Table of contents for 29 June 2016 in MCN

Still smattered with a million Isle of Man flies Cadwell Park is the last place you’d expect to see Bruce Anstey’s TT RC213V-S. But when Padgett’s agreed to let MCN loose on the incredible MotoGPderived missile, we jumped at the chance. Cadwell may be tight and narrow when it comes to unleashing 215bhp of Honda’s finest, but it completely blew away Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves. He was amazed at just how easy the power-packed thoroughbred was to ride around the twisty track.…

‘The Arch KRGT-1 was ridden by the firm’s co-founder Keanu Reeves’ Goodwood again played host to a glorious turnout of biking stars and machines at last weekend’s Festival of Speed. Scores of former world champions including Freddie Spencer, Nicky Hayden, Tom Sykes, Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read, Carl Fogarty, Colin Edwards and Troy Corser were out in force, while fans also rubbed shoulders with TT stars John McGuinness, Bruce Anstey and James Hiller, as well as WSB regulars Alex Lowes and Sylvain Guintoli. A mouth-watering selection of classic and modern racers were ridden up Goodwood’s famous hill, including this year’s Mugen Shinden TT Zero machines, 500cc GP racers, MotoGP missiles and WSB bikes. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Barry Sheene’s first Grand Prix world title, a collection of the legendary Brit’s…

David Silver Is celebrating 30 years since founding his Honda parts business by opening a new museum If you are into classic Hondas, you will already know the name David Silver. Since 1986 his company has been the go-to place for classic Honda spares, not only selling parts but also sourcing new-old-stock and reproduction components. But in the last few years Silver has evolved his business to include tracking down classic Hondas from all over the world for his customers and his own personal collection. And now he has brought his entire collection together to open his own Honda museum. “About two years ago we set up an American business and a customer mentioned there was a dealership nearby owned by Bob Logue, who was in the process of selling…

Engine49cc, OHV, air-cooled single Power6bhp Weight50kg Value £4000Rarity “This is one of Honda’s ‘monkey bike’ range, which started with the Z100 in 1961 and are still produced today in Japan. This bike is pretty special as it’s what is known as the ‘Christmas special’ and is effectively a standard one that has been chromed to within an inch of its life! Honda gave them to their good-performing American dealers as a Christmas gift in 1985. They were only produced for one year and look great. “The dealer in Virginia who I bought it from had fallen out with Honda back in the 1980s shortly after building his showroom, so he shut the doors and refused to sell another bike. When I visited the shop in 2013 it was a…

 Engine 999cc, liquid-cooled, flat four Power 82bhp Weight 295kg Value £6000Rarity ‘This was Honda really innovating... it was the first Japanese bike to have a shaft-drive and the first with disc brakes all round’ “The 1975 GL1000 was the first of Honda’s Gold Wing series and the Limited Edition is basically an official Honda blinged version with gold wheels, a bit of gold paint and better quality chrome and finish. “I bought this in a Las Vegas auction but while this model was only produced in very limited numbers, it isn’t rare. The problem with this bike when it comes to a collector’s point of view is that dealers had cottoned onto the fact that a limited-edition Honda could make them money in the long run so many put…

Engine72cc, air-cooled, single Power6bhp Weight75kg Value £2000Rarity “These were called ‘monkey bikes’ and were sold in America under the CT70 name in a bigger variety, while in the UK we had the ST70. This bike was one of the last in the UK and sat in the window of a Honda dealer having done just 106 miles, which is how we bought it. The bars fold in and it was used as a kind of traffic-buster that could be fitted into the back of a car and taken out for commuting. “In America the CT70 models are starting to take off in popularity and a few owners go completely crazy when it comes to chrome or paint. The trend hasn’t kicked off in the UK yet, but I’m buying…

1 Lift, loosen and support You’ll need good access to both yokes, so remove any bodywork that’s getting in the way. Before raising the bike, crack off the front wheel spindle, pinch bolts and caliper bolts. You can also take a quarter turn off the yoke bolts, but no more for now. The bike needs to be supported upright via a stand that lifts from the swingarm pivot, and we supplemented it with a trolley jack carefully positioned under the sump. 2 Take off wheel and secure calipers Remove the brake calipers (a couple of bungee cords looped around the bike are handy for supporting calipers out of the way without putting stress on the hoses), wheel and front mudguard. It’s a good opportunity to check or change front wheel…

