Table of contents for 26 January 2022 in MCN

‘It’s a gentleman’s superbike, a mix of comfort and joy’ALASTAIR FAGAN ON THE NEW V4 PIKE’S PEAK FIRST TEST Ducati’s V4 Pikes Peak set to stun Ducati already boast one of the best superbikes on the planet, and also one of the best all-road stunners in the shape of their V4 Multistrada – so what exactly is the point of their new V4-engined Pikes Peak? Well, it’s a utopian halfway house between the two – mixing devastating superbike performance, glitz and glamour with the sort of road manners you’d expect from a tourer. TESTED P36 TOP STORY Time to turn the rally dial up to 11 Yamaha’s fun and frugal Ténéré 700 has been a rightful smash hit for the firm. Sadly, it’s not as affordable as it was at…

Oxford have launched a new range of bike and accessory care products under the name ‘Mint’. The collection covers everything from detailing waxes, to chain lube, leather protector to visor cleaning. Prices vary but a 500ml tin of most items costs £8.99, while the most expensive thing is a 5l tub of bike wash for £19.99. To see the full range, which is available now, head to www.oxfordmint.co.uk. New from old A new Royal Enfield dealership has opened in the Brockenhurst, but it’s almost entirely made from old stuff. The new dealer is part of the Balmer group and has been built out of 95% recycled materials on the site of a former bank. There’s coffee on site, funky clothing and the full RE range. You can even get your…

Q ‘They won’t stop calling’ I have an ongoing claim against a driver who pulled out in front of me. I was insured TPFT, so I decided to pursue the driver’s insurance company myself to recover my repair costs. I had no injuries but keep getting calls from so called lawyers asking whether I want to bring an injury claim. Is there anything I can do to prevent these calls? Nick, Greenwich A This is a common issue. Qualified solicitors are not allowed to make unsolicited approaches (ie cold calls) to members of the public. We also have a duty of confidentially and will not share our clients’ contact details without express permission. However, there are plenty of organisations operating in and around the field of legal services that are…

1 Stop the rot with Bike Stop January 29 This Saturday at Bike Stop in Stevenage you can get your bike cleaned and treated with ACF-50 anti-corrosion spray by the pros at All Year Biker. It costs £70 and is by appointment only, email events@bikestop.co.uk www.bikestop.co.uk 2 Newark Autojumble January 30 Get down to the ‘Normous Newark Autojumble on Sunday for a browse. Taking place at the Newark Showground, advance tickets are £7 per person for general admission at 10am. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk 3 Ace Café Bike Night January 28 What else can you do on a dark winter night than head to the bright lights and warmer air of the big city? Every Friday at the Ace Café is bike night, and this Friday is no exception. london.acecafe.com…

1978 CRACKING 10 Breaking into the 10s on an Egli framed Kawasaki and achieving a Street Class track record of 10.76. 1988 SEVEN HEAVEN After building his second top fuel bike, Steve finally cracked into the 7s, with a best of 7.8s/175mph. 2017 HALL OF FAME Being inducted to the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame in acknowledgement of his long career at the top level of the sport. 2019 HITTING SIXES Riding The Dealer, Steve set a personal best of 6.06/221.10mph at the Festival of Power. The team now have five seconds in their sights.…

GUEST TESTER I honestly cannot think of another bike that brags so much sporting ability, yet does so with all the comfort of an armchair. BMW’s S1000XR might come close but, head-to-head with the Ducati, it lacks in every department. Bikes like the V4 Pikes Peak are exactly why we can’t always pigeonhole certain models. You can’t really call it an adventure bike. It’s a hybrid roadster, a gentleman’s superbike, an eclectic mix of comfort and joy. What about the price? At £24,595, it’s over £8000 more expensive than the base model, but you do get more electronic toys than Currys and a serious performance upgrade. THE FACTS £24,595 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Engine 1158cc, liquid-cooled, 90° V4 Frame Aluminium monocoque Suspension (F) Öhlins USD 43mm fork, fully adjustable,…

