Table of contents for October 31st 2018 in MCN

One of the bikes salvaged from the wreck of the Napoli freighter that sunk off Brandscombe beach back in 2007 has surfaced in Austria and it’s been turned into an arty display. The BMW G650X was ‘rescued’ amid chaotic scenes as salvage hunters tried to grab items washed up on the beach and it has now been bought by Austrian artist Christian Kosmas Mayer, mounted on a concrete plinth, put into a glass case, dubbed ‘Cycles Galore’ and put on the banks of the River Danube in Austria.…

Want the best seat in the house at next year’s Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle Show? Of course you do! VIP paddock passes have just gone on sale and include a guaranteed seat to watch the live action Michelin Thunderdrome show, access to the paddock bar area, a chance to meet your biking heroes (including Wayne Gardner, Neil Hodgson and John McGuinness) plus general show admission; all for just £40 per adult or £30 for kids 15 and under. ‘Seat, bar access anda chance to meet yourbikingheroes’ For standard entry tickets there’s a limited-time-only early bird offer of £30 for two adults. That’s a saving of £6 over on-the-gate prices. The show takes place at the Excel Centre in London’s Docklands, February 15-17. Visit www.mcnmotorcycleshow.com for more information…

Reduced inertia Titanium valves are around 40% lighter and allow you to run more extreme camshaft profiles as well Special coatings Many valves use a chromium nitrite coating to reduce friction though others including Diamond Like Carbon are available. Forged construction Forging means the natural grain of the metal flows in the desired direction, increasing strength. In the relentless quest for power and efficiency, manufacturers pour a huge amount of time and money into chasing small improvements and when it comes to high-performance engines even incremental gains can be worthwhile. KTM’s 2019 Super Duke GT boasts a very modest horsepower boost over the machine it replaces; 2bhp thanks to new mapping, an intake resonator to boost midrange power and, probably most importantly of all, titanium valves. Titanium valves aren’t new…

Classified adverts, paid for by the word, make a virtue and a skill of brevity. You have to condense as much information into as few words as possible. That’s where the abbreviations ‘ono’ and ‘vgc’ came from. One word used where ‘or near offer’ and ‘very good condition’ were three. Now, with internet sales from forums or eBay, you can pack War and Peace andan entire photo album into a used bike ad. I get suspicious when I see a brief description and the words ‘call for more details’. Some seem to think, if they’ve got a slightly iffy bike to sell, this absolves them from their legal responsibilities. ‘Caveat emptor’ or ‘buyer beware’ still applies to most private advertisements, although anything that the seller says when you’re looking at…

Name Danny Sargeant Age 41 Height 6ft 1in How long have you been riding? Six years Occupation IT Manager Current bike BMW R1200GS 2016/17 First bike Harley Sportster (Iron) Dream bike R1250GS and Ducati V4. ‘For two very different reasons’ “The GS is a great all-rounder. I’ve used it as a commuter in and out of London for the past four years. The shaft drive means I can use it through winter without worrying about excessive maintenance. Just keep it clean, serviced and it takes care of itself. The power is enough to hold its own on track and I’ve taken mine around Silverstone and Oulton “Plus, it’s so comfortable. I’ve been across France and Belgium and the GS has never let me down. I occasionally take a pillion, too…

IN THE BEGINNING The first Ariel was a penny farthing with the patented, tensioned wire spoked wheels built in 1870. Ariel went on to produce cars then, in 1902, their first motorcycle. Under new ownership in the 1930s it went on to great success. GLORY DAYS The most famous Ariel is the Square Four. Designed by Edward Turner, it first appeared in 1931 and stayed in production until 1959 when the company switched to lightweights. AUTO REVIVAL Simon Saunders revived Ariel when he bought the name and renamed his Solocrest firm (founded 1991) in 1999. The first Ariel Atom lightweight performance car was produced in 2000. ACE MOTORCYCLE It wasn’t until 2014 that the revived Ariel announced their first motorcycle, the Honda 1237cc V4-powered Ace, available in a variety of…