Ducati Paul Smart 1000 LE (2006) Most exclusive and alluring of Ducati’s original, three-strong 1000DS-powered Sports Classics family is also the rarest and most valuable. The Imola 200-inspired LE and 1000 Sport shared mono seat bodywork and single-sided swingarm with LE set apart by half-fairing, silver/green livery, uprated Öhlins suspension and a production run of just 2000. Twin seat/sided swingarm-ed GT1000 came a little later. Appeal and collectability are enormous. What you’ll pay today £18k-plus. But should you? Later S Biposto looks similar and is cheaper. But this is The One. Ducati 749R (2004) If the Terblanche-penned successor to the 916, the 999, initially underwhelmed and the junior 749 equally failed to excite, then it all came right with the exotic R version. The tuned, higher-revving Testastretta motor produced a…

Rumours that Guy Martin could be about to make his imminent return to road racing emerged this weekend as it was revealed the Lincolnshire star features heavily on the front cover of this year’s Southern 100 programme. A three-time championship winner at the Manx event, the Tyco BMW rider withdrew from this year’s North West 200 and Isle of Man TT to compete in the gruelling Tour Divide mountain bike race but is yet to rule out an appearance at the Southern 100 on July 11-14 – widely known to be his favourite road race on the calendar. With the cycling event now finished, it is understood he’ll make a decision on whether to return to bike racing in the next two weeks, with further options to compete at Armoy…

John Hopkins took a giant leap forward at Knockhill to kickstart his 2016 MCE British Superbike campaign. After a tough first three rounds, Tommy Hill’s ePayMe Yamaha outfit found improved front-end feel for the former MotoGP star, allowing him to ride the YZF-R1 in his usual late-and-hard-on-the brakes style for the first time this year. This increased level of front-end feel saw Hopkins move towards the sharp-end of the BSB field, qualifying on the second row and going on to lead Sunday’s opening race before taking a strong fourth place. “We’re getting there,” Hopkins told MCN. “We’re lacking a little bit on initial punch compared to the Kawasaki and even the Honda, and that makes it harder to make passes as you have to ride defensively in a group. “The…

Valentino Rossi’s protégé Francesco Bagnaia handed Indian manufacturer Mahindra their first ever win in Grand Prix racing by taking a superb victory in the closing few corners of Sunday’s frantic Moto3 race at Assen. Bagnaia (19), who’s part of Rossi’s VR46 Academy, was able to slipstream the Team Sky VR46 machine of Andrea Migno across the line for the win. He said: “I don’t know if this will make the next one any easier, but it’s come after a lot of hard work. We’ll see what happens at the other tracks!” But while the victory was huge for the Italian teenager, it’s potentially an even more important debut for the Indian manufacturer. Financed by billionaire Anand Mahindra, the win comes at the culmination of a long project for them. The…

Jorge Lorenzo has admitted that Sunday’s Dutch TT race at Assen was one of the worst of his MotoGP career, after a lack of confidence in the torrential rain left him unable to make his mark before taking a lucky tenth. Lorenzo’s form was disappointing as he struggled around at the back of the pack in both parts of the red-flagged race. “It’s not like I was just riding around – I was pushing on braking, pushing on acceleration, and the bike was giving me warnings in all the areas. “If you ignore those warnings, you crash – so even riding slowly I was being unsafe. “Braking in the middle of the corner, with my style and the position of my body, means that I suffer more than the other…

‘In the late 1990s the CBR600F sold more than 4500 units in the UK each year’ Honda will kill the CBR600RR at the end of this year because it can’t meet imminent Euro4 noise and emissions regs, which come into force on January 1, 2017. A limited number of CBRs will remain on sale in the UK and Europe as the legislation comes into force but after that a model which has been a staple of the British biking diet for the past 30 years will be no more. There’s still no official word from Honda, but MCN’s Japanese sources have confirmed there’s not going to be a European replacement for the outgoing CBR600RR. The massive drop in sales, the changing shape of the market and the declining importance of…

