Table of contents for 22 September 2021 in MCN

‘There’s a certain joy to be had riding 125s hard’JON URRY, TEARING AROUND OLD LONDON TOWN THE BIG TEST The perfect inner-city fun-seekers With choking congestion, 20mph speed limits everywhere, and more cameras than a voyeur convention, the one saving grace is a motorcycle. But you don’t want something the size of half a car, packing 200bhp, or with the steering lock of an oil tanker. You want a nice little 125, you do. We pilot three of the best new retro 125s around The Big Smoke to see which is the ideal partner for traffic dodging. PAGE 31 TOP STORY A new dawn for Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi’s fortunes have risen and fallen numerous times over the last 100 years, but as the firm enters its second century, there…

With the air-cooled 1400cc California deleted for failing to meet Euro5, Guzzi’s line-up consists of the air-cooled, V7, V85TT and V9, leaving the firm lacking a big bore bike – hence the V100 Mandello. Although still a shaft-drive, transverse V-twin, the 1000cc bike is all-new – and radically different. Full details won’t be released until EICMA but already it’s known to have liquid-cooling and 90° rotated barrels to give space for the rider’s knees and new radiator. In addition, the shaft-drive housing is now on the left, not right to allow the exhaust to be on the right presumably to make pushing the bike about easier. The engine now appears to be the mounting point for front and rear sub frames with no conventional frame. Brakes are by Brembo, two…

MCN CONTRIBUTOR The outlandish Brit bike that’s targeting the speed record for electric motorcycles has been in action on track as it undergoes test runs in the UK. White Motorcycle Concepts unveiled the WMC250EV back in June, bringing a host of new ideas to the table centred around a vast aerodynamic duct that slashes the bike’s frontal area and drag coefficient without resorting to the sort of low-slung, extended-wheelbase semi-streamliner setup which is more common on recordsetters. That means it’s an idea which could be transferred to road bikes, since the seat height and fairing silhouette could allow for a conventional riding position. The aero also reduces front-end lift, allowing the use of two-wheel-drive – with two electric motors mounted in the front hub, along with another pair driving the…

SAVE £4207 £9995 Yamaha Niken There’s no doubt that Yamaha’s MT-09-based leaning three-wheeler is a technical marvel, but it’s also an acquired taste with a hefty price – but getting almost a third off on this zero-mile example at Wigan Yamaha should sweeten the pill somewhat. • www.wiganyamaha.co.uk/clearance-motorcycles-stock SAVE £2000 £13,999 Aprilia RSV4 RR Aprilia’s brilliant RSV4 has been updated for 2021 and this is the old model. It’s still fabulous with class-leading electronics. • www.onyerbike.net ● Engine 999cc ● Power 198bhp ● Weight 204kg ● Seat height 845mm SAVE£ 1805 £19,495 Triumph Rocket 3 GT Triumph’s big bruiser was reinvented for 2020 with huge torque and massive spec. This zero-mile bike is a 2020 model. • www.laguna.co.uk ● Engine 2458cc ● Power 165bhp ● Weight 291kg ● Seat height…

YOU’RE NEVER RIDING ALONE For the past two or three years people had been saying that I should have retired, and that I wasn’t playing my best rugby – but recently I’d found my groove again. I was scoring tries, running good lines, defending well and really enjoying my game. Then the Lions tour came along, the pinnacle for any player in the UK, and that was my complete focus for two years. I came out of the Six Nations having played really well, then during a game I went to side-step and my knee collapsed. In that hundredth of a second it felt like the end of the world. I knew the Lions dream was over. It was so violent that it sounded like my femur had snapped. I…

Q ‘I feel lucky to still be here’ Unfortunately, I had an accident in May when riding home when a car pulled out of a side road in front of me. The problem is, I was doing around 60mph in a 40mph limit so I am being charged with dangerous driving. I accept I was going too fast but it was on a long straight and he should have seen me and not pulled out. I have been told by my insurer’s solicitors that they will not claim compensation for me due to my speed but they will help with defending the criminal case. Am I prevented from claiming compensation? I was hurt but I feel lucky to still be here to be honest. Ryan, Cleethorpes A There are many…

Readers Jim Heynderickx and Duncan Sutcliffe The trip Tour of the Western Isles of Scotland (Arran, Skye and Mull) How many miles? 1735 Time required 5-7 days Best time to go Spring-Autumn Don’t miss this… Definitely do a circuit on Arran – it’s Scotland in miniature. Always ride the A82 into Glencoe! Skye is more developed but the B885 that cuts across the island from Portree is a fine and twisty ride. Climbing Applecross is fine, but the 30 miles of scenic single-lane that runs north from Applecross is the real treat. The run from Claonaig to Lochaline is excellent. Ending on the Isle of Mull makes sense, because its perimeter roads have the very best mix of isolation, scenery and simple excitement to ride. Try Haggis Pizza at L’incontro…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday September 22 BIKE MEETS ■ Squires Cafe Newthorpe, West Yorks 01977-684618 or www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ The Old Stores Pontblyddyn, Mold, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 or Facebook: The Old Stores Motorbike cafe ■ The Blue Anchor Southport, Merseyside 7pm Facebook: Southport Carousel ■ Seaways Fridaythorpe, East Yorks 4pm-8pm mike@seawayscafe.co.uk ■ The Plough Cadsden, Bucks www.plough-at-cadsden.co.uk ■ Paignton Seafront Devon www.bmad.co.uk ■ Loomies Moto Cafe West Meon, Hants. Open till 9pm www.loomiescafe.co.uk ■ Ryka’s Cafe Box Hill Surrey www.rykas.co.uk SPEEDWAY ■ Birmingham www.birmingham-speedway.com ■ Poole Pirates Dorset www.pooLe-speedway.com TRACK DAYS ■ No Limits Oulton Park £192 01525-877087 or www.noLimitstrackdays.com Thursday September 23 BIKE MEETS ■ Krazy Horse Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk 6pm https://krazyhorse.co.uk/pages/events ■ Iron Horse bike…