Shane Byrne The rival… “Leon is a funny rival. He’s one of those people who you can get on really well with off the track, but on it he’s the last person you want to be battling with. He’s a tenacious little bugger, he’ll do anything to beat you. If he wants to find a way past he’ll find a way and he isn’t afraid of smashing into the side of you to make it happen.” Simon Green The crew chief… “I have never had a rider work a crew as hard as Leon does. If he has a good day, you’re still debriefing for well over 20 minutes. If he has a bad day, you’re still there two hours later with him still in his leathers. But you don’t…

I’ve been testing the Z900RS Café for over six months and I honestly thought the love affair may have started to dwindle by now, but it hasn’t. I’ve been using the bike as a long-distance commuter, weekend toy, unusual trackday bike and I’ve even raced the retro Zed at the inaugural Café Racer Cup at Lydden. There have been times when I’ve been tired, cold and wet, yet the Zed has never failed to make me smile. And, after more than six months on the big green retro, I still love the styling; its appeal and character haven’t diminished with familiarity. I still smile when I open the garage door and see the Zed staring back at me. I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s so good, the…

RATINGS POOR ★ AVERAGE ★★ GOOD ★★★ VERY GOOD ★★★★ EXCEPTIONAL ★★★★★ Triumph Brecon Jacket £495 Tested by Jordan Gibbons, six months, 1500 miles The Brecon jacket is one half of Triumph’s new Gore-Tex range (there’s also the heavier single-layer Malvern). The Brecon’s outer jacket is very light and has plenty of vents, straps plus a couple of pockets. It makes a perfect adventure bike jacket, especially for those destined off-road where you can quickly overheat. However it’s actually almost too breathable, especially on the arms, meaning you easily get cold on the open road. There’s Gore-Tex inside but it’s not just a liner, it’s a proper waterproof jacket in its own right, so you can wear it off the bike. There are matching trousers (£275) but they’re in the…

Tyres are expensive, especially the current best sports-touring tyres; Metzeler’s Roadtec 01 which will set you back around £260 a set for example. So I totally understand when I see riders who’ve fitted ex-race tyres, known as ‘scrubs’ that they’ve bought cheaply from a team. Fifty quid a pair for some treaded tyres that have only done ten laps of Donington definitely sounds like a bargain. And it is, if you want to do a trackday on them; just don’t expect them to work on a chilly Saturday blast on the B660. It’s nothing to do with the fact that there’s no tread on the shoulders; the compound simply won’t provide any mechanical grip at low working temperatures, unlike sports-touring rubber which will. If you want to enjoy your road…

Donington Park looks set to host a WSB round in 2019, despite fears that the long-standing round was under threat. Any chances of the British round moving to the new Lake Torrent circuit in Co Tyrone seem to be slipping away as the developer, Manna Developments, with whom Dorna signed a three-year-deal to host the series from 2019, went into receivership last week. However, while the British round was initially in doubt, MCN understands that bosses have agreed a new date with Donington Park at the start of July. South Africa’s Kyalami is set to make a welcome return to the 14-round calendar for the first time since 2010, while Jerez is another track making a comeback after a one-year absence with an early June date. Laguna Seca has been…

Who deserves what in racing? Some answers are obvious. Marquez deserves all the support and success he has. Rossi deserves adulation. And every one of them, every rider fast enough to even qualify for a GP, deserves our fullest respect. What Cal Crutchlow didn’t deserve was such bad ankle injuries that he will almost certainly lose out on his excellent fifth place in the championship and also that of top Independent Team rider. But deserving has nothing to do with it. What does determine one’s fate, in that awful moment after your tyres have let go of the tarmac and there’s that sound of the fairing skitter-scraping across the road, is blind luck. ‘Cal didn’t deserve such bad injuries’ In Cal’s case, very bad luck. Several other riders crashed at…

