Table of contents for January 3rd 2018 in MCN

As part of their commitment to helping fight bike crime, the City of London police have been working directly with motorcyclists to help them beat the thieves. Police officers held a free security event for people who live, work or park their bikes in the city. As part of the event, Datatag were on hand security marking and registering bikes free of charge. This is in response to heightened levels of crime in the area. In fact, despite only being a square mile, 52 bikes have been stolen so far this year. While it was a positive move by police, the battle to beat bike crime continues. There were high hopes that a new squad of F700GS police pursuit bikes might help calm the rising crimewave but it seems the…

Johnny did us proud Had to put pen to paper and add my congratulations, along with many no doubt, to Jonathan Rea for his result on BBC Sports Personality of the Year. It’s just a great result for motorcycling generally and isn’t he just a fantastic ambassador for racing. Jonathan you’re a true gent and I take my hat off to you, you’ve truly made my day! Thank you. Alan Sawford, email Three wheels OK To Mike Smith (Three wheels good?, MCN Letters, December 20) I’d say, as a Carver owner - see one on YouTube, Cornering Genius - don’t get boggged down in whether Yamaha’s Niken is a bike, a trike or a car. (It’s a TTW - a Tilting Three Wheeler). The point will be - does it…

QUICKFIRE ROUND • Fast, intermediate or novice group? Intermediate • Mud or tarmac? Tarmac • Four-stroke or two-stroke? Four-stroke. I had two-strokes, but it was never my scene • Dark visor or clear? Dark • Gloves in or gloves out? Out • Filter or queue? Filter • GPS or map? Map. I can’t see the GPS • Dealer service or do it yourself? Do it yourself Q1 What are you riding? A BMW R1200GS. It’s comfortable and the wife likes it. Q2 Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? Colin Edwards. He’s a really nice bloke as well as being a great rider. Q3 What’s your worst riding habit? Looking across the fields to see what people are doing. I should pay more attention, really. Q4 If you could have…

94bhp | 900mm seat | 243kg | £TBC When the legend returned, it was clear that Honda’s Africa Twin had lost none of its magic but it didn’t wow everyone, nor really deliver on the promise of true world adventure made by the original. But this one might. The changes aren’t huge, but they are important. The petrol tank has increased in capacity by 5.4 litres, which Honda say extends the range to beyond 300 miles. They’ve also flattened the seat and made the riding position more upright to keep you more comfortable for longer. It also comes with heated grips, a power socket and a taller screen as standard. For off-road explorers, there’s 22mm more suspension travel, a bigger sump guard plus wider footpegs for increased control and confidence…

‘A sportsbike rider will never look back from this’ 156bhp | 825-845mm seat | 235kg (dry) | £17,195 This new Multistrada 1260, which will arrive in dealers in February, is available in four versions, but it’s the S model that has always been the most popular and we rode it at its world launch just a few weeks ago in Gran Canaria. It’s a bike that really does have it all. Like a tourer, it has a spacious, comfortable, upright riding position. But like a superbike on stilts it delivers giddying levels of performance and is crammed full of the latest electronics. For 2018 the range gets a longer-stroke 1262cc XDiavel-derived engine with new mapping and exhaust, raked-out steering geometry, a longer swingarm, 340 gram-lighter wheels, a revised ride-by-wire system…

44.8bhp | 785mm seat | 168kg | £5249 Smaller-capacity sportsbikes have been looking awkward ever since the demise of the golden era in the 1990s. But the new Ninja 400 looks to have bridged the 20-year gap of mediocrity, landing in 2018 with enough presence to grab our interest. The new Ninja may have gained 100cc over the 300 it replaces, but it’s shaved off 8kg and delivers a pretty hearty 45bhp. While the new engine is comparable in size to its predecessor, it’s actually 1kg lighter, too. It also gets an Assist & Slipper clutch, meaning reduced lever pressure in town, and greater control on aggressive downshifts. The new chassis is claimed to offer improved stability and manoeuvrability, with help from the fatter, non-adjustable 41mm fork. The front anchor…

