Table of contents for 12 July 2017 in MCN

Cup Winner Earlier this year we teamed up with Triumph to give away a new Street Cup, and we’re delighted to announce that MCN reader Clive Lockwood was the lucky winner. He collected his bike from Frank Mumberson of Cumbria Triumph. Stolen identities Police are warning riders to be vigilant after a series of identity thefts. Fraudsters purchase a bike and using the V5 info, they obtain replacement driving licences and create forged utilities accounts. With that, they buy another bike on credit that is then sold or stripped. It’s a whopper The 5l V-twin Flying Millyard will feature at the Llangollen Motorcycle Festival, August 5-6. The bike has a 4894cc engine that is made from two cylinders from a 1942 Pratt and Whitney Wasp aircraft. The engine revs to…

‘The Pan is such an integrated, well thought out motorcycle that it’s hard to single out any area for criticism’ The MCN test, July 13 1994 Looking back at July 1994 is a frightening experience. That’s not long ago, right? Well it certainly feels like it when you look back at the bikes and racers in the news. MZ had just released the Skorpion – a ground (and filling)-breaking single cylinder sportsbike, Indian were back - shortly before going away again – Suzuki had just switched from the Heron days to being a Japanese subsidiary, and Carl Fogarty was about to have a wild-card ride at the British GP aboard a Cagiva C594 – until it all went horribly wrong and he pulled out to protect his superbike title hopes…

New bike sales have slumped so far in 2017, causing much gnashing of teeth and beard-stroking among motoring market analysts. The car market is also having a tough time with sales in April, May and June dropping by a hefty 10.3% year-on-year – the biggest quarterly drop in six years. Motorcycle sales for the first half of 2017 are down 13.4%. That only matters if that trend continues or gets worse over a prolonged period of time. Also sales of bikes over 650cc have stayed strong and this is where bike firms make the most money. The slump in new bike sales has largely been driven by Euro4 laws. Some dealers ‘bought’ their own bikes at the end of 2016 (pre-registering them) and have been selling them ever since. This…

‘54bhp might not sound a lot, but it’s enough for smart acceleration’ SWM’s new Superdual might not be big on power, cylinders or electronics, but it’s a proper little do-anything, go-anywhere machine. Big adventure bikes are now caught up in the same power and technology race as sportsbikes, but who really needs a superbike on stilts and knobblies, or can afford their five figure price tags? It’s refreshing to find the Italian-built 600cc, 54bhp single cylinder SWM costs just £7599 and for that you get a lot of bike for the money. It’s well equipped, beautifully built and, after riding it in the Italian hills near SWM’s factory (the old Husqvarna HQ) near Varese, just over the lake from MV Agusta, it impresses with its comfort, refinement and character. Along…

‘We were fine. There was no damage except to Aimie’s handbag’ Q1 What are you riding? Years ago when I rode for Honda in Australia I bought a Blade off them cheap and I’ve had it for years. It owes me nothing, costs me nothing and just sits there. A friend of mine distributes parts for the Honda Monkey bikes, so a group of us all have them modded up. I ride that fairly often. It’s fun! They’re fast for their size but you’re not going to lose your licence. Q2 Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? It’s not very original but Valentino. It’s hard to look past him for inspiration. He’s brilliant, isn’t he? Q3 What’s your worst habit? I’ve got really bad riding posture! Luckily it’s not…

These tough retros are feel-good bikes. The BMW and Ducati are thrilling at sane speeds, loaded with attitude, easy to manage and have quality running through them like the writing in a stick of rock. They have real dirt credentials, too. They’re arguably the best of the R nineT and Scrambler ranges. The Desert Sled is hugely capable, fun and the more affordable, but the Urban G/S wins our test with its thrappier engine, sharper handling and extra refinements. It’s pricier, but worth it. • Special thanks to: Greetham Valley Golf course for the use of their quarry.…

Hein Gericke Tuareg Damargu Sheltex ladies jacket £250. Atlas Stx trousers £169.99 Tester Maria Vallahis Time tested Three months/ 2500 miles What’s good? This is my go-to riding suit and is perfect for our ever-changing UK climate. The jacket comes with six outer pockets, shoulder and elbow protection and a removable water and windproof membrane liner. During the last three months, I’ve been mainly doing motorway miles and the jacket fully protects me against the wind without needing to wear many layers underneath. Aesthetically, it’s pleasing to the eye and there’s a handy inside-zip pocket which holds my massive iPhone 7 Plus perfectly. This is especially useful if you’re someone, like me, who gets their phone out as soon as they stop riding, as it saves you searching through a…