‘I just pushed and pushed until I was able to get clear of my rivals’ Maverick Viñales finally ended Yamaha’s 500-day win famine with a sizzling victory in the Australian GP at Phillip Island. But both he and teammate Valentino Rossi, who was sixth, claimed the success was not a sign that everything is rosy in the Yamaha camp. The Spaniard made the most of a high-speed crash between Marc Marquez and Johann Zarco halfway through the race and pulled away from the pack to leave the rest scrapping for second. Afterwards, having tasted the winner’s champagne for the first time in 18 months, Viñales was upbeat but still concerned that the track might have had just as much to do with his success as the major changes made to…

World champion Marc Marquez has also called for safety changes to be made at Phillip Island after a weekend of serious crashes. Keen to keep the nature of the dangerous but much-loved circuit, the Spaniard says it would only take a handful of modifications to improve things considerably. “When speed is high a small error becomes a big mistake. Organisers need to remove some of the grass. In some corners like turn two, asphalt run-off would give extra safety. Grass destroys bikes and injures riders because when you go into it you start to fly. We’ve already removed some from other circuits and need to remove it from here too.”…

As well as the XC, Triumph have produced an XE (E for extreme) variant of their new Scrambler 1200, which they say has been designed to be good on road, but even better off it. Most of the running gear is the same but it does have a few extra tricks up its sleeve. The most obvious being the suspension. The XE gets 50mm more travel from its gold-finished USD forks and twin shocks (both still from Showa and Öhlins respectively) plus a 32mm longer swingarm. Together these give far more potential to tackle the gnarly stuff while also calming the whole thing down at high speed. The only downside is that it raises the bike up to give an 870mm seat height, which could be intimidating for shorter riders.…

MCN’s riding gear expert Emma Franklin sniffs out great kit at the best prices SAVE15% Garmin Zumo 595LM £459.99 Range-topping Zumo features a glare-reducing, glove-friendly 5in touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, lifetime map updates and comes with bike/car mount. www.sportsbikeshop.com SAVE£60 HJC IS-17 Shapy Graphic lid £119.99 This high-spec polycarbonate shell lid which features a drop-down sun visor, removable lining and Pinlock MaxVision visor is available in four colourschemes. www.demon-tweeks.co.uk SAVE£40 Alpinestars Hyper Drystar WP jacket £179.99 This three-season sports-touring jacket is great for riders who want leather style but textile practicality. It has a Drystar waterproof/breathable membrane and CE armour. www.getgeared.co.uk SAVE£10 Rev It! Windcollar Karma WSP £22.99 This windproof neck tube with nose piece is perfect to keep the wind and moist air from your face and neck. The neck…

Electric bike specialists Zero Motorcycles have announced a range of tech upgrades for their dual-sport semi off-road bikes, giving them the kind or torque that shames petrol bikes. The entry-level Zero DS ZF7.2 boasts an impressive 35% more horsepower, now producing 46bhp and 78ftlb and has a higher top speed. The American firm have also increased the range of the Zero DS ZF14.4 by 10% thanks to an upgraded battery pack. This allows the 2019 DS to have a claimed range of 204 miles in the city and 97 miles on open roads. Finally, the Zero DSR, their top-of-the-range electric adventure bike which boasts an eye-opening 116ftlb of torque, has been fitted with a range of accessories, including a bigger screen, tank grips, handguards, and a 12v accessory socket. The…

Simply head online to MCN’s #ride5000miles Facebook page and vote for your favourite biking stop-off. Entice us with pictures of floury bacon baps and sizzling big breakfasts, or simply a brief eulogy as to why your nomination is the best biker café in Blighty. We’ll then visit one each week until we’ve sampled the 25 tastiest. At the end of the year we’ll reveal the five best cafés on tour, and open them up to a public vote before crowning the winner of MCN’s inaugural Golden Sausage Award. Nominate your top nosh-pit at Facebook.com/groups/ride5000miles, or via mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com…

Q Who has to pay for hospital’s bodge job? I had a crash just over a year ago and suffered a fairly nasty set of injuries to my left leg. The other side admitted liability early on and have been paying for treatment and have generally been fair up until recently. The issue is I was in for some treatment and the hospital botched up an operation and it looks like my recovery is now going to take longer as a result. The other side’s solicitors are saying they are not paying for the impact of the surgeon’s mistake and say any ongoing loss is not for them to compensate. Can you give me some tips to pass on to my solicitor as she seems a little confused about what…