‘The footrests look very similar to those fitted to the Superleggera’ This super-spec Ducati Panigale 1299 was spied testing last week with technical changes suggesting a special-edition model for 2017. This single shot was all our spy photographer was able to grab – from a great distance – before the bike disappeared from view. The test bike pictured boasts different wheels, which are not the same as any current model on offer in the Panigale range. It also has the World Superbikeracing style twin exit Akrapovic titanium exhaust, which is available currently as a £2500 accessory part. Another small change is to the fork bottom, which has a different-shaped casting to any current model, while it carries the current Brembo monobloc calipers. The casting owes more to the version used…

Great to hear KTM chief Stefan Pierer singing the praises of Bradley Smith in MCN’s interview last week (MCN, June 22). That second-place finish in the wet at San Marino last year proved that Bradley has the potential to run right at the front when he has the chance. Now nobody expects the KTM to be on the money from the start, but Bradley’s dogged and intelligent approach to racing and his growing maturity prove that he deserves the factory ride. He’s certainly a world apart from reckless MotoGP stars like Andrea Iannone who can’t seem to stop skittling his team-mates and opponents. Jason Taylor, email Ed: Turn to page 72 for eight pages from the Assen MotoGP MCN STAR LETTER If you’re looking to insure a bike, visit MCNcompare.com…

Sounding like a strange mash-up between a factory 500 GP bike and a bumblebee on acid, Bruce Anstey’s Padgett’s RC213V-S TT racer spits, snarls and screams along Cadwell Park’s start-finish straight. With its nose still bloodied with Manx flies, it’s a job to see through the tall screen. I might not have much of a view ahead, tucked under the bubble, but with the throttle hard against the stop the Honda is music to my ears. It’s a finely-tuned, high-speed V4 MotoGP orchestra – all bass induction, heart-pounding midrange and brain-tingling treble high notes. It echoes gloriously around the perfectly manicured Lincolnshire track, bouncing off trees, and for the next three laps I’m the conductor. Anstey’s RCV sounds just as angry off the throttle, spearing towards turn one like Marquez’s…

‘Honda chose a different solution, instead giving the dealers kits to make bombers look like scramblers. These were called D-kits’ Engine 444cc, DOHC, air-cooled, parallel twin Power 43bhp Weight 187kg Value £10,000 Rarity “The Honda CB450 Black Bomber was highly successful in Europe as it could top 100mph, beating the bigger-capacity UK brands,” says Silver. “In the US, many customers preferred the ‘305 scrambler’ look of the CL77 (which was a high-pipe version of CB77) and felt the CB450s looked a bit dated. As unsold CB450s started to fill up dealers’ showroom floors, they asked American Honda to start taking unsold models back. But Honda chose a different solution, instead giving the dealers kits to make bombers look like scramblers. These were called D-kits and included high twin exhaust…

Engine89cc, OHV, air-cooled single Power3.8bhp Value£20,000-£60,000 Rarity “This was built before Honda started exporting bikes, when it was a fledgling company building cheap transport in post-war Japan. The Benly name meant ‘convenient’ in Japanese and the Model J was based on a German NSU, however it had some unique features. The roads were very poor in post-war Japan and Soichiro Honda incorporated some incredibly advanced features to help give riders a more pleasant ride. The swingarm is mounted directly onto the engine and it is all suspended by a mono-shock, making for a smoother ride as the engine’s vibrations are isolated from the rider. While this was good in theory, the Japanese roads were so poor the bumps used to actually cause the primitive carb to stall the bike, so…

Engine 247cc, OHC, air-cooled, parallel twin Value £25,000 Rarity “This is known as the ‘mystery bike’ and was a unique model for Honda. The 250cc engine has a dry sump with a separate oil reservoir, and it is so special because it was very quickly withdrawn from sale. Honda only built about 390 CE71s for the American market with the E believed to stand for ‘Export’, and they had magnesium brakes and 18in wheels. Almost immediately after releasing the bike, it is believed Honda withdrew them from sale and actually tried to buy them all back from dealers. Compared to the CB72 Super Hawk, which was due out in 1961, the CE71 looked really old fashioned and dated and Honda didn’t want it in the public eye. Only around 10…