1 SW Motech Blaze panniers £273.72 Super quality and easy to put on and take off. I use dry bags inside them, but there was no sign of water even after a wet week on the Wild Atlantic Way! Stephen Campbell, Banbridge 2 Kriega US20 £129 Took a tour of Spain and France with this kit. Easy to fit, loads of space and waterproof. I have two US10 bags, so I can mix and match. Steve Thorogood, Devizes 3 Lomo Dry Bag panniers £53 (pair) Plenty of space for a week’s worth of kit and enough clips and straps to mount onto almost any bike. Mike Taylor, East Lothian 4 Official BMW S1000R/RR Rear Bag £216 Built for the S1000R so it fits perfectly on the pillion seat and is…

MECHANIC Kev Hollingsorth of Doncaster Motorcycles When Kevin ‘Tepi’ Hollingsworth at Doncaster Motorcycles took a call from a Yamaha XT125 owner with a gear selection issue he thought it would be simple enough to fix. But he was wrong. Kev suspected a broken gear selector return spring would be to blame. He said: “The guy hadn’t done many miles on it before it started missing gears and all sorts. Then the lever went floppy, and he couldn’t select any gears at all. You only have to take one cover off to see the spring and the part of the crankcase that the spring wraps around so I thought it would be ‘simples’.” However, once he got the cover off, he was confronted with a ‘home repair’. At some point, probably…

A selection of World Superbike teams are on-track in Jerez today and tomorrow (Wednesday/Thursday) as the 2022 season edges closer. Among them are Kawasaki and Honda, the Japanese marques keen to get in an early test in order to have new parts developed and sent from Japan. Jerez sees track action from 11am until 5pm, with the Puccetti Kawasaki of Lucas Mahias also present as well as Honda’s MotoGP test team and a selection of Supersport entrants. The southern Spanish venue won’t witness as much testing this year, having been removed from the WSB calendar, although there’s plenty to come in Portimao, Aragon, Misano and Barcelona as well as a Monday-Tuesday test at MotorLand on the week of Round 1 in April. Kawasaki were infuriated last year when the FIM…

JOSH CLOSE INSIGHT Our man with a finger on the pulse of BSB Jason O’Halloran fell victim to BSB’s Showdown format last year, cruelly losing out to teammate Tarran Mackenzie despite dominating the ‘main season’. His 106-point lead was cut to 30, before a double DNF at Oulton Park derailed his title hopes – despite having more wins, poles, and podiums than his rivals. In a regular series, O’Halloran would have won the 2022 crown by 36 points. That’s a bigger gap than both Fabio Quartararo and Toprak Razgatlioglu held over their respective title rivals in MotoGP and WSB. MCN visited O’Halloran at his Lincolnshire home to discuss 2021 and what’s next. Tough times Watching his teammate win the title after having such a strong year was a bitter pill…

The unbroken clear blue skies and glorious blazing sunshine made my starter button finger all itchy on Saturday. Then I stepped out of the house and the bitter realisation that the ambient temperature was more Baltic than Bahamas nearly made me step back indoors again. But I’m glad I didn’t. When I did – 5.5 hours and 255.4 miles later – my toes were burning with that coldness that no amount of stamping on cold tarmac can shift, but every other part of me was warm and happy. And my soul was a little fuller for having got some quality bike time nailed – and for staring at the sea (at Southwold) as the sun set behind me. I only saw five other bikes on the road, and wonder –…

Hampshire Police have pledged to continue the fight against motorbike theft and related crime into 2022 after a successful period at the end of last year. Tactics include high-visibility patrols in hotspot locations, the deployment of specialist Roads Policing Units, working with Housing Associations to identify where particular bikes that are regularly being used for antisocial behaviour are being stored and working with the council and other land owners to make public footpaths and wooded areas harder to access. “Reducing motorcycle nuisance is a local priority for us, as is preventing motorcycle theft,” said a statement from Hampshire Police. “Over the last six months, we have been carrying out regular patrols and ‘flash mobs,’ which are targeted operations, to prevent offences taking place, and to gather intelligence to identify regular…