THE EXPERT Dr Vincenzo Paciello Dr Paciello has a degree in electronic engineering and a PhD in Information Engineering. He is the Assistant Professor of Electrical and Electronic Measurements at the University of Salerno and has been developing electronic suspension since 2008, through a spin-off company called Spring Off. In 2016 he became Associate Professor at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio. The last few years have seen several different types of electronic suspension on the market that use solenoid valves to control the flow of damping fluid through the shock absorber or fork leg. Some simply give you manual control over the electronics by pressing buttons to access different modes, while others are connected to an ECU which has a pre-programmed set of mathematical algorithms, also known as…

Sometimes a service history isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. I have come across a nice clean bike before with a service book that has all the stamps in the right places and nothing else. I’ve known people who’ve made up their own service stamps, and I’ve even known someone who used to filch dealers’ stamps from off their service countertops while the staff weren’t looking. People are getting more imaginative when it comes to disguising the history of their bikes. I am a keen photographer with an extensive Nikon collection. People don’t carefully wrap their cameras in tape just to protect them against knocks. They do it because it protects all the bits of the body that can exhibit wear on the edges and corners. When it comes…

‘It’ll match and beat many of the latest top superbikes in the acceleration stakes’ When he’s not selling Hayabusas, Mike is going extremely quickly on them; he set a European landspeed record aboard his own turbo Busa, averaging 229mph in a two-way timed run at Elvington in 2012. “The Hayabusa remains Suzuki’s flagship machine; it’s unique in terms of its mix of styling, earth-shattering performance, usability and practicality. It’ll match and beat many of the latest top superbikes in the acceleration stakes, while still proving comfortable enough to zip through Europe, and they’re now cheap enough to prove temptingly affordable. Just as important, they are reliable too. “Owing to their shorter stroke engine, the original 1299cc models are slightly smoother than the GEN II 1340cc bikes, which feature floating mounts…

Michael Rutter and Dan Kneen shared a superbike win apiece at the Imatra road races in Finland at the weekend. The Penz13.com BMW teammates then saw the reigning International Road Racing series champion Sebastian Le Grelle from Belgium (Heipgny Motors BMW) take victory in the final big bike encounter. Rutter and Kneen’s Penz13.com Italian team-mate and TT racer, Alex Polita finished on the podium in all three races. The Finnish venue, which hosted GPs between 1964 and 1982, was resurrected last year as a round of the International Road Racing Championship and former Imatra winners Phil Read and Giacomo Agostini were amongst the 50,000 who attended this year’s event. Veteran Rutter (above), who has previously ridden in an IRRC round at Frohburg in Germany, took the opening superbike win before…

‘I had no warning before crashing, no feeling at all’ALEX LOWES Alex Lowes and his Pata Yamaha teammate Michael van der Mark arrived at Laguna hoping to continue their improving pace, but the weekend turned into a disaster with best results of ninth and eighth respectively. Lowes said: “We are struggling with the setting on the bike and we have not made any steps forward. I just really do not know what is happening at the front. I had no warning before crashing in race one, no feeling. “It is hard to feel it is my fault because I did not do anything different from before, which is a shame. It means we are not understanding the limits of the bike, so we need to work on that. There are…

The 851 Launched in 1988, it was immediately successful on track. Father of the family. The 888 An upgrade of the 851, it arrived in 1992. The 916 Arriving in 1994 it redefined Ducati, and was a big hit. The 996 It arrived in 1998 with more cc and had more racing success. The 998 The final version of the 916 was the more powerful Testastretta. The 999 Arrived in 2002 – successful on track, not in dealers. The 1098 A return to core style values, and the single-sided swingarm. The 1198 The endless search for power meant ever-bigger capacities. The 1199 Panigale The first Panigale had a Superquadro engine. The 1299 Panigale The last of the V-twin superbikes. The 1199 will be used for racing.…