It might be made in China and doesn’t follow in the footsteps of their sportier machines of old, but the Leoncino is still a true Benelli. OK, so the Italian firm have now shifted their focus to produce more affordable, modest everyday machines, but that’s no bad thing. This funky roadster is stylish, well built, easy to ride, fun, charming, characterful and refreshingly different. Of course, it’s built down to a price, but there are no signs of cost cutting despite a price that puts its Japanese and European competition in the shade. If you are after a stylish commuter that won’t break the bank, it could be for you. Tech spec What it costs £5199 On-the-road cash price £122.73 PCP per month x36 £161.78 Personal loan x36…

Ray Brassington spends his days exploring the beautiful scenery around his home town of Cirencester on his lovely new Yamaha Tracer 900GT. The sports-tourer is the perfect bike for his favourite 68-mile loop that takes in some of the most enjoyable roads in the Cotswolds. Ray said: “I love this scenic route; it mixes fast, smooth A-roads and quiet twisty B-roads. Part of this ride is known as Oxfordshire TT; the bit around Chipping Norton. My wife often rides pillion and we love to stop off at The Mill Coffee Shop in Chipping Nortonfor a spot of afternoon tea before heading home.” THE ROUTE 68 miles Top tea stop Twisties…

‘Don’tmention theB-word’ I’m loath to say the B-word, but like it or not Brexit is looming. While no-one really knows how it’ll affect us as a country (including the politicians it seems), showrooms have already felt the effect of this uncertainty with buyers less keen to spend cash, leading to a surplus of stock. In the case of a hard Brexit, the government will likely be concentrating on securing trade deals on important stuff (not that motorcycles aren’t important) such as pharmaceuticals, services and cars, meaning that in the short term prices of bikes and kit could very well increase. Go on a bargain hunt Now is the time to buy a new bike, not only to take advantage of dealers trying to clear showrooms and stockrooms of surplus bikes…

Microfibre cloth Ideal for safely cleaning lenses and Pinlock inserts, the many tiny fibres in this cloth work more effectively than regular cloths at picking up and trapping dirt. They’re also less likely to scratch surfaces. Prices start at a fiver. Multimeter This measures voltage, current and resistance, and is essential for checking your bike’s basic electrical functions. Prices start at £10. When testing battery voltage, set the dial to the 0-20v range. Tyre pressure gauge Analogue or digital, it’s up to you, although it’s handy to have a gauge that features a bleed function so you can let air out of an overinflated tyre easily. Premium chain lube Year-round riders should own two types of chain lube: dry lube for the summer months and a decent grease-based lube for…

Valentino Rossi says he’s hoping for an early Christmas present when MotoGP takes to the test track immediately after the final race in a month’s time at Valencia. He is hoping and praying that Yamaha will deliver a much-improved 2019 machine for the test that takes place immediately after the season finale on November 18. The Valencia test is the first of just two chances he and the Yamaha team have to try new things out before the winter testing ban kicks in. He’s desperate for a step-change in performance from the M1 before the two tests in February. He hope those tests will be more about fine-tuning. Rossi said: “I’ve pushed the engineers a lot and they say that we’ll have something significant at the test. I hope that…

The high drama that has typified the Moto3 title fight in 2018 continued at Phillip Island on Sunday. Contender Marco Bezzecchi was wiped out of Sunday’s race by Gabriel Rodrigo, leaving Jorge Martin to make hay and take a serious step towards taking the title. But he too became tangled up with other riders and could only finish fifth. However, Martin’s fifth place means he now has a 12-point lead over Bezzecchi. Before the race, the hard-charging pair were separated by a single point.…

