Table of contents for February 21st 2018 in MCN

RIDER ANGER ‘I need to have a bike for myself to win. I cannot ride with someone else’s bike’MAVERICK VIÑALES The pressure of turning a disastrous 2017 YZR-M1 MotoGP bike back into a competitive package brought stress levels within the Yamaha camp to near-breaking point at this weekend’s Thai test. Maverick Viñales ended up hitting out at both Yamaha’s engineers and his team-mate Valentino Rossi after yet another difficult session. Describing the test as the worst of his 18-month career with the Japanese firm, Viñales (who dominated all three pre-season outings last year) was eventually able to do no better than eighth on the overall times, with Rossi an even more distant 11th. And despite experimenting with both the new 2018 bike and the 2016 machine successfully taken to second…

Gearing up Kawasaki have recalled the ZX-10R and ZX-10RR from 2016-2018 due to problems with the gearbox. It’s possible for the second, third and fourth gears to break during shifting, which could cause a crash. Owners are being contacted. Taxing issue India have altered the tax structure on motorcycle imports, reducing the tariff on 800cc+ bikes from 75% to 50%. However, they have also increased the tax on Complete Knock Down bikes by 5%, in an attempt to make domestic manufacturing more competitive. TVS hybrid Indian motorcycling manufacturer TVS have unveiled the Zepellin concept, which is a petrol/electric hybrid. The bike pairs a 220cc single with a 1200w electric motor, producing 22bhp but the with customary instant torque. Braking bad Harley-Davidson have recalled 31 models of bikes due a problem…

Ride the 2018 bikes Fancy swinging your leg over some of the hottest new bikes on the planet? All the major manufacturers will have huge test fleets available at the festival, so whether you’re into sportsbikes, adventure bikes or cruisers, there’ll be plenty of choice. There’s no pre-booking for test rides, just remember to bring your lid and your licence. Don’t have the latter yet? No problem. Novice and restricted-licence bikes will be available, too. Watch thrilling racing The festival is packed with racing action – and we mean proper racing, not tame exhibition parades. On both days the DTRA will be running a full flat-track championship round on the Speedway track, featuring everything from minibikes to a vintage class. For the campers on Saturday night there’ll be a full…

RICHA HAWKER JACKET £279.99 Made from thick Buffalo leather, the Hawker jacket combines retro style with modern safety as it comes with D3O armour in the back, shoulders and elbows. www.nevis.uk.com HJC FG-70S MODIK HELMET £139.99 The FG-70s is as classic looking as they come. but it has a host of modern features including a Kevlar shell, moisture-wicking liner and drop-down sun visor. www.oxfordproducts.com DAVIDA METROPOLITAN GLOVES £25 Combining leather and textile for comfort and finesse, the Metropolitan gloves are perfect for hot and sticky city riding. www.davida-helmets.com BUILT MAGAZINE £4.99 If one retro story every week isn’t enough, then Built magazine is what you need. Jam-packed full of the latest and greatest customs, it’s perfect for those with oil in the blood. w w w.builtmag.co.uk…

Winter is over – we know this because the racing is back. For me the first round of World Superbikes this coming weekend means Spring is in the air and it is something to get excited about. Sadly, the term ‘excited’ and WSB haven’t been used in the same sentence by many recently. One rider and team has dominated and crowds have dwindled. So, despite amazing bikes, laptimes close to MotoGP and brilliant riders, some have questioned the series’ future. Sadly, it also means Jonathan Rea – perhaps the greatest WSB rider we’ve ever seen – doesn’t receive the kudos he deserves. Series organisers are looking to address some of WSB’s problems with rules to close up the field. And if this doesn’t work, they now have the power to…

‘The Speed Triple proved to be a brilliant road bike’ Given the phenomenal sales success of Triumph’s modern classics, it’s easy to forget that the Speed Triple has been a central pillar of every Hinckley model line-up since 1994. For 2018, and not before time, Triumph have seen fit to give this most enduring of nakeds a well-earned revamp with no fewer than 105 engine mods resulting in 7% more peak power from a higher-revving three-cylinder engine. There are also new electronics, which include a track riding mode on the higher spec RS, and a TFT dash. While peak power is up from 138bhp at 9500rpm to 148bhp at 10,500rpm, Triumph haven’t sacrificed driveability: the new motor features a 4% increase in peak torque, up from 82.6ftlb to 86.3ftlb, and…

