Table of contents for 8 July 2020 in MCN

Ninety. Thousand. Pounds. For a motorcycle. And not even a unique one, at that. My first house only cost £60k. But I’m not really complaining. If I had a spare £90k rubbing a hole in the sofa upholstery, I’d lob it at my nearest Ducati dealer. I don’t, though. And while that’s a shame, I also won’t spare it a second Lottery-win-would-be-nice thought. What tickles my wallet more are the bikes in our 750s used guide this week (p52). I get a real kick out of getting a lot of bike for not a lot of cash. Sunny Sundays on quiet B-roads were made for bikes like these: Bikes that haven’t broken the bank, or come with mortgage-size repayment plans. Bikes that don’t require Fort Knox to get insurance, and…

A wave of new manufacturer incentives, including up to £2400 off flagship KTMs, is helping fuel a boom in bike sales following the easing of lockdown, say dealers. At the peak of the Covid-19 crisis, with biking banned and dealers closed, sales plummeted. April saw an 83.5% drop in sales compared to the same month in 2019 and while May bounced back a little, new bike sales were still 50.4% behind the previous year. But now, with bikes allowed out again in England, dealers back open (albeit with certain restrictions), buyers turning to new two-wheelers either in place of cancelled holidays or for commuting, and a raft of new incentives such as KTM’s new ‘Summer Power Deals’, businesses say sales are bouncing back. “We’ve been very busy,” James Metcalfe from…

Back in 1998, biking couple, David and Angela McInnes, were two-wheel mad – spending their free time exploring the local roads aboard David’s gleaming Suzuki GSX-R750. Riding regularly as a duo, their two-up adventures were cut short a couple of years later, as their children began to get older and the Suzuki was sold. David eventually got back into road bikes a couple of years ago after joining the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club and purchasing a Suzuki TL1000R. And now the pair have enjoyed their first trip together in over 20 years, heading out towards Rutland Water between the rain bursts aboard David’s ZX-9R. “I thought it would be really lovely for just me and her to jump on the bike and go out together,” David explained. “Sunday really reignited…

BMW have joined the growing list of bike manufacturers working to release a radar-guided cruise control function. Following Ducati’s news over a year ago that they were working on the technology, and spyshots showing a similar system used by KTM and BMW themselves, the brand have released details of how their system will work. Keep your distance The Active Cruise Control (ACC) system has been developed with Bosch and will allow the rider to set not only a cruising speed but also a distance from the vehicle ahead, which is detected using a radar sensor at the front of the bike. The radar unit uses this information, plus yaw rate and current vehicle speed to calculate the likely path the motorcycle will take in the next 100m and then, if…

E-scoot plan is risky It seems that trials will start at the end of August allowing electric scooters with a speed restriction of 15mph. Those conducting the trials must either hold a full or provisional licence and wear a helmet. These, however, will not be a requirement when they become available for rental to the general public! They will not be allowed to ride them on pavements, only in cycle lanes and on public roads but an article in The Times, dated June 30, says: “Experience has shown that e-scooters may attract users who have consumed alcohol or drugs. This has been a problem with clubbers in Berlin.” Now is the time to insist that riders must be insured, wear helmets and fully understand the Highway Code. Paul Mitchell, email…

SUZUKI GT185 My mum showing off my GT185 and the Honda Seeley 750 which I won on the MCN Spot the Ball in 1975. Steve Riley DERBI MOPED Riding my Derbi moped in the 80s while living in Spain. Geoff Dunne SUZUKI AP50 My first bike was this Suzuki AP50 which was bought new in 1976 (I was 16). Just £220 on the road. How I wish I’d never sold it. Stephen Spencer HONDA C70 CUB The only bike I’ve been able to wheelie properly. Double denim and a peaked helmet were OK in 1985, right? Phil Shepperd HONDA CB125 TWIN My pride and joy CB 125 Honda Twin in 1982. I now ride a Triumph Tiger 1050 which has just a bit more power about it. Peter Liptrot SUZUKI…