‘I love riding in Wales’ R5K MEMBER RICHARD BURTON We went on a week-long tour of Wales, Anglesey, the Peak District, and Yorkshire, before heading down to Skegness, back across into Wales and then onto Cornwall. This was at Bala Lake, North Wales – a must-stop for an ice cream! ‘Party in the park’ R5K MEMBERS DAVE WILLIAMS, MARTIN YATES, AND PAUL CRAVEN We all went to our local track, Oulton Park, for a day of fun in the intermediate group. There is competition between us on track, but Paul is the superior rider and has been a great help to myself, and Martin – naturally with a bit of banter thrown in after each track session. ‘A picture at Applecross’ R5K MEMBERS KEVIN BILTON, ROB JOHNSON, CLIVE BEECHEY, DALE…

£4499 Husqvarna Svartpilen 125 Engine 125cc 4v dohc single Frame Steel trellis Suspension 43mm WP inverted forks, non-adjustable. WP monoshock, adjustable preload. Front brake 1 x 320mm discs with four-piston ByBre four-piston caliper. ABS Rear brake 1 x 230mm disc with one-piston caliper. ABS (disengagable) Seat height 835mm £4450 Yamaha XSR125 Engine 125cc 4v sohc single Frame Steel diamond Suspension 37mm inverted forks, non-adjust able. Monoshock, non-adjustable. Front brake 1 x 267mm disc with two-piston caliper. ABS Rear brake 1 x 220mm disc with one-piston caliper. ABS Seat height 815mm FUNCTIONALITY AND FEATURES £4399 Honda CB125R Engine 125cc 4v dohc single Frame Tubular steel diamond Suspension 41mm Showa SFF-BP forks, non-adjustable. Monoshock non-adjustable. Front brake 1 x 296mm disc with four-piston Nissin caliper. ABS Rear brake 1 x 220mm disc…

MCN Office Manager “What am I doing? It’s 3am, I’m crouched behind the petrol station at Membury Services, having a ‘comfort break’. It’s then I realise I’m in full view of the CCTV camera, there are wild animals fighting in the nearby bushes and the fog’s swirling. It’s definitely the witching hour and I’m unnerved to say the least. I’ve been on the road for the last 19 hours and have so far covered over 850 miles of my Saddlesore 1000. Justin had coerced me into being his wing-woman for the 1000-mile in 24-hour challenge and, up to now, we’ve had a great day. It’s the second time I’ve undertaken riding such a ridiculous number of miles – the first was an impromptu ride home from a holiday in Venice,…

Daily rider with 45 years of experience, both on and off road. Owns 30 bikes. If I’m going on a trip of any distance on a bike, especially on motorways then I would opt for a bigger bike with a bit of wind and weather protection. Also, being heavier, bigger bikes offer a bit more stability. But one of these very trips turned up at short notice, so I had no option but to press the Honda CRF300 Rally into service. If I didn’t have to go on that day, I would have cancelled and stayed at home, because after some of the glorious weather we have been treated to recently, the day I was heading out was doomed to have a horrendous forecast! Heavy rain all day was set…

● Fit and comfort rated ● Design, construction and CE scores rated ● Waterproofing tested on the road RATINGS Exceptional ★★★★★Very good ★★★★ Good ★★★Average ★★ Poor ★ Rukka R-Star Gore-Tex Gloves £264.99 ‘A real treat for your hands’ Tested by Simon Relph for four years / 4000 miles These R-Star gloves are what can only be described as a real treat for your hands. They are beautifully made with a supple leather exterior, breathable Gore-Tex membrane to keep the wet out and a soft warm fleece interior. You have two ways of putting your hand in – one allows your hand to be nearer to the palm with more of the insulation on the back of the hand, perfect for winter riding on bikes with heated grips as the…

It’s all too easy to ignore a weeping oil seal and just give it quick wipe prior to every ride, telling yourself you’ll get round to replacing it at the weekend. We’ve all done it, so if you fall into this camp, don’t feel bad. But apart from attracting dirt and road grime to stick to your fork legs, making your shiny machine look unsightly, there are more serious implications involved with ignoring a leaking fork seal – the most obvious is an MoT fail but the most alarming is a potential loss of braking performance at a critical moment. Yes, that’s correct, I said loss of brakes. A conventional fork layout means oil which has leaked past the seal will run directly down the fork leg and onto the…