‘The 1100 engine is one of Ducati’s finest V-twins’ 84.5bhp | 810mm seat | 206kg | £10,695 It’s taken Ducati longer than expected, but finally we have the 1100cc Scrambler we’ve been waiting for. With the punch to match its retro looks, traction control, ABS, and lashings of charm,, the only thing 15 15-lit litre teardrop d ttankk, which hi can accept interchangeable aluminium side panels. It might look authentically simplistic and old-school, but there’s plenty of tech lurking within. Bosch Cornering ABS and Traction Control headline the rider aids, taking the stress out of riding in variable conditions. The headlight keeps the LED ring, and gains a big X in the middle as a homage to the tape scramblers used to stick over their headlights. Dipped and main beams…

113.5bhp | 820mm seat | 263kg | £TBC One of the most divisive new bikes of the year is this astounding three-wheeler from Yamaha, based on the hugely popular MT-09 platform. Doubling the front-end grip of a conventional bike, but with a mechanism that allows the Niken to steer and handle like a normal motorcycle, we reckon this will be one of the most test-ridden bikes of 2018. You can’t ignore the defining factor – the Niken has two front wheels. There, we said it. The benefits in improved stability and grip over manhole covers, white lines, grit, gravel and other road imperfections should be huge. The front tyre sizes are 120/70 R15, each wheel hanging from a single-side hub on a double fork. The rear is a far more…

143.4bhp | 830mm seat | 212kg | £TBC Honda have been getting all hot under the manifold about their new Neo Sports Café concept, and after a fairly drawn-out build-up – this is what we were waiting for: the new CB1000R. The styling is bravely radical for Honda, and dominated by a pleasing blend of modern materials and brushed steel. Powering the package is a Firebladederived engine, but don’t get too excited, it’s in a much-reduced state of tune. Nonetheless, it packs 16% more power (claimed) than the old model and 5% more torque in the midrange – and Honda say it’ll out-drag a Blade up to 80mph. It comes with a slipper clutch as standard and there’s an optional quickshifter available, too. There’s a ride-by-wire throttle that allows for…

Price £4099 Fuel 13.4 litres @ 81mpg = 168.8 range Power 15bhp@10,000rpm Torque 9ftlb @7500rpm Bike weight 137kg (dry) Seat height 830mm ‘I was working hard to get up to the speed limit but it filters better than my dad’s Blade’ ‘After 515 miles in four days I believe you can take this capable little bike anywhere’ It’s a bittersweet ending with KTM’s 125 Duke. Our time together has seen me develop my riding and enjoy most of what biking has on offer. We’ve even conquered the A1M on our daily commute and its 15bhp motor has been super-economical, even though I’ve revved the hell out of her. Above all, we well and truly become good pals. This is what I’ve learnt... Road tripping I’ve proved that the little 125…

Arai Chaser X £399.99 Tester Matt Wildee Time tested 4000 miles/five months What’s good? Arai’s Chaser X is the archetypal do-anything helmet. Over the last five months, I’ve used the Chaser X for 12-hour, 800-mile days in the saddle, commuting, trackdays and road testing. During that time, it has delivered everything I want in a helmet – comfort, good visibility, aerodynamic stability and good venting. New last year, the Chaser X uses the same visor attachment mechanism as its bigger-brother, the RX-7V race helmet. So, when you want to swap visors, the sidepods pop off at the touch of a lever and then dangle from the side of the helmet. Some find it a faff, but I find it easier and quicker to change a visor than on the older…

What is it? A counter-rotating crankshaft is basically one where the crank rotates in the opposite direction to normal. Normally, a road bike crank goes in the same direction as the wheels but counter-rotating means it’s going in the opposite direction, or ‘backwards’. It’s also one of the standout features of the new Ducati Desmosedici Stradale V4. Where’s it come from? The idea comes from MotoGP. Ducati’s MotoGP machine has had a counter-rotating crank since 2015. It’s all to do with inertia and gyroscopic forces. If the crank is spinning up forwards and you’re going forwards then you go faster. It’s the same as with the wheels. When the wheels spin they create gyroscopic forces, which keep the bike upright but also make it harder to lean and steer. The…