First idol: Maurice Tate “North Yorks farmer Ronnie Tate, his brother Maurice and haulage man Dickie Preston (‘Prestons of Potto’!) had a swashbuckling glamour.” Dave Bickers “Founded ‘Bickers Action’ who do stunts for James Bond movies!” Hakan Carlqvist “The Swede won the 1983 500 MX title. on his antiquated YZ490. US legend Ricky ‘Too Hip’ Johnson “All-action all-rounder and style icon of the 1980s. Revered by Josh Brookes whose Rich Art helmet designs always pay homage to the ‘Bad Boy.’” ‘Nearly man’ Nori Haga “The Samurai of Slide was wicked rider to watch and a one-off.” James Toseland “Not only a double WSB champion but also a wonderful pianist.”…

•‘I really wasn’t sure what I should be doing. I just sort of did it’ Most of us learn slowly, gradually accumulating riding skills over the decades until we don’t crash much and can usually keep up. But Rowan Elliott was in a hurry. He didn’t want to spend years becoming adequate, he wanted to be a genuinely superb road rider by the end of the summer. By chance, Rowan bumped into Brian Glover-Smith, an ex-traffic cop working for Rapid Training who was designing a new kind of course that he reckoned wouldn’t just improve someone’s riding, but utterly transform it. “I wanted to build a professional-standard course that could take someone from being an average rider to being exceptional, as good as they could possibly be,” says Brian. “Rowan…

•‘I’m having the time of my life between the trees’ Dense walls of pine and spruce blur past on both sides. Masses of heather and bracken spill out from the edges of the track. The air tastes dense, fresh, crisp and invigorating. If the idea of switching off from the hustle and bustle of the modern world and getting back to nature sounds good, Sweden is the perfect retreat. Off-roading through lush, fragrant Scandinavian forests might sound far-flung, exotic and alien, but anyone can do it. This morning I was asleep in my own bed back in Lincolnshire. A two-hour flight later I was in Gothenburg. After lunch, I climbed on a Yamaha XT660R hire bike. Now I’m having the time of my life just trying to keep it pointing…

THE STUDENT Andy Gardner, Cambs Paramedic Andy returned to biking after a 12-year break, and now rides his Versys 650 to work as well as on fun rides with friends. Andy’s riding problem ‘I went over the bars of my push-bike as a kid so I’m wary of using the front brake and as such I do most of my braking with the rear.’ THE TUTOR Mark Edwards, Rapid Training Former police motorcyclist with the Met, Mark’s been teaching people to be faster, better, safer road riders for over 20 years. Mark’s action plan ‘Proper use of both brakes will maximise your stopping distances and could make all the difference in an emergency situation.’ THE LESSON 1 Braking the habit On an assessment ride Mark noted that Andy was…

What we said then… Whether you’re new to bikes or have been around since the original Bonnie, the Street Twin is easy to ride, fun, involving and all-day comfy. Every twist of the throttle pummels you with nostalgia and those twin upswept exhausts make all the right Cool Britannia noises. The Street Twin has its classic looks, but stops, goes and handles as well as any modern-day roadster and you can use the Triumph for just about anything from Sunday blasts to trips to the coffee shop. Stick on a fly screen, panniers and tank bag and you could even go touring. And tucked away out of view, bringing the Bonnie into the modern age, are traction control, ABS, ride-by-wire, a digital dash and a USB port. The Street Twin…

Write a list of iconic bikes and see just how many 750s appear. Norton Commando, Honda CB750, Suzuki GSX-R, Ducati 750 F1, Honda RC30... and notice how they’re all at the sporty end of the spectrum. It could be that 750cc is the ideal sportsbike displacement. Nobody makes a 750 anymore, of course – but popularity from the mid-1980s to early 2000s means a huge selection of three-quarter-litre gems for not very much cash. YAMAHA YZF750 749cc |223kg |115bhp |795mm seat height • Dealer up to £5000 • Private up to £4000 • This one 1993, 24,000 miles The 750 golden era was the first half of the 90s, and Yam’s YZF is the best of its time. When launched this was the peak of sportsbike design, with suspension quality,…

1 Get the knowledge and the gear First read the instructions. Although most ground anchors are similar in terms of design and installation, each will have their own unique considerations. Next, check you have the right tools. Most regular DIY drills will not be powerful enough to spin their way into concrete, so it will be worth hiring a heavy-duty SDS item and the correct size bits. 2 Check the chain Once you have chosen the location that best suits your needs, run the chain through the anchor and bike as if it was fixed in place. You are checking that your chain is long enough to reach the bike and also that it isn’t too chunky to fit through the anchor. To make it harder for criminals…