YAMAHA RD125LC Built between 1981 - 1989 For LC family heritage, easy to tune Against skittish handling SUZUKIRG125 GAMMA Built between 1985 – 1996 For Gamma looks, explosive power Against exploding engine HONDA MBX125 Built between 1983 – 1985 For big bike looks, expensive specification Against hard to derestrict, slow KAWASAKI AR125 Built between 1982 – 1988 For steady, reliable Against least visually exciting APRILIA RS125 Built between 1992 – 2012 For handling, looks, performance Against Prices, skittish handling…

Tucano Urbano Tetris gloves £99.99 Tested by: Michael Neeves These are probably the warmest gloves I’ve ever worn. I’m a wimp when it comes to cold temperatures, and I usually struggle with gloves at anything below 10 degrees. However, these have kept my hands warm to as low as 3-4 degrees. However, until they were bedded in they were a bit clunky, making switchgear harder to operate. Contact www.tucanourbano.com AGV Sport Modular helmet – Mono Gloss Carbon Black £549.99 Tested by: Joe Dick This is a proper quality piece of kit. It’s well built and well thought out, and has an excellent field of view. The mechanisms for the flip-front and internal sun visor are also easy to use with a gloved hand. In colder temperatures I did have issues…

Billy Art Michael Dunlop Print £20 This limited edition print shows Michael Dunlop racing at the TT. It captures him on his Suzuki GSX-R as he rode to victory in the Senior TT. Enter until: March 31 Kappa LH200 Tankbag £69 Versatile and practical, this tank bag expands to 24 litres and can be used on either metal or plastic tanks. And it even converts to a rucksack! Enter until: February 28 Brühl Motorcycle Dryer £100 Once you’ve spent time washing off the winter grime, you can help avoid corrosion by giving your bike a dry with this bike dryer. Enter until: March 31 Muc-Off Motorcycle Cleaning Kit £25 There’s no reason to have a mucky bike this winter if you win this Muc-Off Motorcycle Cleaning kit. Enter until: February…

EXPERT’S GUIDE TO TO.... THE EXPERT Si Martin Si has a TEC Diploma in Motorcycle Engineering from Merton College, and 30 years’ experience building, modifying and repairing bikes from Supermonos to CBX1000 café racers. Riding by numbers; the vital statistics that define your ride. Wheelbase, rake and trail are usually included in a bike’s spec sheet, so they must be important – but what clues do they give us to a bike’s character? THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW… Wheelbase This is the length of the motorcycle as measured between the centre of the tyre contact patches, directly below the wheel-spindle centres. It’s a nominal figure that varies as fork compression moves. It also varies with the arc of the swingarm. In general terms, long bikes (up to 1600mm, at the…

Despite being law since early 2014, there still aren’t many decent used A2 licence-friendly bikes available. When buying a bike for this licence, you have two choices – restrict a bigger bike or buy one that naturally falls under the 47bhp limit. The downside of restricting a big bike is simple: big heavy bike, plus low power equals a recipe for disappointment, whereas a bike with low power and less weight is much more appealing, especially on smaller, more nadgery roads. If you throw out restricted bikes altogether, your choice becomes pretty tight. Yamaha’s MT-03, Honda’s CBR/CB500 twin series and BMW’s new G310 offer plenty of choice new, however it’s slim pickings on the used market. You could also consider Ducati’s 400cc Scrambler Sixty2, but this is just a bigger…

Another team hoping to make significant progress in 2018 is the Milwaukee Aprilia squad of Eugene Laverty and Lorenzo Savadori. The British outfit struggled with a number of issues during 2017, but after a positive winter-testing programme, Laverty is much more confident ahead of this year’s season getting underway this coming weekend. “We are in a stronger position heading to Phillip Island this year for sure,” he explained. “The two further days of testing there will help us massively. One of our biggest issues with the Aprilia has been with rear grip, especially for me as a smaller rider as I can’t use my weight to make the tyre push into the ground. “We struggled with this last year; it wasn’t so much a tyre-life issue, but more that I…

2018 brings the curtain down on an entire concept as Ducati races its V-twin engine for the last time. From 2019, Ducati will race its new V4. For now, there’s one last chance to turn the V-twin into a winner; failing to do so would make the current Panigale the only Ducati in the history of WSB not to win a riders’ title. At the end of last year, superbike boss Ernesto Marinelli departed Ducati for a new adventure with Termignoni exhausts. For now, MotoGP guru Gigi Dall’Igna heads up proceedings, Serafino Foti is Team Manager in WSB, while Marco Zambenedetti serves as Technical Coordinator on track for Ducati Corse. “We are still working on the V-twin engine, adapting it to the new regulations,” Zambenedetti told MCN. “After the middle…