The 24-race ‘main season’ has come to an end and the riders now face a nine-race shootout for the title. The paddock heads to Oulton Park this weekend, before going straight to the Donington GP circuit on October 1-3. The 2021 season concludes at Brands Hatch GP on October 15-17, with the outcome of this year’s championship hopefully not being decided until the final race of the campaign. What happened last time at Oulton Park? Seven of the ‘Title Fighters’ may not want to read on. In the 2021 season opener at Oulton, Jason O’Halloran won all three races, narrowly beating Christian Iddon each time. Tommy Bridewell clinched two podiums, with Peter Hickman taking a single podium result. Tarran Mackenzie secured three top sixes with a best result of fourth…

There was tremendous concern around the circuit as Tom Sykes was involved in a frightening incident with Lucas Mahias shortly after the start of Sunday’s Race 2. As lap two began, Sykes crashed his BMW through Turn 1 and was collected by the chasing Puccetti Kawasaki of Mahias. The race was stopped just seconds later. Sykes was transported from the scene by ambulance 13 minutes after the crash; initially taken to the circuit medical centre, the 2013 World Champion was transferred to a Barcelona hospital after initial reports revealed concussion and a head injury. Mahias rode back to the pits although he was visibly shaken. As MCN went to press Sykes remained in hospital and it seems unlikely he will be declared fit for this weekend’s encounter at Jerez in…

In what will go down as one of the hardest-ever 24-hour races, just 20 out of the 47 teams made it to the finish of the 2021 Bol d’Or. The epic encounter was won by the factory Suzuki Yoshimura SERT Motul squad of Sylvain Guintoli, Gregg Black and Xavier Simeon. The trio completed a total of 704 laps; leading 615 laps in a race that saw all of their factory team rivals fail to cross the finish line. The result means that the Suzuki team head the series standings by 36 points with just one round remaining at the Most circuit in Czech Republic on October 9. Speaking after the victory Guintoli said: “There is always a certain amount of chance in competition, but this year we had all the…

MCN CONTRIBUTOR It was a distant fourth place that has reinforced the game plan that Marc Marquez hopes to deploy for a revitalised 2022 MotoGP title challenge. Marquez was enlightened by two factors at Sunday’s San Marino round: the increasingly astute understanding of his powers as a rider, and then by a MotoGP rookie sensation on two-year-old Ducati GP19. Marquez has formulated a recipe that he hopes will reinvigorate both himself and the Honda RC213V machine to challenge for a seventh premier class crown in 2022. Marquez has won 57 MotoGP races primarily with his freakish defiance of the laws of physics, saving lurid front-end slides with elbow-scraping antics. Weakened by three operations to a repair his right arm, Marquez is working to step back from that cliff-edge style. That…

INSIDE THE MOTOGP PADDOCK FOR 35 YEARS MICHAEL SCOTT Racing used to be predictable. History has long spells when you could pick a winner, before a wheel had turned. Think Spencer, Lawson, Rainey, Schwantz, Doohan, Rossi, and Marc Marquez. Familiar, experienced riders ruled. Rookies took time to learn. That’s how it worked. Not any more. On Sunday, yet another precocious performance proved the point. After Brad Binder’s win last year and this year Jorge Martin’s poles, podiums and win, now it was another rookie’s turn. In his 14th MotoGP race, on a two-year-old Ducati regarded as intrinsically flawed, Moto2 champ Enea Bastianini was blazing. He cut through from 12th on the grid, scything past racewinners like Marquez, Miller and Rins, to a threatening third. More than that, he lost nothing…

Pecco Bagnaia didn’t make a single overtake to win his home race in Misano. Factory Ducati teammate Jack Miller, meanwhile, made just one. Yet the Aussie’s move to put himself second ahead of Fabio Quartararo just three corners into the 27-lap race turned out to be hugely beneficial to Bagnaia’s prospects. Quartararo needed another 13 laps to launch a retaliatory move to seize second back. By that time, Bagnaia had bolted. Miller, though, was angry that a mystery rear tyre vibration sent him plummeting out of podium contention and he eventually finished fifth after a late scrap with Marc Marquez and reigning champion Joan Mir. ‘It’s frustrating. I was a sitting duck out there’JACK MILLER A high-speed run-off through turn 13 on lap eight was the first hint of trouble…

Although summer is nearly over, Indian have a few more surprises to get you out on to your dream bike before the end of the year. A great Scout is always prepared The ‘Twenty’ in Scout Bobber Twenty pays homage to the original 1920 Scout. With modern technology paired with strippeddown, minimalist Bobber style and a dose of classic heritage, you get the perfect blend of old-school design and modern function from £13,295. Plus, with wire wheels, mini-ape handlebars, and a low-profile solo seat, it’s definitely a comfortable and stylish ride for aspiring and new riders because the Scout is A2 compliant. ● ‘Apple CarPlay is now standard’ Indian are also adding to their already robust line of genuine Scout accessories in 2021. With all-new Scout touring parts, riders can…