New Suzuki SVs are well adjusted From 2018, the Suzuki SV650 range will be available with preload-adjustable forks. The only degree of adjustment on previous 2017 models was with preload adjustment on the rear. The news comes after the launch of the SV650X, available from £5999. w w w.bikes.suzuki.co.uk A classic start to the New Year The Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic returns to Newark Showground this weekend. Running from Saturday-Sunday, January 6-7, gates open both days from 9am. Advance tickets are £16 for an adult weekend pass and £8 for an adult day pass. Under 12s go free. www.carolenash.com F800GS sidecar Sidecar builders Watsonian Squire have produced a version of the sporty Flight sidecar for the BMW F800GS. The shell is made of a sturdy glass fibre…

“I don’t think these bikes had any big recalls. There was one on the original, but not for the second generation. The biggest issue a lot of them face is that they don’t get used enough, meaning they get a seized EXUP valve in the exhaust pipe. “The occasional bike will also jump out of second and sixth gear, if they have had a hard life and been wheelied everywhere. They will jump out of gear under hard acceleration. “In order to sort the gearbox, you need to take the engine out and remove the bottom of the crank case to change the shift fork. It’s quite labour intensive, but not as bad as an engine strip. “Sometimes the regulator will go, but often it’s the plug that corrodes, rather…

‘If I can finish it twice then I can definitely do it’MAX HUNT  Max Hunt’s journey to Dakar is an impressive one. Despite being an accomplished track racer with spells in British and World Supersport, he’d barely ridden off-road until 2016. In his first attempt in 2017 he finished an incredible 52nd and for 2018 he’s back with the same HT Racing Husqvarna team and looking for more. MCN caught up with the man nicknamed Mad Max, due to his wild riding, base jumping and wing suit flying antics. And he was keen to show MCN his wild side on the streets of London riding his enduro bike ‘enthusiastically’. How did you go from racing in the BSB paddock to Dakar? My brother raced Dakar in 2016 in a…

“With these proposals, we’re trying to make motorcycling safer. We want to improve the standard of training people receive, as too many young riders are killed on the roads. As a biker myself, I don’t want too many barriers to riding, or too many hoops to jump through, but we want to modernise the training. “I want to see more people becoming bikers and we want to make sure they’re bikers for life. The changes that came in under the Third Directive did cause a big drop in young riders taking their test but that’s starting to climb back up. We’re hoping these proposals will move people close to taking a test – the CBT should be the beginning, not the end.”…

‘It’s like taking a hot bath in double cream, wearing a velvet suit’ One look at the words ‘electric’ and ‘bike’ and I can sense you switching off (no pun intended). Nothing I can say will convince you a machine like the new £25,425 Energica Esse Esse9 is a credible alternative to petrol propulsion. I can already hear you scream: “25 grand – really!?!” I’m as cynical as the next person and even after riding the new machine on the roads close to Energica’s factory on the outskirts of Modena, I’m not 100% convinced. There’s that eye-watering price tag, the tourer-like 270kg weight, the relatively low battery range and the fact it’ll spend more time plugged in than rolling along. But you know what? They really are getting there. And…

‘There’s something for every taste and every pocket’ Few things can beat a new bike for turning a good year into a great one. A year that you’ll remember forever as ‘2018, you know – when I bought the…’. There are plenty to choose from, too. Add every major model together across all the different sectors, and hey presto – here’s a shortlist of 78 appetite-whetting soul-ticklers to lubricate your excitement gland. From British retro heaven to the very latest in Japanese tech, via Italian exotica, some globe-dominating Germans and a pesky Austrian upstart – there really is something for every taste and almost every pocket. Go on, treat yourself – you deserve it!…

‘The XCA is excellent on road and can handle light trails’ 139.5bhp | 835-855mm seat | 248kg (dry) | £16,950 Essentially a Tiger 1200 XRT with a set of wire spoked wheels, extra off-road riding mode, engine protection bars and bash plate. The XCA certainly looks the part but it’s slightly compromised off-road by the lack of taller suspension. It also lacks the gargantuan fuel tank of its biggest competitor – BMW’s R1200GSA. Boasting the same level of rider aids as the road-targeted Tigers the XC rides identically to the XR on-road as it’s shod with the same Metzeler tyres. It’s no lightweight at 248kg (dry), but it is capable enough when the tarmac runs out. If you think of the XC as a rugged looking adventure bike that’s excellent…