It’s not hard to see why World Superbike bosses have introduced a series of new regulations for 2018 (see page 63) in an attempt to make the racing closer. Kawasaki has dominated the series for the last three years with Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes sharing 62% of all WSB victories. However, it’s understandable that the reigning champions, who invest £9 million a year into their World Superbike project, aren’t too happy about the changes. “They probably feel the championship should be different every year,” explains KRT’s Project Leader, Yoshimoto Matsuda. “With every regulation change in the last few seasons, our bike has changed the most. “We use WSB to promote our road bikes as MotoGP is a budget-eater, it’s too much and it’s not just us, BMW aren’t in…

Qatar set for wet The final pre-season test in Qatar in two weeks’ time will see MotoGP riders taking to the Losail circuit in wet conditions for the first time, with the track being sprayed with water so that visibility under the floodlights can be tested. The move comes after heavy rain caused a day of practice at last year’s race to be scrapped. Syahrin set to secure Tech 3 seat? Malaysian racer Hafizh Syahrin looks to have done enough to secure himself a permanent seat for 2018 at the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team, replacing the unwell Jonas Folger. The Malaysian made good progress at Buriram, increasing his speed every day to end the test less than two seconds adrift from fastest man Dani Pedrosa. Test halted for slippery…

Crutchlow has been quick to sing the praises of new teammate Takaaki Nakagami after a stunning performance from the MotoGP rookie at Buriram left the Japanese racer inside the top ten on the overall time sheets. Fast but unpredictable in Moto2, the 26-year-old has been tipped by Crutchlow since he first made his MotoGP debut at the end of last year – and he says he’s going to embarrass some of his more experienced rivals when the season gets underway next month. “It was a good test for me but it was a good test for the team as well, because Takaaki rode really well. He’s put a lot of very experienced riders to shame. He’s a good kid and he’s got a big future ahead of him in MotoGP.”…

Are there any pitfalls to Personal Contract Plans? Yes, of course there are. But they’re very clearly defined. The key to doing the perfect deal is being completely clear about what the plan entails, and being utterly confident that it meets your needs. There are two key points worth noting: Negative/negligible equity Most riders who buy their bikes on PCP will roll their deal over to a new bike when the term comes to an end, hopefully using the equity in their deal as a deposit for the next bike. This is lovely in theory, but there is a growing trend among our four-wheeled friends for the Guaranteed Final Value (GFV) to be nigh-on identical to the value of the car. Bang goes your equity for a deposit – and…

With the 2019 silly season kicking off last month when Maverick Viñales announced a surprise two-year extension to his contract with the Movistar Yamaha squad, a number of team bosses waded into the mix at the Thailand test to give their opinions on what they’re hoping for when it comes to putting pen to paper with riders for not this season but the next. Lin Jarvis, Movistar Yamaha “Valentino has the inttention to continue, but it’s not yet clear whether that will be with h a one-year or two-year deal. We’re in close contact and we’ve talked about it, but we both want to see a few tests and maybe a few races under the belt before making a decision. I don’t think it’ll be too long before it’s resolved…

‘Baby Niken would hopefully solve three immediate problems of the larger model’ HIGHLIGHTS • 321cc MT-03 engine • Leaning three-wheeler • Niken styling • Expected late 2019 When Yamaha first unveiled the Niken at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, people were divided in their opinions; some loved it and some hated it. Yamaha are totally committed to three-wheelers, however, even buying Norwegian manufacturer Brudeli. Now our sources suggest the brand are working on another model based on the MT-03. Little and large If you’re not familiar with the Niken, it’s a new three-wheeler with the 847cc triple from the MT-09. Unlike other three-wheelers on the market aimed at commuters, the Niken is a performance-orientated machine. The Niken is capable of 45 degrees of lean, so it should be able to…

Technically speaking, superchargers and turbos fulfil the same purpose in life – to cram more air into a motor. However, where the exhaust’s gases turn a turbo as they escape the engine, superchargers are connected directly to the motor’s crank. It is this property that gives them far more predictable power characteristics as there is no annoying lag. Taking the Kawasaki H2R as an example, the supercharger’s impeller is driven by a planetary gear that runs off the crankshaft. This gear train increases the impeller’s speed to 9.2-times the crank’s speed, which means that when the bike’s engine is at 14,000rpm, the impeller shaft is spinning at almost 130,000rpm! At this speed, the impeller sucks over 200 litres of air per second into the supercharger, compressing it by up to…