Engine408cc, SOHC, air-cooled, inline four Power37bhp Weight184kg Value£2800-£6000 Rarity “This bike has a very special place in my heart as we have restored so many of them, easily over 50. We sell more parts for the 400/4 than any other classic Honda and they are by far and away the most popular classic in the UK and Japan. This was the first Honda that was built with European styling tastes in mind and it does look wonderful with its café racer look, side-swept headers and four-into-one pipe. “If you are looking at owning a ride-able classic, the 400/4 is a perfect choice as you can easily buy spares, they are reliable, have an electric start and you can buy one for around £3000.”…

Despite being a multiple world champion, Jorge Lorenzo is quite possibly the most unpopular man in racing. Disliked by fans, misunderstood by the paddock, the 29-year-old Spaniard has become the pantomime villain to the overawing force that is Valentino Rossi. Yet when you actually bump into the five-time world champion in the paddock or sit down with him for an interview, there’s a whole other side to him that emerges. Gone is the arrogance that many accuse him of, and instead you’re left with a friendly, funny, if sometimes a little awkward, guy. But despite how he is up close and personal, the hatred for him within the grandstands is palpable and has only increased this year, fuelled by the events of the now infamous Rossi/ Marquez clash in Sepang…

OWNING & RIDING Q How can I step up without being left high and dry? I currently ride a lowered Kawasaki Ninja 250, as I’m 5ft tall and weigh less than 54kg. I’ve owned it for about seven years but I’m tired of the constant revving, and my wrists ache on a long ride. I want some more midrange so I can keep up with my husband and still be OK to park it when I’m on my own without looking like a hopeless female! The Honda CBR500R or Triumph Street Twin have caught my eye, but I’m too small to test ride them in standard trim. Debbie Robinson, email Answered by Michael Neeves, MCN I think the CBR500R will be perfect for you. It’s really easy to ride and…

It was a weekend of mixed fortunes on the other side of the Honda garage. Jason O’Halloran had shown strong pace before encountering a number of issues in the dry. Finding a near-perfect set-up for Saturday’s wet qualifying, the Aussie agonisingly missed out on pole position by just 0.001 seconds and was hoping the rain would continue for Sunday’s races. Continuing to struggle in the dry, O’Halloran fell back through the pack to a lowly ninth place in the opening race. With race two in his more favourable wet conditions, O’Halloran was one of the fastest men on track but he had to fight through from 12th on the grid and finished fifth – good enough to retain his sixth place position in the champioship standings.…

It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for the factory Ducati squad in Assen as Andrea Iannone rallied well from last place on the gird to take strong points in fifth as team-mate Andrea Dovizioso crashed out of podium contention. Iannone started Sunday’s race from the back of the grid despite strong pace in qualifying as punishment for his collision with Jorge Lorenzo in Barcelona, but was able to make the most of the extreme conditions to take a strong finish during Sunday’s race. “In MotoGP it’s never easy to recover from the back, but I am pleased with both of my starts,” he said. “I managed to recover well and cross the line in fifth place. In the end the result was quite positive for us and we managed…

‘Some people race GPs for years without a win, so I consider myself lucky’JACK MILLER Jack Miller stunned the MotoGP elite at Assen by capitalising on horrific conditions during Sunday’s Dutch TT to take victory in one of the most unusual Grand Prix races in recent memory. Two years ago the Australian Moto3 runner-up was selected by Honda to be a part of the Japanese manufacturer’s MotoGP future, but a lack of results and large number of crashes has seen the 21-year-old take criticism from both inside and outside of the paddock. But his incredible performance saw him fend off double MotoGP champion Marc Marquez and it means that Miller has been able hit back at his critics in the best way possible. “You see and hear what some of…

