Table of contents for June 13th 2018 in MCN

The Isle of Man TT never fails to deliver a heady mix of incredible bravery, superb racing and a dose of tragedy that mars the euphoria. To highlight only the positives of the last two weeks in the Isle of Man would be to do a huge disservice to those fallen riders. Of course, such tragedy always raises questions about the sanity of such an event. But the TT stands as a statement of freedom, of excellence and the ultimate commitment and, it seems inevitably, sacrifice. The efforts of Dean Harrison, Michael Dunlop and Peter Hickman are no greater than those further down the field and yet their ability is what makes the TT such a compelling spectacle. The way every lap record was dismantled this year just shows how…

Zero’s learner-legal DS is the most powerful L-plate machine MCN have ever tested, with acceleration far in excess of any of its petrol alternatives. Just launched in the UK, the DS is officially restricted to 15bhp. That makes it legal to ride on a provisional A1-licence to anyone over the age of 17-years-old who has passed their CBT and matches a 125cc petrol-powered bike. But the Zero also boasts a peak power figure of 58bhp and peak torque of 80ftlb. So how does that tally? Bike performance figures are measured on continuous power outputs and where a petrol engine will make its peak power until all its fuel runs out, an electric bike’s power will drop as the battery’s charge is used up, bringing down the machine’s average ‘continuous power’…

MV Agusta have announced their return to top class GP racing in a deal that will see the Forward Racing Team campaign under the MV banner in Moto2. There were question marks over MV’s racing future after Giovanni Castiglioni said production of the F4, and its WSB involvement, would soon end, but this news means MVs will remain on the grid for years to come. All Moto2 teams use the same engine with different chassis, suspension, wheels etc. When MV enters in 2019, that engine will be Triumph’s Moto2 765 triple from the Street Triple. However, as MV already make their own 675 and 800cc triples what they learn in racing could be transferred to their road bikes and if the styling of their Moto2 race bike is anything to…

“I always thought that when I was put in the situation of someone stealing my bike, I’d just stop and give them the keys, but when you’re actually faced with that choice, you make very different decisions.” It seemed like it was a fairly normal London day for 1985 250 Production TT-winner and former MCN road tester and GP reporter Mat Oxley: “I was at the gym, working on sorting out a few old racing injuries when I saw a youth checking out my Yamaha TMAX. At first, I thought he was just looking at it, but I could see that he was mucking about with it. All the time he was on his mobile and quickly I worked out what he was doing. He was on the phone getting…

1 Bigger engine The new Scrambler is expected to have the 1200cc water-cooled high torque engine from the Bobber 2 Pound stretcher To save money, the fancy Showas are gone but the Öhlins remain and it keeps off-road touches 3 Solid stoppers Despite the budget makeover, the standard model is still sporting twin Brembo monoblocs 4 Decent tyre choice It has 21/17in tubeless wheels meaning you’ll have the pick of grippy adventure bike rubber 5 Bring the noise You get lovely high-pipes on the 1200 but you’ll have to pay extra if you want the Arrow system Triumph look set to unleash two new Scramblers using their bigger 1200cc engine. We’ve already seen spy shots of the top-of-the-range R version but this bike shows there’s a budget-friendly model, too. Big…

Every Tuesday night from April to September thousands congregate in Poole, Dorset for ‘Dream Machines’. This unique event takes place along the quay, which becomes the exclusive domain of motorcycles from 6pm. On a sunny evening the mix of sea air, fish and chips and gorgeous metal is truly compelling. “It’s biking at its purest,” says Jeremy Wale, a regular attendee whose son Mark was making his first visit. “It’s a nice, friendly atmosphere and there are so many different bikes to admire.” Dream Machines has been running for over 30 years, making it one of the most established gatherings along the south coast. It’s a self-funding event with a nominal fee of £1 per bike on entry to cover the costs of closing the roads, erecting signage and so…

It's the best therapy Motorcycles are in my blood. There are many photos of me as a smiling two-year-old astride my dad’s BSA Gold Star, heck I was even brought home from the hospital after being born in a Bullet sidecar! My personal biking history started at 16 on a yellow FS1-E and the weekly ritual of scanning the for sale ads in MCN with a biro, but stopped when I got a job with a company car. Fast forward to now. The one thing that stayed with me is the love of riding. All I could afford is a 2002 Honda SFX 50 scooter which I brought lovingly back to life and it has been life-changing. It is the best stress relief you can get. Yes its only 50cc…