Muc-Off Pressure Washer Bundle £114.99 Clean up with bargain buys Winter plays havoc with bikes, so keeping them clean and protected is a priority. Trouble is, specialist cleaners can be expensive, which is where this week’s bargain hunter comes in. We’ve found everything from brushes to bike pressure washers, and they all feature welcome savings. Swansea-based M&P have a range of essentials including this bundle from cleaning gurus, Muc-Off. The eye-catching pink and black pressure washer has been designed specifically for motorcycles and comes with three lances including a high-pressure one for heavier grime plus a snow foam lance for use with Muc-Off’s Nano Tech Bike Wash. The bundle includes bike cleaner, protectant spray and a microfibre cloth, plus a useful bag to stow it all neatly when not in…

‘Not all homologation specials are expensive’ I’m a sucker for a limited-edition motorcycle. There is something appealing about being on a bike that you are pretty sure will be the only one of its kind in the car park. Not only that, they also tend to hold their value better than bog-stockers. But they can be pricey. I was lucky when I bought my Ducati 916SP and got it for a song but nowadays you are talking almost double the price of a base model 916 just to have the homologation special, a theme that runs through all the SP, SPS or R model Dukes. The first R1 SP, which to be honest was a failure when it appeared in 2006, costs an eye-watering £14,000 or more and if you…

Readers Andrew Hill The trip Final wild camping trip of 2021 How many miles? 220 How long do you need? Two days minimum Best time to go Spring or Autumn Don’t miss… Take the A82 out of Glasgow towards Tyndrum, then take the left just past the Green Welly (excellent bike stop) towards Oban. I stopped in Loch Awe for a roll and square sausage, a proper Scottish breakfast roll. Then it was back on the bike for the ride to the campsite at Loch Etive. I headed towards Connel then split off the main road following a single track road that eventually turned into a dirt road. This was definitely interesting on a CB500F on road tyres! The weather was typically Scottish (mostly rain) but this didn’t put a…

MCN 250 MILE ROAD TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK Triumph’s Street Scrambler has been the definitive bike of its breed ever since the original Scrambler, a high-barred, upswept-piped, semi-knobbly- tyred version of the then 865cc Bonneville, debuted in 2006, as inspired by the Steve McQueen ISDE TR6s from the 1960s. And with its rugged retro style, easy manners and extra roominess, it’s been a big seller ever since, prompting the emergence of a whole new class, not least from rivals Ducati, who launched their own Scrambler family in 2015. But is Triumph’s new, updated version good enough to beat the latest and best Ducati interpretation? Triumph’s original air-cooled 2006 865cc Scrambler was replaced by the liquid-cooled 900cc Street Scrambler in 2017 following the introduction of the 900cc/1200cc…

GUEST TESTER Ducati’s Nightshift was created to give a premium touch to the range. Main rivals Triumph have now responded with an uprated, classier Street Scrambler. By that yardstick they compare well, each with wire wheels, upgraded seats, lots of nice alloy details and even flashy paint. But under the surface, they’re quite different. The Nightshift is a slightly oddball mix of scrambler, roadster and café racer. Its modern monoshock, inverted forks and radial brake – while delivering impressive handling – detract from its authenticity and its motor is a higher-revving six-speeder. If you want an Italian take on scramblers that delivers a sportier ride you won’t be disappointed, but its price, dash and some details do jar, if only slightly. But if you fancy a proper British take on…

