Table of contents for 30 April 2025 in MCN

CHAMPS COLLIDE! P4 Former BSB champions Kyle Ryde and Brad Ray are back from the brink of disaster and ready to fight in 2025 Taking the Tuono to another level Aprilia’s Tuono V4 1100 Factory has always been a seriously special supernaked that sits at, or very close to the top when it comes to performance against its closest, and pricier rivals. For 2025, Aprilia have given the big Tuono another evolution, covering everything from a bigger motor with more power, to MotoGP-inspired aerodynamics and the electronic rider aids to back it all up. PAGE 28 TECH WITH WHIT P22 James Whitham gets the lowdown on all the new tech for ’25, and how the machines line up ahead of round one at Oulton Park this weekend… TEN YEAR TALE…

Kawasaki kicked off the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race on April 19 with their supercharged hydrogen-powered hyperbike concept completing a demo lap of the 2.6-mile Bugatti Circuit. Known as the HySE prototype, the striking machine comes as a result of Kawasaki’s involvement in the Hydrogen Small Mobility and Engine Technology Association -a consortium of automotive heavy hitters including Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Toyota and more, exploring the potential for hydrogen as a clean and sustainable fuel source. The bike, which made its public debut in July 2024 in Japan, is powered by an H2-derived supercharged 998cc inline-four engine, fuelled exclusively by hydrogen – stored in the large pannier-shaped canisters to the rear, and injected directly into the modified engine. “Our research into hydrogen power illustrates well the Kawasaki principles of…

SAVE £4500 £12,999 Kawasaki ZX-10R This pre-registered ZX-10R is as track-focused as they come, with an uber-powerful motor and pin-sharp handling. Despite this, the big Kwak still offers its fair share of road-orientated bells and whistles. There’s cruise control and a TFT dash meaning that, despite the raciness, it’s also a brilliant real-world machine. www.motorcyclesdirect.co.uk SAVE £3304 £9695 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE Offering all the right adventure touring ingredients, the 800DE is a bike that you could buy one day and head off around the world on the next. www.wheelsmotorcycles.co.uk • Engine 776cc • Power 83bhp • Weight 230kg • Seat height 855mm SAVE £2108 £11,891 KTM 890 Adventure R For dirt-based adventuring, the 890 is the cream of the crop, providing top-drawer components, excellent ergos and dirt-bred geometry. motorcycles.juddracing.com •…

There are hybrids, and then there are plug-in hybrids (or PHEVs). The difference, as the name suggests, is that a plug-in hybrid’s batteries can be recharged from mains electricity. Without this key feature, a ‘basic’ hybrid can only ever top up its battery from regenerative braking, or via the combustion engine burning more petrol. For all their complexity and brief electric operation, regular hybrids are still entirely powered by fossil fuels. Plug-in hybrids break this dependency, allowing the vehicle to run – even if only for short distances – using grid electricity, which is both cleaner and cheaper than petrol. In 2024 more than half of Britain’s electricity was generated from zero-carbon sources, while at the global level more than 40% of electricity came from renewables or nuclear. Plug-in hybrid…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com THE WORLD’S WARMEST BASELAYER® www.zerofit.co.uk Bought in 1982 with proceeds from first job in school hols. It was half the price of an AP50! Tim Gillbanks My BSA Bantam Major on which I used to do 480-mile round trips wearing an ex-RAF flying suit. Tony Burns Purchased from Kidderminster Motorcycle Mart in 1980 with Brearley Smith Pro Am fairings and Avons. Andy Rudall Here’s me on my new AP50 in 1976. Levi jacket, flares, basketball boots and my dad’s RAF gauntlets! Mick Potter Taken around 1986, channelling my inner Evel Knievel on my little PW50. Mark Ryan Me on the left on my MT-09 SP (my 23rd bike) with my son-in-law Rich on his first bike, a 1999 VFR800. Kev Trueman Help me…

THE DETAILS • 7 days 8.30am-5.30pm • Find out more / nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk • Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull B92 0EJ Once upon a time, Birmingham was at the epicentre of British motorcycling. Although those days are long gone now, Roy Richards, a visionary lover of British metal, wanted to honour that by opening the National Motorcycle Museum in 1984. Today, the museum houses hundreds of pristine examples of standout British bikes through five jam-packed halls, as well as a hearty café and even an auction or two. Better still, they raffle off the odd restored bike, so be sure to grab a ticket in the foyer. “We’re not a museum that stays in the past,” says Director James Hewing. “Some of these Hinckley bikes are now 30 years old and we’re…

A rather Eryri adventure Richard Newland goes from sea to sky to sea in Snowdonia Whenever I get into North Wales, I always feel compelled to cross the Menai Straight and nip up to Beaumaris for a coffee or and ice cream. There’s a nice photo spot at the Menai Bridge Viewpoint to get a shot of your bike with the old bridge in the background, then you can cross back over the Menai Suspension Bridge and wind your way onto the A4086 to start climbing past Llanberis and up, up, up over the Pen-y-Pass before hooking a right to Beddgelert on the A498. Then plunge south on the A4085 until you reach Garreg, where I take a left onto the B4110. At the end of the road, hook a…

