCR950’s tyres aren’t even warm. But the Yamaha is already grinding, and betraying its cruiser origins. ‘This is a perky, thrashable, good-natured motor and it’s comfy’ The SCR950 comes at the street scrambler scene from a different place compared to Ducati, Triumph and BMW scramblers. They don’t use a cruiser-based chassis and engine; the SCR does. It’s an identical steel tube frame, 41mm forks, short-travel twin rear shocks, single front disc and 942cc, 51bhp air-cooled 60° V-twin as the XV950 bobber, XV950R and XV950 Racer series. To get scrambler looks, a new rear subframe lifts the SCR’s flat seat to 830mm over the XV’s low 690mm, and new bars and pegs straighten up the SCR’s riding position…

Engine performance was measured using MCN’s regular Dynojet 250i rolling road at BSD in Peterborough.The 2017 Aprilia RSV4 RF topped the tower of power, belting out an impressive 192.64bhp peak at 13,000rpm. A reworked ECU has also allowed the 2017 RSV4 to rev on for an extra 300rpm for greater flexibility on track. The Panigale, with its super-square 1285cc L-twin, is perverse in its levels of power and torque, making a whopping 191.95bhp at its 10,500rpm peak and a ridiculous 99.17ftlb of torque at 8750rpm. It’s this easily accessible torque that makes the Pani so rapid on road and track. The S1000RR, too, makes mind-melting power and torque at really accessible points in the rev range; at just 8000rpm it’s kicking out 115bhp and 77ftlb of torque – second only…

‘It had a nice kick at around 6000rpm – I loved it’ALVARRO BARROSO GONZALEZ Most great motorcycles are good at just one thing, whether that’s a superbike winning track days, an adventure machine proving perfect for taking you around the world or a BMW R1200RT being the ideal canvas on which to paint police livery… So machines that are more than capable at TWO things are rare indeed. But Honda’s humble mid-1990s commuter twin, the CB500, is just such a bike. On one hand it was a superlative around town roadster. On the other, and somewhat surprisingly, it also proved a brilliant introduction to racing, mainly through the hugely successful, one-make Honda CB500 Cup series. And it helped launch the career of none other than BSB star Leon Haslam. “In…

1 Iron Horse bike night, Iron Horse Ranch, Market Deeping, Peterborough. Thursdays. www.ironhorseranchhouse.co.uk 2 Jacks Hill Cafe, A5, Towcester, Northants. Friday night meet. www.jackshillcafe.com 3 Route 11, A11 Northbound, Attleborough, Norfolk. 07702 629619 4 Dusty Miller, Sheffield Road, Barlborough, Nr Chesterfield, Derbyshire. www.dustymiller.co.uk 5 Ace Cafe, London, the North London venue is holding a bike night this Friday – making it an ideal destination to head for after work and build up to your #ride5000miles target if you are travelling from further afield. www.ace-cafe-london.co.uk…

Bike Tek Top Box £49.99 Tester Alison Silcox Time tested 700 miles/ four months What’s good? I love my top box! There I’ve said it and I feel much better that it’s out in the open. This 48-litre box looks vast perched on the rear of my Honda SH125 but having so much space makes life easy on my daily commute. It swallows up lunch, gym kit and laptop with ease plus, once off the scooter, I can stow my own lid and gloves plus a friend’s. When loaded it doesn’t impact on the handling of the bike, even after a visit to the local supermarket to top up on vital supplies (wine)! There’s a reflective strip covering a large area, that improves my visibility and it gives me great…

‘You can refuse to attend the safety course but you could be charged’ Andrew Campbell Solicitor and author of the MCN Law column for the last five years Andrew Campbell, Bikelawyer. Visit www.bikelawyer.co.uk or email andrew@bikelawyer.co.uk or call 01446 794169 Q Do I have to go on a Driver Improvement Course? I was riding along a country lane behind a car at about 30mph, the limit was 60mph. There was a straight section of road so I decided to overtake as there was no oncoming traffic. I passed the car and was about to pull back into the left-hand lane when another car pulled out of a layby on the other side of the road, clipping my bike and sending me flying. The police now expect me to go on…