147.5bhp | 830mm seat | 197.5kg | £15,895 How stunning does this look? While the Panigale V4 will be for the superfan, the new 959 Panigale Corse is for the everyman. Still boasting a V-twin engine, it’s a riot of high-end specialness wrapped up in a classy paintjob. Headlining the engineering hop-ups is a full Öhlins treatment. At the rear, that means a fully-adjustable TTX46 shock tucked in under your left thigh, while the pointy end now boasts a fully-adjustable 43mm NIX30 fork. Also added from the Öhlins catalogue is an adjustable steering damper – and a lightweight lithium ion battery further aids the Corse’s weight loss over the standard model. You can’t help but notice the beautiful road-homologated Akrapovic shotgun silenced system snaking up the righthand side of the…

107.2bhp | 785-810mm seat | 206kg | £9895 Ducati’s updated 821 boasts key revisions that drag it ever closer to its more expensive stablemates – the most significant being the addition of the full-colour TFT dash. It’s also slightly more streamlined, with a redesigned tank and tail unit, a new silencer, new headlight, and new rider and pillion pegs. The ski-boot style clasp on the tank is a nod to the original M900, while the TFT dash couldn’t be further removed from the simplistic single-dial clock and idiot-lights of the original. It also gets a gear indicator, fuel gauge, and the full Ducati Safety Pack (3-level Bosch ABS system and 8-level traction control), along with three rider modes, and power, modes.…

SUZUKI V-STROM 1000 XT £9999 Fuel 20 litres @ 47mpg = 200-mile range Weight 233kg (kerb) Seat 850mm Power 99.2bhp Torque 74.5lbft My first 500 miles with the big XT have been a baptism of ice and snow. Having spent the summer of 2017 riding 6500 miles on BMW’s R1200GS Rallye, I’ve made the move from boxer to V-twin. But while the V-Strom is £6401 less than the GS (standard vs standard), it’s not short on spec – boasting cornering ABS and traction control as standard. The engine performance, thanks to its power-to-weight ratio, isn’t much different to the GS, but I’m intrigued to see how the ride quality will compare to the BMW’s astounding Dynamic ESA. There’s nothing snazzy about the Strom’s mechanical offerings, but that doesn’t spell disaster.…

Oxford Aqua V20 Back Pack £44.99 This 20-litre rucksack is designed to offer extreme visibility and is waterproof and comes with a useful carry handle. There’s a waterproof roll-top closure and a water resistant, zipped external pocket. It can also be wiped clean, which is handy on our salted, sodden roads. RST Premium Rucksack and Helmet Bag £69.99 This elasticated backpack comes with a zipped helmet pouch and chest retention straps and is made of a hard-wearing polyester. There are elasticated mesh outer pockets, as well as multiple inner and outer pockets, as well as an exit for a headphone cable. And all for under £70. Held To-Go Rucksack £29.99 This Held bag does exactly what it says on the tin and is perfect as a grab-and-go bag for your…

‘The trackday company owed you a duty of care which, in my view, they breached by not clearing debris’ QI got hurt on a trackday but organiser won’t accept blame I had an accident in the summer at a trackday. I now have constant aching and the possibility of future surgery. The investigation the organisers undertook showed I hit debris on the track from a previous session that they had not cleared. Their lawyers have told mine that because I participated in a dangerous activity, I cannot claim as I accepted that it was dangerous. I did not sign anything. What should I do? Rob Evans, Ferndown A The Defendant’s solicitor appears to be relying on a defence called volenti non fit injuria which can be a complete defence when…

The 2017 season saw many MotoGP records broken as Marc Marquez became the youngest-ever six-time world champion and Franco Morbidelli and Joan Mir rewrote the history books in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes with their year-long domination. But while those are the headline-grabbers, none of the records cost more to achieve than a new all-time record for crashes, with all three classes recording an incredible 1126 falls over MotoGP’s 18-weekend calendar. Almost double the number seen in the 2006 season, the year detailed records began, what’s caused so many trips to the gravel this season? Weather The most obvious factor is the weather. One of the wettest seasons ever saw nearly a fifth of the season’s races and practice sessions run on wet tracks. With only five rounds escaping the…