The CBR600F and RR were some of the biggest-selling bikes in the UK over the last 30 years – today’s tiny sales figures mask the huge volumes these bikes achieved when they peaked during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 1997 Honda sold 3696 CBR600F models, in 1999 it rose to 4447, before dropping back to 3231 the following year. In 2000 only Yamaha’s YZF-R6 and R1 sold more at 4233 and 3401 respectively. Looking back at 1999 in detail shows how important supersport 600s were to the UK market. The top four bestselling machines in the UK that year were the CBR600F at 4447, the R6 at 4033, Kawasaki’s ZX-6R at 3586 and the Suzuki GSX-R600 at 2235. Today’s figures are a fraction of that. Yamaha, for example, didn’t…

Indian have flatly denied that the new AMA Flattrack FTR750 racer will pave the way for smaller-capacity road bikes. The American company is investing a huge amount of money and time into taking on Harley-Davidson in the prestigious American flattrack championship and it seemed natural that a road bike would follow. MCN asked Indian for an official statement and Reid Wilson, Marketing Director for Indian Motorcycles, said: “The FTR750cc is a race-only motor.” The FTR750 hasn’t been seen in finished form yet – only the engine has been shown so far. The liquid-cooled 750cc V-twin has four-valve cylinder-heads and will be slotted into a bespoke racing chassis, to be ridden by multiple champion Jared Rees. Polaris Industries – who own Indian and Victory – have ploughed tens of millions of…

Laverda? Weren’t they one of the big Italian superbike brands? In the 1970s, if Ducati were the two-wheeled Ferrari, Laverda were the two-wheeled Lamborghini, especially as they both used to make tractors. What do you mean, tractors ? That’s how both started out. Ferruccio Lamborghini founded Lamborghini Trattori in 1948 then began building supercars in 1963. Meanwhile, in 1873 Pietro Laverda started an agricultural engines enterprise in the small rural village of Breganze in North-East Italy. By the 1940s it had flourished but the aftermath of WW2 created a demand for cheap transport and in 1949 Pietro’s grandson Francesco set up Moto Laverda and began building small motorcycles. Small bikes? I thought Laverda were famous for BIG motorcycles… Small ones were the focus until the mid 1960s when Massimo Laverda,…

Every week, MCN prints the best pictures sent in by readers or website users. You can post your pictures onto our Facebook page or email them to mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com We want the full array of weird and wonderful images that reflect your biking life. As you can see here, we are happy to celebrate the lighter things from the world of biking.…

1. Suspension and brakes The standard Öhlins shock is resprung and the forks are replaced with Anstey's preferred K-Tech superbike items. Standard Brembo brakes make way for full racing items. Padgett's lifted the RCV slightly for improved ground clearance. Racing OZ forged magnesium wheels are shod with Dunlop KR106/108 racing slicks. 2. Bodywork Full carbon self-supporting seat unit, tank cover and fairing fitted with a taller screen. Bodywork kits are available from Padgett's if you fancy doing trackdays on your RC213V-S. Carbon rear light and camera-holder is from MotoGP. The standard 16-litre underseat fuel tank is changed for a 23-litre item and a Monza-style fuel cap is fitted for quick fuel stops. 3. Electronic rider aids Despite having the latest cutting-edge Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) controlled traction, launch and wheelie…

Engine49cc, OHC , air-cooled single Power2.5bhp Weight76kg Value £3500Rarity “This is a very special model to me as it is the bike that started my love affair with Honda. When I was 16 I had an SS50, sadly not this exact one as I had the disc brake five-speed and this is the four-speed model, but this actual bike was owned by James May. “The SS50 was Honda’s attempt to enter the 50cc sports moped war in the 1970s against the Yamaha FS1-E and Suzuki AP50. To be brutally honest, the SS50 wasn’t very successful because it was a four-stroke, whereas the others were two-strokes, and therefore it wasn’t very fast! The Honda was the safe version but I think it was the best looking of all the sports…