Daily rider with 47 years of experience, both on and off road. Owns 30 bikes. In the past eight months since taking delivery of the CRF Rally, I have been slowly making my mark on it. Honda have done a great job of updating the hugely popular CRF250 L/Rally models that have been around since 2012, and every owner I’ve spoken to who has had a 250 version speaks very fondly of their time with the bike – but are equally as keen find out about the new 300 version. And the 300 is quite a bit different from the 250, so a lot of the bolt-on goodies from the 250 won’t fit the enlarged machine, and aren’t yet available for the newer model. But plenty are, and here are…

There’s lots of preconceptions when it comes to strokers. Clearly there’s no two-stroke smoke without fire, and those of us of a certain age have tales of seizures and the like. Some bikes are fragile (KR-1 anyone?) But most ‘facts’ need to be squared up here and now... One: two-strokes don’t have torque. Yes they do. The engine fires every time the piston rises and does more work, and so they make much more torque than an equivalent four-stroke. Two: they’re revvy. False. Sporty bikes of the 80s and 90s had power that came in with a rush at higher revs, but you’ll struggle to find a stroker that spins above 12,000rpm. Ride an MZ 250 or Suzuki GT750 – they’re all about midrange. Three: they break down. No they…

Saving you money on essential bike maintenance BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician 1 Get ready for a refresh Winter is the time when brake calipers need a little bit of extra care, as road crud can build up and cause them to seize. Thorough cleaning and replacement of serviceable parts will put your bike’s stoppers back to their best. First up, source the new caliper O-rings (for two-piece calipers), piston seals and dust seals. These are often sold as a rebuild kit. 2 Undo the hose and free the caliper Work on one side at a time. Remove the caliper from the bike by first undoing the hose; get ready to contain the corrosive fluid as you undo the banjo, then pump the fluid from the hose into a container…

James Toseland was under the knife on Tuesday for the seventh time in 11 years, again addressing the right wrist he broke in a BMW test at Aragon in March 2011. On this occasion, the aim is to remove all of the metalwork helping to support the bones which the Sheffield man previously elected to fuse to lessen the pain. “It’s going to be tough but I’m looking forward to putting an end to this. It should mean I can do things to a decent level; for instance, I recently went bowling and couldn’t pick up the ball.” Surgery for Taz BSB champion Tarran Mackenzie has undergone ankle surgery following an incident in Spain. Mackenzie was testing at Cartagena on his Yamaha R1 track bike when he crashed, suffering a…

Rewind a month and Marc Marquez was not only in doubt to attend the opening test of the year in Sepang in ten days’ time, but his MotoGP future was hanging in the balance as he continued to recover from his second bout of diplopia (double vision) brought on by a crash during training last year. But a month is a long time in the world of MotoGP, with the eight-time world champion now looking set to not only be in Sepang for testing, but to be fully fit with the clear goal of developing Honda’s radically new RC213V. In preparation, the 28-year-old Spaniard has been back on a motocross bike before riding a road-going RC213V-S at Portimao and a Honda CBR600RR at Aragon. Spectacularly outgunned by Ducati and to…

The 2021 racing season proved to be one of the best in recent memory, new stars versus the old guard, unpredictability and some truly worthy new champions. From French sensation Fabio Quartararo in MotoGP and Toprak Razgatlioglu’s stunning success in WSB through to Tarran Mackenzie doing the business in BSB, it’s been a stunning year. Having started out with a long list, our panel of experts have whittled down the list of contenders and now it is over to you. Voting takes place online and is completely free. Full terms and conditions are available online. Take part now by casting your vote: www.motorcyclenews.com/ROTY21 Fabio Quartararo MotoGP champion Pecco Bagnaia MotoGP runner up Pedro Acosta Moto3 champion Toprak Razgatlioglu WSB champion Taz Mackenzie BSB champion Michael Laverty New Brit Moto3 team…