Much-loved events such as the Brighton Speed Trials and Ace Café Burn Up could be in trouble if plans to ban motor vehicles from the seafront Madeira Drive get the go-ahead. The road was temporarily closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic to allow more space for walking, cycling and jogging but the closure could now become permanent pending a review by Brighton & Hove City Council. The news has sparked petitions both for and against. At the time of writing, the petition for permanent closure has 2672 signatures, while one for reopening has 5924. The Brighton Speed Trials date back to 1905 when the stretch of road along the sea wall had been freshly tarmac’d for the first time. But now the future of the 115-year-old event run by…

Used motorcycle sales are booming as bikers emerge from the lockdown, eager to make the most of the great weather or simply to get from A to B without using public transport. Paul Coulter, Marketing Director at SuperBike Factory, the UK’s largest used retailer, said: “Trade has more than bounced back in the last few weeks. We’re doing extremely well, it’s very, very strong. “Since showrooms have been allowed o open we’ve had a release of pent-up demand coupled with good weather and I also think there’s a demand for bikes which is new this year purely because of the coronavirus – people not wanting to commute on trains or buses or the underground… “I think the main thing is the good weather, the clear roads and people wanting to…

A group of 25 students from the University of Warwick are gunning for podium success in the 2022 Isle of Man TT Zero with their new Warwick Moto Aurora electric superbike. Set to be piloted by road racer, Tom Weeden, the Aurora is based on an RR8-model Honda Fireblade, but the 175bhp, 999cc four-cylinder engine has been replaced by an oil-cooled 17kWh battery and an electric powertrain producing a claimed 201.2bhp and an incredible 295.2lb.ft of torque. Alongside the electric motor, the 260kg superbike also gets a new carbon fibre subframe and repositioned radiator to maximise cooling. School of Engineering student, Aman Surana, who is managing the Warwick Moto team, said: “We have tried our best to design a bike that is performance oriented but is also a learning platform…

•‘We had a ball, but there were a few sticky situations’ Sundays on the sofa watching BSB wouldn’t be the same without Jack Burnicle. Sitting in the booth alongside James Whitham, Jack’s been commentating on the British championship for over a decade, and before that applied his enthused commentary to Eurosport’s coverage of WSB in the Foggy and Frankie Chili era. So it’s probably some surprise that Jack’s first biking love was scrambling and his initial foray into media was taking photos of bikes rather than talking about them, and also working as a designer on magazines ranging from Vogue to The Sunday Times. “I never set out to be a commentator in BSB,” he says today in his familiarly warm, northeastern lilt. “Good lord that didn’t happen until 2007!”…

You’d expect something costing £90k to be on the special side. And the 2020 Superleggera certainly gets all the bells and whistles… It is, for starters, the world’s only homologated bike with a carbon chassis. Its dry weight is just 159kg, a mighty 15kg saving over the V4 S Panigale. Those biplane wings create more downforce than Ducati’s GP20 MotoGP bike, while its quoted power with its Akrapovic race exhaust installed is 234bhp. And, yet, with the road-legal exhaust supplied alongside the race system fitted, you can ride it to the shops without the law so much as batting an eyelid, if you’re behaving. 1 Lighter than an MT-03 The carbon chassis saves 1.2kg over the standard 175kg Panigale V4. Carbon wheels account for another 3.4kg saving while a carbon…

Who are Rapid Training? Rapid Training are one of Britain’s most respected advanced training companies. Every coach is trained to police class one standard and all MCN’s road testers and riders are regularly assessed and trained by Rapid. Details about the courses and their ethos are at: www.rapidtraining.co.uk What is Bikemaster? It’s an 11-day course split into three levels: Level One is three days on the road and costs £795. Levels Two and Three are three days on the road plus one day on track, each costing £1195. All coaching is one-to-one apart from on track when it is one-to-two. It’ll change your riding forever.…