A dealership is always worth a visit, but if there’s more on offer than a showroom and service area then it can be considered something of a destination. This week we blat down to the Garden of England in order to sample the delights of H’s Cafe at Honda main agent, Kent Motorcycles. H’s is bright, clean and friendly, with a standard of professionalism that you’d expect from a main dealer. We opted for ‘H’s Full English’ and were more than satisfied with the speed of service, presentation and, of course, the taste. At £5.70 it’s also one of the best-value brekkies on our travels so far. “The food is superb,” says regular Ray Webb. “It’s not greasy. It’s nice that the staff know you by name too, so you…

People ask if electric bikes are the future. They aren’t, not for a while anyway. I’d love to say yes with my Mugen hat on, but with my heart it’s a big no because we just don’t want them. It’s interesting and I love the technology, although I have no idea how it works. ‘I UNDERSTAND PETROL ENGINES BUT ELECTRIC IS LIKE MAGIC’ I can’t understand how a motorbike can go that fast off a battery. Electric to me is like magic. How the f**k does that make a quarter of a tonne machine go like that? I understand petrol going in, fire, combustion, but electric bikes baffle me. I would love everybody to experience what I’ve experienced on the Mugen, because it’s been amazing. It breaks my heart that…

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. 14 521.8 miles of enjoyment Two days spent doing two laps of the MCN250 revealed some niggles, but they’re minor. The lack of a believable range indictator is annoying, and you can’t see it at all on the ‘Sport’ dash option. The pegs feel ever-so-slightly too far forward for me, the windblast hits squarely in the face,…

That first national speed limit sign out of Stratford is like a red rag to a psychotic bull. The SX hunches its shoulders, digs its heels in and charges forward in a maelstrom of turbine-like drive. Fast, sweeping, flowing corners linked together by bursts of straights that all build towards the exhilaration of Fish Hill. The two-lane approach lets you flit past slow-moving traffic with ease, before carving into the first left-hander with glue-like adhesion, the mass of the SX planting it into the tarmac with the long-gait security of a Hayabusa, married to the agility of a recent superbike. You only need the lightest of touches to arc right before two bigger shoves to tighten right again, flick left and spit out over the top of the hill on…

The first few rides on Zero’s electric DSR remind me of what it’s like when you ride abroad for the first time on holiday. You have to mentally remind yourself that you’re doing something different as you acclimatise to the familiar, but alien, experience. Riding on the continent, you need to re-programme your brain to stay on the right. With the Zero it’s a case of telling your brain you mustn’t blip the throttle as a standstill, and that waving your left hand or foot in search of clutch and gear levers isn’t going to have any effect. And the lack of engine noise is a persistent reminder of this other-wordly riding experience. Once you’ve pulled away in silence, the noise of motion reduces the oddity. The lack of engine…

This year Triumph have introduced the most advanced and powerful Speed Triple in the model’s 24-year lifespan in the shape of the RS. And while the RS grabbed the headlines, a lower-spec S model was also unveiled. Powered by the same updated triple motor, which boasts a 10bhp power gain, and using the same chassis, swingarm and Brembo brakes, the S model lacks a few of the RS’s premium parts to keep costs down. You don’t get an IMU, so its traction control and ABS aren’t lean angle-sensitive, the twin exhaust end cans are mass-produced and not Arrow titanium units, the suspension is Showa rather than Öhlins and the S lacks carbon body panels and a belly pan and there is no track riding mode. But it’s a healthy £1900…

5. GET UP AND GO Re-evaluate the road, but if the exit is clear you can add more throttle, and change gear when appropriate. And repeat... 4. SWIFT EXIT Once you spot the exit you can pick the bike up on the throttle, because the right gear will give you positive accessible drive DANGER ZONE A high gear on corner entry robs you of engine braking, increases the risk of running wide, and results in weak exit drive. 3. MATCH A GEAR Seamlessly select the right gear to match your entry speed, so that you have engine braking and acceleration available. 2. FAST, SLOW? Gauge your approach speed and alter it using brakes/gears/throttle. Your speed should be set before entering the corner. 1. EVALUATION On approach use all available information…