Honda have reinstated the A2-friendly CB300R as part of their 2022 line-up, adding a Euro5-compliant motor, and new inverted Showa Separate Function Big Piston forks. The easy-going naked first arrived back in 2018 and was marketed as a ‘stepping-stone’ – bridging the gap between the learner legal CB125R and four-cylinder CB650R. It resumes this role for 2022 – retaining very similar styling with, Honda claim, greater front-end stability, more comfort, and the inclusion of a slipper clutch. Starting in the middle, the 286cc liquid-cooled single has been tweaked to meet Euro5, producing around 31bhp at 9000rpm and 20lb.ft of torque at 7750rpm. Housed in a tubular steel frame, the DOHC unit meets the new standards thanks, in part, to a redesigned exhaust mid-section with a larger catalyser. The muffler also…

£17,299 Honda CBR1000RR-R Revvier and sharper than ever, the Fireblade’s unflinching focus and Honda’s high-quality execution mean that it genuinely appeals as a serious superbike offering. It’s an eye-opening, sense-frazzling, life-affirming creation. There’s purity of purpose with the Fireblade, with few compromises for humdrum daily life. ● www.wheelsmotorcycles.co.uk £7999 Aprilia Tuono 660 The Tuono 660 is instantly intuitive and one of those bikes that you can enjoy from the moment the road opens up. ● colchesterkawasaki.co.uk ● Engine 659cc ● Power 79bhp ● Weight 204kg ● Seat height 860mm £19,503 Indian Dark Horse Vintage The Indian is comfortable covering big trips and handles better than a behemoth of a machine like this has any right to. ● blademotorcycles.co.uk ● Engine 1811cc ● Power 92bhp ● Weight 342kg ● Seat height…

Officers in North Lincolnshire and Humberside working as part of Operation Yellowfin have also pledged to continue their bike theft focus in 2022. Neighbourhood Beat Manager PC Adam Barley said: “We will do what we can to find their bikes and always encourage people to report their bike as stolen. “Don’t think we won’t do anything about it, we will. We, as much as you, know the injustice of someone stealing your bike and want to help those riders in the significant majority who do things the right way.”…

A PhD researcher at Bournemouth University looking at accident prevention has found that differences in how bikers and drivers process information could be the cause of accidents. The research, carried out with help from the DocBike charity, has shown that drivers view different things to riders even when faced with the same stretch of road. The project, led by Shel Silva, assessed neurological and cognitive influences of motorcyclists and car drivers, and found they have different visual attention patterns, due to the different types of hazards according to the vehicle type. In simple terms the brain is drawn to larger things such as HGVs because they pose greatest threats than smaller things. “The research is suggesting that by understanding motorcyclists’ knowledge and identification of risks it is possible to better…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews Wrap up and go for it Ben Clarke’s piece on his ZX-10R commuter (MCN, January 12) has triggered me, in a good way. If you do anything every day, stick at it, love it, and learn from it, you will become very good at it and appreciate it more. So, as I am an all-year rider, for the next hobbyist that tells my 37-year-old ears that they’ve ridden for 30 years, my answer is “no, you haven’t” (unless you’re ridden most days, then I’ll shut up and buy you a soft drink and some crisps). Ben’s comments about scything through the rush hour, travelling faster than 99% of the traffic, ‘feels a bit awkward to begin with but you get used to it soon enough’ are…

‘A proper Norman conquest’ Justin Hayzelden rides into Battle (and has cake) Top up at the Pevensey roundabout services, then head for Wartling. Turn left onto the A271, then look for the turn for Joe’s Lane, just before a garage on the right. This leads onto Victoria Hill, a great little road that feels like the back of beyond – then, when you reach Rushlake Green, follow the signs for Heathfield which will lead to the A267. Turn left then first right onto Newick Lane, another narrow thoroughfare at the end of which you’ll find the A267 to Mark’s Cross. Push on to Sleeches Cross, then take the B2099 through Ticehurst, a gentle B road that gets better as it goes on. The stretch of A21 and A2100 to Battle…