Snap up a Blade Smartphone-wielding riders will be in with a chance of winning a brand new Blade by getting down to their local Honda dealership. Simply visit your local showroom and take a snap of yourself with the new CBR1000RR then upload it to Facebook or Twitter to be in with a chance of winning. Find out more at selfie.honda.co.uk Clean up your act Scrub off the ravages of winter with Muc-Off’s new Clean and Lube kit. Now in stock at Oxford Products stockists, the pack includes the brand’s signature Motorcycle Cleaner, a tin of Motorcycle Protectant, as well as a can of Dry Chain Lube. The three-piece kit costs £25. www.muc-off.com Get Gericke again British riders can now get top-quality Hein Gericke kit again. Massive multi-franchise dealer Lings…

 “When this bike arrived I loved it! It reintroduced the hooligan element without terrorising its rider. Every time you ride one, it makes you smile. ‘The MT reintroduced the hooligan element without terrorising its rider’ “They have proved to be a blank canvas with all manner of upgrades for suspension and the like. ECUs can be flashed to smooth out the midrange and pump up the top end a little, while different exhausts can really give a great sound. “They are easy to service with a little knowledge. Sump plug and oil filter are easily at hand. The air filter is accessed by lifting the tank. Various infill panels need to be removed first so keep a note of the screw and plastic popper positions. The tank has to be…

Naka to MotoGP? MCN’s sources say that Moto2 rider Takaaki Nakagami will be promoted to the premier-class for 2018, potentially joining Cal Crutchlow at the LCR Honda team. Thai GP in 2018 Thailand’s Buriram circuit, already a venue for WSB, looks set to join MotoGP in 2018. South East Asia is important to motorcycle manufacturers and fans have been calling for more rounds in the region. Ducati Jerez test The Ducati squad of Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso have taken part in a one-day outing at Jerez, joining test rider Michele Pirro to work on set-up of the Desmosedici.…

‘It was going to be very difficult winning a last lap battle with Chaz’JONATHAN REA Doomsayers who’d claimed that Jonathan Rea would win every race in 2017 were proved wrong in race two at Aragon – long before he could match the magical nine-in-a-row record set by Colin Edwards in 2002 and matched by Neil Hodgson in 2003. But after taking a still-astounding five-in-a-row right up to race one in Spain, Rea proved again that the new Ninja ZX-10RR remains the one to beat. Rea also saw history repeat itself at Motorland. Back in 2009 he became the man who gave the UK its 100th WSB win, at the Nürburgring. And in race one in Aragon he was the one who clicked that total over to 200, just before Chaz…

A bout of infection so strong that Tom Sykes looked like a ghost after race two, having not eaten anything for days, had a major effect on the English rider at Aragon. He got a podium in race one as a result of the Davies crash, but had to settle for fourth in race two as he found the physical side of racing very difficult and his tyre grip greatly compromised by strong, gusting winds. “I thought I would feel better today but I am worse in my physical condition than yesterday because I have not eaten anything. It is that time of year. We have been travelling from Australia and Thailand, then we have come here in the cold wind.” The first day winds made Sykes use up his…

Small-capacity racing history was made at Aragon when the first round of the new WorldSSP300 FIM World Championship burst into life – complete with a two-part Superpole. It features machines from Yamaha (R3), Kawasaki (Ninja 300) and Honda (CBR500R) and generally young riders, some only 15-years old. Revs are adjusted for each manufacturer to keep it fair and KTM are joining soon. Organisers Dorna say it’s a low-budget way to get into world title racing and already has programmes in place in some countries to help domestic talent onto the world stage. Qualifying featured three different machines in the top three places, and the race result saw Scott Deroue (MTM HS Kawasaki) win from Daniel Valle (Halcourier Racing Yamaha) and Mika Perez (WILSPort Raceday Honda) – again three different machines…