Although summer is nearly over, Indian have a few more surprises to get you out on to your dream bike before the end of the year. A great Scout is always prepared The ‘Twenty’ in Scout Bobber Twenty pays homage to the original 1920 Scout. With modern technology paired with stripped-down, minimalist Bobber style and a dose of classic heritage, you get the perfect blend of old-school design and modern function from £13,295. Plus, with wire wheels, mini-ape handlebars, and a low-profile solo seat, it’s definitely a comfortable and stylish ride for aspiring and new riders because the Scout is A2 compliant. ● ‘Apple CarPlay is now standard’ Indian are also adding to their already robust line of genuine Scout accessories in 2021. With all-new Scout touring parts, riders can…

Although summer is nearly over, Indian have a few more surprises to get you out on to your dream bike before the end of the year. A great Scout is always prepared The ‘Twenty’ in Scout Bobber Twenty pays homage to the original 1920 Scout. With modern technology paired with strippeddown, minimalist Bobber style and a dose of classic heritage, you get the perfect blend of old-school design and modern function from £13,295. Plus, with wire wheels, mini-ape handlebars, and a low-profile solo seat, it’s definitely a comfortable and stylish ride for aspiring and new riders because the Scout is A2 compliant. ● ‘Apple CarPlay is now standard’ Indian are also adding to their already robust line of genuine Scout accessories in 2021. With all-new Scout touring parts, riders can…

It’s a question fans, pundits and budding British grand prix riders have asked with a palpable sense of frustration for years: How can the next generation of British riders hope to break the Spanish and Italian grip on GP racing and get their big break? Well, for once, we now have an answer: They need to get selected by Michael Laverty’s new-for-22 VisionTrack Honda Racing Moto3 team. His surprise announcement at the weekend surged a high-voltage bolt of energy through the racing community. Not only is the simple existence of the team an incredible boost to Brit fans and riders’ hopes, but the fact that the team is being spearheaded by the quiet genius that is Michael Laverty is even more encouraging. The man is a machine – and the…

Kawasaki’s latest Z900 naked is getting the SE treatment. The premium model acquires more powerful Brembo brakes, revised forks and an Öhlins shock. Starting up front, the Z900 SE does away with the standard bike’s four-piston calipers in favour of a set of Brembo M4.32 radial monoblocs, which bite on 300mm Brembo discs. Also up front is a set of gold-coloured upside-down forks. More striking than the standard Z900’s black legs, they remain the same 41mm diameter but have revised settings and offer full adjustability. There’s also a new Öhlins S46 shock, with remote preload adjuster. Available in the single colour shown here from December, prices for the SE will start at £10,749 and climb to £11,699 for the Performance Edition. That makes the new SE £1450 more than the…

Making sure your bike is properly locked is one of the key measures in stopping opportunist thieves from making off with it – which is why Kent Police are launching a scheme which will see them handing out 200 locks to riders in the county completely free of charge. Community Policing Team Sergeant Sean Scarsbrook told us: “The general perception is that the police are not interested in stolen bikes, but that is not the case. In an attempt to reduce the number of motorcycle thefts in our area, we are putting together a local day of action. “As part of that we will be giving away locks to the first 200 people who turn up at the event on a motorcycle registered in their name and with a V5…

BMW have revealed the Vision AMBY and iVision AMBY ultra-Lightweight electric cycles (the ‘i’ version comes complete with pedals). The two concepts have a variable speed limit system, which can change the power output depending on where it is being ridden. There are several ideas being considered for how the variable limiter could work; geofencing or a smartphone connection could do it automatically or there could be a simple manual option. This means top speed could be restricted to around 15mph on cycle paths, 28mph on inner city roads and then more like 40mph out of town. Performance details are vague, but the Vision AMBY is projected to weigh around 65kg and have a range of 68 miles between charges. Swedish electric bike builder Cake have also unveiled new models.…

FANTASY SHOPPING ON A REAL-WORLD BUDGET MIKE GRAINGER Every week we give a different rider a wodge of fictional cash and ask them to ‘buy’ the bike that sets their soul on fire. This is Mike’s pick... Mike Grainger has spent a lifetime in the twowheeled world. Boss of Plymouth-based multifranchise dealer GT Motorcycles, outside of his day-to-day job selling bikes and running the business, Mike is a speed-demon who owns (and sometimes commutes on) a 700bhp turbo Hayabusa that has been clocked at 249.910mph (at an airfield, not the A38). So how would the UK’s fastest grandad spend his cash? “I know exactly what I’d buy, a Hayabusa,” says Mike. “I’d be tempted to look at other used hyperbikes such as the Kawasaki ZZR1400 or ZX-12R, but I’d end…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews Racing’s double standards So, nerfing a competitor off isn’t worthy of a one-round ban if the next round is in Spain and you are Marc Marquez. Fast forward to Aragon and you can exceed track limits on the final lap without penalty if you are MM93. I think all those who have been penalised in the previous rounds should have their results adjusted. Race control have lost their way big time. Edward Ruddle, email Real bikes for real people All I want is a mid-sized bike that is built to take a pillion as well as a rider with panniers and a topbox. All the current crop seem to have stepped seats with pillions on little pads stuck up high above the rider. With the fashion…