Simon Brown Age 52 Height 5ft 9in Current bike Ducati Scrambler FT Been riding 28 years First bike MZ ETZ125 Dream bike Norton Commando 850 I’ve always been drawn to bikes with a bit of character and eccentricity – even more so if they have no more than two cylinders, which explains why my biking past includes oddballs like the Cagiva Raptor 650. So the Ducati Scrambler was right up my street from the start. I’ve owned this one since new (it is a first-generation model on a 65 plate) but I’ve also spent time with the Café Racer version. Both have been massive fun. Clearly the suspension is a limiting factor, I ran a K-tech Bullit gas-filled shock for a bit on my FT and was impressed with that…

SENIOR WRITER Year-round rider, weekend blaster and racetrack dweller I am mechanically inept. I can use hammers and spanners, but feel a sense of pride when I operate an Allen key without rounding anything off. You can imagine my delight then, that after a year with the Aprilia RS660 in the garage, the only times I had to pick up a tool was to adjust the chain a fraction twice in 6000 miles of riding. I’d been told plenty of horror stories about Aprilia reliability in the past and was slightly nervous that I’d be spending 2021 waiting for breakdown vans and cursing faults in the garage. But I needn’t have worried. Our time together was near faultless. It started on the button every time and all the electronic gizmos…

‘Bad stuff on the inside’ Using your bike in winter exposes it to the worst road conditions. Seeing the grey haze coating your metal and paintwork after a ride should always guilt you into reaching for the pressure washer. But even when you wash the salt off your wheels, forks and bellypan, the real problems are still occurring out of sight, in all those hidden places. Places, like your brakes. On newer bikes the seals that keep the brake pistons free of dirt work perfectly, but after a few years multiple heat cycles begin to take their toll on the rubber, causing it to fail. The usual symptom of caliper corrosion is that the brake will bind slightly. The combination of corrosion on the piston and the seals becoming distorted…

Cast your mind back two years and Honda Racing Corporation were talking up their full-factory return to World Superbikes for the first time since that famous Colin Edwards title win of 2002. Two decades on and marking the 30th anniversary of the Fireblade, their aspirations lie in the hands of former MotoGP rider Iker Lecuona and ex-Moto2 man Xavi Vierge as Alvaro Bautista heads back to Ducati and Leon Haslam returns to BSB. There’s a very different environment in the garage at the Honda test in Jerez, not least a younger feel as the combined 75 years of last year’s line-up are replaced by a pairing almost three decades their juniors – Barcelona’s Vierge is 24 and Valencia’s Lecuona just 22. As ever, HRC are adopting an extremely secretive approach…

MotoGP riders do their real talking on the racetrack, but that’s never stopped them having a pop at their rivals when they’re in pitlane and paddock. Mat Oxley delves into his memory banks to bring you some of the most delicious grand prix burns delivered over the last few decades 01 CASEY STONER TO VALENTINO ROSSI JEREZ 2011 ‘Your ambition outweighed your talent’ Stoner and Rossi never got on after that day at Laguna Seca in 2008, so when the Italian wiped out the Aussie during the 2011 Spanish GP, costing him the world championship lead, Stoner boiled with rage. Somehow the 25-year-old controlled his anger, before walking into Rossi’s garage after the race. “How’s your shoulder, OK?” he asked, referring to Rossi’s lingering right-shoulder injury. Rossi didn’t understand the…

I just heard the news about Taz Mackenzie hurting himself (p57) and it made me feel sick to the core because he’s gone from being crowned BSB champion, he’s got the No1 plate on his bike, WSB opportunities etc and now he’s been dealt the ‘other’ side of the coin that no one ever wants. Testing is a double-edged sword. When I broke my wrist in 2014 riding my enduro bike, I was lying there, knowing I was in a world of pain and I said to myself: ‘It wasn’t worth it’. The team had put in so much effort and now I’d compromised my whole year. It’s easy after the event to say I shouldn’t have done it, but by then it’s too late. The thing is, you can…