THE MCN TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK £7704 Yamaha MT-07 • 689cc DOHC 4v parallel twin • 72.4bhp @ 8750rpm • 183kg kerb weight £7449 Honda CB750 Hornet • 755cc SOHC 4v parallel twin • 90.5bhp @ 9500rpm • 192kg kerb weight £8299 Suzuki GSX-8S • 776cc DOHC 4v parallel twin • 81.7bhp @ 8500rpm • 202kg kerb weight Yamaha’s MT-07 is an important bike. The grunty, affordable, fun, twincylinder spin-off of the 2013 MT-09 roadster triple, debuted in 2014, has been a best-seller ever since and gone through three generations with a total of more than 195,000 sold. And that success has inspired rivals such as the even more affordable and more powerful Honda CB750 Hornet and the even gruntier Suzuki GSX-8S, with both machines arriving…

'Too good to be true?' On face value, all three are incredibly similar due to their parallel twin engines, tubular steel frames, USD forks/radial brakes and 5in TFT dashes. In reality, they’re quite different. All are excellent, affordable, sporting roadsters with great features. If your decision is swayed by brand loyalty, you won’t be disappointed. But for the neutral there’s one winner. The Suzuki may have a great engine characterised by bags of midrange grunt, the slickest gearshift polished by the only standard-fit ’shifter, and the crispest dash/switchgear. But the Honda and Yamaha have nullified the handling advantage it had two years ago, the dash has fallen behind the times, and there’s no justification for being the priciest bike here. The Yamaha may be a big step up with better…

By the end of 1981, 6631 G/S models had left BMW’s Berlin plant. Not only was this twice the number BMW had initially planned to build, it meant one in five BMWs sold were G/Ss. This early success was just the start, as by July 1987 -when the R80 GS and R100 GS replaced the R80 G/S – BMW had sold 21,864 of the original models. Over the years sales have unprecedentedly accelerated, with the R1150GS selling 71,137 worldwide, the R1200GS clearing over 100,000 in its first three years and in June 2023 BMW built their 1,000,000th boxer-powered GS – which was an R1250GS.…

BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician Set up for two-up Planning on taking a pillion? It’s time to adjust your suspension… 1 Adjust just enough A bike’s standard suspension setup usually works well for an average solo rider plus a light load. However, when you start carrying a passenger and luggage, you’ll need to tweak the shock and fork settings to maintain the bike’s handling characteristics. Your bike’s owner's manual will detail the likely correct amount of adjustment needed. 2 Set the pressures Before you start, it's important to set the tyre pressures correctly. Many manufacturers now recommend the same pressure for both solo and fully loaded riding. However, it's a good idea to check your manual as there may be differences from model to model, meaning that you may need to increase…

Cookstown 100 organisers have continued to pioneer new ground with the introduction of charges to designated enclosures around the Orritor circuit. First tested during the Covid pandemic, the system sidesteps the restrictions in the official road closing orders that prohibits the levying of admission charges and allows organising clubs to manage their budgets. A packed programme of modern and classic bike racing across 15 practice sessions and the same number of races provided plenty of entertainment for the fans, but Saturday also saw the deployment of the NI Air ambulance twice. ‘Organisers had charges for viewing areas’ The race of the day came in the Supertwins class with old adversaries, Derek McGee and Michael Sweeney slugging it out over seven laps. Little more than 0.1 second separated McGee’s Ryan Farquhar-built…

'Fabio toasted Bagnaia's tyre' First an apology. Tyre pressures are without doubt the most boring subject in motorcycle racing but the fact is that they play a huge part in the result of every MotoGP race, so they need to be discussed. Front tyre pressures caused huge controversy in Qatar, where Maverick Viñales lost his second place for running under the minimum pressure. It’s usually the other way around at Jerez, which works the front tyre so much: several hairpins, lots of fast corners and no long straights to give the tyre a rest. This, believe it or not, is why Pecco Bagnaia couldn’t get close enough to attack Fabio Quartararo, who was making the Yamaha do things it was never designed to do. Every time he got the gap…

'Who can stop Marc? He can…' We’ve said it before, but the only person that can stop Marc… is Marc. We know how fast he is through left-handers, we’ve seen it at left-handed tracks like in America, but he was just unbelievably greedy through the lefts and that cost him at Jerez. His brother Alex was metronomic and fair play for the win, but again it was because Marc made a mistake. I honestly don’t know if Marc looks back at the race and thinks ‘yeah I was a dick’ but he was a dick because he could be way ahead in the championship by now. But hey that’s good for us and it’s exactly what we want and the championship is building brilliantly. Alex is leading and Bagnaia is…