Reigning champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne was left to ponder what could have been after being ruled out of the opening BSB races following a heavy crash in warm-up. The 40-year-old went down hard at Craner curves in the extended warm-up session, banging his head on impact. He was dazed and confused in the aftermath and medics instantly ruled him unfit for further action. “We’d made some changes with the bike and the shock was a bit too soft, but I continued to ride as I needed to get laps under my belt,” explained Byrne. I got a good run off the top of Redgate into Hollywood, tipped left and I don’t remember much after that!” While missing two races isn’t the way Byrne wanted to start the season, he admits…

Hickman on pace Peter Hickman enjoyed a strong showing in the opening race to finish fourth for his new Smiths BMW team. However, hotter temperatures saw him struggle on the harder tyre, finishing eighth in the second race. Donny disaster for John Hopkins It was a weekend to forget for John Hopkins after three crashes across practice and warm-up left him on the back foot ahead of Sunday’s races. He retired from the first and finished 13th in the second. Dixon’s top-10 After limited time testing, Jake Dixon scored an impressive ninth for the RAF Kawasaki team in race one. He crashed out of the second race. Disappointing debut for Ray It was a disappointing debut for rookie Bradley Ray. Qualifying an impressive tenth, he was unable to start the…

It was a strong weekend all-round for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team as they leave Donington first and second in the championship after Luke Mossey finished runner-up to Haslam in the opening race. Mossey couldn’t quite replicate his performance on the harder Pirelli rear in the warmer race two, finishing fifth after losing out to Glenn Irwin and Christian Iddon in the closing stages, but he sits just 19 points behind his team-mate. “To come away second in the championship is the strongest start I’ve ever had in BSB. Leon was always going to be hard to beat here, he’s on fire at the moment but I’m feeling really good,” he said. “This is a tricky circuit and the first round is never easy for anyone so to be on…

MISS Adventure Grom Adventure bikes these days are huge, lumbering beasts so the idea of a small adventure bike generates a lot of love from us but not this. Please not this. It is funny though. MISS Torrid tourer While outrageously powerful tourers can be cool (MT-10 Tourer please take a bow) we have never, ever ridden a H2 and thought ‘If only it had panniers and an ugly great luggage rack’. Disgusting. MISS Wheely bad They say you cannot polish a turd – but you can roll it in glitter. And clearly there’s a raging glitter industry in Japan in the form of tyre pens. This was cool once but it’s certainly not now. Please stop.…

1 WHO IS THIS? Who is this incredible adventure rider recently featured in MCN? 2 WHAT’S THIS? What make is this super-rare limited-edition carbon dream? 3 WHO’S THIS CHAP? Who is this cheeky-looking 19-year-old British Superbike hopeful? 4 WHERE’S THIS? Hundreds of starters become a handful of finishers, but where? 5 WHAT’S SO SPECIAL? This is the first official drawing of the new 2018 KTM enduro engine, but what’s so special about it? 6 WHO’S THIS BLOKE? He started one of the best biking destinations in London, which is now a global brand – but who is he? 7 WHO IS THIS LEGEND? The year is 1992, the place is the Isle of Man – and the rider is...? 8 WHICH SUPERBIKE? This CBR750RR never made it to production –…

Baggers might not be your bag for a whole host of reasons, but if your primary objections revolve around poor handling and agricultural engines – this new bike could challenge your perceptions. No single element of the spec sheet is responsible for its brilliance – instead, what is central to its skill set is a level of holistic design that reminds me of BMW’s R1200GS. There’s nothing individually special about any part of it – and yet the overall result is exceptional. As we carve through the sinuous maze of Californian mountain roads, taking fast sweepers with the same composure as nadgery hairpins, it seems that nothing can unsettle this new take on the firm’s Chieftain platform. Maybe more tellingly, I’m struggling to make much of a shortlist of bikes…