There are three main types of tyre: crossply, bias-belted and radial. In general, crossply tyres are found on lighter machines such as 125s, which don’t go to extreme speeds, while radial tyres are found on more powerful machines. On a crossply tyre, the layers of rubber coated cord that make up the carcass are layered at an angle to the sidewalls. Bias-belted tyres were developed in the 1970s to allow crossply tyres to deal with the extra forces that the new breed of superbikes were starting to produce. They are still fairly common on cruisers, however they have been superseded by radial tyres on high performance bikes. A bias-belted tyre’s construction is similar to a crossply but an extra layer of belts made from Aramid fibres helps prevent deformation under…

Touratech saved Touratech Germany, declared insolvent in 2017, have been saved by a new deal with Happich. The German manufacturer has said the Touratech business will continue as normal, although company bosses have said that some product lines will be slimmed down. Triumph on a roll Triumph have had a bumper year selling over 63,000 bikes in 2017 (up from 56,000 in 2016). This has boosted turnover to just shy of £500 million with profit up to a whopping £24.7 million (up from £8.1 million the previous year). Come fly with us Scottish airline Loganair have announced they will be running flights to the TT from Norwich airport. Return flights will run from May 25 to June 10. For more information or to book, visit www.loganair.co.uk BMW sit pretty Also…

New Year, New Hope. That may sound like another episode of Star Wars, but it’s actually how most of us feel after the festive season has subsided. And 2018 looks to be full of promise. For a start, there are 78 amazing new motorcycles to ogle or even buy. Most will be at the Carole Nash MCN London Show in February and all are in this issue – from page 20. More immediately, there’s British hope in this year’s Dakar with Sam Sunderland. Lyndon Poskitt, and Max Hunt all capable of a decent result. And then there’s MotoGP – can Valentino Rossi finish what could be his last season (he’s out of contract at the end of 2018) on a high? And in WSB Jonathan Rea is going for a…

All three Energicas share the same electric motor, lithium battery pack, tubular steel frame, suspension, geometry and wheels. They differ in styling, riding position, level of spec and power. EGO £29,599 145bhp, 280kg The bike that started Energica’s electric bike story. It’s MCN’s 2017 Electric Bike of the Year and last year became the first production electric bike to finish the TT Zero, in the hands of MCN Senior Road Tester Adam Child (in sixth). EVA 107 £29,599 145hp, 270kg An Ego without a fairing and a sporty super-naked riding position. For 2018 power is up from 109bhp to 145bhp. EVA ESSE ESSE9 £25,425 109bhp, 270kg Based on the standard Eva, the Esse Esse9 has retro styling and also available as a £27,249 Special version with cosmetic tweaks. ACCESSORIES You…

‘The Tiger 1200 is now a serious alternative to the GS’ 139.5bhp | 835-855mm seat | 243kg (dry) | £16,150 Goodbye Explorer, hello new Tiger 1200. Triumph have dropped the Explorer name, along with around 11kg of mass thanks to over 100 refinements that have transformed the big cat into the most technology-laden Tiger ever. As well as injecting a bit more immediate power into the motor and altering the ergonomics, the Tiger 1200 is now right up there in terms of gadgets. This top-spec XRT comes with multiple rider modes, semi-active suspension, cornering ABS and TC, keyless ignition, hill start control, heated everything, TFT dash, adaptive cornering headlights and even a two-way quickshifter. The Tiger 1200 is now a serious alternative to the GS as it offers all the…

‘This is the most advanced Ducati ever and could be bike of the year’ 211.2bhp | 830mm seat | 195kg | £23,895 The new Panigale V4, changes everything. Or does it? It still looks like a Panigale, that red paint is rather familiar, and even the name rings a bell. But for all the obvious familiarity, it’s what Ducati have done under the skin that makes the new V4 such a dramatic quantum shift. If that familiarity is off-putting, how do the claims of 211bhp, 195kg and a modal shift in electronic rider aids grab you? Make no mistake, this will be the superbike to beat in 2018. This is the first mass-produced Ducati to have a four-cylinder engine (the Desmosedici was a limited edition), and it’s been born out…

103.3bhp | 825mm seat | 169kg (dry) | £8499 We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this little nutter – while we expect Triumph and Yamaha and Ducati were hoping it would never come. Touted as the ‘ultimate street weapon’ the LC8c parallel-twin kicks out 103.3bhp, and with a low dry weight of 169kg, it should feel pretty dynamic. Cornering ABS with a Supermoto mode, lean-angle sensitive traction control, quickshifter+ and launch control are all standard, as is KTM’s ‘ride mode technology’ with customizable track mode. It also boasts the latest TFT dashboard with optional KTM MY RIDE for easy smartphone hook-up. This is KTM’s first parallel-twin four-stroke engine, and comes with electronic fuel injection, two balancer shafts, semi dry-sump lubrication with oil cooler and 6-speed transmission. We’ve already ridden…