It’s been a remarkable month for the defending Bennetts British Superbike Champion Kyle Ryde and his now former teammate, 2022 champion, Bradley Ray. They were destined to join forces once more with OMG Racing, but on April 1 both were told the team had folded. Suddenly, there was no trip to Navarra for the first official test. Fortunately, two riders of their calibre were never going be left out in the cold. Steve Rodgers returned with his Raceways Yamaha team to save Ray, while OMG pulled a sensational U-turn following a new sponsorship deal and saved Ryde. Now it’s time for the pair to duel for the 2025 BSB title. Kyle Ryde Back in 2022 Ryde watched as his teammate dominated on the other side of the OMG garage. While…

Do you believe in miracles? If you don’t then perhaps you should, because after 26 years, the fabled Norton Nemesis ripped down a Northamptonshire runway under its own steam. After months of painstaking rebuild and redesign work by Allen Millyard, last week saw the bike get its first shakedown test – and MCN’s Bruce Dunn had the unique chance to experience the 1500cc V8 legend, too – that was, after Allen had finished putting the distinctive silver beast through its paces. Flick over the page now to find out what they thought… The miracles kept on coming at Jerez MotoGP last weekend; having missed qualifying, I sat down for Saturday’s Sprint race and immediately did a double-take – Fabio Quartararo on pole! What? And not only pole, but a lap…

The Norton Nemesis was unveiled in a lavish launch in 1999. Its specifications are impressive: the V8 1500cc engine was designed by visionary engineer Al Melling and was claimed to produce around 260bhp at the back wheel, with a top speed of 220mph. The bike was not a production prototype; rather, it was a unique one-off build intended to generate interest among investors and the public. At that time, the price was £27,000, which is estimated to be around £50,955 when adjusted for inflation in 2025. During the shake-down, we managed to data record the runs and with the bike being revved to only 8000 (of a 14,000rpm maximum) the speed was logged at a respectable 107mph. The interesting thing is that the acceleration trace is in a straight line…

BMW have given their resident sports-tourer a bump in displacement for 2025, creating the new £13,700 R1300RS – a bike they claim is the most dynamic RS model yet, while also being easier to ride. It gains the firm’s most powerful boxer to date, plus an all-new chassis, rider aids, a sharper new look, and tweaked ergonomics to sit the rider in a more forward-leaning position – although speccing the ‘comfort handlebars’ takes things back to a more relaxed stance. Power comes courtesy of the twin-cylinder 1300cc motor as found in the R1300GS and GSA, plus a new R1300R naked, and new R1300RT (see left). Here, it churns out 143bhp at 7750rpm and 110lb.ft at 6500rpm – up nine horses and 4.5lb.ft on the outgoing R1250RS – with drive delivered…

Up and coming electric motorcycle brand Ultraviolette are entering the UK with their F77 Mach 2 naked bike – launched with an introductory price of £8499. Available at that price until June 30, before climbing to £9399, the Mach 2 is being imported and distributed by MotoMondo, an established company dealing with petrol brands including Moto Morini, Rieju and Mash Motorcycles. “This marks a pivotal step in our global journey, as we take the Ultraviolette brand beyond India and into some of the most mature and discerning motorcycling markets in the world,” Ultraviolette co-founder and chief executive Narayan Subramaniam said. ‘This marks a pivotal step in our journey beyond India’ With a five-year warranty on the battery and drivetrain (up to 62,000 miles), plus a three-year warranty (18,600 miles) on…

Sand racing returns to Bridlington with the Race the Waves festival, a nod to the glory days of land speed record attempts on Yorkshire beaches. Classic bikes and cars will race in groups along the 200-yard course on South Beach, with this year's free-to-attend festival taking place from June 12-15. Activities kick off on June 12 at Burton Fleming village hall, followed by parades on June 13 and racing on June 14-15. Solar boost for Yamaha's plans Yamaha have fitted 2437 solar panels across their European sites as part of a push for carbon neutrality by 2050. Panels now cover 18,000 square metres at Yamaha’s French factory and Italian R&D and branch offices, generating 1115 MWh annually -enough to save 60 tonnes of CO2. Italy’s YMRE and YMIT facilities save…

'Naked fun with underrated BMW' This week I’d like to show a bit of love for a bike that I reckon is hugely underrated – BMW’s naked boxer. I remember doing the launch of the air-cooled R1200R in 2011, which is when it gained the DOHC head, and being staggered at just how much fun it was. Like so many riders, up until that point it was a bike I’d tended to unfairly overlook. Fast-forward a few years and in 2015 the R1200R (alongside its also widely underrated RS sports-touring sibling) gained the water-cooled boxer, a move that saw the R mature into a simply brilliant machine ideally suited to UK roads. And I reckon it looks pretty good too, which isn’t always the case with naked BMWs. With a…