• Every one tested for over 1000 miles • In all weathers • For at least three months Givi XS317 £ 117 Tested by Simon Brown, 7500 miles, two years This isn’t the cheapest bag here but neither is it the most expensive and I’ve been delighted with its performance. The design is bike-specific so the rucksack hugs your body and has an aerodynamic shape, which keeps it comfortable and stable on my Ducati Scrambler both at motorway speeds and in more normal riding conditions. It secures with an easily adjustable waist and chest strap. The fasteners are simple plastic and nowhere near as fancy as a Kriega system but they work fine and have been perfectly robust so far. Inside, there is a main compartment and an area for…

‘Jonathan made a mistake. He misjudged it and is blaming me’ It was supposed to be the perfect end to a record-breaking weekend for Jonathan Rea, but it all went off-script when the 60-time winner and team-mate Tom Sykes clashed on lap three of Race 2. The two men have remained largely civil as team-mates, but Rea was furious with Sykes after the incident. Rea dived through at Turn 12 only for Sykes to close off the line, the inevitable contact sending the world champion into the gravel trap. “It’s not cool to get taken out,” Rea said with a smile, but only after his onboard camera showed him sarcastically applauding Sykes from the side lines. “We have to move on and rise above it. I touched his rear wheel…

Jonathan Rea edged closer to becoming the most successful World Superbike rider ever after becoming the first man to win 60 races as he closes on Carl Fogarty’s four titles. The 31-year-old knows it will end eventually, but with how many wins and titles is the big question? His WSB future is secure having penned a new two-year contract with the Kawasaki team, so there is no letup on the horizon. Since joining Kawasaki Rea has won 45 of his 92 races. That’s 48% and maintaining that hit rate would see him on almost 90 wins by the end of 2020. Saturday’s triumph in the Czech Republic was classic Rea, blasting ahead of Tom Sykes to pull out over a second and remain completely unphased despite a red flag and…

Team Sky rider Pecco Bagnia has had a dream start to the 2018 Moto2 season, taking a series of wins and the championship lead as well as securing his future by putting pen to paper on a Pramac Ducati deal in the premier class for next season. With three wins so far in 2018 and a lead over KTM rider Miguel Olivera of 13 points going into this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix, MCN sat down with the 21-year-old to talk about this year and the nextÉ Q You’ve made an incredible start to the season. What’s changed? A Nothing much, but we’re learning a lot and improving all the things we struggled with last year. In every race except Argentina we’ve been fast, in front and been able to finish well…

Dani Pedrosa will leave Honda after an incredible 13-year run with the factory team, but it remains to be seen what the 31-time MotoGP race winner will do next. Rumoured to be of interest to Petronas, who have been linked to running Yamaha’s satellite effort, now that Lorenzo is off the market, it seems that retirement could be just as likely an option for the 32-year-old. Confirming that he would make an announcement at this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix, there has also been speculation that he could be the perfect big name rider needed to headline the series’ new MotoE electric class that starts next season.…

Dean Harrison was left lamenting what could have been after seeing his chances of a maiden TT victory disappear due to a slipping clutch during the Superbike race. The Silicone Kawasaki rider was the revelation of TT 2018 before the racing even started having stunned the road racing fraternity during practice week with a string of 133mph laps. But it was his record-breaking pace in the opening race that really made everyone to sit up and take notice. From a standing start the 29-year-old broke through the 134mph barrier for the first time in history, setting a speed of 134.432mph on his opening lap. On lap two he hit the 134mph mark again, posting 134.180mph as he slowed for his pitstop. “I knew Michael was setting off ten seconds behind…

If you fancy a Speed Triple, and you’re not fussed about getting the latest and greatest, there are great deals on last year’s model. Triumph are offering a £1050 clothing and accessories voucher available in addition to a 6.9% APR finance rate on 2017 Speed Triple S and R models. In addition, anyone who completes a test ride of a Tiger 800 or 1200 model before the end of June will be entered into a prize draw to win one of 10 trips to Triumph’s new Adventure Experience in South Wales. • New Speed Triple S tested, p44…

Moto Morini have unveiled the Corsaro ZT, which is a slimmed-down version of the Corsaro ZZ, aimed at city riders. Morini say that the ZT is for those who want to ‘be less committed while still staying involved’, which we assume is code for ‘aimed at those who fancy a Corsaro but don’t want to spend £18,000’. That’s fair enough, especially when the Corsaro’s gorgeous engine is untouched. That means you get a punchy 1187cc V-twin which puts out 137bhp and 92ftlb of torque. The peak torque arrives early too, giving a big punch in the midrange that’s ideal for darting around city centres. Morini have tailored the chassis so that the tank is thinner making it easier to get on and off the bike, as well as making it…