1. VISION ON Being aware of your surroundings at all times makes it less likely that you will have to perform emergency braking. 2. GO STEADY Even in an emergency, try to apply the brakes progressively. Grabbing a handful of will cause the suspension to dive. 3. THREE STEPS It’s a three-step process: initial take up of the lever; firmer application as weight is transferred; then bring in the rear. 4. GET A GRIP Gradual application of the front brake causes the weight of the bike to deform the front tyre, increasing the contact patch. 5. MORE FEEL It can be easy to lock the rear wheel on non-ABS bikes, so practise getting the balance and pressure right. 6. RELAX Whilst braking hard, keep your head up, arms as relaxed…

BMW’s GS is popular for its ability to mile-munch and the owner of this 2009 R1200GS, Sebastien Talar, had put 20,000 miles on his bike in three years. “I use it 365 days a year and it never missed a beat, but one day it just stopped with an electrical failure,” he said. “When we started to test the electrics, I thought it was possessed and I’d have to bring a vicar in for an exorcism” ‘It would try to start then show a flat battery’ Ian Joyce, owner of Bike Motor Works near Grendon, Northants, was called in to help. The ex-BMW workshop manager told us: “It would power up the dash, go blank, try to start, then show flat battery signs. It was crazy.” With CANbus systems, it’s…

Andrea Dovizioso remains on target to be fit for the opening rounds of the new-look MotoGP season at Jerez on July 19 after breaking his collarbone last week. The factory Ducati rider, who has finished second in the championship standings for the last three years, sustained the injury whilst competing in a motocross event and his decision to be racing off-road this close to the season has split opinion within the paddock. The injury has only ramped up his tense negotiations with Ducati for the renewal of his contact at the end of the 2020 season. Ducati’s have proposed a cut in Dovizioso’s wages, a notion that the 34-year-old is currently refusing to accept.…

CM have started production on their new Spitfire Six, a 300-unit naked promising more personalisation than any model to come before it. Each machine from the Bolton-based operation will be individually numbered, with buyers able to select from varying trim levels, colours, suspension and performance upgrades to truly make it their own. Starting at £9995 and producing 55bhp as standard, the bike makes use of the same 600cc single-cylinder engine and tig-welded trellis frame found on all current Spitfires, however the subframe has been altered to mirror that of the Spitfire Bobber – sitting lower and slimmer to appeal to a wider range of rider sizes. Outside of this, would-be owners then have the opportunity to make their bike unique. Starting with the tank, customers can choose between four standard…

Ducati’s 1260S GT Multistrada could be the final swansong for the big-selling model before the V4 Multi arrives in 2021. The imposing 1200 and then the bigger 1260 have been combining sportsbike power and cutting-edge rider aids in a do-it-all package for 10 years and they’ve never been cheap. But if you haven’t got £19,000 for the 2020 model, there are plenty of options out there, starting from as little as £6000. 2020 1260S GT What is it? High-spec tourer sits at the top of the Multi family tree and is the pinnacle of touring excellence. MCN says “This special version of the 1260S is geared for maximum rider comfort, with a centrestand, panniers and a dedicated seat all fitted as standard.” Want to buy one? £19,041, £3800 deposit,…

Police in Corby, Northamptonshire, are taking the bold step of crushing confiscated bikes and using the resultant cube of metal as a warning to those who continue to ride illegally. The area has seen a spike in the dangerous use of pit bikes, mopeds and motocross machines in public spaces during lockdown and it is hoped this new tactic will help to curb the practice. “It’s important to make it clear that the bikes we’re crushing aren’t the motorcycles of law-abiding riders,” said Superintendent Kev Mulligan from Northamptonshire Police. “These are not bikers, there’s a difference. These are people, primarily youngsters but not exclusively, who are riding on unroadworthy bikes 99% of the time that are either stolen or so dangerous that it beggars belief. “Our obligation when policing this…

Everybody has a favourite story about Joey and I think it’s special that after all these years we still talk about him. And because it’s his 20th anniversary there’s been different pictures of him surfacing, like I saw on Twitter a shot of him on a three-cylinder 500 when he rode as a wild card with Wayne Gardner behind him. Joey did so much stuff like the mercy missions to deprived countries where there wasn’t a motorbike in sight. His attitude to life and racing was so far away from where we are today ‘HE TOLD ME THE ONLY THING GLOVES DID WAS KEEP FLIES OFF’ For example, he was never driven by money even though ultimately he could have just named his price because he was the star attraction.…