The riders Michael Neeves Age 47Height 6ft CV MCNSeniorTester. AracewinneratRockinghamonaBMW. Adam ‘Chad’ Child Age 40Height 5ft6in CV MCNSeniorTester. OnceTTteam mateto JohnMcPint. Emma Franklin Age 35Height 5ft7in CV MCNConsumer Editor. Experienced RS125 clubracer. Bruce Dunn Age 51Height 5ft6in CV MCNRoad Tester. Dataloggingexpertand 250clubracegenius. Liam Marsden Age 26Height 6ft1in CV MCNWebProducer.Representsthe convervativerider Bob Stockley Age 50Height 5ft7in CV MCNGuestTester. Formerracer,avid Ducaticollector. Paul Berryman Age 48Height 5ft10in CV MCNGuestTester. Silverstonetrackday instructor,classicracer. David Rook Age 46Height 6ft1in CV MCNGuestTester. Youthtrialsexpertand currentlyowns anR1. 1 DUCATI 1299 PANIGALE S £21,995 189.56bhp • 196.2kg MCN’s reigning superbike champ. Came of age when Ducati turned it into a 1299 in 2015 and overnight it became devastatingly quick on track and refined on the road. 2 YAMAHA R1M £19,399 189.96bhp • 201.8kg Released in 2015, the YZR-M1-inspired crossplane crank…

‘The CB500 was my first big bike,’ said reader Alvarro Barroso Gonzalez, who lived in the UK for 10 years but is now in Biarritz, France. He told MCN: ‘I wanted either a single or a twin cylinder bike and something that was cheap (as I was expecting to crash a bit). It cost under 800 quid, was A2 limited (that alone cost 300 quid) and was poorly kept. Even so, I loved it and still miss it now. I travelled all over with her, it had a nice kick after 6000rpm and I even managed to sell it for the same money!’…

‘Learn as much about the circuit as you can’ RIDING EXPERT Michael Neeves MCN Senior Road Tester and Elite instructor at the Honda Ron Haslam Race School Treat the track like a giant dot-to-dot, hitting your marks slowly to begin with. Use your head and become an expert on the track before you arrive, study onboard videos and the track map to learn which way the corners go. But remember, the track may seem quite different when you actually get there. Take it easy at first It can be intimidating to think everyone else except you knows where they’re going when you turn up to a new track. But don’t worry, there’s no rush. Turn your head from side-to-side and look around to get an idea of the track layout…

EMMA FRANKLIN 125GP racer with a love of sports and performance Height 5ft 7in Weight 60kg emma.franklin@motorcyclenews.com Price £27,999 Fuel n/a Weight 296kg Seat 795mm Power 75kW/99bhp Torque 125ftlb ‘It comes with a reverse function, which gently glides the bike back at 1.74mph’ E-power Watt, no cylinders? The Eva is powered by a permanent-magnet oil-cooled AC electric motor that produces 70kW (95bhp) of peak power and a constant stream of 101ftlb torque – that’s more than a 1299 Panigale. Drive is transferred to the road via a single-speed transmission and chain: who needs gears when you’ve got all that torque on tap? Charge it up Power is supplied via a 11.5kW lithium-ion battery pack housed in the bellypan. A full charge takes about seven hours at home via the domestic…

Spada ST1 WP £74.99 Sporty road boots that look the part, pack plenty of armour and also have a waterproof and breathable Hipora membrane. The outer is a mix of leather and synthetic fabric. Richa Zenith waterproof boots £69.99 Smart, leather touring boots which feature stretch zones for added comfort. They’re a strudy boot so may need breaking in. RST Raptor 2 waterproof boots £59.99 These polyurethane-coated leather boots have a Sinaqua waterproof/ breathable membrane inside, which promises to keep feet happy over long distances. Oxford Cherokee boots £49.99 Simple but sturdy leather boots with a flexible padded instep and stretch panels at the calf for added comfort. There’s a waterproof internal membrane which satisfied owners say really work.…

THE EXPERT Tony Foale A successful racer and chassis builder. In the early 1980s Tony began a project to improve upon the design and performance of front suspension which culminated in the construction of about 20 road bikes featuring his ideas, named QL (Quantum Leap) and the Q2. Alternative front suspensions or FFEs (Funny Front Ends) as I prefer to call them come in many shapes and sizes. They all use some variation of linkages and differ on how the steering inputs are achieved, with king pins, the linkages themselves or elements of telescopic forks.…