YAMAHA DT AND RD This picture, from 1984, is of me with the DT125LC and my late brother Ian with his RD50. Gavin Powell YAMAHA DT175 MX 1988: (l-r) me on the DT175 MX, a mate on the IT175 and my brother Paul on the fabulous air-cooled KDX200. Great days. Martin Dearson BIKING FAMILY My sons and I ready to ride. Harry, Ian and Lewis Bareham HONDA XLV750R My brother with his new XLV750R, which he bought in Australia. I now own it in the UK. Steve Church BSA 250 My mum and dad in 1952 on his BSA 250cc. He had it from new – and regularly had the pipes re-chromed. Paul Millington KAWASAKI GPZ Looking cool on my Kawasaki. Kevin Thomson SUZUKI GT250 My first bike, bought used…

RIDING EXPERTS Mark Edwards Instructor for Rapid Training. Consultant to the bike press Tim Thompson One of the UK’s most experienced bike journalists HIDDEN DANGERS Fail to maximise your view and you won’t be able to spot dangers such as potholes in the road ahead CUTTING CORNER Drivers are notorious for cutting corners so be aware if you are moving close to the centre line Many of us prefer right-handers to lefts because, well, we just do – but there are other forces at play, too. Lefts are more difficult to deal with than right-handers because of their relative lack of visibility. When you enter a right-hander you have the wide view afforded by the extra width of the other carriageway, as well as any advantages you can create by…

With snowy conditions sprinkling parts of the UK, many R5Kers have left their bikes in the garage and invested their time in some much-needed midwinter TLC, preparing their bikes for big mileage once fully thawed out. This includes Jon Ashley who gave his BMW S1000R a deep clean after a long ride the previous weekend. Speaking on the group’s Facebook page, Jon said: “I got the panels and mudguards off to give the bike a bit of a mid-winter deep clean. “Last weekend’s ride put a lot of salt exposure onto the bike, so there was some fine scrubbing, detailing and more ACF-50 to come – at least it will be out of the way then! I couldn’t actually feel my fingers at one point.” It was a similar story…

(as recommended by you) NORTH B6255 from Hawes to Ribblehead nominated by David Whitney David says This is the best 11 miles of road around. I could ride the B6255 all day. Length 11 miles. Love it because Follow this road all the way from Hawes to the impressive viaduct at Ribblehead. Once out of Hawes, the ride is completely removed from any signs of urban sprawl. It’s just you, the bike and the idyllic scenery. Take a picture at The viaduct itself. Stop for a cuppa at Take a slight detour and head for The Station Inn, in Ribblehead. Carry on just past the viaduct turning and it’s on your right. Watch out for Speed cameras. Best bike for the job To properly take in the views, you’ll need…

KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S £14,699 Fuel 23l @45mpg = 230 mile range Weight 238kg Seat height 860mm Power 160bhp Torque 103ftlb MPG: 49 MICHAEL GUY Former 250 road racer, adventure rider, Enduro and Rally racer Height: 5’ 9” Weight 71kg michael.guy@motorcyclenews.com Spring, they say, is just around the corner. But I don’t mind if I have to wait a while before it warms up as the KTM is a decent winter bike. While I’d much rather be riding around in the sun, doing big miles in the cold doesn’t faze me and a big part of that is down to the fact I’m riding KTM’s fully-loaded adventure bike – the 1290 Super Adventure S. In addition to the adjustable screen, which keeps the majority of wind blast and chill…

Q Help, I’m running out of brakes While I don’t pretend to be any kind of Marc Marquez, I have started attending trackdays on an old 2002 Yamaha YZF-R1 I bought for the purpose. It’s been a great education for my riding, but now I find that it doesn’t take long for the braking power to start tapering off, with the front lever getting closer and closer to the handlebar. I’ve already fitted braided hoses, and that helped a little – but it’s still not enough. I have thought about fitting a more modern front end, with radial calipers and a master cylinder, but it’s hard to justify the expense. Any ideas, please? Kev Clark, Surbiton A Answered by Max Adams, Venhill Assuming you’ve got quality track-spec pads and your…

1995 Yamaha XJ900 Diversion £900 Seller says 38,653 miles, Givi topbox and panniers, disc lock, original toolkit. Neil says I’ve owned one of these: very capable working bikes, if a tad dull. Shaft drive is a nice touch. 1995 Kawasaki GTR1000 £900 Seller says 28,400 miles, full luggage, owned for 20 years, small dent in tank. Neil says I’ve owned one of these, too! Incredibly capable and fast tourer but as heavy as depleted uranium. 2008 Yamaha YBR125 £900 Seller says 11,223 miles, immaculate, always dry stored, new chain and sprockets. Neil says Yamaha’s answer to the Honda CG125. Brilliant economical transport. MCN BIKES FOR SALE 14,561 tempting bikes for sale right now!…