Oxford Eyeglasses from £24.99 These slimline shades from Oxford offer a cool look for sunny weather, with thin rims and rubberised tips for comfort underneath your lid. They're available in different styles ranging from goggles to aviators, and tested to ISO standard for UV blocking, with impact and scratch-resistant lenses for safety. oxfordproducts.com Ruroc Atlas 4.0 from £259.99 The concept of go-faster stripes isn't lost on the team at Ruroc, with a new collection of designs available for their Atlas 4.0 lid. Designed in-house, some of the liveries, like this La Catrina, boast hand-painted graffiti for a gritty, urban look, with the design digitally scanned for printing. ruroc.com Kriega OS Base from £159 Kriega's top-of-the-range OS luggage system has three new base options available for the Royal Enfield Himalayan, BMW…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews STAR LETTER IN ASSOCIATION WITH Legendary choices You're asking the impossible when it comes to the all-time legend (MCN, April 23). Instinctively I said out loud: ‘Sammy Miller, Joey and dear old Ted Simon’. If I could vote for my greatest of all time it wouldn't be for one person, it would be for a family. The greatest family of racing and I don't have to tell you who that is. I will vote, of course, but just wanted to let you know my true legend: The Dunlops. Fran Hales, email Ed: Remember to vote for your Legend of Motorcycling via www.motorcyclenews.com/legends-of-motorcycling/ Continuing our partnership with Zerofit – King of Baselayers® – we are changing up the prize for the winner of the weekly star letter.…

I went up to Oulton this week to watch the testing before the first round of the British Superbike Championship. It’s hard watching them go around the circuit because I wish I was riding too, but at the same time it’s cool to see everybody going through their testing programme and getting ready to start the year. The riders will have been prepping several main things: a strict diet to get down to race weight, getting as much testing done as possible, and I know when I was running my own bike, I was making sure we had all the spares we needed, and everything was in place. But at testing this year, as usual, it seems like everybody is making changes to the electronics and suspension, getting everything as…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Readers Bruno, Simon, Alan, David, Keith, Rich and our guide the legendary Chris Scott! The ride Flight to Marrakech where we hired KTM 390s, Chris had ridden down from the UK on his CFMoto 450 MT When to do it We went in November but Chris also runs tours in February How long do you need? Six days riding and a day either side Tell us about the trip The six of us had been away on a Moroccan adventure with Chris back in 2022 and had such a great time, we all agreed we'd do it again. We all met up with Chris, who is a legend in his own right – check out sahara-overland.com – in Marrakech on Sunday night, ready for the…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday April 30 BIKE MEETS ■ Sycamore Cafe, Great Billing, Northamptonshire ■ Huggys, Mallory Park, Leics www.huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, West Yorks www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 ■ Wheels Cafe, Sykehouse, S Yorks 5.30pm 01405-5785635 ■ Loomies, West Meon, Hants open till 9pm www.loomiescafe.co.uk ■ The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey from 10.30am-1pm RIDEOUT ■ Burgess Hill & DMC, Station Road car park, Burgess Hill, Sussex 7pm7.30pm www.burgesshillmc.com SPEEDWAY ■ King's Lynn Young Stars, Adrian Flux Arena, Norfolk 7.30pm www.kingslynn-speedway.com ■ Oxford Cheetahs, 7.30pm www.oxfordspeedway.club TRACKDAY ■ No Limits, Oulton Park, Cheshire £199 www.nolimitstrackdays.com Thursday May 1 BIKE MEETS ■ Faun Cafe, Gainsborough, Lincs 4pm-8.30pm Facebook: Faun Cafe ■ Vic…

FIRST RIDE Aprilia’s Tuono V4 Factory 1100 has been a perennial MCN super-naked group test winner for the past decade. Of all its rivals it delivers the best mix of performance, practicality and price – and all to a yowling V4 soundtrack. It’s always been hard to fault, but the Noale factory have thought to improve it for 2025 anyway, with more power, refined aero and smoother electronics. We’re at its launch, here on track at Mugello, to see just how they’ve managed to make the best even better. We’re riding the full-fat £18,950 Factory version with semi-active Öhlins suspension – available in dealers now. 1 More cubes, more power Capacity is up from 1077cc to 1099cc, now matching the RSV4 superbike, and power rises from 173bhp to 178bhp @…

FIRST RIDE While the TMAX has never quite infiltrated the UK motorcycling fraternity, it remains a huge hit in mainland Europe with an incredible 340,000 units sold since its launch in 2001. During this time the Yamaha maxi-scoot has undergone constant evolution, with the new 2025 model being the ninth generation as Yamaha remain committed to being top dog in the category. A massive 85% of all TMAXs built have been sold in Europe and its DNA remains unchanged, offering motorcycle performance combined with maxi-scooter comfort and convenience. And the latest evolution builds on this to deliver an even more polished and premium product, but one that most certainly comes at a cost, with the new Yamaha coming in at a not insubstantial £14,403. 1 Stylish but noisy Being such…