A joint effort Suter Industries, manufacturers of the MMX500, and Arch Motorcycles, the Keanu Reeves-owned manufacturers of the KRGT-1, have joined forces. Arch will import the Suter bikes to the US, while Suter will bring the Arch bikes to Europe. Kymco stalls Kymco’s UK importer and distributor, Masco, have ceased trading and appointed an insolvency practitioner. Masco have been importing Kymco since 1998 but sales have slowed recently, including a 20% drop in 2015 – a result of low-price, low-capacity machines struggling to sell in light of the weak pound. Circuit struggles After news of the Welsh government’s refusal to back the Circuit of Wales project surfaced, the Heads of the Valleys Development Company saw a string of resignations from the board of directors. Only CEO Michael Carrick and his…

AJS 250 Back in 1963 on my 250 Ajay with my now wife of 50 years. Roy and Jean Ward HONDA C90 This bike was bought for my 16th birthday by my mother in 1966 – it’s a 1963 Honda. I’m a marshal at the Manx GP this year. Ian Roberts TRIUMPH TIGER 100 My first big bike in 1959. These days I’m on a Versys 1000. Joe Crawford PHILIPS PANDA Left to right : Mark Stephenson, Pete Mortimer (trophy, goggles and chin strap), Pete ‘flat-track’ Boast and James Marshall. Pete Mortimer YAMAHA XJ6N My first big bike, a Yamaha XJ6N. Passed my test two weeks ago (at 43) and bought the bike a week later. Mike Bartlett YAMAHA TZR125 Me in 1993 aged 17 on my Kocinski replica, I’m…

‘It’s my country road carver, off-road attacker, and long distance hauler’WILL WILLIS, MCN READER AND R1200GS OWNER ‘Get a good rider on a GS and there’s not much that will catch it’CHARLEY BOORMAN Some bikes win races, others transport people around the world, become best-sellers, star in TV shows or inspire a host of imitators and yet only one, as far as we know, has done all of those and more… BMW’s incredible R1200GS. Born out of the Dakar-winning original GS, before becoming a globetrotter for a whole generation andstarof The Long Way Down,the big BM proved so successful it’s been a perennial chart-topper – so much so that it’s inspired rivals from Triumph, Ducati, Aprilia and others. Yet that basic appeal boils down to one thing – simply how…

‘Don’t miss Loomies Moto Café as you cross the junction with the A32’ There’s a simple satisfaction to be gained from riding a road in its entirety, a sense of accomplishment that comes from having racked up every mile a particular route has to offer. It helps of course if the journey is an interesting one and the A272 can provide such an adventure as it traces a course due west from Five Ashes in East Sussex via the South Downs to Winchester in Hampshire. The A272 is single carriageway for the most part, a largely rural ribbon of tarmac that weaves through the countryside. With a little bit of everything, it’s the quintessential Sunday ride – a bimble, a blast and a brew... then home in time for tea.…

1 Loomies, A32 / A272 West Meon, Hampshire. Call in if you are doing this week’s route through Hampshire 01730-239440 2 Willingham Woods, Willingham Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3RQ. Bike night on Wednesdays. www.willinghamwoods.com 3 Yondermann Cafe, Wardlow Mires, Derbys, SK17 8RW www.yondermanncafe.com 4 Oasis Snack Bar Monmouth Road, Abergavenny NP7 5HF. Open daily. Proper old-school biker cafe. 01873-855375 5 Pool Quay, Dream Machines happens every Tuesday night during the summer. It’s worth making the trip to Poole for that alone! www.pooletourism.com GET YOUR MEET ON THE MAP If you have a bike-friendly aenue w and nt wan et yo get r mee you tmeet monthe comap tact,ema sonl: mcn sam. @ williams motorcyclenews.co@motorcyclenews.com…

‘It’s great on the rough stuff thanks to its inherent poise and excellent rider aids’ BMW R1200GS RALLYE SPORT, £16,270 Fuel 20 litres @ 47mpg (claimed) = 206mile Weight 244kg (kerb) Seat 850/870mm Power 125bhp Torque 92.2lbft richard.newland@motorcyclenews.com There’s a reason why enduro bikes are as thin, light and lithe as possible, with all extraneous fat stripped away to reveal pure muscle and sinew: because the last thing you want off-road is a lardy motorcycle. You’d need some pretty impressive ocular dysfunction to look at BMW’s R1200GS Rallye and think ‘oh yeah, I’d love to ride that off-road.’ Its obvious mass and physical presence being a serious concern for most riders – especially those with less off-road experience. But the shock weapon in the GS’s armoury is that it’s bloody…