I've just done a rudimentary calculation on the sheer heroic madness (if there is such a thing) that the gladiatorial riders face whilst competing in the Senior TT or some of the other big bike races. Six laps of the 37.73-mile circuit is 226 miles which equates to travelling form central London to central Manchester in one hour 40 minutes without using any motorways or dual carriageways and stopping for fuel and a new tyre along the way. I'm utterly staggered and in awe at what these guys manage to achieve and that includes the team and machinery. Jeremy Weaver, Berkshire Ed: You are right, it is a monumental test of rider and machine. Turn to the 36-page souvenir TT pull-out for a full report on every race at this…

LIKE IT ARRON McENEANEY Age 52 Current bike Ducati Desert Sled / Yamaha MT-09 SR Been riding 36 years First bike Yamaha DT50M “It feels more comfortable than I was expecting, but I don’t like the drop bars, I prefer to be more upright. I think it’d be perfect for long-distance riding and it does look awesome. The supercharger is really interesting, too. I like the look of it a lot and could spend a long time staring at it.” HATE IT TIM GILBERT Age 44 Current bike Ducati 1299 Panigale / Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory / Honda Africa Twin Been riding 28 years First bike MZ Simpson 50 “Years ago I had a ZX-12R, and that was a good bike, I’m not sure why I got rid of it…

1 From forged bar to spanner Every King Dick spanner starts with a raw forged bar of the correct grade of chrome vanadium steel. This is production supervisor Trevor Bolton pilot sizing the ring of a combination spanner. 2 Making a point Here’s Trevor at the broaching stage making a round hole into a 12-point bi-hexagonal aperture. 3 Size checks Trevor checks the size of the hole with a go-or-no-go gauge. The spanner will now go for heat treatment. 4 Polished continuously for 30 hours A vibro polisher filled with ceramic media tumbles tools for 30 hours. They come out looking like chrome but are unplated and must go to the chromers within 24 hours for nickel-chrome plating. 5 £5m stock Despatch supervisor Keith Ashwood with a podger spanner as…

It must have been ten laps into the trackday when I realised something a bit special was happening. And that was that, despite riding a relatively humble parallel twin with only half the power of a modern superbike, I was having a ball: more furious fun than I managed at the same circuit on a Honda Fireblade SP just a few months before. It’s true. The 790 Duke can change direction faster, brake later and, on a pair of sticky Metzeler Racetec K3s, lean further than any other bike you can ride out of a showroom, certainly that I can think of. What it lacks in brute force it makes up for with an easy-going lightness and a contagious sense of fun. It takes nothing, least of all riding round…

PRESCOTT BIKE FESTIVAL, PRESCOTT, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, JUNE 16-17 ‘Ride the famous hill climb’ This annual bash has become so popular that it this year expands to a two-day event for the first time, with a full, action-packed schedule on both days and a chance to ride your bike up the glorious hill climb on a the Sunday (or go as a sidecar passenger). The Route Turn left to Gotherington and take the A435 through Bishops Cleeve and onto Cheltenham. A short blast to Andoversford on the A40, then left onto the A436 to the biker hot-spot of Bourton-on-the-Water. A short blast on the A439 to Stow-on-the-Wold then left onto the B4077 through Ford and, just after Toddington, take the B4078 to Winchcombe before heading to Gretton to complete the loop. Info…

The supersport 600 sector was of vital importance to manufacturers in the 1990s and the first decade of the new millennium. That meant plenty of development to try to ensure the competition didn’t get the upper hand. The result is that there are bargains galore if you’re in the market for an older bike. A well-sorted turn-of-the-century 600 will give plenty of riding thrills per pound, so let’s look at what you can buy for around two grand. £2250 2003 DAYTONA 600 599cc | 165kg | 110bhp | 815mm seat height • Dealer price £2750-£3500 • Private £2000-£2500 • This one £2250, private sale Triumph’s first foray into the supersport 600 class was somewhat let down by the dodgy fuelling of the TT600 that preceded the Daytona 600. Shame, because…