It doesn’t take much to turn a fun ride into a frustrating one, especially when the bike cuts out every time you steer. That’s exactly what was happening to one unlucky Triumph Street Triple 765 owner, whose bike would mysteriously lose power every time the handlebars were turned to the left. Dan Walker, owner of Walker’s Motorcycle Repairs, was quick to get to the bottom of the bizarre fault. “The customer complained that every time he turned his bars to the left, his ignition was going off,” Walker told MCN. Digging into the electrics, Walker discovered a textbook case of shoddy workmanship. “The dodgy wiring was for the ignition barrel. The previous shop who’d looked at it had not soldered the wires properly,” he explained. Rather than a lasting fix,…

Leading roads and TT photojournalist writes for MCN Michael Dunlop made a winning start to his 2025 road racing season at Saturday’s Cookstown 100 with a double victory and a new outright lap record as he debuted a new line-up of MD Racing machinery in stealth black around the 2.1-mile Co. Tyrone course. Riding a Ducati V2, Dunlop enjoyed a start to finish victory in the Supersport class over Derek McGee (McGee Yamaha) who was returning to the Irish meeting for the first time in six years. After close racing in the opening laps Dunlop broke clear to win by four seconds with Michael Sweeney completing the podium, 15s further back on the EM Building Yamaha. The race was run on drying roads after an earlier shower of rain. “I…

ROUND 5 JEREZ MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1 MARQUEZ A 140 Pts 2 MARQUEZ M 139 Pts 3 BAGNAIA 120 Pts Miller 19 pts Rins 17pts Mir 11pts Fernandez R 6pts Fernandez A 3pts Oliveira 2pts Savadori 1 FINAL POSITIONS MOTOGP 11 Zarco +17.784 12 Marquez M +20.89 13 Rins +21.12 14 Bezzecchi +24.51 15 Fernandez R +25.726 16 Fernandez A +31.429 17 Espargaro +39.678 18 Savadori +49.303 DNF Aldeguer 18 laps DNF Morbidelli 15 laps DNF Mir 14 laps DNF Miller 13 laps DNF Chantra 11 laps FINAL POSITIONS SP RACE 11 Binder 13.204 12 Ogura 13.438 13 Marini 16.572 14 Bastianini 17.918 15 Rins 19.963 16 Fernandez R 21.69 17 Fernandez A 21.932 18 Espargaro 22.515 19 Savadori 30.2 20 Chantra 30.968 DNF Zarco 5 laps DNF Miller 4 laps DNF…

Confusion more than anger and frustration was the overriding emotion for Marc Marquez after he tumbled out of contention in Jerez. He was third and ‘cruising’ when he washed out the front of his factory Ducati at turn eight on lap three. What aggravated the 32-year-old most was he couldn’t pinpoint the cause of what was his second big blunder in three rounds after crashing out of the lead in Austin. “I don’t understand because I was cruising. I was not attacking. Maybe I had one degree more lean angle. Or it was the first time all weekend I was behind riders and maybe the bike changed a bit. ‘The speed is there but I must avoid mistakes’ “The speed is there, but I need to avoid these mistakes. I…

Hello and welcome to MCN’s 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season preview. It’s been a dramatic winter break. With just one month to go before the start of the season, OMG dropped a bombshell by withdrawing from the championship, leaving 2024 champ Kyle Ryde, returning 2022 champ Bradley Ray and rookie Joe Talbot jobless. Remarkably, OMG returned just 12 days later and Ryde’s spot on the grid was saved. Meanwhile, Bradley Ray joins Steve Rodgers’ returning Raceways Yamaha team. Tommy Bridewell sticks with Honda alongside Andrew Irwin after losing his crown by a single point, whilst arch nemesis Glenn Irwin also continues his relationship with Hager PBM Ducati. Danny Kent hopes to build upon his breakthrough campaign with McAMS Racing Yamaha. It’s all change behind last season’s top four. Christian…

'I've done my apprentice years – now I feel I belong' Max Cook took a big step forwards in his second campaign by bagging a maiden podium at Thruxton. He ended the season 12th overall with 203 points, 89 more than in his debut season. Cook remains with FS-3 Racing this year and is ready to continue his upwards trajectory. “Getting that podium was such an achievement,” Cook told MCN. “It helps you realise you’re good enough and belong in BSB. My confidence improved so much last year. “It’s having that confidence and riding the bike like it’s mine, and not being afraid of anything. No fear, just completely focused on trying to win. “My problem was being a slow burner. I’d be slow in FP1, but then I’d improve.…