1 British Historic Racing Cadwell Park, September 25-26, hosted by the Vintage Motorcycle Club. You can join them on track by filling out an entry form. britishhistoricracing.co.uk 2 Squire’s Café autojumble This monthly event has come round again £5 a pitch for sellers. It’s just off the A1 and is a great place to get some grub too. squires-cafe.co.uk 3 AS Wales 500 The Rallymoto motorcycle club’s Welsh navigational challenge is £185 for the weekend. Kicks off at Baskerville Hall Hotel, Clyro. rallymoto.co.uk 4 British Superbikes The BSB Showdown begins at Oulton Park on September 24-26. £45 for a weekend ticket. Friday £14, Saturday £22, Sunday £32. britishsuperbike.com…

FRIDAY September 24 9.25am, EUR2, WSB from Jerez, Spain: Free Practice. Also at 1.55pm SATURDAY September 25 8.30am, EUR2, Live WSB from Jerez, Spain. 2.15pm, EUR2, Live BSB from Oulton Park, Cheshire SUNDAY September 26 8.25am, ITV4, MotoGP Highlights from San Marino, Italy KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT – DISCOVERY REAL TIME DSC – DISCOVERY CHANNEL DHD – DISCOVERY CHANNEL HD EXS – EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL EUR1 (2, HD) – EUROSPORT 1 (2, HD) MOT – MOTORSPORT.TV CH4 – CHANNEL 4 CH5 – CHANNEL FIVE BBC BBCI – BBC INTERACTIVE ESPN – ESPN CLASSIC CHANNEL ITV DST – DISCOVERY TURBO SHED – DISCOVERY SHED INST – INSIGHT SS1 (2, 3 OR X) – SKY SPORTS 1 (2, 3 OR EXTRA) QUEST BTS1 – BT SPORT 1 BTS2 – BT SPORT 2 TVL…

£4450 Yamaha XSR125 • 125cc 4v sohc single • 14.8bhp / 8.5lb.ft • £74.64 per month PCP £4499 Husqvarna Svartpilen 125 • 125cc 4v dohc single • 14.8bhp / 8.5lb.ft • £99.87 per month on PCP £4399 Honda CB125R • 125cc 4v dohc single • 14.8bhp / 8.6lb.ft • £79 per month PCP When Dick Whittington set off for London it was under the illusion that the streets were paved with gold and alongside his faithful feline he was expecting to make his fortune in the mighty capital. Sadly for our Dicky-boy, he found the city’s streets were paved somewhat differently. Nowadays London is a very different place and instead of being paved with gold (or otherwise), the streets are mostly full of speed cameras, bus lane cameras, 20mph limits,…

We also took a Lexmoto LXR125 on our trip as it represents the old guard of 125s and is actually the UK’s best-selling sportsbike, mainly down to the fact it costs just £2799.99 new. Back-to-back with the retro bikes the LXR is equally as happy in town as its sporty bars are set really high, making them comfortable in traffic, and its new Euro5 four-valve dohc engine is just as peppy. Not as smooth and a little less refined but certainly fast enough with a light clutch action. But it isn’t perfect. Annoyingly the LXR lacks a clock on its instruments, and the taller seat height and the fact it is angled forward makes it a touch less suited to shorter riders. The lack of ABS (it has combined brakes)…

There’s a reason Vespa have been going strong for the past 75 years, selling millions of machines: the Italians know how to build a superb scooter. If you’ve only ever ridden a cheap and rickety scoot, the Vespa’s build quality, attention to detail and smoothness will blow you away. It may be a scooter but this thing has a motorcycle’s mentality and finish. The GTS 300 75th has some lovely touches, too and is worth paying the extra for, but it also stands up as a superb machine with incredibly strong velvety performance, a refined, comfortable ride and the kind of Italian style that might have been copied a thousand times over, but none are as good as the real thing. THE FACTS £6690 Vespa GTS 300 75th Engine 278cc…

If you’re not used to big miles, build up to it. Get a 500-mile ride under your belt, then maybe a 750, to get an idea of what your body needs as much as your bike. In order to get your ride verified, you’ll need to apply for a certificate from the Iron Butt Association. They offer a wide range of challenges to work up to, but their entry level challenge is the Saddlesore 1000, which requires you to take photos of receipts from each turning point (this could be for fuel, food or whatever) alongside your odo reading. www.ironbutt.co.uk…

Need help with your riding skills? MCN expert can fix it THE STUDENT Mark Kenyon, 60, Essex MCN reader Mark first started riding aged 18, but then had a long break before getting back in the saddle with a ZZR600, then an R6 before settling with this BMW S1000R. He’s never done any advanced training. The problem “When going around corners I find it difficult to hold a line and sometimes this causes me to drift out too close to the oncoming traffic.” THE TUTOR Ryan Decarteret, Rapid Training Pro Coach A former surveillance motorcyclist for the National Crime Agency, Ryan is now an instructor He rides a BMW S1000XR and covers tens of thousands of miles per year. Ryan’s action plan “This is a common but potentially serious problem.…