RST Pro Series CPX-C Vented Jacket £189.99 This vented mesh textile jacket has a race hump and a CE back protector. Alongside this, there is a removable waterproof liner and carbon shoulder sliders. Sizes are available from S to 5XL. FLM Air Mesh Waterproof Textile Jacket £167.99 Fully perforated summer jacket, with a removable waterproof and breathable liner, available in sizes S to 5XL. There is reflective detailing as well as a single internal pocket and two external pockets and room for a back protector. Firefox Mesh Textile Jacket £80.99 Comes with CE certified armour in the shoulders and elbows and is 100% polyester inside and out. There are large mesh areas for maximum air ventilation and circulation. Rev’it GT-R Air Textile Jacket £149.99 Fitted with Knox CE-rated armour in…

‘This is an incredibly capable and popular bike’ There has never been a better time to bag a brilliant commuter scooter, thanks to this traffic-busting deal from Colchester Vespa. From now until stocks last, the Essex-based dealership is offering 0% finance over two years, as well as a FREE accessory pack worth £235 when you buy a Vespa GTS Super 300 ABS. Launched in 2009, the GTS 300 was the largest Vespa to date. Returning figures of over 70mpg, it offers a cheap, practical alternative for urban commuting. You can ride Super 300 on an A2 licence and it is available in green, black, red and white, with the accessory pack including almost all you need to take to the road. The pack includes an LID helmet, worth £99, an…

FREE Dunlop clobber on offer Suzuki GSX-R1000 buyers and current owners can claim a FREE Bennetts jacket, hat and poster. The offer is to celebrate Michael Dunlop’s epic Senior TT victory aboard a Bennetts-backed GSX-R1000 and runs until the end of August. www.bikes.suzuki.co.uk Charity track day RAF Shawbury are hosting a track day from July 15-16, with all proceeds going to charity. Located near Shrewsbury, the organising team are still looking to fill spaces for the event and will be opening the airfield to spectators. The airfield will be transformed into a 3.4-mile circuit for the weekend, with space for 180 riders across three groups. It costs £90 for a day or £150 for the full weekend. New ZZR1400 is a really big deal From now until Monday, August 31,…

PRICE NEW £8599 PRICE NOW £3000 IN A YEAR £3400 • Liquid-cooled 749cc four • 108bhp • 58ftlb • 195kg Think Japanese sports 750 and most come up with Suzuki’s GSX-R750, the ‘Scott Russell’ Kawasaki ZXR750 or maybe exotic Honda V4s like the RC30 and 45. The one you should be thinking of though – and increasing numbers finally are – is the YZF. In short, Yamaha’s three-quarter-litre superbike had it all. First, it was trouser-stirringly good-looking, especially in its original and distinctive 90s white and pink and second, it had an added air of exotica. Due to prevailing WSB rules it was also necessary for Yamaha to produce a limited edition homologation special SP version – complete with single seat, fully adjustable suspension, flat slide carbs, close-ratio gearbox and…

 Jack Miller will switch from Honda machinery for the first time in his MotoGP career in 2018 as he makes the move to Pramac Ducati, joining Danilo Petrucci at the factory-supported satellite team, according to MCN’s sources in the MotoGP paddock. ‘With the most powerful bike on the grid under him next year, he could become a top-six regular’ The news has been rumoured for weeks, with the Australian reportedly given a deadline of straight after the German Grand Prix (July 2) to accept the deal from the Italian team – a decision that he made despite strong offers on the table from at least two factory teams for next season. Official confirmation isn’t expected until after Miller’s debut at the Suzuka 8-Hour later this month on a full-factory Honda.…

Maverick Viñales When Zarco qualified alongside him on the front row at Le Mans “He is always fighting into the first corner on the brakes for sure, trying to be first. I think he is doing a really good job. He has been quite impressive for the first four or five races, so he is doing a good job and he has to continue like that: but maybe he needs to calm down because we all want a podium!” Valentino Rossi After his second close encounter with Zarco at the Dutch TT “I’ve started to think that he is not a bad guy, it’s just that he doesn’t understand the gaps between one bike and the other because just like in Austin, he tried something impossible. He is aggressive, which…

 Ducati’s big boss Claudio Domenicali has been a regular face at recent WSB races and made the trip to Laguna for the launch of their new flagship Final Edition Panigale road bike (see page 4). MCN caught up with the Ducati supremo for his insight into WSB. He said: “How to make World Superbike great again is a very interesting debate. I think times are different. If we look back 15 years ago we had Troy Bayliss fighting with Colin Edwards in Imola. The bikes were superb prototypes and actually there was WSB on one side and 500GP on the other side. They were two completely different proposals. ‘WSB is more for the real enthusiast’ “MotoGP, starting in 2002, went four-stroke and then they started to become two championships which…