THIS WEEK FRIDAY 2ND Ton Up Day, Ace Cafe, Stonebridge, London Entry 9am-5pm Info 020 8961 1000 or www.london.acecafe.com SATURDAY 3RD Firework Frenzy, Santa Pod Raceway, Podington, Northants Entry From 2pm, £25 per car. Info www.santapod.com SUNDAY 4TH Breakfast Rideout, Bike Stop, Stevenage, Herts Entry 10.30am, Rideout free Info www.bikestop.co.uk/eventsJoin for last one of the year. COMING SOON Squires Bonfire Night, Squires Cafe bar, Milford, Leeds, Yorks. www.squires-cafe.co.uk 10-11 Skegness Beach Race, Skegness, Lincs Info www.amca.uk.com 18 Newark Autojumble, Newark Showground Info www.newarkautojumble.co.uk 18-26 Motorcycle Live, NEC Birmingham Info www.motorcyclelive.co.uk 24 Squires Café Autojumble, Newthorpe, W Yorks Info www.elkpromotions.co.uk…

Suzuki’s British Superbike star Bradley Ray is one step closer to his full licence after completing his Module One test this week on an SV650. The BSB race-winner, who has just re-signed with Buildbase Suzuki, spent a day with Shires Motorcycle Training in Peterborough on a restricted SV650 practising for the first part of his test. Ray said: “I was more nervous waiting for my test to start than I was lining up at Brands Hatch for the last race of the season,” he said.…

The Metropolitan Police have issued a warning to those tempted to join Halloween rideouts. In recent years, they say, officers have responded to numerous events across London where large numbers of bikes have gathered with the intent to cause disruption and antisocial behaviour, many using stolen bikes. The Met say many are linked to the group UK Bike Life. “These groups have no consideration for other road users and put themselves and the public at risk,” said Louise Puddefoot. “We know some may see the event advertised and think they’re joining like-minded enthusiasts on a lawful ride. This is not the case. “Officers will be out across London throughout the Halloween period and will be dealing robustly with offenders and making arrests where appropriate.”…

Wahey, it’s new bike season. And that means we get to go along to the bike shows. Brilliant! At least that’s how the motorcycling industry would like us to think. Over the years, having attended most of the main UK shows several times, you might come to a somewhat less positive conclusion. Take the biggest bike show of the year in the UK; Motorcycle Live at the NEC, heavily trailed and covered in this very paper and seemingly a fabulous fix of biking wonderfulness in the midst of Winter. What could possibly be wrong with popping along for a couple of hours and drooling over new metal and lovely ladies clad in tight clothing? Well a few things, actually. Let me explain. First, Motorcycle Live is held at the NEC…

Reader Jim Williams The Ride Wales, England, France, Italy and Switzerland When to do it Spring to autumn Miles 2500 Time required Ten days Don’t miss this “Colle de Nivolet. About an hour west of Turin is an amazing, narrow road (SP 50) with incredible switchbacks. It's 30 miles and about 15 miles of it is really exciting riding. And it's not a through road so you have to come back down the same way. It featured in the Italian Job, the get-away scene with the coach hanging over the cliff.” WILD HAIRPINS The KTM could have been made for roads like these. It's thrilling and the views are amazing. MOUNTAIN VIEWS You can see these lakes from the Colle de Nivolet. It's astounding and is simply unmissable. TOP OF…

Can you imagine being in the BMW planning meeting. Subject: how do we improve the 1200GS? After all, it’s still winning group tests, it still tops the sales charts and it hasn’t exactly aged in recent years due to a star-studded cast of riding aids technology. After lots of head scratching, pretzels (possibly) and coffee they came up with an answer: more power. It’s no secret the GS was beginning to look a bit asthmatic compared to newer, more powerful competition; particularly the 160bhp KTM 1290 Super Adventure. And so to the next question: how do we extract yet more power from the boxer twin, an engine design that dates back to 1923 and has been evolved, developed, and generally coaxed back into the modern world more than any other…