1 Knox Urbane Pro Shirt £229.99 (+ chest protector) I wear this with a chest protector, and it’s kept me safe on and off-road with plenty of testing off-road too! It’s super comfy and fairly light, but with stacks of protection. Jeff Terry, York 2 Forcefield Pro Lite K insert £49.99 I use one in each of my two jackets. It’s very comfortable, but it doesn’t cover as much as a separate back protector. Steve Thorogood, Devizes 3 Ixon IX-Airbag U03 EN airbag vest £379.99 It fits under any jacket and can be activated six times before it needs attention. Peter O’Connell, Cornwall 4 Knox Aegis back protector £119.99 - £139.99 It follows the curve of your spine. Potection is Level 2 but you can get a sweaty back. Sam…

MECHANIC Grant Walder at Fins M/C in Redhill Many of us forget that alloy wheels – and spoked ones in particular – need looking after. This Honda Transalp owner fell into that trap and is now set to pay a costly penalty. Grant Walder, manager at Fins Motorcycles in Redhill, Surrey, explains: “This guy’s a regular customer and he brought his 2010 Transalp 700 in as the rear tyre was getting low. He was desperate to ride to the MotoGP so we squeezed him in to get the tyres on. Then, as I was changing the tyre, I noticed a crack in the wheel. He didn’t have a clue about it. The tyre was only keeping air in because it’s tubed. “I can only assume the paint or anodising on…

WSB REPORTER At an event where everybody tipped Kawasaki and Yamaha for success, the fact Ducati occupied five out of six podium positions in the main races at Barcelona just typified the nature of this year’s World Superbike championship. Michael Ruben Rinaldi has made an impressive breakthrough with base setup, meaning Friday practice sessions now involve finetuning as opposed to quantum leaps. With testing and practice so limited and the field more tightly packed than it has been for years, finding the sweet spot is the difference between victory and tenth. Measures to equal the series have seen 12 riders from eight teams securing podiums. Rinaldi had previously won this season with a Misano double but has since received criticism from pundits who deemed this a flash in the pan…

Arguably one of the hardest working people in motorcycle racing, former MotoGP and BSB rider Michael Laverty is the driving force behind this ambitious project. Having set-up the Vision Track Michael Laverty Academy at the end of 2020, Laverty signed six riders aged between nine and 13. His plan was to ultimately progress to Moto3 and had given himself the goal of doing that within three years, but the opportunity to enter a British team in 2022 was too good to turn down. Thanks to his professionalism and working relationship with the teams, sponsors, Dorna and IRTA he has pulled together the project in record time. The challenge ahead is huge, but Laverty has the experience, backing and know-how to not only get it off the ground but make it…

16 Marquez A 50 17 Morbidelli 40 18 Lecuona 38 19 Petrucci 37 20 Marini 28 21 Rossi 28 22 Bradl 13 23 Pirro 8 FINAL POSITIONS MOTOGP FINAL POSITIONS MOTO 2 11 Luthi +15.596 12 Schrotter +16.172 13 Navarro 20.234 14 Ramirez 22.819 15 Arbolino +23.015 16 Manzi +26.152 17 Bulega 26.987 18 Syrahin +27.231 19 Dixon +28.150 20 FINAL POSITIONS MOTO 3 11 Rossi +10.360 12 Guevara +14.626 13 McPhee +14.898 14 Toba +15.019 15 Suzuki +15.072 16 Alcoba +18.859 17 Yamanaka +18.874 18 Bertelle +18.921 19 Fellon +19.303 20 Fernandez +21.363 21 Oncu +26.962 22 Kofler +30.466…

INSIGHT Getting the inside line on grand prix racing since 1996 It only takes two to tango. And it only takes two to make a memorable race. After Pecco Bagnaia defeated Marc Marquez in an Aragon cliffhanger, it was the turn of Fabio Quartararo to come off second-best in a thrilling late duel with the Ducati star in Misano. Fourteen changes for the lead in the final three laps of the Bagnaia and Marquez mêlée made the Aragon scrap an instant classic. But Sunday’s Misano masterclass felt more significant. This felt like payback for Pecco. On his last two appearances in the pressure cooker atmosphere of racing on home turf, he’d crashed while leading. Seven laps from glory in Misano 12 months ago, the blame seemed lame when he oddly…

Proof you don’t have to spend big to bag a great bike. Parallel-twin torque, low weight and great ergonomics are just some of the ingredients which make the MT-07 a smart used buy. The Yamaha also offers great reliability, agile handling and will return 70mpg if you go easy on the throttle. You get all of that for a low price, both when Yamaha released it new and even more so today on the used market. Even though you can grab one for not much cash, the MT-07 boasts decent build quality. The rumbling motor is solid, the parts are good quality, and the finish is sturdy too – most of it anyway. Yamaha had to save cash here and there so keep an eye out for furry fasteners and…

Proof you don’t have to spend big to bag a great bike. Parallel-twin torque, low weight and great ergonomics are just some of the ingredients which make the MT-07 a smart used buy. The Yamaha also offers great reliability, agile handling and will return 70mpg if you go easy on the throttle. You get all of that for a low price, both when Yamaha released it new and even more so today on the used market. Even though you can grab one for not much cash, the MT-07 boasts decent build quality. The rumbling motor is solid, the parts are good quality, and the finish is sturdy too – most of it anyway. Yamaha had to save cash here and there so keep an eye out for furry fasteners and…