 Engine 736cc, SOHC, air-cooled, inline four Power 67bhp Weight 218kg Value £25,000-£40,000 Rarity This is the bike that coined the term ‘superbike’ and launched Honda onto the world scene in terms of big capacity bikes’ “This is the bike that coined the term ‘superbike’ and launched Honda, and the whole Japanese motorcycle industry, onto the world scene in terms of big-capacity bikes,” says Silver. “Up until the CB750, the largest machine Honda built was a 450 and it was more commonly known as a small-capacity motorcycle manufacturer – the CB changed all that. This bike effectively ended the British motorcycle industry as it was so far ahead of anything the likes of Triumph or BSA could produce. As well as being the first production bike with a disc brake,…

Engine49cc, OHC, air-cooled, single Power4.5bhp Weight90kg Value £3000Rarity “This is a bike everyone in the world will recognise – the Honda Cub. This actual model is one of the very first made and despite its 1962 title, it could have been built earlier. The very first C100s were the Japanese domestic versions with their single seat but this bike does have a small stubby tail light, which was replaced by one on a bracket on 1963-onwards models so it is certainly an early production bike. “The Cub is the best-selling vehicle in the whole world and put Honda on the global map. The actual numbers sold are a bit hazy, but I hear figures of 87 million Cubs built in various guises and it was the machine sold under…

Engine89cc, air-cooled, single Power8bhp Weight90kg Value £2500-£5000 Rarity “The US90 made its debut in the Bond film Diamonds are Forever, and was a big hit. It eventually morphed into a kind of utility vehicle for farmers, which is why it is called an ATC90, which stands for All Terrain Cycle. They were eventually made illegal in America as they had a tendency to roll over, which is when quads took over. “The US90 is quite rare as it was only made for three years and many were crashed, but it is almost impossible to get any parts. The Ohtsu balloon tyres were made specifically for it and you simply can’t find them anymore. I’m told a set sold recently for over £1000.”…

Made to measure The seat, footpegs and bars can all be adjusted to allow you to fine-tune the RC8 to your recise needs Ditch pillion pegs A lot of owners remove the RC8 R’s pillion pegs for a cleaner look. Always ensure they are included in the sale Size does matter The original RC8, which was built from 2008 to 2010 before being superseded by the RC8 R, has a smaller 1148cc engine Extra special Sato Racing rearsets add even more adjustability and the clutch slave cylinder is a nice touch What we said then “The KTM RC8 is the revelation of 2008… even though we’ve known it’s been coming for four years. Perhaps we should’ve given KTM more credit because all their machines (on and off-road) to date are…

Far too many of us simply pass on by the Mendip Hills as we head south on the M5 towards the West Country. Well, why not take a break and spend a few hours exploring one of the quirkiest parts of the UK? There are many potential starting points, but we have chosen Chelwood as it is easily located on the A37 heading south of Bristol. You will know when you enter the best of the Mendips as the cliffs either side of the road loom over you. The run through Cheddar Gorge is spectacular with tight corners and high cliff faces. There are a few patches of water running across the road, not to mention goats and sheep. Heading through the Mendips is a wonderful ride as it is…

Round four of the MCE British Superbike Championship proved to be a rollercoaster weekend for Leon Haslam who, despite extending his championship lead with his race one win, was left rueing what might have been after a visor problem ended his chance of victory in race two. Proving quick in both the wet and dry, Haslam took a front row start for Sunday’s opening race where he was in the mix throughout. Aware he’d only led four laps this season despite having taken more wins than any other rider, Haslam set out to show he could lead from the front, with only Honda’s Dan Linfoot coming close to challenging the 2010 WSB runner-up. “I’ve been way too cautious so far this year,” Haslam told MCN. “Sitting behind people and waiting…

This year’s Dutch TT turned into a washout for the factory Suzuki team of Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaró, after a lack of time to work on a wet weather setting left the duo chasing their tails. Facing only the second fully wet outing of the season, the two Spaniards were left struggling to come to grips with the control electronics and how to use them to get the best out of their GSX-RRs, as Viñales admitted later. “We were pretty competitive in the dry, but when the rain arrived we couldn’t find a proper set-up to have a machine that could make me comfortable. I suffered a lot during both legs of the race, and I’m sad for this because I felt we could have had a good chance…