‘It was one of those races that don’t happen often… almost effortless’JONATHAN REA Jonathan Rea’s fight to become the first rider to win three back-to-back World Superbike crowns received a massive boost at Laguna Seca thanks to a strong second in race one and an utterly dominant win in race two. His championship lead went from an already impressive 50 points entering the US round to 59 points with Tom Sykes his only realistic title rival. Even with a whopping 250 points up for grabs for any rider who wins all the remaining 10 races, Rea now looks unstoppable thanks to his peerless year-long pace and consistency. Beaten by his arch rival Chaz Davies in the opening race, Rea and his close-knit Kawasaki squad pulled out all the stops for…

Despite coming away from the US with a pole and two podiums, Tom Sykes couldn’t hide his frustration at being beaten by his team-mate yet again. “That is something that definitely has not gone unnoticed. Jonathan’s riding style is definitely more at one with the championship regs and the engine character of the ZX-10RR,” explained Sykes after race two at Laguna. “If the machine was like it was in say 2013/14, when the engine mass was a lot less, etc, the bike was bit more of a beast but it really suited my racing style. I spent a lot less time on the edge of the tyre whereas now I am not getting the best from myself. It is disappointing because you are watching someone on the same bike as…

Confused by Harley-Davidson’s use of letters and numbers in their model designations? Be confused no more. The names kick off with the engine, so an F is a Big V-twin, X is a Sports or Special Construction engine and V a Revolution motor. The XL used on Sportsters stands for Experimental Lightweight and is then followed by a series of numbers, which indicate capacity in cc, either 883cc or 1200cc. The next letter indicates the fork diameter (L for large, X for small).The last letter is the frame style so H or T is for Highway/Touring, ST for Softail and D is for Dyna. Got it? Good, so an FLHX is a big twin, with big forks and a touring frame or also known as a Street Glide. There’s also…

RSD PERISTYLE GLOVE £75 Roland Sands kit always looks beautiful and these are no exception. The palm is made from reinforced cowhide, so they should offer decent protection. www.rolandsands.com KNOX URBANE SHIRT £139.99 The Urbane shirt is an armoured shirt designed to go underneath a classic unarmoured jacket and has a snug fit to keep armour in position. You get CE approved shoulder, elbow and back armour with chest available as an extra . www.planet-knox.com ROKKERTECH SLIM £349 Rokker are famous for their motorcycle jeans and they’ve taken to other level with the Rokkertech. Lighter and more comfortable than previous versions, while offering even more protection. www.therokkercompany.com BUILT ISSUE 5 £4.99 If you can’t get enough custom, then Built is the magazine for you. There’s no better place to indulge…

TRACK ATTACK 1 This circuit has caused quite a stir recently. Can you name it? WHAT BIKE? 2 Can you name this stunning, Super-exclusive sportsbike? WHO IS THIS? 3 Can you name the bloke stealing the TT racers’ limelight? DOG’S LIFE 4 Guy Martin’s best mate takes a nap. But what’s his name? HOW CLOSE? 5 This year’s MotoGP title race is the closest ever. How many points separate the top four? NEW BIKE’S NAME? 6 This is the concept bike that may form the basis of a new MT-07 adventure bike. What is its codename? NAME THE BIKE? 7 Launched in 72 and in development was called New York Steak... ROSSI’S MATE 8 Name the world’s second most famous motorcyclist (left)? WIN AN MCN MUG! Get them all right…

‘The 20-litre fuel tank allows 150 fast miles before the light flicks on’ BMW launched the S1000XR in late 2014 and the German adventure sport missile was an immediate success, winning MCN’s Best Adventure Sport Bike crown in 2015 and 2016. Since its birth the XR has faced stiff competition, but the powerful, inline four has always been able to leave most rivals in its wake. For 2017 BMW needed to update the S1000XR to make it Euro4 compliant. While the XR was in the workshop the Germans added a few extra ponies, increased its payload and tried to limit vibrations, which had been a criticism of the original bike. It’s easy to forget how good some bikes are – and the S1000XR is just such a machine. The XR…

