Table of contents for 29 July 2020 in MCN

It’s hard not to bang on about the racing, isn’t it? For starters, we were deprived for the first half of 2020, so we’re now all guilty of a gushing uncorking of pent-up excitement. But even more importantly – the return of MotoGP over the last two weekends has been genuinely extraordinary. The Jerez double-header could have been a processional race and repeat – but the drama-infested first round kind of made that look unlikely. Then events got even more surreal. When Marc Marquez cheekily smiled for the camera as he rocked-up at Jerez post arm surgery everyone on Earth who cared drew a collective gasp before uttering some version of ‘he’s not going to race – is he?’ Ok, so he didn’t, but what an heroic attempt. And that…

FAST FACTS 449cc single 39bhp & 31ft.lbs 820mm seat height 150kg (dry) £6599 OTR F antic have a brand-new limited-edition version of their Caballero Scrambler 500, which brings a number of practical updates along with some nice cosmetic tweaks. Called the Deluxe, it forgoes the classic Fantic racing red, in favour of a more toned-down urban chic. If you’re not familiar with the Caballero range, they come in a spread of sizes based on motors from typical off-road capacities; 125s, 250s and 450s (which they call a 500). The Deluxe is based on the Scrambler 500, which means it comes with the peppy 449cc single. In a world of 200bhp superbikes 39bhp might not seem like much go, but combined with short gearing and tight ratios, it delivers a spritely…

The Bonhams Summer Sale is nearly upon us and with a bumper auction full of exciting lots, there’s something to suit every budget. Right at the very top of the tree, is a unique Ducati that’s come to auction as part of the Morbidelli Museum collection. The 1965 125cc four-cylinder GP bike is famous because it was so complex and took so long to make, and was obsolete before it even hit the track. Designed by Fabio Taglioni, whose desmodromic valve action remains on Ducatis to this day, the 125cc four was meant to challenge the dominance of MV Agusta and the emerging threat from Japanese manufacturers. The bike was originally designed in 1958 but after Ducati withdrew from racing due to financial pressure, it wasn’t resurrected until their return…

Kawasaki’s ZX-6R is celebrating its silver jubilee this year, and you can ride the latest version at a series of special dealer demo days that will be criss-crossing the country until August 23. If you can’t make it to one of the events or your budget isn’t enough to bag one of the latest machines, there are 11 versions spanning 25 years, including RRs, the bigger 636s, and underseat exhaust models from as little as £1050. 2013 ZX-6R What is it? Capacity is back up to 636cc with power modes, traction control and optional ABS. You say “It’s my wife’s fault – she brought me a trackday, otherwise I would still be on a VFR.” clubcorner Watch out for Changing the oil filter can be messy. One we found…

The Met Police have released a new video montage of suspected bike criminals being knocked off stolen vehicles by officers using tactical contact. The video is intended to raise awareness of bike theft among the growing number of new moped and scooter owners who have ditched public transport in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Moped and scooter registrations were up over 40% for the month of June this year and the Met want to make sure that these new riders take the security of their new vehicle seriously by showing the situations that stolen mopeds and scooters can end up in. “Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Venice have been busy during lockdown tackling criminals using scooters and ‘PTWs’ (powered two wheelers) to commit a number of offences,” said…

Whispers from Japan suggest that Honda are about to unveil a final edition version of the CBR600RR. The CBR600RR has been in constant production since 2003 but with dwindling sales in Europe, and ever tighter emissions regulations, it’s been absent from the UK since 2016 although it’s rumbled on virtually unchanged in other markets ever since. Now though, the rumours from Japan suggest Honda will unveil a new model with some nice little touches as the one last hurrah before it is retired. Chances are the really big stuff like the engine, frame and running gear will remain unchanged – especially if it’s a final one-off. We’re told the exhaust will stay under the seat, as that’s a hallmark of the bike but there’s mixed messages over the engine. Some…

As we all get back on the road after the crisis, I have noticed an unreported symptom: blindness. I know we motorcyclists have always been somewhat invisible to other road users no matter if we wear day-glo orange clothing with flashing lights on it, people persistently try to wipe you out, especially around road junctions. I have ridden my bike off and on through the crisis. Essential journeys only I might add, but this riding has been really good, empty roads largely occupied by professional drivers. So I am really shocked at the fall off in driving standards as others return to the roads. I have been riding for a long, long time, and like to think that I am pretty experienced, but now I find, even if I make…