There’s a new star ready to take the Supersport class by storm and his name is Edoardo Colombi. The Italian made an instant impact last year when he rocked up at Oulton Park for the very first time and did the double in the new Sportbike category. Colombi secured six more victories on his way to second overall, a mere 4.5 points behind Richard Cooper. Not bad for your first season in the UK. These efforts earned Colombi a big move to TAS Racing [Cheshire Mouldings Ducati] for 2025, and a seat on the Ducati Panigale V2. MCN sat down with Colombi to learn more about his career so far. Early days Colombi’s father was a motorcycle enthusiast, albeit on the road rather than race bikes. That said, it was…

Round 1 Oulton Park May 3-5 • Length: 2.69m • Corners: 17 (11 right, 6 left) • All-time lap record: 1:32.948 (Ray, 2022) 2024 Results Race 1 G Irwin, Iddon, Ryde Race 2 G Irwin, Bridewell, Iddon Race 3 G Irwin, Iddon, Vickers Round 5 Brands Hatch July 25-27 • Length: 2.43m • Corners: 11 (8 right, 3 left) • All-time lap record: 1:24.162 (Byrne, 2017) 2024 Results Race 1 Vickers, Bridewell, A Irwin Race 2 Vickers, Bridewell, Ryde Race 3 Vickers, Iddon, Ryde Round 9 Assen September 19-21 • Length: 2.82 • miles Corners: 18 (12 right, 6 left) • All-time lap record: 1:35.579 (Dixon, 2018) 2024 Results BSB didn’t visit the Netherlands circuit last year Round 2 Donington Park May 16-18 • Length: 2.49m • Corners: 12 (7…

Suzuki have updated their Hayabusa and Katana for 2025, revealing fresh colourschemes across both models. The Busa now comes in green with black trim, or alternatively, a silver version with blue highlights, and a stealthy black and silver combo. The Katana gains a silver and gold look, plus a blue and bronze option. Both are in dealers now and available on Suzuki’s 0% finance offer. Tech specs remain unchanged. Get ready to go Husky Trekking Husqvarna’s Trek event returns for 2025, offering owners a three-day riding adventure through Portugal’s Serra da Estrela mountains. Running from October 6-10, just 70 places are up for grabs, with GPX-guided routes, support crew, and full-board hotel stays included. Riders must bring (or rent) a Husky, wear appropriate gear, and be ready for everything. Visit…

More than 70 MPs have attended a special meeting in Westminster to tackle Britain’s pothole crisis. The April 23 event, which was organised by breakdown specialists the RAC, hosted senior members of the Road Surface Treatments Association, Institute of Highways Engineers, Asphalt Industry Association (AIA), and Road Emulsion Association. All were invited to share their knowledge and provide advice on how local authorities can maximise the budgets – with the Government delivering £1.6bn in funding across the current financial year. “We have long advocated councils take a much more proactive approach to looking after their roads and put an end to the cycle of merely filling potholes,” RAC Head of Policy, Simon Williams said. “We need to shift the focus to carrying out the right type of maintenance at the…

• A new wave of Yamahas • Aprilia on the edge • BMW’s K-series superbike FAZER TO STUN After 2001’s disappointing Fazer, Yamaha unleash a new-style FZ1, which would be the inspiration behind the whole Yamaha range in 2005. Teasing what each new bike will look like, there was also talk of two-wheel drive appearing on more models. A new R1 was also announced, although it would take two years before we got to see it in the metal, along with some brand new bikes that filled the gaps in the company’s model range. BMW tease superbike Grabbing some time with then chief of BMW Motorrad, we got the scoop on the German manufacturer’s ‘first genuine four-cylinder sports bike’. The K1200S turned out to be more of a sports tourer,…

'Dodgy kit on social media' I was looking at a Facebook post in a riding group recently that promoted motorcycle clothing being sold direct to riders. The account behind it used a name – likely a pseudonym – and claimed to be based in Paris. Their Facebook page showed product images with a logo poorly superimposed -sometimes over gear that was clearly displaying other brands’ badging on their labels. Intrigued, I asked the seller whether their motorcycle gear had been tested and certified, as is legally required under the PPE Regulation. The company’s reply avoided the question, instead pointing to their website, company registration, and supposed membership of a business centre – likely in Pakistan – none of which proves compliance. Alarmingly, they also linked to a website that generates…

Q ‘Did they act negligently?’ I am worried that my solicitor (appointed by my insurer) is not being straight with me. I have an injury claim that has been going on for nearly four years. They have written to say they failed to issue the claim at court by the required deadline. They say they are trying to sort out the error and I should not worry about it. Is this a bigger problem? Carla, Barnet A In personal injury claims arising from road traffic accidents (other than in certain circumstances) court proceedings need to be issued within three years. Otherwise the claim becomes statute barred i.e. you cannot pursue it without the Defendant agreeing not to raise the failure in its Defence or with the court’s permission. Failing to…