SINNIS HARRIER 125 £500 Fuel 5.5 litres, 80-mile tank range (est) Dry weight 101kg Seat height 815mm ‘My Sinnis is still faster than a line of stationary rush-hour traffic’ My Sinnis Harrier 125 is a little gem. For the last 12 months I’ve owned it I’ve commuted to work, zipped around town and you know what? It’s never let me down. It cost just £999 when the previous owner bought it new from Prime Factors Motorcycles in 2015 (they are £1199 now), so it’s no surprise it’s built down to a price. The two flat plates that form the swingarm and the piece of string holding the hugger in place are hardly Panigale spec, but elsewhere it’s pretty decent quality. My Sinnis had been used as an everyday, all-weather hack…

Q How can I sharpen up my wandering Streetfighter? I bought what was probably the last new Ducati 1098 Streetfighter left in Europe getting on for three years ago and I’m finally getting around to setting it up with new Pirelli Diablo Supercorsas. It already tracks round corners better and understeers less. I have added two clicks more rebound on the rear, although I have the feeling that it is not enough – entering bumpy bends the back feels under-damped and it settles down when you get back on the power. In faster sweepers, I lean forward to keep it tracking correctly as if you sit up a bit or if it is windy it feels a bit vague and seems to wander a bit. I’m around 6ft1in and 97kg,…

THE EXPERT John Burrows As Ducati are the first motorcycle manufacturer to introduce counter-rotating crankshafts on production road machines, who better to ask about it than John Burrows, the service manager at Ducati’s flagship UK workshop operation at Ducati Coventry. Counter culture Traditionally, a transversely-mounted road motorcycle engine’s crankshaft rotates in the same direction as its wheels and the extra gyroscopic forces this creates are good for speed and stability – but bad for quick steering or rapid changes of direction. But a counter-rotating crank turns the oppo backwards, and has effect, which is why engines run this way astonishing new Des V4 engine (which wil Panigale V4) is the fi be so equipped, here’s why.…

1998 Yamaha R1 Colours Red and white, blue Dealer £6000 Private good £5700 Private average £5400 This one This 1998 bike is up for £5995 and has done 24,142 miles. The bike is original and would make a great investment. 2000 Yamaha R1 Colours Blue and red and black Dealer £3000 Private good £2700 Private average £2500 This one £2695 buys you this 27,708-mile dealer example with an aftermarket pipe, tail tidy and screen. 2001 Yamaha R1 Colours Blue and red and black Dealer £3400 Private good £3100 Private average £2800 This one This dealer sale has done 37,456 miles and still looks great. It’s yours for £2995. 2002 Yamaha R1 Colours Blue and silver and black Dealer £3700 Private good £3400 Private average £3100 This one Up at just…

‘The crash was down to spectators egging me on. This year I’ll just wave’LYNDON POSKITT Two-time Dakar finisher Lyndon Poskitt just doesn’t know when to stop. Having claimed 46th place at his first assault on Dakar in 2013, he spent the next three years travelling the world before making his return to the race in 2017. He entered the Malle Moto class which sees competitors run the same route as the rest of the field, but unlike the vast majority of riders who have full support teams – in Malle Moto the rider is on their own. So that means there is no outside assistance and any maintenance and repairs have to be done solely by the rider. Poskitt is an accomplished engineer and bike builder as well as a…

‘Before the start of e every special stage I’m scared – afraid of what’s coming’ As the first British rider ever to win the Dakar rally, Sam Sunderland heads to South America with his eyes on the prize of repeating his historic 2017 victory. The RedBull KTM factory rider eats, breathes and sleeps Dakar having spent his entire year preparing for the brutal two-week race that kicks off in Peru on January 6. Until last year’s race Sunderland had entered five Dakars, started three but failed to finish a single one. Finishing (and winning) last year’s race was more than a single victory – it was a career breakthrough. But despite going from a rider with a seriously flawed Dakar history to the victor of the hardest race of them…