2001 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 Colours Various Dealer £4000 Private good £3900 Private average £3800 This one Just 5000 miles since 2001, this dealer sale is in great condition and is up for £4795. 2002 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 Colours Various Dealer £4100 Private good £4000 Private average £3900 This one This clean 2002 example has done just 10,832 miles and is available from a dealership. £4999. 2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 Colours Various Dealer £4300 Private good £4200 Private average £4100 This one At 14,880 miles, this is a relatively high-mileage example of the Sportster. £3995. 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 Colours Various Dealer £4400 Private good £4300 Private average £4200 This one Our test bike. Has aftermarket paint and mods including a touring screen, £4595. Insurance MCN COMPARE Sample quotes for £4500…

Another big change at Red Bull Honda for 2018 is the news that former Jonathan Rea crew chief Chris Pike will take over as Honda Motor Europe’s WSB Operations Manager. Overseeing all Honda’s racing activities in World Superbike was previously a role held by Italian Marco Chini. However, he quit back in January as revealed by MCN, leaving Honda to find a last-minute replacement in time for round one at Phillip Island. Pike has worked for Honda for many years in World Superbike, British Superbike and, most recently, managing their Endurance World Championship effort. He was involved in Castrol Honda’s 1997, 2000 and 2002 World Superbike titles, and was crew chief for Jonathan Rea between 2012 and 2014.…

JORDI TORRE S MV Agusta Reparto Corse Jordi Torres replaces Leon Camier at the MV Agusta squad for this year after a disappointing two seasons with Althea BMW. Torres won a race in his rookie WSB season with Aprilia, and although he showed podium pace at Misano last year he hasn’t stood on the top step since. PJ JACOBSEN Triple M Racing Honda PJ Jacobsen steps up to the World Superbike class for 2018 with the new Triple M racing Honda team. The former WSS race winner will form part of Honda’s new official satellite effort. XAVI FORES Barni Racing Ducati Xavi Fores will remain with the Barni Racing Ducati team for a third successive season this year, and is looking to build on his mid-pack results from the past…

One of the biggest problems Jonathan Rea’s rivals have faced in recent years is his ability to hit the ground running. Last year, Rea scored maximum points across the first two rounds and in 2015 and 2016 he only dropped five while Davies suffered. The key to beating Rea, for Davies or anyone else, is to get the better over him over the first two rounds. Even last year, where Davies enjoyed a stronger start to the season, he was still more than a race win’s worth of points behind his rival after four races.…

Alex Rins continued to find his feet on the Suzuki after putting a difficult debut year behind him to start 2018 not only injury-free, but mentally strong and in a good place. Onboard the latest spec GSX-RR he finished the Thai test in fifth place and ten spots clear of experienced team-mate Andrea Iannone. Now very much set to step into the shoes of Maverick Viñales as Suzuki gear up to return to competitiveness after a difficult 2017 season, and keen to establish himself as the teams no.1 rider, the 22-year-old is remaining level-headed despite a strong test. “I’m not sure yet what results will be possible, because at tests everyone has a lot of tyres to try and lots of things to experiment with. But in Malaysia and in…

MotoGP was welcomed with open arms by the people of Thailand when a huge audience crammed their way into Buriram for the inaugural test. Despite the track being located in rural North-East Thailand, some six hours journey form the capital Bangkok, the three-day test saw an estimated 30,000 fans pay to catch a glimpse of their MotoGP heroes in action, squeezing into the main grandstand to create a charged atmosphere. Witnessing a festival vibe similar to many normal race weekends rather than testing, the highly successful event has helped spur on ticket sales for the race – with October’s contest already approaching a sell-out crowd of 100,000 spectators. However, while the Grand Prix paddock might be guaranteed a rapturous response when they return to Thailand in eight months’ time, they…

Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE 998cc | 260kg | 207bhp | 835mm Cash price (Black) £18,239 Deposit £4119.04 Mileage 4000pa Rate 5.9% APR Optional final payment £10,983 The destination Kawasaki’s H2 was super-charging towards was always intended to bring their forced induction to the masses – and with the H2 SX they’ve got closer. Available as two models, the SX SE is the cake with sumptuous icing and a cherry on top compared to the stock SX’s marginally more plain offering. But get beneath the surface, and they’re the same bike at the core. That core is a 998cc inline-four with the firm’s second generation supercharger, gifting the engine a peak of 207bhp. That’s enough to haul even the heaviest of packers. Luggage, a pillion and touring are the goals…