I think on behalf of everybody that is half way to going into the ground we’re all delighted! I don’t care who your favourite rider is, it’s good to see Rossi on the podium – absolutely no doubt about it. I was on Twitter on Monday morning and there were people saying he held Viñales up and this and that. That’s bollocks. He deserves it and has got every right to be stood on that podium. ‘HE DESERVES IT AND HAS EVERY RIGHT TO STAND ON THE PODIUM’ Had Marquez been in the same position as Viñales, he would have smashed past Valentino – no doubt. Marc is the champion and he would have kept on lunging at him and worn Rossi down. Viñales didn’t, is that because he’s too…

It’s Britain’s toughest road test route. A fun but punishing mix of A- and B-roads, busy motorway, towns and villages. It’s all Britain’s road types compressed into one route. There are three sections and we combine the two that best test the bike’s character. On average we ride 450 miles per bike, per test. 1 Upping the sag The Versys feels like it is sitting a little low at the rear (lunchtime Maccy-D’s may be partly responsible) on the faster sweeping bends but upping the preload to ‘pillion and luggage’ firms it up. The XR also has this option but it didn’t seem like it required changing from ‘rider and luggage’ and I don’t feel the urge to dig out the Tracer’s toolkit out and fiddle with its shock.…

First biking job “I actually worked for the The Motor Cycle after leaving school alongside reporters Vic Willoughby, David Dixon and Alan Robinson.” Budding racer “I raced at most UK circuits on a Gold Star, AJS 7R and a Manx Norton.” Into the police “The lorry was full of bikes pulled from a canal not far from the Ace.” Using technology to fight crime “I undertook research on ID systems such as transponders and invisible marking. This was developed and eventually turned into Datatag,” Show man “Between 1992-2004 I ran a crime prevention stand at the NEC.” Marking Mike’s Honda “I security marked Beaulieu’s vehicles, including Mike’s Honda.”…

‘The apex of every corner was under an inch of water’ Race one at the 2006 Assen World Superbike round was looking like being a damp-squib. Despite a dry qualifying and practice, the clouds gathered and proceeded to dump their contents on the circuit. Then, just to add to the already treacherous conditions, during wet practice Steve Martin’s Petronas bike spewed oil all over the circuit, leading to an hour-and-a-half clean-up operation that put the whole race in jeopardy. But not everyone was downcast. In the Kawasaki PSG-1 garage, Chris Walker was sitting in second place on the wet timing sheets. Having qualified 13th in the dry, the damp conditions were suiting his ZX-10R, levelling the playing field and allowing the unfavoured Ninja a shot at glory. But having started…

KTM is the manufacturer that has made the biggest step in 2020, but despite a dramatic increase in pace they are yet to show their true race potential. Pol Espargaro finished seventh and was the only KTM rider to finish, with Brad Binder, Iker Lecouna and Miguel Oliveira all crashing. Oliveira was hit by Binder at the first corner. For Espargaro however, the problems didn’t start on race day. “I made a mistake in qualifying and I paid for it today,” Espargaro explains. “Today I spent the first lap fighting with guys that I just should not have been fighting with at the beginning of the race. We lost five or six seconds in the opening six laps.” It wasn’t all bad news. KTM proved once again that during free…

Seven days after critics said he was a washed-up has-been and finished as a frontrunner, Valentino Rossi showed MotoGP’s ageing warrior still has plenty of fight left in him. The 41-year-old was accused of quitting in Jerez’s season opener when languishing outside of the top six in some of the most extreme conditions of his career. Rossi’s response to stinging criticism though was to secure his first podium in 18 races and he said: “I would never quit if the bike doesn’t stop. Even if the race is a big disaster I would never give up. The people who said this don’t know me at all or the rider I am. I can understand the criticism because it is not one race where I was slow. This has been happening…

Stuart Garner’s Statement of Affairs in regard to Norton Motorcycles UK Ltd. (subsequently renamed NMUL Realisations Ltd.) has been published, with the estimated figures suggesting there will be enough money to pay back all of their creditors. A statement of affairs must be filed by a director when a company goes into administration and lays out the financial position of the company. The statement can contain estimated figures, however those estimates should be as accurate as possible based on the information available. Garner’s statement was filed in April (but only just released publicly) and based on the estimated figures included within, suggests that if all the assets are realised then there will actually be a financial surplus once all the creditors are paid. ‘£17.8m is estimated to be available to…

With biking cafés now back in business, riders have been out enjoying a much-needed cuppa and a bite to eat at their favourite watering holes. “It was amazing. I didn’t realise how much I had missed the social side of biking until it started again,” explained Hertfordshire-based Karen Bristow who has been riding to cafés with small groups. “It was the longest I’d ever been without riding my bike. I very much had withdrawal symptoms and there’s only so much decorating you can do!” Visiting local favourites like the Super Sausage, in Towcester, and H Café, Wallingford, she added: “You just get chatting to other bikers and it doesn’t matter what you ride – as long as you are riding, they are happy to just chat to you.” Elsewhere, Cambridgeshire…