MCN’s resident bike expert Bruce Dunn has been working with motorcycles for over 30 years: fixing, riding and competing on machines of all shapes and sizes. That all means his depth and breadth of experience is second to none and he’s ready and waiting to check over your bike. Dr Know’s patient this week is Sam Ingrey’s 2011 Kawasaki ER-6f. Sam uses his Kawasaki for his commute from Didcot, Oxfordshire, to West London and bought the middleweight twin with just 1500 miles on the clock. Sam has now racked up a total of 17,550. Back when Sam purchased the bike, he was an A2 licence-holder, meaning he had to make some modifications in order to comply with the law. He said: “The first thing I had to do to it…

Lowes is first new Brit to win in WSB since 2012 It was difficult to separate the delight from the relief and the champagne from the tears after 27-year-old Alex Lowes blasted his Pata Yamaha to his maiden WSB win in the heat of Brno on Sunday. Yamaha has waited almost seven years for a race win with the R1 – and that came just two weeks ago when Dutchman Michael van der Mark claimed a Donington Park double. With Lowes winning in Brno, the blue bikes have won three of the last four races. Lowes is the first new British winner since Chaz Davies in 2012, winning in his 118th start which marks the second-longest wait for a maiden victory. Coming from second on the grid, Lowes overhauled van…

The 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship bursts into life this weekend when the series heads to Snetterton. After three rounds Leon Haslam leads the championship standings from young-gun Bradley Ray, but third in the title standings is reigning champion Shane Byrne, who won’t be on the grid following his accident at the Snetterton test a month ago. Having won eight out of the last ten races at Snetterton, Byrne would have been the clear favourite heading into the weekend but the six-time champion is likely to miss a large chunk of the season as he recovers from a range of serious injuries (see box-out). Series leader Haslam has never won at the Snetterton 300 circuit, so he’ll be hoping to break that duck this weekend, but it won’t be easy.…

Lorenzo takes huge wage cut to join Honda’s dream team Pedrosa future uncertain – but he could now retire ‘The Spaniard has had enough of the red bike’ Jorge Lorenzo will switch to the Repsol Honda team for the 2019 season, joining reigning world champion Marc Marquez to create an all-Spanish dream team. Bringing to an end Lorenzo’s two-season spell at Ducati, the deal unites Marquez with the only man ever to beat him in the championship chase and brings together the winner of every MotoGP crown since Casey Stoner took the title back in 2011. The news came as a huge surprise to the paddock after weeks of rumour and speculation linking Lorenzo to a satellite Yamaha team run by Malaysian oil giant Petronas. It had seemed like a…

‘It’s been a hard week and I wanted to do something for Dan in that race’ Michael Dunlop got his 2018 TT off to a perfect start with a commanding win in the opening Superbike TT. The win saw his tally increase to 16 wins and it he dedicated it to his Tyco BMW team-mate, Dan Kneen who was fatally injured in a crash during practice for this year’s event. “It’s been a hard week and I wanted to do something for Dan in that race,” explained Dunlop. “None of us can say or do anything that will make it any better but that win is for the family and that’s all I can say.” Dunlop inherited the lead of the opening big bike six-lapper after early leader Dean Harrison…

It wasn’t the TT comeback John McGuinness was hoping for, but in front a full house he at least got to complete a parade lap on the stunning Norton: and he wasn’t hanging about! Despite spending huge parts of the lap waving to the crowd, the most successful living TT rider set a 115mph lap. “Before Saturday I hadn’t ridden a bike for 386 days, since I came off at Primrose Hill at the North West 200. “So setting off down Bray Hill for my first ride on the Norton was a little daunting, but I absolutely loved it. “It was a special day to be back on a bike. Sticking the leathers on in the motorhome beforehand made me nervous. “I had the TT track to myself on the…

‘THERE’S NO CHOICE. WHEN DEAN’S FLYING YOU HAVE TO PUSH IF YOU’RE TO WIN’ Michael Dunlop made a return to the top step of the Supersport podium with a stunning performance that saw him annihilate his own five-year-old lap record en route to a 17th TT win in the opening Monster Energy Supersport race. Quick throughout practice, Dunlop was a clear favourite for the race but man-of-the-moment, Dean Harrison, was once again quick out of the blocks to lead at Glen Helen. But it wasn’t for long, with Dunlop taking charge at the end of lap one before a barnstorming second lap saw him shatter the lap record with a 129.197mph average speed. Prior to the race, the lap record of 128.666mph, set by Dunlop himself, had stood since the…