‘I’m convinced that replicating Lorenzo is the best way to go fast’JOHANN ZARCO Monster Energy Yamaha Tech 3 rider Johann Zarco finished the test second overall, almost ending the three-day outing on top until being demo emotted ed by by D Dani ani Pedrosa with minutes to go. And he did it while riding a 2016-spec bike similar to the one on which his factory rivals have reverted to. And the Frenchman has done it by turning to the bike’s former owner for inspiration. He said: “I’m convinced that replicating Lorenzo is the best way to go fast on this bike, because Lorenzo was so, so fast on it. He was the one to find perfection on the bike, and I’m still trying my best to be like him.” Despite…

‘Carefully selected extras make the machine truly stand out’ Kevil’s Speed Shop have a well earned reputation in the world of custom machinery – especially for air-cooled BMW boxer twins. However, for the past couple of years owner Kevin Hill has been branching out into other machines, proving that he’s no one-trick pony. He’s been delivering the goods – and then some. This Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled is one of the latest bikes to emerge from his workshop. A host of subtle but prominent tweaks transform this already great machine into something truly unique and special. “The call came in from Sam, an ex-London city trader who was absolutely loving what we’ve been doing with our bikes lately,” says Hill. “He checked out our portfolio of customs, and decided to…

‘Anyone that has a sportsbike should be able to ride on any track for free!’ Q1. What are you riding? On the track I do a lot of instructing and use a Yamaha R6. On the road I ride a Yamaha XMax 400. Both of my sons race for fun and between us we have two R6s and an R3 – so everyone has a bike. It’s great to be able to ride with them both. Q2. Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? Valentino. There is no specific reason other than he constantly impresses the whole world. I think everyone admires his motivation and his skills. Q3. What’s your worst riding habit? On my left side my foot sticks out too much when I ride. This is because my…

‘GS is the most manageable; you sit in rather than on it’ Two of our testers rarely meet the minimum height needed to go on fairground rides, and they also struggle to get towering adventure bikes off their stands on uneven ground, even with adjustable seats set on their lowest positions. Adventure bike virgin Dan (5ft6in) says: “I was anxious before the test, and worried about not being able to put a foot on the floor. I have to tiptoe on sportsbikes, and these machines are another step again and a lot heavier. I thought the GS would give me the biggest problem, but it’s the easiest to get on with, even with the panniers fitted. The Triumph is almost as easy, with the KTM being the hardest to deal…

Could the project have happened without the aid of Steve McQueen? Yes. I went to Steve because I thought if I could get him involved in financing it, then he might agree to be in it. If I’d gone to him and said I was making a movie and did he want to be in it, he would probably just have laughed at me. How much input did he have in the making of the film? He really stayed out of it and let us do our thing. He was making Le Mans at the time, and he’d write me letters telling me how lucky we were to be doing this independently without a studio being involved. Is it true he inspired you to ride bikes in the first place?…

LORRAINE THOMAS Pre-ride checks are essential. I use ‘BOLTS’ as a reminder. So that’s Brakes, Oil, Lights, Tyres, Steering! WAYNE MARRISON Your fitness and alertness may not be at their peak, so take it easy. Also, other road users may not be as alert to bikers as usual having not seen any for a while. PETE HASTELOW Get in the garage Thursday, oil the chain check the tyre pressures check the battery tender, give the whole bike a once over, so if you need anything you can pick it Friday. On Friday night check all your boots gloves, textiles/ leathers and TAKE IT EASY. ELWYN JONES Be ready for weather changes. It was meant to be sunny last weekend when I went out with mates, but ended up in the…

Price £25,000 Fuel 17 litres @ 64mpg = 211-mile range Weight 185kg (kerb) Seat 815mm Power 208bhp Torque 84ftlb MICHAEL NEEVES Ron Haslam Elite instructor, races in Thundersport GP1, Endurance Legends and Island Classic. Closet scooter fan. michael.neeves@motorcyclenews.com Superstocker on steroids Rules are pretty open in the GP1 and MRO Powerbikes championships. You could run a superbike if you wanted to, but generally riders run semisuperstockers like me. Cont rolled shock A fully-adjustable K-Tech DDS shock replaces the standard unit. We use more or less the same spring everywhere, but if it rains we go softer, provided we have the time... Faster engine My blueprinted superstock-spec motor was built at Alpha Racing in Munich and makes around 208bhp at the back wheel. Unsurprisingly, it’s bloody fast, especially when compared to…