Proof you don’t have to spend big to bag a great bike. Parallel-twin torque, low weight and great ergonomics are just some of the ingredients which make the MT-07 a smart used buy. The Yamaha also offers great reliability, agile handling and will return 70mpg if you go easy on the throttle. You get all of that for a low price, both when Yamaha released it new and even more so today on the used market. Even though you can grab one for not much cash, the MT-07 boasts decent build quality. The rumbling motor is solid, the parts are good quality, and the finish is sturdy too – most of it anyway. Yamaha had to save cash here and there so keep an eye out for furry fasteners and…

BMW are offering a replacement for some accessory footrests due to stress cracks and corrosion on the studs. The adjustable black footrests were offered as an option on R1200/1250GS and GS Adventure models and F750/850GS and 850GS Adventures. Customers are being asked to contact an authorised BMW dealer to arrange a free swap to a modified version made with different material or, alternatively, a return to original equipment and a refund. Teenage dirt star Jack Bell has won the 2021 DTRA Flat Track Hooligan Championship. The 18-year-old from Lincolnshire took the title in his rookie season aboard the Devitt X Vanoni Ducati Scrambler and is the protégé of former British and European Flat Track Champion, Peter Boast. Bell said: “Winning this on my first season in the class is a…

Oxford Montreal textile gloves £34.99 ‘Don’t get caught cold handed…’ Autumn may be upon us, don’t even mention what comes after that, but there is still some great riding to be had – you just need the right gear. Few things spoil a ride more than cold hands, so here are a selection of hot deals on three season gloves. We’ll kick off with these practical gloves from Oxford Products which are on offer now with 30% wiped off the recommended retail price. Made from textile with a leather palm, for extra grip, the gloves feature a claimed fully waterproof membrane. They also boast moulded knuckle protection and, for extra comfort, there are stretch panels and the gloves have precurved fingers. There are four colour options which include plain black,…

‘That’s a classic now, sir.’ Really? A few years ago I went to insure my ratty 2003 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer and made a discovery. As an owner of a selection of (equally ratty...) classics I have a group classic insurance policy but I’ve always kept the Fazer on a separate one due to its age. Mentioning this to the insurance person I got the reply ‘but the Fazer is now a classic’, which took me by surprise. I dug deeper and discovered that to qualify as a classic (with my insurer, others have different criteria) a bike only needs to be 15 years old. Which got me thinking... This year a bike built in or before 2006 will fall into that category, which opens the door to some amazing bikes.…

Anyone considering one of Yamaha’s 2022 MX line-up can book an allaction test ride. For £15 riders can test any of the range at a special two-day event at the Apex Motocross track in Worcester on October 29-30 where you can put the YZ125 Racing Edition, YZ250, YZ250F and YZ450F models through their paces. Yamaha technicians and AMCA instructors will be on hand to offer advice. Each rider is guaranteed two 15-minute sessions and will also receive a Yamaha polo shirt. Places need to be booked through your Yamaha dealer. Kickstart 2022 Classics fans can bag a 2022 calendar and raise money for the East Anglian Air Ambulance. The £12 calendar features drawings by Mike Harbar of Triumphs dating from 1910-1960. Last year’s edition raised more than £3000 and this…

Ride further in 2021 with a little help from our one-stop event guide Ride out to Britain’s best biking cafés THE CUSTOM CAFE ● Jam and bike nights every week ● Sun-Wed 8am-4pm, Thurs-Fri 8am-late, Sat 8am-6pm ● Barnhorn Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN39 4QR / thecustomcafe.co.uk Surrounded by lush roads and serving great food, The Custom Café makes a perfect stop for anyone riding in East Sussex. Owner Caroline Sweby was first introduced to the venue whilst looking for a café to buy, and feared the place must be jinxed after she broke down outside. She said: “My ex went back to pick up my bike and the owners were there. They showed him around and it was amazing.” Caroline put in an offer, but there was more strife to come.…

MCN staff and readers share their one-hour routes This route can get quite busy with traffic heading for Hunstanton on the A149, so as you ride through town you might want to grab a snack on the seafront. Head out of Hunstanton on the A149 and wind through picturesque villages packed with quaint flint-built houses. The A149 takes you through Brancaster, then Wells-next-the-Sea. If you need a coffee stop, turn off here and take the B1105 which takes you to the harbour. Make your way back on to the A149 towards Sheringham. On the other side of Sheringham is West Runton, turn right on Station Road and then left onto the A148 eastbound, take the next right turn and this is the B1436. Join the A140 going south and go…

This family-friendly weekend is perfect if you like bikes, hotrods, historic racers as well as the odd air display (and who doesn’t?). What’s happening? The aerodrome will be home to a glorious celebration of classic motoring all weekend. With a Racing Runway and Sprint Strip there will be plenty of action to keep you amused. There will also be aerial displays as well as a vintage funfair. Think of it as a less posh version of Goodwood. The essential stuff Pistons and Props takes place at Sywell Aerodrome with a guarantee of a full ticket refund if it can’t go ahead. In advance, adults can get a day ticket for £18 while under 15s are free, and if you fancy camping the whole weekend then it’s £30 plus the booking…