Q ‘Has Jenny ever considered the Women's World Championship in the WSBK paddock? The chance to be a world champion must surely be very alluring?’ Mark O’Brien, email A The Women’s World Championship looks really cool. I’ve watched the racing and it does look like a lot of fun and when I watch it I kinda wish I was out there! But I’d want it to be something I would really enjoy, and I love the challenge more than the glory. With British Superbikes, I of course wanted to win it and wanted to do well, but for me it was more the fact of trying to do it in the first place. My superstocker is my favourite bike and I love riding 1000cc machines. I’m not sure what power…

1 May 2-5 Despatch Rally The Despatch Rally is back at Mappercombe Farm in Dorset (DT6 3SS). Bikers are brought together to celebrate the despatch riders of previous wars, with an event featuring challenges like bike control and navigation. A weekend ticket is £160, it’s £75 for Saturday, £95 for Sunday, or to spectate, £60 for the weekend. www.despatchrally.co.uk 2 May 3-4 Malle Beach Race Dubbed ‘the inappropriate motorcycle beach race’, it’s all happening on Margate beachfront this weekend. Customs, classics and everything in between will take to the sands in head-to-head competition. Spectator tickets are still on sale for £24 all-in. mallelondon.com/beach-race 3 May 4 Spring autojumble Sammy Miller’s motorcycle museum are hosting their Spring autojumble this weekend. It’s £5 to enter, but you get discounted entry to the museum if you…

JOIN THE MCN PIT STOP BREW CREW www.motorcyclenews.com/pit-stop 'New bike, will travel' JADE ABEL 126 miles on my ‘new to me’ Tracer 700! Took the twisty route around the Moors and have definitely fallen in love. I’ll miss my little 390 Duke but this ticks far more boxes. 'A different kind of Pit Stop' RODNEY MAGOWAN The Harley Owners Group Belfast Chapter visited The Ballance House at Glenavy for their annual 'Rust Off' first run of the year. An ideal rural venue for events! 'Café cruising' BRUCE TAYLOR This is Emma's Café in Woburn MK17 9PY. It had excellent food and coffee as well as a friendly atmosphere. There is a Triumph Dealer in the same complex. 'Mini adventures' HARRY HAWKINS Devil's Bridge then Slaidburn for dinner at the Riverside…

'It feels like cheating' Aprilia’s updated Tuono V4 Factory 1100 is so easy to ride fast, it feels like cheating. The magic lies in how the engine, chassis and electronics work in glorious harmony. Its beefier midrange and more bombastic top end add urgency without ever being a handful, its velvety front-end feel is sent straight from heaven and the sound of the V4 at full throttle would bring a tear to Pavarotti’s eye. It’s far roomier and friendlier than the RSV4 it’s based on and it’s lavishly equipped. It’s a blast to ride and, unlike its 200bhpplus rivals, never takes itself too seriously. THE FACTS £18,90 Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory 1100…

'Something a little more …or less' Although the Honda and Suzuki tested here are the closest, most obvious rivals to Yamaha’s updated MT-07, they’re not the only ones in contention. If you’re on a slightly tighter budget, Kawasaki’s Z650 with its similar parallel twin, TFT dash and style, is also worth consideration, especially as, starting at £6999, it’s significantly cheaper than all three machines here. But it also should be pointed out that, with just 67bhp from its aging ER6-derived engine and conventional forks and brakes, the Kawasaki also offers less in terms of outright performance and handling. At the other extreme, if you want something ‘more’ than the three bikes here, Triumph’s Trident 660 roadster should be another one on your list. At £7895 it may be more expensive…

'340,000 people can't be wrong' The TMAX remains the Bentley of the scooter class, offering a premium solution for anyone looking for practicality with a heavy splash of performance, the finish is impressive as is the level of detail. While it fits the brief, two areas remain disappointing, especially given what the bike is intended for: comfort, which is lacking; and wind noise unless the screen is in the highest setting. But surely 340,000 people can’t be wrong, especially given the incredibly high return rate of customers who are now on their second, third or even fourth TMAX. THE FACTS £14,403 Yamaha TMAX Tech Max…

THE FACTS ‘The G/S saved Motorrad from possible closure’ The term ‘game-changing’ is often overused in the motorcycle world – but when it comes to the BMW R80 G/S it is most certainly appropriate. This revolutionary machine not only created the whole ‘adventure tourer’ segment, it saved BMW Motorrad from the very real possibility of closure and inspired what became the firm’s best-selling model family. That’s not bad going for a mud-covered prototype that was built as a pet project, discovered almost by accident and released as a last roll of the dice… Strangely, for a bike that was so pivotal in the history of Motorrad, the creation of the G/S is a bit clouded. However, most experts accept that test engineer Laszlo Peres was the ‘father’ of the bike.…