We’ve got together with Sena to offer one lucky biker the chance to win a Sena 50S mesh comms system worth £309. Built on Sena s most advanced Bluetooth®5 platform, the 50S is mesh redefined. Mesh 2.0 features a robust and reliable communications network, keeping you connected with other riders thanks to a stronger connection to each person. Make your own group and invite up to 24 participants or use Open Mesh and listen in to virtually anyone on Mesh Intercom™. Out on the road up to six people can speak at the same time while others listen in. With Multi-Channel Open Mesh there are nine channels availablethat the user can switch between and continue the conversation with a new group - an industry first. Bluetooth 5 is enabled and…

•‘I’m pleased to say that bike crime has been cut by about 80 per cent’ The subject of theft often makes depressing reading, whether because of the loss of a ‘pride and joy’, the spate of moped crime or the need for ever-more complex security. But one figure shines out as a beacon against bike theft and has done for over 30 years: Dr Ken German. From his early days in the Met where, as a biker and racer, he quickly discovered an aptitude for dealing with vehicle crime, to leading the Stolen Vehicle Squad, setting up Home Office-backed initiatives and helping develop devices such as Datatag to his current role as a consultant, Ken has been a leading figure in the fight against theft. Which all makes his humble…

For 2020 Ducati have two new Scramblers, the top-flight 1100 Sport PRO, with fully-adjustable Öhlins, and the 1100 PRO, distinguishable by its Marzocchi front suspension and Kayaba rear, as well as a more relaxed riding position. Both use the same lovely air-cooled 1079cc desmo twin, which now meets Euro5. There are also a plethora of design updates, which include a restyled rear end and double-stacked exhaust. 1 Spot the difference The Scrambler 1100 PRO (£11,295) has fully adjustable 45mm Marzocchi fork and a Kayaba side-mounted shock, adjustable for preload and rebound. It comes in an ‘Ocean Drive’ livery and the wide bars, which you’d normally associate with a traditional scrambler-style machine. The £12,795 Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO uses the same air-cooled engine but fully adjustable, 48mm Öhlins fork and an…

‘We are alone on the road and at one with the scenery’ What better way to celebrate our long-awaited freedom than by tackling the highest pass in Styria, Austria, the Sölkpass between Stein an der Enns on the north side of the Alps to Schöder on the south? This pass is one of several ancient trade routes that straddle the alpine barrier between the north and south and was traversed as far back as the Bronze Age by mule, by horse and cart in the late 1600s and paved in the 1950s before being fully surfaced in 1986. Historically traders brought oil, wine and spices up from the south and returned with salt, leather and minerals. These passes were of vital importance to cultural and economic exchanges across Europe, but…

Right at the start of lockdown, I kept myself busy and did my good deeds for society by joining the Bike Shed Community Response volunteers. Spending a few days moving PPE in an enormous rucksack reminded me that if I have any hopes of getting away in the future, I’d need to make some changes. So I ordered the ‘Explore’ pack, which includes a full set of alloy luggage (plus all the fixings), engine bars, LED fog lamps, a bash plate and heated grips, all for the princely sum of £2499. With dealerships still closed, I set aside some time in my workshop to fit the lot but er, never quite made it. I began by making the foolish mistake of fitting the topbox parts first, which nearly all had…

‘Whoever wins this year will deserve it’ Marc Marquez’s insanely brave but ultimately failed bid to race at Jerez delivered an intimidating message. His campaign for a seventh MotoGP title is stalled, but not over. With Marquez missing his first-ever MotoGP race, and on zero points, this was a perfect opportunity for this rivals to gain an advantage. Only Fabio Quartararo passed the test with a flawless win and a perfect score of 50 points after two races. Others faltered including Andrea Dovizioso and Maverick Vinales. Marquez has zero points with 11 races remaining but a resurgent Valentino Rossi wisely warned of what lies ahead. “The championship is definitely not over for him. He has a disadvantage but he is perhaps fastest of all,” Rossi said. Ducati’s Dovizioso has been…

Maverick Viñales was breathless, beaten yet surprisingly happy after an uninspiring second place in the baking hot Andalusian GP. For the second race in a row Viñales was trounced by Petronas Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo who joins him the factory squad next year. It was an early knock to Viñales’ title campaign with his podium finish boosted by the mechanical retirements of Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha) and Pecco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati). “It was tough, I couldn’t breath stuck behind other riders after I went wide trying to pass Fabio on lap one. But I’m happy, I did the maximum,” Viñales said after the race. ‘It was tough, I couldn’t breathe stuck behind other riders’ He finally snatched second from Valentino Rossi on the penultimate lap and admitted he was “scared” following…