For most of the 150.92-mile race, Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison were in a class of their own, having built a 30-second lead over Peter Hickman and James Hillier battling for third. Confident in the gap they’d opened up, both Dunlop and Harrison rolled off on the final lap but Harrison was almost caught unawares when a rapid lap from Hickman, as he tried to claw back time lost to Hillier after a mistake in the pits, saw him cross the line just 0.2 seconds behind the runner-up position. “I knew James was right there but it was difficult as there were yellow flags on the Mountain as someone had crashed,” said Hickman. “It’s always difficult to judge how much to roll off. My last two boards said ‘Plus zero’…

‘I HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LEFT AND I WALKED AWAY WITH MY TT WIN. NOW I’VE GOT THE MONKEY OFF MY BACK HOPEFULLY WE CAN BAG A FEW MORE’ Peter Hickman finally got the monkey off his back to secure his maiden TT victory in a thrilling Superstock race that saw him come within three tenths of Dean Harrison’s outright lap record. The Smiths BMW rider didn’t make it easy for himself, running on at Braddan Bridge and losing almost 20 seconds on the opening lap. But he was a man on a mission when he rejoined: even with his off-track excursion, he hit a 132mph average from a standing start on that opening lap. By the time they came into the pits at the end of lap two Hickman was…

Michael Dunlop admits he struggled to keep with Hickman in the red-hot four lapper as he experienced more and more issues with his BMW S1000RR as the pace increased. The Ballymoney man struggled in practice aboard the MD Racing Carl Cox prepared machine, until finally setting the quickest lap of the week at 131mph on Saturday. But it wasn’t enough to satisfy Dunlop. “I knew it was going to be hot and heavy – the pace has been fast all week,” he said. “We weren’t a million miles away. We’ve been struggling a bit with the stock bike and haven’t done many laps on it. We were still struggling a bit in the race but I tried to put that to the back of my mind and up the pace.…

Prince William took the opportunity to comfort the family of Dan Kneen during his visit to the TT last Wednesday. The Duke of Cambridge, who was there to watch the Lightweight, Supersport and TT Zero races, as well as visit the Joey Dunlop foundation took the time to speak Dan’s loved ones, including father Richard and Dan’s partner Leanne. After the meeting, Richard said on Facebook: “Yesterday we met Prince William. He had asked to speak to us in private, he spoke to all of us one at a time and wanted to hear about Dan. He was genuinely interested about when Dan first got involved with bikes and what he had achieved in his racing career. He was enthusiastic to see the TT continue.” Thirty-year-old Dan was killed in…

Inventor Kevin Riggs built this caravan for his Kawasaki 1400GTR and says every time he takes it on the road he’s treated like a celebrity. “Cars pass on dual-carriageways and slow down alongside,” says the 55-year-old engineer. “You look across and everyone in the car is videoing and smiling. It’s the same at bike meets. I took it to Paignton and was getting more attention than £100,000 bikes!” Riggs was inspired to build it after hearing about tiny caravans made by Swift years ago. “They made 10 as display pieces and were sold through Harrods, but I wanted to make one for a bike – so I did!” ‘At Paignton I got more attention than £100,000 bikes’ CARAVAN BUILDER KEVIN RIGGS “I spent a very long time working out the…

‘While it’s lighthearted it’s also a real challenge’ ORGANISER JOHN McAVOY ‘It’s something that sums up the #ride5000 ethos’ MCN SENIOR EDITOR MATT WILDEE A group of 17 madcap bikers are set to ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats next Wednesday in a bid to raise £100,000 for Cancer Research. The Longest Day Down charity run challenges riders to ride the length of the Great Britain in 24 hours, without using motorways, on bikes worth less than £300. Riders set off from Land’s End at sunrise on the longest day of the year with the aim to be at John O’Groats before sunrise the following day. The route is over 900 miles. Now in its sixth year, the run has raised over £90,000 and is due to top…

‘Josh loves the speed and the wind on his face’ Crusading mother Sarah Duane has gone to huge lengths to keep her bike-mad disabled son Josh riding despite his congenital muscular dystrophy. Sarah said: “It is stripping him of all his skills both cognitively and physically. I am all about fighting for a cure and making memories for him. “Josh still toddles about but has lost facial muscle strength and speech. However, he continues to love motorcycles and I have managed to problem-solve the seating, helmet and harness difficulties so he can still ride safely with me on our specially-adapted Kawasaki trike.” Sarah says being on the trike is therapeutic for the seven-year-old. “He loves the speed and the sensation of the wind on his face. His sight is poor,…