Next year Haslam heads back to World Superbikes with one of his best ever shots at the world title as he joins the dominant factory Kawasaki squad. The only thing standing against him is his team-mate, four-time World Champion Jonathan Rea. “If you believe another racer is better than you, what’s the point in racing?” says Haslam. “I believe I can be world champion and next year I have a bike that is capable of achieving that goal. “Sure, Jonathan is riding the best he ever has, but I’m riding the best I’ve ever ridden and I’ve not had a chance to show that level on the world stage yet.” Haslam will test the new ZX-10RR alongside Rea for the first time in Aragon next month before round one at…

You have to feel a bit sorry for touring bikes these days. Unless you want a radio or a cup-holder, there isn’t much a tourer can do that an adventure bike can’t. And in the case of the Tiger, this is where it excels. First up, it’s supremely comfortable. The saddle is a posterior’s dream and the pillion seat attracts glowing reviews from all those who sit upon it (perhaps because they’ve turned the heated seat on in error). All the contact points are sensibly positioned and, like most big bikes these days, there are two saddle heights to choose from. It’s jam-packed with all the creature comforts you could ever need, including two power take-offs, heated seats, heated grips, a USB socket, cruise control and an electronically adjustable screen.…

Justin Hayzelden Yorkshire Yomp, 42 miles Leave Kirkby Stephen on the A65, hang a left onto the B625 to Nateby and fork left on the B6270 to Thwaite, climb up Buttertubs Pass in to Hawes. Head out on the B6255 through Chapel-le-Dale into Ingleton and then turn right along theA65 to the Devil’s Bridge snack bar at Kirkby Lonsadale. THE ROUTE Great views Famous location Fast sweepers Chris Hood Fridaythorpe Flyer, 44 miles From Fridaythorpe head east on the A166 and then turn left onto the B1251 to Sledmere. Head to Clowm on the B1253 and turn left to Luttons. At East Lutton take a right to Weaverthorpe and on to Foxholes. Then it’s left on the B1249 until the junction with the A64. The take a right to Staxton.…

“I knew that tight rights were bothering me. I didn’t really know why I was struggling, but I always felt less fluid and would always run wide on the exit of the junction. “Mark talked me through a system of approaching and working through the problem, and the big key change was setting my road position and angle at the junction. “As soon as Mark sorted out my approach angle it clicked immediately. It was so logical, but it’d just never occurred to me to position myself any differently to how I’ve been doing it for 30 years in the car. “It was a lightbulb moment, and I feel like it’s completely transformed my ride. I have loads of tight right-hand turns on my daily commute, so it should be…

Very few ten-year-old Gold Wings have remained standard as extravagant owners seem hellbent on adding a personal touch. Whether it’s murals on the panniers, more running lights than an artic, or speakers that would substitute for a sound system at the Notting Hill Carnival, there’s plenty of scope for riders to ‘express’ themselves. ‘He’d run out of connectors and just used tape’ But when Neil Sawbridge, of Doncaster Motorcycles, got a customer’s newly acquired 2008 Wing up on the ramp, he got a nasty shock (almost literally) when he found a mish-mash of multicoloured running lights. When the new owner got his bike home he found that some of the lights were behaving themselves, but others were flashing unpredictably and a couple of LED strips around the topbox were as…

‘When we had tobrake we were so close I touched hisrearwheel’ Johann Zarco rammed newly-crowned world champion Marc Marquez after a double slipstream from the Repsol Honda and Jack Miller’s Ducati meant the Frenchman simply could not avoid Marquez’s back wheel. However, despite falling at incredibly high speed, Zarco was able to limp away uninjured. He said: “When we had to brake for turn one we were so close and I touched his rear wheel, and when you do that at this speed then it’s dangerous but I’m physically OK. “As a rider, you need some time to get over something like that. I stayed on the floor for a few seconds just to check that I was still OK, because when you slide at that speed you feel that…

John McPhee ended Sunday’s Moto3 race a distant 14th, despite leading in the middle stages, after getting caught out in the final lap dash to the line. Sitting comfortably inside the top six and ready to make his move, the Scot blasted other riders for braking through Phillip Island’s flat out final corner in an attempt to negate the tow over the line. McPhee was forced to take evasive action and sit up, costing him the chance of his second podium place of the season.…