Andrea Dovizioso will seek to boost his world championship campaign with braking tips from Francesco Bagnaia, the Italian young gun who seeks to steal his place in the Ducati factory team. Dovi concedes that it was Bagnaia who showed the “real potential” of the GP20 at Jerez only to be robbed of a podium place by a Desmosedici engine failure. Despite finishing a lacklustre sixth Dovizioso remains optimistic that the lessons learned from two Jerez races need to be converted to race winning chances. The first of those is next week’s Czech GP at the Ducati-friendly Brno that could be a crucial championship outing for Dovi with the injured Marc Marquez set for a race comeback. “The work done at Jerez will be fundamental at Brno. Here the conditions were…

Fabio Quartararo turned a boyhood dream into reality last Sunday after the French star’s fairytale start to 2020 continued with a second successive crushing victory in Jerez. The 21-year-old led home Yamaha’s first podium lockout since the Australian GP in 2014 with another convincing success in Spain’s sizzling summer heatwave. After his latest runaway success, it was hard to tell whether he was happier about preserving his unbeaten record in 2020 or getting to stand on a MotoGP rostrum with childhood idol Valentino Rossi for the first time. As the old and new generation in MotoGP embraced in Parc Ferme, Quartararo beamed: “It’s an amazing feeling to win in MotoGP again but even more amazing to be on the podium with Valentino. The first thing I did after the race…

The loophole that allowed the woman charged with biker Harry Dunn’s death to leave the country has been closed, the Government has announced. The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has met with officials from the UK government, including the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, and as part of his visit, Raab discussed the Dunn case with Pompeo, who agreed to rewrite the treaty. Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a CIA agent working at RAF Croughton, was allowed to return to the States after claiming diplomatic immunity following the death of teenager Harry Dunn. She has subsequently been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, however the US government have twice refused to permit extradition proceedings. Sacoolas was able to leave the UK after the US government claimed she had diplomatic…

The Mendip Byways & Bridleways Association is urging off-road motorcyclists to take caution when planning their routes, after they say there has been an increase in people riding where they’re not legally allowed to. Off-road motorcycling, or ‘green laning’ as it’s often known, is perfectly legal as long as you stick to the correct routes, which are legally no different to paved roads. The vast majority of the green road network is made up of byways, however there are two types of byway, which is where much of the confusion lines. Motorcyclists are free to use Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) but not Restricted Byways, which are in essence bridleways. However, on an Ordnance Survey (OS) map, they appear similar. “The majority of bike riders are hugely considerate and…

Run the GPs backwards Just a thought, but as there are quite a few rounds of MotoGP taking place at the same circuit, generally the following week, why not have the second race in the opposite direction – so anti-clockwise instead of clockwise etc. It would effectively be a different circuit and all the riders would have to learn new corners. Symor Skilbeck, Wetwang Minority are ruining it I really appreciated your feature on excessive noise from exhausts. I think the subject could do with a little more print space as the story develops. I am a police officer and while I do enjoy riding my bike, which as a V-twin demands an aftermarket exhaust as there is no finer exhaust note, it is true that the minority are ruining…

KAWASAKI KH250 This was in the summer of ’76 outside my parents’ home in Cleveland. Note the parched grass. Peter Edwards  first bike was this Suzuki SUZUKI GT185 My GT185 in 1976. I did ride it in a Belstaff jacket though! Ian Swanborough SUZUKI RGV250 Here is my son Martyn who is now 30 years old on my Suzuki RGV250M. The photo was taken in 1991. I now ride an R6 and a CBR600RR. Liam Keiller YAMAHA AS3 125 Back in the long hot summer of 1976 and that Yamaha twin was a great bike. Paul Nuttall YAMAHA RD400 This was me cool and broody after finishing my custom job of this bike... bought another one last week, happy days! Keith Vernon SUZUKI AP50 This is my AP50. I ‘d…

MCN 250 MILE ROAD TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK £7947 Yamaha Tracer 700 • 689cc parallel twin 8v • 72.4bhp @ 8750rpm • 196kg wet weight £14,847 Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE • 1043cc inline four 16v • 118.3bhp @ 9000rpm • 257kg dry weight £10,685 BMW F900XR TE • 895cc parallel twin 8v • 103.5bhp @ 8500rpm • 219kg wet weight The world of the adventure bike is a confusing one as it is split into different segments as well as capacities. In one corner is the ‘pure’ adventure bike that comes with a 21in front wheel and long-travel suspension to help it tackle the rough stuff. In the other corner are the ‘adventure sports’ bikes which have smaller 17in front and more road-targeted…