‘Understanding the structure is key to using carbon’ BMW’S KARL SCHALLER 1 Machined mould BMW first create a mould of and HP4 wheel, machined from steel to form the inverse shape of the complete wheel 2 Knitted carbon A machine (sometimes known as the Stargate) knits the carbon into a sock for construction of the wheel and spokes 3 Resin injection The sock in placed inside the mould and injected with resin. Any metal components go in before the resin 4 Forming the shape The bladder is inflated (or the foam expands) to force the sock against the mould, forming the shape 5 Heat cycles The mould is then heated to cure the resin, giving the component the required rigidity Last April we highlighted BMW’s carbon-fibre reinforced plastic swingarm.…

First time over the Mountain Course “I’ve just got back from the TT and my first time over the Mountain. It was a long, wait but well worth it. It was great: not too busy, the sun was out and with clear visibility. So, went I for it, and made sure I was checked my mirrors as much as possible!” Lucy Biswell Adam Child and the MCN bear do the Zero TT “This the MCN #ride5000miles bear watching MCN’s Adam Child race in the TT Zero coming into Hilberry. He did a great job.” David Smith We all got to meet the great Agostini! “Me and the family bumped into Giacomo Agostini at the BikeShed. He played with my kids and gave them each a soft drink!” Luke Walsh “With…

TRIUMPH 3TA This was 1965 and I was working as a GPO telegram boy. Peter Daley KAWASAKI KMH125 Flying high on my KMH125. I loved that thing. At 56 I’m still riding although I’ve grown into a BMW S1000RR. Daniel Tetley YAMAHA RD350 I’ll never forget my 350YPVS, pictured here outside my mate’s house in early 1992. I loved it. Steve Gorrie PUCH MAGNUMX Growing up on the Malvern Hills made for a very special childhood. Here’s a seven-year-old me rocking the Puch MagnumX in 1980. Nik Taylor HONDA 400/4 My first race meeting at Cadwell Park in March 1978. I fell off in the second race and broke my hand and the bike! Peter Steere SUZUKI 80 Me age 16 in 1964 on my first bike: a Suzuki 80.…

They don’t come any more British than King Dick Tools, or to give the firm its full and less commonly used name, Abingdon King Dick Tools. The last remaining UK manufacturer of spanners and sockets, they’re British right down to the company logo: a bulldog adopted in tribute to the owner’s show-winning hound from the turn of the 20th century. King Dick goes even further back than that, having first been established in 1856 under the name of Abingdon Engineering. That’s quite some heritage. Queen Victoria was a mere 19 years into her reign and the first motorcycles were still nearly four decades away. The firm has a global reputation for professional tools. Every single one is built to the tightest of tolerances at King Dick’s works in Coleshill, Birmingham.…

Steve McQueen’s love of motorcycles is well known but how good was he at actually riding them? It’s one thing to own a huge collection of bikes but quite another to be able to get the best out of them. So was McQueen just a rich actor who could afford to indulge his passion for collecting motorcycles or was he the real deal? Born in Indiana in 1930, McQueen’s love affair with bikes was a fiery one right from the start. Moving to New York to study acting in 1952, he bought his first bike, a 1946 Indian Chief complete with sidecar, and soon found he had a choice to make. “It was my first bike and I loved it but I was going with a girl who began to…

THE STUDENT Paul Spellman, 60, Middlesbro’ Paul’s been riding since 2002, and covers on average 12,000 miles per year. He has completed ROSPA advanced training. Paul’s riding problem “I tend to be in too high a gear for the corner, and that sometimes means I run a bit wide, or have to change gear or brake mid-corner.” THE TUTOR Mark Edwards, Rapid Training A police motorcyclist for 18 years, Mark has been training people to be faster, safer, better riders on the road for 20 years. Mark’s action plan “I’ll give Paul a system to follow so that he can assess each corner and plan his entry gear to prevent unsettling mid-corner inputs.” THE LESSON 1 What goes up, must come down Paul does a lot of touring riding, and…