 Manufacturers these days use engines in an increasing variety of basic forms and chassis platforms. This is because emissions legislation makes it much more expensive to develop motors and to recoup the investment they have to sell many more units. ‘The Gladius was walloped with the ugly stick & comes in girly colours’ A few decades ago, Kawasaki did this better than most – think of how many bikes were powered by derivatives of its air-cooled 650/750 four – but now they’re all at it and there’s a wide variation in desirability, not to mention price, between different models using the same basic heart. Take Suzuki’s 650cc V-twin. The original SV650 was a brilliantly conceived budget bike with a modern twist, and it’s still with us. It’s been around for…

‘This weekend’s race could play into Marc Marquez’s hands’ This Sunday we will hear the bell ring for the second bout of the 2017 MotoGP title fight as the battle moves from the deserts of Qatar to South America. The Argentinian race will see Marc Marquez look to undo the damage done by Yamaha new-boy Maverick Viñales to his title defence during the opening race of the season. Viñales got this year’s title race off to the perfect start on his first outing on the M1 by taking a stunning victory under the floodlights in Losail, leaving Marquez, struggling with his Repsol Honda finishing a distant fourth. But this weekend’s race and the following round at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas two weeks later, will play into Marquez’s…

LEON CAMIER (MV Agusta Reparto Corse WSB) Q 15, R1 11, R2 10, Overall 9 Camier had another tough weekend despite further chassis improvements and his strong opening round performances could not be repeated. He is still well inside the top 10 of the titile fight and is punching well above his weight onboard the out-dated and under-developed MV Agusta. KYLE RYDE (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing World Suspersport) Q 18, R 8, Overall 4 A slow start to his weekend, not helped by the loss of the second Friday session to rain, but had a decent ride on raceday. An incorrect soft front tyre choice saw him finish a lonely eighth; enough to keep him fourth overall and 13 points from the leader after three rounds. KYLE SMITH (Gemar Ballons Honda…

‘We won but there is still plenty that needs to improve on the bike’ Just when Jonathan Rea looked unbeatable, Chaz Davies summoned all his strength, speed and determination to take a vitally important victory in race two at Aragon. With Kawasaki man Rea having dominated the opening four races in Australia and Thailand and then securing another win in the opening race at Aragon (see page 82), the reigning world champion had appeared unstoppable. So the significance of Davies’ race two victory cannot be underplayed. He simply had to win to keep any glimmer of championship hope alive – and it came against the odds. Having crashed out of the lead of the opening race in the final corner of the penultimate lap, the pressure and expectation to beat…

‘I was able to pull some big moves and had a great scrap with Josh’GLENN IRWIN With his team-mate Shane Byrne out of action (see right), Be Wiser Ducati’s Glenn Irwin took his chance to shine by carving through the pack to take a strong podium in the second race – upsetting a few riders with his hard riding in the process. Irwin finished sixth in the opening encounter but felt that wasn’t reflective of his true pace, which showed in the second race as he fought through from eighth to finish third in the final six laps. While the Northern Irishman was undoubtedly aided by the Ducati’s ability to conserve the softer rear tyre while other riders struggled, it was Pirelli’s all-new soft option front that gave him the…

‘You don’t have to be a factory-supported rider to do well in BSB’JOSH BROOKES Josh Brookes and his Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha team silenced critics with an odds-defying showing in the opening round of the 2017 MCE British Superbike Championship at Donington Park. The 2015 British Champion was consistently quick throughout the weekend, taking a front row start for race one, pole for race two before going on to finish the weekend with an incredible second place. His performance emphatically answered the question on whether his gamble of returning to BSB with the unproven Anvil Hire team would pay off. Having finished seventh in race one and second in race two, Brookes, whose team receives no support from Yamaha whatsoever easily outperformed both factory-supported McAMS Yamaha riders at the 2017…

Christian Iddon enjoyed a strong opening weekend for Tyco BMW but says there’s still work to do if they’re to fight for the title this year. The former supermoto champion finished third in the opening race before just being pipped to a double podium by Glenn Irwin in the closing stages of race two. “I’m content with the positions,” he told MCN. “But we’re in a different postcode to winning a race – we’re not even close. The problem is the way we’ve got the bike at the moment, I don’t feel like I’m racing it. The moment I try to push on, I go slower.” MORE BSB NEWS AND RESULTS AT WWW.MOTORCYCLENEWS.COM…