We’ve teamed up with Rapid to offer one lucky reader the chance to have a free one-to-one ‘Bespoke Coaching Session’, with a Rapid Pro Coach. It’s a great way to combat skill fade and fine-tune certain aspects of your riding technique. It’s also a useful stepping stone for those riders considering a full Rapid Roadmaster or Bikemaster programme. Now you have a chance to win one of these fantastic coaching sessions, for free! To enter simply visit rapidtraining.co.uk/ mcn-bespoke. Just be sure to get it done before midnight, July 31, 2020. Competition T&Cs: This prize draw is promoted by Rapid Training and is open to UK residents aged 18 and over, holding a minimum of a valid UK A2 class motorcycle licence or international equivalent. The prize consists of one…

•‘When your knee started getting hot you needed more tape!’ It’s nearly 50 years since the Dallas International Motor Speedway in Texas fell silent. Bankrupt and bulldozed after just four years in existence, one of its final acts was to host an AMA Lightweight race that would change forever how motorcycles were ridden and raced. And one rebellious 21-year-old’s escapades on that last weekend of March, 1973, would lead to the creation of a must-have accessory for any trackday wannabe – the kneeslider. Kenny Roberts was a maverick way before he took Grand Prix racing by storm in 1978, but how did he become the pioneer of the slider? “It all started at the last race of ’72 at the Ontario Motor Speedway. There was a horseshoe right-hander and each…

Tommy Bridewell has one goal and one goal only this season – and that’s to become British Superbike champion. The Oxford Products Ducati rider had his best year yet in 2019 taking a win, 18 podiums, and finishing third overall and is more determined than ever to reach the top. MCN caught up with Bridewell at the team’s launch at the Oxford Products HQ in Witney. The Ducati V4 came in and dominated last year. What makes it so strong? Ducati manufactured and built a phenomenal package. The engine is strong, the chassis is strong, the aerodynamics are strong. They’ve not done anything any different to what other manufacturers would probably have liked to have done but didn’t think of soon enough. It dominated yes, but I’d argue that, in…

When the first GSX-RR arrived in 2015 it stunned riders – some said the bike steered like a 250, which is the ultimate compliment – and it is still the best-balanced bike on the grid. That’s why Suzuki engineers have always gently chipped away at the design, changing the bike millimetre by millimetre. The inline-four GSX-RR will never have more power than the Honda and Ducati V4s, so it needs to overcome its speed deficit in other ways. The all-new aluminium frame – which replaces the carbon-fibre reinforced frames used since 2017 – was built with a different stiffness/rigidity philosophy to offer better turning and improved braking stability. And improved braking stability helps regain time lost on the straights. In fact the GSX-RR should’ve been battling for the title for…

•‘What Ducati need is a rider committed to taking the title’ Andrea Dovizioso and Ducati remain locked in tense negotiations for 2021 and beyond. And this, combined with the perceived lack of confidence of Gigi Dall’Igna in the Italian rider, means that Ducati’s door has been left ajar for Jorge Lorenzo to return to the team he rode and won for two seasons ago. For his part, the Spanish rider remains hesitant. His motivation for any return would be to erase the disappointment with which he left the World Championship last year. And he remains absolutely convinced that he is still competitive. Meanwhile, at Ducati there are those who are in favour of re-signing the 33-year-old, while others regard any such move as not only risky, but foolish. It’s true…

News that Pol Espargaro will ride alongside Marc Marquez in the Repsol Honda team in 2021 has brought a fascinating change of dynamic to the 2021 silly season. As MCN went to press no official announcement had been made by Honda, the timing of this all depends on when current employers KTM give Espargaro the green light to announce his move to the dominant Japanese manufacturer. The move itself caught everyone by surprise, apparently including Marc Marquez himself. The arrival of the younger of the Espargaro brothers automatically means the exit of his own little brother Alex, himself a controversial signing by HRC at the end of last season. It means that without having raced a single GP as a MotoGP rider, Alex has been dismissed by the squad. It’s…