£7947 Yamaha Tracer 700 Engine 689cc 8v parallel twin Frame Tubular steel diamond Suspension 41mm forks with adj preload and rebound. Single shock adj preload and rebound Front brake 2 x 282mm discs with four-piston calipers. ABS Rear brake 1 x 245mm disc with one-piston caliper. ABS Seat height 835mm PCP DEAL £100.03 per month x 36 £2000 deposit (inc. £750 contribution) 4000 A nnual mileage 6.9% APR fixed £3307.50 Optional final payment £10,685 BMW F900XR TE Engine 895cc 8v parallel twin Frame Steel bridge-type Suspension 43mm usd forks, non-adj. Single shock with preload and rebound. (ESA optional) Front brake 2 x 320mm discs with four-piston Brembos. ABS (cornering optional) Rear brake 1 x 265mm disc. ABS Seat height 825mm PCP DEAL £144.58 per month x 36 £2000…

Three degrees and cooling at JFK, it was bright sunshine and busy on the Beltdrive Parkway when New York appeared. I’d overnighted from Gatwick, sorted out the paperwork and uncrated my Ténéré 700 when suddenly the whiff of a world journey was as sharp as spice. At a stoplight or sitting still hugged up to the kerb, you crane your neck until you tip backwards and still don’t see the tops of these buildings. Like no other city, you instantly feel the immeasurable weight of monuments so tall, they play with your senses like a mind magnet. Still, I was just passing through. It was dark by the time I was on the road proper so checked into a motel for my first sleep having slipped unnoticed from home once…

On a bike you get a strong connection to the machine. Part of this is because, unlike with a car, you’re an integral part of the process. But most of it is because of sensations. Feedback from the chassis, balancing in corners, windblast – and more than anything the feel, response, sound and character of the engine. And when it comes to connection, a V-twin tops the chart. Here’s our pick of touchy-feely power units to suit all tastes... MCN’S BEST BUY £4750 KTM 990 SUPER DUKE 999cc |190kg |115bhp |825mm seat height • Dealer up to £5500 • Private up to £4750 • This one 2010, 18,000 miles The trim sweet-handling Super Duke is like a BMX with a super-eager V-twin wedged in the middle. And the engine…

1 Wipe your rear end Soft luggage is the perfect solution to give even sports bikes the capacity to carry any extra essentials for extended trips. You can quickly convert your roadster or race rep into a tourer by fitting a tail pack, panniers and a tank bag. Before you start, read the instructions and make sure the rear panels of the bike are free of dirt. You don’t want to scratch the paint. 2 Perfect your perch Tailpacks are designed to fit onto the back end of more or less any bike. It doesn’t matter if your bike has a combined rider/pillion seat, bench seat or just a removable pillion pad. Regular tail packs like this should not be fixed to a seat hump or rack, both of which…

John McPhee bounced back from his last corner disaster last weekend to secure a brilliant second at Jerez. The Scot once again used his vast experience to stay out of trouble and slowly moved his way towards the front. Like the previous race, McPhee found himself within striking distance at the final turn. “After last weekend, going into that last lap I had déjà vu, but the good thing about that was that I knew what to do,” McPhee said. “My instinct was to have a lunge, but Suzuki went so defensive that I decided second was a fantastic result to come away with.” Indeed, McPhee is now back in title contention after championship leader Albert Arenas crashed out of the race. This leaves McPhee just 10 points behind with…

Cal Crutchlow battled to 13th place in Jerez just days after surgery on a fractured left scaphoid. However, being reliant on his right arm triggered Carpal tunnel syndrome issues. “My right arm is obviously compensating and I’m riding about 95% with my right arm,” Crutchlow explained. “After 12 laps I got stuck on the bike and I got what we motorbike racers call whiskey throttle. I nearly rode off the side of the track because I couldn’t shut the throttle, and it was getting dangerous, so I pulled in.” Realising that there where only 13 riders left circulating, Crutchlow returned to the circuit and secured two world championship points.…

Marc Marquez’s misfortune was Takaaki Nakagami’s gain after claiming a best-ever finish of fourth. Nakagami received support from HRC technical manager Takeo Yokoyama. The duo studied Marquez’s data and attempted to match his style. “Takeo gave some advice on how to stop the bike, saying how Marc does things and suggesting we try this,” Nakagami explained. “Alberto [Puig] also came by to say hello and gave me some advice for the race. It was really warm support from HRC, and good for the future. Hopefully it stays like this.”…