‘We created some ‘I’ve been brave’ stickers as a bit of a joke but riders love them’ “I got involved in motorsport medical work around 2001. I lived in Western Australia for a year and they were short of doctors for the World Rally Championship and I really enjoyed it. When I moved back I lived near Silverstone so I got involved there. “BEMSEE came to Silverstone and they needed another doctor and I was like ‘oh my god bikes are so much better than cars’. I took over the Chief Medical position in 2003. “There have been some fairly big crashes but we’ve managed to build up a really comprehensive medical team. The equipment now is on a par with any of the air ambulances in service around the…

Pay no interest Suzuki are letting you have their new RM-Z450 and RM-Z250 crossers on 0% finance. That means an RM-Z450 for £125 per month over 36 months, after a £2099 deposit. Or if you fancy something less aggressive, the 250 is £115 per month (x36) with a deposit of £2259. A Thai teaser Last week’s Bangkok motor show saw Honda Thailand whip the covers off this cheeky little 150 SS Racer, a strange crossover between a normal bike and a mini-moto, which used the single from the CBR150R. The concept wears slicks, carbon panels and a trick LCD dash. French polished This bold-looking E-Raw, from French firm Essence Motorcycles, “combines raw materials, metal and wood, which we work by hand, using artisan techniques”. With a wooden seat perched atop…

FURYGAN COBURN £379.99 The Coburn takes inspiration from the Furygan GTO, an iconic jacket with 1970s styling. The jacket has a straight fit, with D3O protectors on the shoulders and elbows, plus a pocket for a back protector. www.nevis.uk.com MOTOGADGET M: UNIT BLUE £279.95 One of the hardest parts of customising a bike is the electrics, which is where the M:Unit comes in. It replaces all the relays, flashers and fuses and this new Blue unit can even buzz your phone if someone messes with your bike. www.motogadget.com NORTON DIRTRUCK SHIRT £35 While most of us only dream of owning a Norton (either new or old) we can all marvel at the power of the resurgent British brand. The T-shirt is made from 100% cotton and feels as lovely as…

 Q1. What are you riding? ‘I pinned it until I s**t myself and then slammed on the brakes’ I’ve got four current rides, but my main one is a new Thruxton. Until that, I was riding a T100 that’s been heavily modified by Down & Out Café Racers. It’s got an inappropriately fat 16in front wheel with big tyres and extra wide yokes. It’s all tidied up with aftermarket switches, controls, ignition. Everything’s been changed except the engine really. Q2. Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? Valentino Rossi – I’m just a total fan boy. Q3. What’s your worst riding habit? Maybe I’m a bit rude. I’ve been riding for years in London, so I do have a slightly grandiose sense of right of way. If someone leaves a…

The latest breed of 1000cc sportsbikes are too powerful, too expensive and too reliant on electronics. And we love them. Even if we don’t actually want to buy one – although judging by this week’s sportsbike shootout (see page 36) many will – they are still wondrous things . Things to be admired, drooled over and talked about. Things to tackle British Superbikes and the TT and things to be muscled around at the front of the fast group at a trackday. And now that the top speed race has been run (with manufacturers agreeing to a 186mph voluntary limit as far back as 2001), the men in white coats have turned their attention to other things. Like making brilliant suspension, like making the brakes work better, like creating an…

 Factory custom specials have long been the preserve of Harley-Davidson’s Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) department, but this is new territory for Indian. Yes, there have been specials (the two Jack Daniels models spring to mind), but this garish Elite heralds a new chapter in resurgent Indian’s modern history. ‘Every Elite will be hand-painted by Indian’s Spearfish paintshop’ Identical in almost every respect to the Chieftain Limited (see left), the new Elite doesn’t boast a very long list of changes to satisfy the £5200 increase on the price tag, but the quality and value of the items on the list is, at least, beyond reproach. The lion’s share of the hike is thanks to the paintjob. No two will be identical, because every single Elite will be hand-painted by Indian’s Spearfish…