AGV Veloce S (white/grey) £399.99 Tester James Archibald Time used 5500 miles/ seven months What’s good? The Veloce S is a beautifully finished helmet, packed with quality touches. At just shy of 400 quid, it sits pretty much bang in the middle of AGV’s range. Because of this, the Veloce S doesn’t have some of the features found on more expensive race or touring lids. That said, everything on it just works (and works well) and it fits comfortably on my medium-to-small sized melon perfectly. With a mixed carbon, aramid and fibreglass construction, it is light and all-day comfortable. I also like how AGV place their visor opening catch in the centre of the helmet. It’s a simple thing, but it means that if I’m stopped at the lights, I…

Q Run off the road – who pays? I had a smash after I lost control of my Honda Fireblade because some moron ran me off the road and fled the scene. I had whiplash injuries, a broken collarbone, and damaged my bike and leathers. I put a claim into the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) because I read something you previously wrote about them. They’ve come back saying they reject the claim on the basis that just because the driver didn’t stop doesn’t mean they were negligent in causing my accident. He swerved into my lane, causing me to take evasive action. What do you suggest I do? Dave Birt, Suffolk A Government body the MIB will compensate victims of negligent, uninsured and untraced drivers. For a claim to succeed,…

Triumph Bonneville Bobber Where Webbs of Lincoln Price £9999 Normally listed at £10,900 on the road, this ex-demo registered in July 2017 and finished in Cranberry Red/Frozen Silver, is appealing at a quid shy of 10 grand. With just 405 miles on the clock, this Bobber comes fitted with a smattering of genuine Triumph accessories. Honda CBR500R Where Hunts Motorcycles, Manchester Price £5949 From now until the end of March this sporty A2-compliant machine is available on a 0%APR PCP deal over three years. With a deposit of £1999 – complete with a £500 Honda contribution, there are 36 monthly repayments of £38.60 and an annual mileage of 4000. KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Where PGH Motorcycles, Torquay Price £13,699 Capable of monster miles in comfort, or scratching that B-road…

Four grand off Moto Guzzis Sheffield-based multi-franchise dealer Via Moto have slashed the prices of their Moto Guzzi range, offering £4000 off the California Touring (now £13,999) and £1000 off the V7 III Anniversario (now £7999). Stock is limited to the last few units, so act while you can. www.via-moto.co.uk Chain man gets Dragon’s help Founder of chain maintenance firm Tru-Tension, Chris Frappell, has appeared on BBC2 show Dragons’ Den, asking for a £75,000 investment to expand his business. Chris left the Den with support from Touker Suleyman, receiving the full sum for a 25% stake in the business. w w w.tru-tension.com Free TFT screen upgrade for BMW GS buyers BMW are offering a complimentary TFT colour screen with every new R1200GS purchased between now and March 31. The offer…

“Harleys with low mileage are not uncommon and not just Sportsters. You will find that they either cover around 1000 miles a year or less, or they will cover huge starship mileages. There seems to be little in between! “They will either use them on sunny Sunday afternoons, or they will never be off the damn things. Harley riders tend to have two or three bikes and will cover 10,000 to 15,000 miles between three machines, rather than one. “The people that buy Sportsters are the same people that buy things like Ducati Scramblers and the Honda CB500 series. They are a first-time-biker’s choice and are aimed at the entry-level market. Despite this, we will see experienced riders getting on them just because they’re brilliant bikes! “These bikes maintain steady…

PATA Yamaha boss Paul Denning says he believes Lowes and van der Mark would’ve been closer to the front this year regardless of the new regulation changes as they enter their third year with the Yamaha WSB project. “We have got closer and closer to the front,” Denning tells MCN en route to the airport ahead of Australia. “This is our third year, so you would expect us to be closer even if the rules hadn’t changed. We’re ready for it. “Jonathan says it won’t be closer, but that’s him making his ambitions clear, and he can afford to say that. It’s up to us and the other teams to stop Jonathan from dominating. Our riders smoked Tom Sykes with no problem in several races last year. Michael would have…

It’s not just Lowes who has his sights set on the top step for Yamaha in 2018. Team-mate Michael van der Mark is also keen to secure his first World Superbike victory. The Dutch hotshot endured an up-and-down first season with Yamaha last year, but he often showed his potential to be a WSB podium challenger. He looked set to take both his debut victory and Yamaha’s first since 2011 after a dramatic scrap in Misano, but a catastrophic tyre failure saw him crash out of the lead of the race. “I think last year we were getting stronger and stronger, and this year we need to get the first win,” he says. “I was quite close in Misano last year, I felt that could have been my first win,…