Although in 1968 just two RC174s existed, Honda granted permission in the Noughties for eight replicas to be made. That is how Honda’s ultimate Six lives on today – and the bike Guy rode at Castle Combe was one of these meticulous, authorised recreations. They’re the work of master replica builder and classic bike expert George Beale, who’s also renowned for building replicas of racing machines as diverse as the 1954 AJS Porcupine and 1969 Benelli 500/4, after being given permission by the director of Honda’s own museum, the Honda Collection Hall. Their creation took a full six years and – apart from a few nuts and bolts – every component had to be made from scratch. The process revealed the complexity of the six-cylinder engine. For example: there aren’t…

LONG WAY DOWN Ewan and Charley took the 1150 on their first trip but their second adventure depended on the superior 1200GS. DREAMS OF GLOBAL TRAVEL People travelled around the world on motorbikes before, of course, but ALL owners of the R1200GS think about it. A WHOLE NEW CLASS The 1200’s success spawned not just imitators; it inspired dozens of them in what is now the most competitive class of all. EVEN LEGO ONES When Lego decided to make a Technik kit of a motorbike which model did they choose? Why the 1200GS of course!…

When a world class rider like Terry Rymer dusts off his leathers, it’s never a surprise when he’s still rapid. At Donington last September the 50-year old Londoner raced a Peter Day-prepared Yamaha OW-01 in Golden Era Superbikes with Thundersport. This 1989 bike weighs just 160kg with a bored-out 860cc inline four producing 148bhp. Rymer won all four races and his fastest lap would put him top 15 in the GP1 Elite class amid a grid full of 200bhp-plus S1000RRs and ZX-10Rs. Like the similar vintage Carl Cox GSX-R1100, it just goes to show that if you’ve got a light, sweet-handling bike you can still turn in some pretty handy lap times… especially if you’re Too Tall Tel.…

‘Cadwell Park is only a few miles from here and the A153 is a fun road’ If you happen to be passing Peterborough on the A1 to Hull or North Yorkshire, and you fancy an alternative route rather the dreary 60mph slog up the A1/M18 or A15, then this is the route for you. Getting to Boston from the A1 means skirting Peterborough and following the arrow-straight A15 past Spalding. North of Boston is where the fun starts. Pick up the B1183 flashing across the flat miles (humpback bridge apart) through New Bolingbroke towards Revesby (Transporter fans, note the VW garage). Over the staggered crossroads towards Horncastle, linking curves together as you climb into the Lincolnshire Wolds, taking in sharp bends and multiple complex corners. At Horncastle, pop into the…

Don’t rush into anything On the face of it negotiating a roundabout seems like pretty basic stuff – especially if you have been driving cars for years before starting out on bikes. But some riders make a much better fist of it than others. Your approach speed will depend on the amount of view available: for example, the view could be obscured by trees and shrubs planted in the centre of the roundabout. Build in enough time to assess the roundabout properly and also allow other traffic time to see you and understand your intentions. What are the other drivers up to? If you charge into a roundabout intent on getting your knee down don’t have a ‘boo hoo’ moment when someone pulls out in front of you. Be very…

tim.thompson@motorcyclenews.com • Read long-term test updates motorcyclenews.com/fleet17 ‘The new Blade floats across all but the most brutal potholes’ ‘I love the SP’s lightness and efficiency’ Price £19,125 Fuel 16 litres @ 49mpg = 172 mile range Weight 195kg (kerb) Seat 820mm Power 176bhp @13,000rpm Torque 79.6ftlb @ 11,000rpm (both measured) In the weeks since a 2017 Blade arrived in my garage (with just 20 miles showing), Honda’s first electronically managed sportsbike has become a big story. A worry even. TT factory riders John McGuinness and Guy Martin have had high-profile crashes on theirs, with the bike very publicly withdrawn from the Senior race and even described by Martin on TV as a ‘Jonah’. It has been hopeless in WSB, too. Social media has loved it. Are the throttle maps…

DUCATI SUPERSPORT S £12,995 Fuel 16 litres @ 42.1mpg = 148-mile tank range Weight 210kg (kerb) Power 113bhp Torque 71.3 ftlb at 6000rpm ANDY CALTON Riding for 30 years and now wants something sporty but not scary Height 6ft 1in Weight 95kg andy.calton@motorcyclenews.com Having passed the 1000-mile mark a short while ago, a few things have struck me about the brilliant Supersport S. The switchgear is just a bit… well, odd. Hit the cancel indicator button and the engine modes flash for a few seconds before going off. And the flash button is so sensitive that a finger wafted anywhere near it sends a flash of light into the face of oncoming vehicles. I’ve also discovered exactly how many miles it will do on a full tank – by running…