RATINGS Exceptional Very good Good Average Poor • Fit and comfort levels rated • Design, construction and CE scores rated • Every pair worn for hundreds of real-world miles 20K+ miles ON TEST Bull-it Mastiff Motorcycle Jeans £174.99 'Feeling Bull-it-proof' Tested by Michael Neeves for 14 months British motorcycle riding jeans maker Bull-it launched their mid-grey Mastiff line last year. Mine are straight fit, size 32 Long and I’ve been wearing them since March 2024. Their extensive range includes jeans in various styles, cuts and colours for men and women. They’re made from a lightweight denim designed to be resistant to abrasion and to keep heat away from the rider’s skin in a crash. They come with a decent AA safety rating (the highest is AAA) and the breathable, rubbery-plastic…

As you increase a bike’s weight with a passenger and luggage the bike will sag on the suspension -this means it will be using up more of the available range of travel on both the forks and rear shock. The consequence of this is that the ride heights will change and will therefore affect the handling in a negative way. Added to this, the extra weight will require more damping to stabilise the bike’s sprung components. So, the whole idea of adjusting your suspension when loaded is to bring your ride heights back to a range where they support the bike correctly, improve stability and steering response, as well as maintaining a usable range of suspension travel. Even though many riders view suspension adjustment as a bit of a dark…

Checking out the runners and riders at Cremona WSBK Cremona greets World Superbike this weekend as the series heads to the Italian track for only the second time. 2024 was highly memorable thanks to Italian hero Danilo Petrucci bagging a hat-trick. After the drama of Assen three weeks ago, what do we have in store now? Rewind to 2024 Race 1: Petrucci, Bulega, Bautista Superpole Race: Petrucci, A. Lowes, Iannone Race 2: Petrucci, Bautista, Bulega Cremona 2024 couldn’t have been better for the Ducatisti (the devoted Italian fans who so dearly love the bikes from Bologna): their machines occupied all but one of the podium positions, with Alex Lowes’ second place for Kawasaki on Sunday morning being the outlier. Cremona’s debut was well received despite safety concerns about the proximity…

At the heart of the MotoGP paddock since 1996 Form is temporary, class is permanent. Fabio Quartararo is a prime example of that after the Frenchman emerged as the surprise sensation of the Spanish Grand Prix. Quartararo has been AWOL at the front since the latter stages of 2022 when he blew a 91-point title lead against Pecco Bagnaia. So, it’s fair to say that a first pole position since 2022 and first podium since 2023 was a bolt from the blue in Jerez. Was this a turning point for Quartararo and Yamaha or just a freak foray back at the pointy end in MotoGP? MCN analyses his Spanish stunner to understand whether there is more to come. 1 Frenchman is pure class Quartararo’s first pole in 1134 days since…

At the heart of the MotoGP paddock for over 35 years Alex Marquez had to wait five years and 94 races for his first premier-class win. And – crucially – for his older brother to be out of contention. Following Marc has been his life. Whatever the 29-year-old younger brother achieved, Marc was there first. And more often. With two World Championships to Marc’s eight, Alex has always been a supporting act, but also beneficiary of the bounty of Marc’s comet trail. How much did that change at Jerez on Sunday? Possibly a lot. A first major win can be a turning point – a landmark of self-belief that translates into further success. Passing first Bagnaia and then surprise leader Quartararo to seize control, it was an assured win, with…

Ryan Vickers (WSB rider & BSB race winner) 1 – G Irwin 2 – Haslam 3 – Ray Dark horse – Swann Danny Buchan (6-time BSB race winner) 1 – G Irwin 2 – Ryde 3 – Ray Dark horse – McPhee Matt Roberts (TNT Sports presenter and pundit) 1 – Ray 2 – Ryde 3 – Bridewell Dark horse – Haslam Michael Guy (MCN Sports Editor) 1 – G Irwin 2 – Ray 3 – Haslam Dark horse – A Irwin James Whitham (BSB champion & TNT Sports pundit) 1 – G Irwin 2 – Bridewell 3 – Ryde Dark horse – Skinner Niall Mackenzie (3-time BSB champion) 1 – Haslam 2 – Skinner 3 – Cook Dark horse – McPhee…

The thing you have to understand about the bikes in BSB is that a lot of the development that goes on by the manufacturer, in terms of going racing, is all about being fit for purpose in WSBK. And in BSB you’re dealing with a different set of tech rules and even more than that is the very diverse range of circuits we race on. Some of the tracks we have in BSB are so far away from the big flowing European tracks of WSBK where they predominantly use modern GP circuits. On these tracks you can calculate everything because they are mainly constant radius corners with a decent camber so you can zero down on that and have a near perfect set-up. Whereas in BSB if you get your…

On the track, Colombi describes his riding style as being clean and smooth. Off the track he says that he’s shy and quiet. “I am a simple person. Quiet off the bike, but not so much on the bike! Other than bikes, I like tennis, but I hate football, it’s not for me. Tennis is really good, I played for a few years but not now as I’m completely focused on this. “I have school as well. So, it’s school, gym and bikes. If I wasn’t a racer, I’d try to find work with my diploma, which is in mechanics and mechatronics.”…