‘Initially I didn’t think bikes were for me. I got all tense and just couldn’t relax when I rode,” said MCN reader Jacki Kennedy. “However that was years ago when I was in my 20s. In 2006, I saw bikers riding around my local area and thought ‘that looks like fun on a sunny day’ so with the help and encouragement of a few friends, I decided to take my test.” It may seem odd that riding a bike in her youth in Hawaii wasn’t for her where nowadays in the UK it is, but Jacki is certainly glad she has taken the plunge and gained her full bike licence. “I started off on a Honda Varadero 125 and then in 2007 passed my full test,” she told MCN. “After…

‘I’m confident I can fight for the podium at Laguna’ There was finally light at the end of the tunnel for Eugene Laverty and his Milwaukee Aprilia team after making a return to the front of the series at Brno. Early season expectation had turned to despair due to technical issues and injury, but after a rousing performance in the Czech Republic the Irishman is now confident of launching the RSV4 into rostrum contention next time out at Laguna Seca. His 2018 season began with a series of unfortunate events, firstly a setup error followed by a crash out of the lead in Australia. In Thailand, Laverty was covered in fuel from the overflow bottle in one race, while in the other a front tyre issue caused the crash which…

Despite podiums for Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies at Brno, Ducati continue to be on the back foot, with their early season race winning pace all but a distant memory. Melandri managed second on Saturday but threw away the chance of a Sunday win through an unforced error at Turn 3. Davies was eighth in Race 1 but bounced back to third in Race 2. Davies said: “In Race 1 the grip went away so quickly. It was like riding on ice. For Race 2 the bike was more rideable and didn’t drop off at the end. Thank you to the team because we were up late on Saturday and some harsh words were said. We have struggled for grip all season and it’s something we need to get on…

‘I FEEL THE SUB-17 LAP IS COMING TO ME. MY PACE IS IMPROVING EVERY TIME I GET ON THE BIKE’ Conor Cummins returned to the Superbike TT podium for the first time in four years when he finished runner-up to Michael Dunlop in the Superbike race on the Padgett’s Honda. The Batley-based squad worked throughout Friday night to build the 32-year-old a new engine for his 2018-spec Fireblade ahead of Saturday’s race. “The pace has been red-hot this year but I’m settling into the new Fireblade,” he said. The Ramsey rider established himself in third place on lap one, steadily building a 21-second gap between himself and James Hillier on the Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki ZX10RR before Harrison’s retirement elevated both men up the final race order. His fastest…

Having spent most of his week working on his 1000cc Superbike and Superstock machines, Dean Harrison was surprised to have been able to challenge Dunlop in the opening Supersport race. The Yorkshireman seemed bemused that he and the Ulsterman had been in a class of their own during the race, pulling almost a 30 second lead over the battle for third until Hickman upped the ante on the final lap. “I didn’t think I’d have the pace on the 600,” Harrison admitted afterwards. “I’m much more comfortable on the big bikes if I’m honest. I did not expect to be doing 128mph on the 600. We changed the engine the night before the race, something we hadn’t tried before and it seemed to do the trick. I got off to…

While Hickman was near outright lap record pace on his Superstock bike, Dean Harrison was unable to replicate his blistering Superbike pace on the more standard machine. His Silicone Engineering team were unable to resolve a chatter issue that had emerged during practice. But despite that, the Bradford-man was still able to lead the race early on. “I’m really strong off the start. I’m like a scalded cat out of the gate,” Harrison told MCN. “I can get away and set a good lap time on the opening lap and then I started to look at chipping away but they started to reel me in. I was struggling with the front suspension a bit. I had a bit of a chatter problem in practice and we tried to dial it…

‘128MPH FROM A STANDING START ON THESE BIKES AND 129 ON A FLYER IS JUST AMAZING’ After disappointment in the opening three events of TT 2018 race week, Dean Harrison finally got the win he wanted in Wednesday’s second Supersport race. The Silicone Kawasaki rider smashed the race record as he blitzed the field to win by a huge 18.6 second margin from Peter Hickman and James Hillier. “I’m over the moon,” the 29-year-old smiled. “We have been trying all week and finally it paid off and we got the win we came to get.” Harrison’s cause was helped when Michael Dunlop, the winner of the first 600cc encounter, incurred a 30-second penalty for speeding on his MD Racing Honda as he left Gasoline Alley following the pitstop. But Dunlop…