Marco Melandri is hoping he can use the experience he gained in his return to WSB with Aruba Ducati last year to be more competitive in 2018. Melandri returned to the class last year after a year away from racing in 2016 and, while some questioned whether he’d still be competitive, he surprised with podiums and a race win and is keen to further build on that. However, the Italian has admitted concern that the new regulations (see p60) will hit Ducati harder than any other manufacturer “I was expecting to leave the Portimao test a bit happier,” Melandri explained. “I feel that the new regulations have hurt us a lot more than the four cylinder bikes. It is much worse for us. “This season I have one year’s experience…

Grand Prix legend Freddie Spencer is set to join MCN’s Greg Haines in the Eurosport commentary box for selected World Superbike races this year. We caught up with Freddie for his thoughts on the season: He said: “I can’t wait for WSB to kick off at Phillip Island. Superbikes are part of my DNA. “In terms of the riders, Rea is a super talent. He’s tough, consistent and adapts to any situation. If he’s overtaken, he hits straight back. He puts everyone else on the defensive: that’s the hardest person to beat. “Ducati have one more year with the V-twin, but they’ve always had front-end struggles because of the way it fires and how it sits in the chassis. “One team I’ll be watching closely is Honda. Can they up…

Following MotoGP’s first outing of the season in Malaysia two weeks ago where teams debuted new 2018 machines and concentrated on back-to-back comparisons with 2017 bikes, there was little time in their packed testing schedules to try out new components. But with the direction for 2018 becoming a little clearer for MotoGP’s second official test in Thailand, the Buriram outing saw a slew of new developments on show from a number of manufacturers. Ducati The Bologna manufacturer finally rolled out their 2018 aerodynamic package at Buriram, unveiling a new fairing design that’s more evolution than revolution as they modify the 2017 enclosed winglets design. Now slightly longer and with an additional winglet inside the box, factory riders Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Lorenzo and Danilo Petrucci admitted that the change in feeling…

Pramac Ducati new signing Jack Miller has continued to impress after another strong test that saw the Australian come home sixth overall as he continues to adapt to a bike that suits his natural riding style more than the Honda he’s spent the past two years on. Able to control the bike with the rear brake and to make the most of a much more forgiving chassis that gives better feedback and more warning to riders before a crash, Miller says that it means that he can push harder with far greater safety now. “I was able to do one or two fast laps on the Honda, but now I can do four or five of them with no problem. I’m able to get in my rhythm better and smash…

Cal Crutchlow says he’s confident that he can return to the highs of the 2016 MotoGP season after yet another strong test for the LCR Honda rider at the championship’s newest venue, Thailand’s Buriram circuit. Finishing the three-day outing in fourth place overall, and adamant that he could have been higher were it not for a near-crash with only minutes to go on the final day while pushing for a fast lap, the Brit told MCN that he believes that he can convert his impressive pre-season into more wins in the premier class. However, while he’ll start the season next month full of confidence, he’s also aware that the nature of modern-day MotoGP means that he can’t predict with any certainty what sort of fortune the year might bring for…

Dani Pedrosa walked away from three days of testing at Buriram top of the time sheets after sneaking in a blisteringly fast lap time right at the end of the final day. Working hard to test a number of new items including HRC’s new lightweight carbon swingarm (see p66), he says they can be happy but can’t get too carried away just yet. “We did a lot of jobs and we’re still learning the track so it’s positive to be with the front group – but for us this is a test not a race, and we came to Thailand to test things. For sure, you try to push more and more so that you can try items at their limit, but the main goal is always to arrive ready…

Can I swap manufacturers? Yes. The new dealer will pay off what’s outstanding on the bike (provided it’s in respectable condition) and roll you into a deal on one of theirs. Most of the major manufacturers issue plans through Black Horse, but some use other finance groups – such as KTM with Santander – so if you’re planning on jumping between manufacturers, double-check your options before you buy. Dealers and finance companies are both highly motivated to help make your purchases as easy as possible – so tell them what you want, and they’ll tell you what it’ll cost to do it. Simple. Can I get a PCP deal on a secondhand bike? Yes. Many dealers can offer this, and it’s all down to the choice of bike, and you,…

Who does it work best for? Riders who want to change their new bike every two or three years, want low monthly repayments and aren’t bothered about owning the bike outright. Who is it not suited to? Riders who want to keep their bike until it wears out, and those who want to truly own their motorcycle. Are there mileage limits? Yes, usually around 5000 per year, though these are often adjustable up to 24,000 miles. If you go over the agreed mileage you will incur additional charges. Can I ride it like I stole it? Yes, provided you maintain it like you own it. Usual wear and tear is allowed, but nothing that could constitute abuse or neglect. We have heard no tales of dealers being unreasonable, which isn’t…