‘It’s as velvety smooth and refined as an RC213V-S’ Honda’s new Fireblade didn’t arrive with a headline-grabbing horsepower figure, but it still has the beating of the superbike elite. The secret to its success is its light weight, balance and refinement, a trick they first pulled with the original Blade 25 years ago. We didn’t expect it to be quite so good, but when you measure it against its heavier rivals its quality is clear to see. Less mass means better performance, and a machine that’s simple to ride. It’s as velvety smooth and refined as an RC213V-S and built with similar attention to detail. It’s involving, loud, has a peachy gearbox, superb rider aids and supple suspension. It’s a gem on the road and rapid at Rockingham. Figure out…

A GREAT COMMUTER/ DESPATCHER As an easy-to-ride, willing, robust and capable commuter and city bike, there have been few better than the CB500. THE HONDA CB500 CUP Yes, there was the 350LC Pro-Am before plus plenty of others since, but the CB500 Cup was brilliant – and a great boost to young careers. A NEW HASLAM A certain, 14-year-old Leon Haslam made his senior race debut in a British GP support race…on a CB500. JAMES TOSELAND …and, most famously of all, ‘JT’, who nabbed a Honda supersport ride on the back of his CB500 Cup success.…

SIMON RELPH Forty-one years’ experience, on and off road. Passionate bike-builder. Height 6ft 1in Weight 98kg simon.relph@motorcyclenews.com YAMAHA XT500 1981 Price £850 Weight 140kg Seat 840mm Power 32bhp Torque 26.8ftlb MPG 59 ‘That old adage comes into its own: measure twice, cut once’ Well at least it’s going back together now, rather than spreading further and further around the garage. I’d got off to a bit of a slow start because of the enormity of the task. – it was genuinely hard to know where to start So first things first, I needed a plan. Without one there is nothing to cock up. Step one: cables. With everything off there is easy access and it’s possible to get a nice route for all of them (www.venhill.co.uk). Now up and running…

Hub Centre Steering Basically a HCS has a wheel axle through the centre of a very large diameter hub, inside of which is a king pin about which the steering occurs. There are two hubs, one stationary and one rotating. The stationary hub is prevented from rotating, usually, by means of an upright structure which itself is located by a link back to the main chassis. Another link back to chassis from the axle completes the linkage. Today the most known example is the Vyrus derivative of the Bimota Tesi. 4-bar linkage or double-link BMW’s Duolever system, the Yamaha GTS1000 from the 90s, Hossack and the Cortanze ELF endurance racers from the 80s are well-known examples of this. The Hossack and its many derivatives (eg BMW Duolever) have both links…

1997 Honda ST70 Dax £2400 Seller says Less than 1000 miles on the clock and in perfect condition Neil says Wish I still had mine. Late model with 12v electrics, too. Everyone should own one once. 2002 Kawasaki ZRX1200S £2400 Seller says21,000 miles, speedo convertor (Continental import), always garaged Neil says I’m going to buy one of these. Old-school muscle bike. 2012 NC700X DCT £2350 Seller says 22,000 miles, heated grips, hugger, some scrape damage Neil says I’d pass. The 750 is a much better bet, and these DCT versions really aren’t in demand.…

2013-2015 Yamaha MT-09 Colours Black, orange, grey, silver, white, red Dealer £5700 Private good £5500 Private average £5300 This one 2014 model with Akrapovic, screen, hugger, stubby levers and more. 4379 miles, £5700 2014-2015 Yamaha MT-09 SR Street Rally Colours Black, orange, grey, silver, white, red with white body panels Dealer £6200 Private good £5999 Private average £5795 This one 2014 model with 4325 miles on the clock, £5999 2014-2015 MT-09 ST Street Tracker Colours Grey only Dealer £6500 Private good £6300 Private average £6000 This one Rare unregistered example of the factory accessorised bike. One mile, £7299 2015-2017 Yamaha MT-09 Tracer Colours Red, black, silver, grey or blue Dealer £6995 Private good £6750 Private average £6600. This one 2015 version of the adventure-style option with ABS and Datatag. 4000…