Kawasaki J300 Spacious, comfortable and with plenty of storage space, the J300 is the perfect mini-maxi scooter for day to day riding. Deposit: £99, 36 x £82.25, 5.9% APR Optional final payment: £2246, 4000 miles per annum. Yamaha X-Max 300 Despite being on the slightly larger side, the X-Max is perfectly at home slicing through choked-up city traffic. Deposit: £99, 36 x £93.62, 8.9% APR Optional final payment: £2579, 4000 miles per annum. Kymco X-Town 300i This scooter is an all-new evolution of the Downtown maxi-scooter, complete with a slimmer, angular shape. Deposit: £99, 36 x £99.48, 9.9% APR Optional final payment: £1864, 4000 miles per annum.…

‘Get yourself a new bike for less’ Personal Contract Purchase now finances 20-30% of all new bikes sold in the UK, and it’s a method of ownership that is growing fast. But it might not be right for you, so make sure you understand the ins and outs. You can have these new bikes for less than you might have ever imagined – and what’s more you can have another new one in three years’ time, probably without increasing your monthly outlay or having to find a fresh deposit. This is how it works… • Work out what you can afford as a deposit and in monthly repayments for the duration of the contract. • You can get PCP on any amount from £1500 upwards. • Choose your new motorcycle…

With most of the factory team spots secure it’s satellite bikes that are mostly still to play for in 2018 – and a few additions to the field means that someone’s going to be left standing in this high-stakes game of musical chairs PRAMAC DUCATI ASPAR DUCATI AVINTIA DUCATI MARC VDS HONDA LCR HONDA TECH 3 YAMAHA…

 Chaz Davies showed what he is made of at the weekend by fighting for race wins, despite suffering horrendous injuries just three weeks ago. ‘All wins are good, but Saturday’s was special’CHAZ DAVIES He had been laid up in an Italian hospital following a horrible crash with Jonathan Rea at Misano. The impact was so hard that it broke, Rea’s front wheel as he rode over Davies. But, despite the injuries which would leave a normal human out of action for months, Davies was not only back, but winning in Laguna Seca. Speaking to MCN after his incredible and perfectly managed race one win, Davies said he did not expect to be winning. “I honestly did not think I could win,” said Davies, slumped in a chair after winning a…

Stefan Bradl has had a horrid rookie season to date in WSB, not least because his bike has made little progress over the previous seven rounds. In race one at Laguna he could at least see some signs of improvement and he scored a second 11th place on Sunday too. “The second part of the first race was not so bad and I was enjoying it, as I had some toys to play with and could see some potential in the bike.” The team fielded a one-off replacement rider (following Nicky Hayden’s tragic death) for the American race with Jake Gagne, normally a MotoAmerica runner, making a solid debut and finishing 15th in both races. He said: “It is a Honda superbike but, man, it is a whole different machine.…

Elias rules Laguna A full MotoAmerica race weekend took place alongside the World Superbike races at Laguna, with an old MotoGP and WSB rider – Toni Elias – winning each domestic-series superbike race on a Yoshimura Suzuki. Marco’s off the boil Marco Melandri, wearing a Nicky Hayden tribute helmet, was fourth in each Laguna race, but a massive 17 seconds from the win each time. It was a sudden fall from his winning status in race two at the Misano round. Chaz’s new colours The factory Aruba.it Ducati Panigales of Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies were painted in high visibility one-off red, white and green colours, mirroring the roadbike Panigale Final Edition, which was shown to the world for the first time during the Laguna weekend (see page 4). Camier…

 Dorna chief Carmelo Ezpeleta has put a grenade under the WSB paddock, saying the series should go to a stock format. But speaking exclusively to MCN at Laguna, WSB series director Dani Carrera, said Ezpeleta wasn’t being completely literal. ‘We want to provide better competition, better parity’ “When he was having conversations with the representatives of the manufacturers, he asked them if they’d go in this stock direction – but to go completely stock is impossible. With these comments it is giving a clear direction where we want to go. The final line will be decided in the following months with all the people involved in this paddock.” Carrera said the intention is to take the championship closer to its production roots and help differentiate it from the world of…