MCN CONTRIBUTOR Aside from the fact that riding in London can be fraught, our trip to the capital demonstrated there is much to be applauded about the current crop of retro 125s. If you live in a busy city, even if you have a full licence, there is a lot to be said for getting one of these lightweight traffic busters purely for zipping around town. And if you don’t have a full licence, passing a CBT (if you are over 17) and commuting on one of these makes so much more sense than relying on expensive and packed public transport – especially in a world where Covid is still very much on the scene. Just be sure to invest in a decent lock. Amazing fuel economy, next to no…

Philip loves the challenge of long-distance rides and has spent the last decade participating in rallies all over the globe. He thinks nothing of riding 1000 miles for a spot of lunch, regularly tours the UK, takes trips to Europe and has even taken a quick hop to the USA to complete the US Iron Butt Rally. He reckons there are a lot of benefits from taking on an Iron Butt challenge: “You get an amazing sense of achievement in completing an Iron Butt ride and you’ll learn a lot about yourself doing it, both in terms of what you’re capable of and how to look after yourself on the road. It’s a great way to learn about route planning, body management, improve your riding skills and to ride great…

Rides every day, all year, in all weathers. Much prefers performance to plodders. Is there anything more frustrating than something brilliant failing to work properly? That’s exactly the situation I’ve been wrestling with for months as the Multistrada’s connectivity continued to be sporadically seamless and infuriating in increasingly unequal measure – with ‘infuriating’ taking the dominant role. The problem? The Ducati Connect app and the dash would randomly refuse to talk to one another, or hold on to the connection on the occasions when they did decide to be friends – a bit like that ex who keeps following, then unfollowing, you on Instagram... After a discussion with Ducati it transpired that my (very early) bike hadn’t yet received the dash update aimed at boosting connectivity ease and reliability. That…

‘It did feel a bit odd at first’ “On the way into corners, I always felt everything was coming at me too quickly so I was just riding by how I felt, rather than what I was seeing through the corner – which I think was why I was in the habit of turning too early, just to get the turn over and done with. “By making vision a priority I’m more focused on taking a wider line through the bend. It does feel very odd at first, I have to admit, but with a bit of practice I know it’ll feel less so. I definitely feel more in control as I’m not having to fight to keep the bike in the turn – I’m just turning once and then…

Saving you money on essential bike maintenance MCN’s expert technician 1 Lift up the front Replacing a busted fork seal requires the removal of the fork leg from the front end of the bike – but that’s not as challenging as it sounds. The first thing to do is secure the bike on a suitable stand. Bikes with a mainstand, such as this Yamaha Fazer, make things easy, just be sure to tether the back end down to keep the front wheel raised. BRUCE’S TIPS No mainstand? Try an ABBA stand or an under-yoke front paddock stand 2 Loosen the cap Before removing the fork leg, measure the amount of distance the forks protrude above the top yoke, using a vernier or steel ruler. This will ensure the ride height…

GREG HAINES INSIGHT Our expert on the inside of the WSB paddock Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea are separated by a single point as the World Superbike Championship rolls into Jerez. As a pivotal run of three back-to-back events began in Barcelona, the famed Catalunya circuit saw a trio of different winners for the second season in succession; even though the Turk was not one of them, he retained his advantage by the narrowest of margins. With nine races in 16 days, there is a genuine feeling that the outcome of 2021 will be much clearer by the time the action on the Iberian peninsula meets its conclusion, not least as there is no end date to the ever-changing calendar. Organisers Dorna have confirmed the Argentina round is on, while…

‘Great news for British talent’ What fantastic news about a new British Moto3 team with Michael Laverty at the helm (see left). And the fact they are taking over what is a great and well established team is significant. They will have laptops full of data, gearings etc and that’s information you just can’t buy. As a rider, having that knowledge and infrastructure around you is invaluable. You can have the biggest budget but with the wrong people around you, you’re just wasting your time. They’re obviously not going to walk in to Moto3 and start sticking it to the top boys – they’re going to need at least a year under their belt for success to start to flow. They need experience and support to succeed because for every…

YES ‘Ducati will be pulling out all the stops’ MICHAEL GUY MCN Sports Editor With a 48-point lead Quartararo remains the clear favourite, but it’s not in the bag. Over the past two rounds Bagnaia has outscored his French rival by 22 points and his last two races have shown he’s the fastest rider in the world right now. We know Quartararo cracked under the pressure last year and while he’s showing no signs of that happening in 2021 – this is the first time he’s had any real threat to the title supremacy he’s enjoyed since round five. Bagnaia also has other strings to his bow. Unlike Quartararo, who is most definitely flying solo onboard his M1, Bagnaia has a glut of fellow Desmo riders seemingly keen to assist.…

Analysis from BT Sport’s technical guru Fast starter Pecco’s start was his best of the season, beating Jack Miller to Turn 1 on an identical machine takes some doing. Pecco’s game plan to go from the lights had him on edge, his reactions heightened, almost to the point of costing him the race – on analysis it wasn’t a jump start. It was close to perfection though, bordering on the intuitive. Stunning first lap Pecco’s ability to break the pack immediately off the start is something we don’t often see in MotoGP, largely down to the tyres as it takes a few corners, often a full lap, before they reach optimum temperature. There was undoubtedly an element of risk involved in his strategy to bolt from the lights, knowing that…