Maverick Viñales won’t be the only one out to bury demons of last year’s Argentinian Grand Prix come this year’s event, with one-make tyre manufacturer Michelin also hoping for a better race weekend after a nightmare debut. Running under ultra-high track temperatures, Scott Redding’s rear tyre delaminated at high speed during free practice. Michelin blamed heat build-up and Redding’s build (he’s one of MotoGP’s biggest riders). The Pramac Ducati was unhurt but the incident resulted in a host of changes to the construction of the French firm’s rear tyres for the rest of the season. With those changes came a slew of complaints from many of the field, unable to get the sort of performance they’d become used to after Michelin introduced the stiffer-carcass tyre in their second race back…

The years between World Wars One and Two were dominated by Jimmy Guthrie and Stanley Woods. Hailing from Hawick, the same Scottish border town as Steve Hislop and Stuart Easton, Guthrie won six TTs between 1930 and his death in 1937. Irishman Woods (above) won 10, including three doubles. Another milestone of the inter-war years was Harold Daniell’s first ever sub-25 minute lap set on a Norton in 1938. The Londoner had such poor eyesight he was turned down by the army but it didn’t stop him setting the new 91mph record that stood until 1950!…

New star of WSS After two bruising opening rounds of the World Supersport championship in Australia and Thailand – Aragon produced even more drama. The race was won, for the first time in his career, by Lucas Mahias on a new R6, by a whisker from old-stager Sheridan Morais, and perennial contender PJ Jacobsen. Gripping issues A new Pirelli qualifying tyre – designed for two fast laps rather than just one – came out to play at Aragon. Chaz Davies set a new circuit record, but the durability was still in question with Jonathan Rea feeling it was best on lap one. Tough comeback WSS legend Kenan Sofuoglu blasted back into action at Aragon after recovering from a dislocated right thumb. He was on for a strong result until he…

It was another tough weekend for the Red Bull Honda team. Former world champions Stefan Bradl and Nicky Hayden are currently fighting for consistent top tens at best on the all-new Fireblade. Electronics issues from the previous round look like they’re fixed, but it may be some time before they see some real big advances in outright power. The pair are also fighting reliability issues with Hayden forced out of race two with a clutch problem.…

‘Dan and Jason want to be at the front’ HAVIER BELTRAN It was a baptism of fire for the all-new 2017 Honda Fireblade as it made its MCE British Superbike debut at Donington with Jason O’Halloran and Dan Linfoot struggling to break into the top 10. The Louth-based squad, which finished fourth and fifth in the series with the same two riders last year, have faced an uphill struggle since the late delivery of their new machinery just three months before the season’s start. “It’s been a difficult start to the season and we know we have been on the back foot a little,” admitted team boss Havier Beltran. “I know Dan and Jason aren’t too happy, they want to be at the front and they are capable of that.”…

They might have been beaten by Brookes on a privateer bike, but the McAMS Yamaha duo of James Ellison and Michael Laverty showed early promise at Donington Park, despite disappointing results. Ellison led the opening race before dropping back, out of the podium battle, as he slowed due to an issue with engine braking. “It’s been a frustrating weekend,” Ellison admitted. “Testing went really well so expectations were high. I felt surprisingly comfortable at the front in race one, but after eight or nine laps I started experiencing problems from our engine braking system and knew I was in trouble.” Team-mate Michael Laverty also made a strong start in both races but was held back by chatter in race one before a technical problem ruled him out while third in…

The first round of BSB is always an interesting one as many people on the grid are still testing. The late arrival of parts will mean those with new bikes or moving to different bikes are on the back foot. That was seen this weekend with the riders to excel being those on the same machinery as the year before. The only exception to that is Josh Brookes, but the Yamaha is a bike he knows well. Last year, both victors at the first round (Michael Laverty and Peter Hickman) failed to make the Showdown and while it’s hard to see that being the case with Haslam, it could well be for the case some of his fellow podium men. Byrne will undoubtedly come back strong, but there’s clearly more…