Table of contents for 15 June 2016 in MCN

The Mash Dirt Star is the latest retro street scrambler to hit British tarmac – and it is tarmac because, despite its flat-track styling, this is a 99%-road bike that isn’t designed for anything more challenging than a gravel trail. That said, it looks the part. Mash are a French company that imports from China, specifying a retro style. The basic Road Star came to the UK last year, and the Dirt Star adds semi-knobbly tyres, a headlight grille (to protect the glass as you dash along gnarly desert trails…), a box-section swingarm and plenty of matt black. It all works pretty well, though a high-level pipe would have underlined the dirt-ready styling. It’s based around an air-cooled four-valve single, actually a downsized version of the old Honda XBR, now…

The MT-10 made me do it… Now, I don’t consider myself an old fart but given that my 16th birthday present was a spanking new copper red FS1-E, others may have a different opinion. After a series of RDs over the years; 250F, 350LC, 400F and 500LC I admit to becoming a ‘Yamaha Man’ so an ’07 R1 in anniversary colours was a must. The dilemma, of course, is where do you put the missus? A game girl she may be, but she wasn’t going to sit on the seat cowl. The solution was a naked FZ1 for two-up sunny days. And now the issue. Having been seduced but the ultimate ‘shiny thing’ in the form of an MT-10 it appears I’ve traded a quick, stable, comfortable workhorse for an…

An incredible TT ended with an incredible outburst from three-wins-in-a-week Ian Hutchinson. Just when it looked like chief protagonists Michael Dunlop and Hutchy would walk away from the Island with honours sort of even (two big bike wins equals two Supersport and a Superstock win doesn’t it?!), when the Bingley bullet throws a bomb into the room. The pair had been going head to head all week with no-one else able to touch them, but the on-track rivalry stretched well beyond the confines of the 37.73 miles of Isle of Man black top when Hutchy attacked his arch rival in the Senior TT post-race press conference. Hutchy is, of course, entitled to his opinion – even more so having clocked up his 14th TT title last week. But it did…

‘Hyper wins at making grins’ All three of these bikes are hugely satisfying. They pack a mean punch, handle beautifully, drip with technology and ooze quality. The Europeans really are making the most evocative bikes right now. Superbikes and super-nakeds might be amazing, but nothing comes close to putting a smile on your face like a big supermoto. DUCATI HYPERMOTARD 939 £9995 Engine 937cc 8v L-twin Measured power 113bhp@9000rpm Measured torque 72ftlb@7500rpm Bore x Stroke 94 x 67.5mm Frame Twin spar aluminium Suspension Non-adjustable Sachs 43mm fork and single shock, adjustable for preload and rebound damping. Brakes (f) 320mm discs, Brembo four-piston radial calipers (r) 245mm disc, twin piston caliper Claimed kerb weight 204kg Tank size 16 litres Seat height 870mm Colours Red, white BMW S1000R £10,350 Engine 999cc 16v…

Street Cup Spied testing, it’s essentially a Street Twin with a fly screen, drop bars, panniers, and different silencers. ScramblerAlso Street Twin based, it adopts high-mounted shotgun exhausts, wire rims and a different seat. T120 Bobber A clever piece of design sporting a new frame with a sprung rear end that’s designed to appear rigid. T100 Bonneville Uses the Street Twin platform to fill the gap left by the outgoing 865cc T100. Expect a ‘Black’, too. Street Triple 765 A new bigger capacity Street Triple, which leaked research docs suggest will be called the 765. Daytona 765 The current bike can’t meet Euro 4, but it could use the new 765 engine. Don’t expect it until 2018.…

KAWASAKI ZX-10R £13,799 FUEL 17 litres @ 45mpg = 168 miles WEIGHT 206kg SEAT 813mm POWER 197bhp TORQUE82ftlb MICHAEL NEEVES Long-time sportsbike lover who also races in the GP1 championship HEIGHT 6ft WEIGHT 75kg michael.neeves@motorcyclenews.com ‘My ZX-10R is starting to feel like the bike Kawasaki designed it to be before the Eurocrats interfered’ IN NUMBERS £1475 cost of Akrapovic race system 9 kg lighter than the standard 197 bhp New rear wheel power 1 bhp power-to-weight ratio per kilo   My mission this year is to make my ZX-10R just that little bit sharper. It could do with losing a bit of weight and it lacks the instant acceleration you’d expect from a modern superbike. Getting rid of the Kawasaki’s heavy Euro 4-friendly exhaust is the simplest way to unleash…

DUCATI XDIAVEL S £18,395 FUEL 18 litres @ 44mpg = 173 miles WEIGHT 247kg SEAT 755mm POWER 156bhp TORQUE95ftlb EMMA FRANKLIN 125GP racer with a love of sports and performance HEIGHT 5ft 7in WEIGHT 59kg emma.franklin@motorcyclenews.com ‘The Italian super-cruiser is a two seater, it says so in the owners’ manual, but you’d never know to look at it’ Like many motorcyclists, some of my most frightening two-wheeled experiences have been witnessed from the pillion seat. That’s not to say I’m a reluctant passenger, quite the opposite — I actually really enjoy taking a backseat view behind a good rider. But there are three standout pillion rides that have struck the fear of god into me. The first came when TT winner Milky Quayle wore me like a rucksack as…

OR TRY THIS Dainese Laguna Evo Pelle jacket (£349.99) and P Pony C2 leather pants (£279.99) “Zips together securely and works well in summer and winter.” MCN, October 21, 2015 Held Spire two-piece leather suit £499.99 Tester Tony Hoare Time tested Three months/1000 miles What’s good? Two-piece leather suits like this aren’t as common as they used to be, but there are benefits. They fit like a one-piece but give the flexibility to detach the jacket from the jeans, which comes in handy on trackdays or on days where you just want to ride in jacket and denim jeans. This Held suit is made from good quality leather, has a snug fit and the jacket is long enough (just about) to wear separately from the trousers. The styling is subtle,…

Q Is a private prosecution worthwhile? My son was injured in an accident last year when a lady in a Chelsea tractor pulled out into his path. She clearly did not look, as she was entering the main road from a minor junction with give way lines and a give way sign. The police started out doing her for dangerous driving, but then, due to a lack of independent witnesses, decided to go for driving without due care and attention. My son and I are very angry that she is not being done for dangerous driving and would like to know how we would go about a private prosecution. Ian, Dagenham Having considered the evidence, it is clear the Criminal Prosecution Service (CPS) think it will be easier to succeed…

 “I can go again. I can step up, there’s no question of that,” that was John McGuinness’s defiant response to being beaten into third place in both the Superbike and Senior TTs by Michael Dunlop and Ian Hutchinson at TT 2016. ‘Honda say the new bike will be special and I want a chance on it’JOHN McGUINNESS ‘Just look at Rossi, they say he’s too old then he sticks it up them again!’JOHN McGUINNESS The 44-year-old was unbowed after suffering the unfamiliar feeling of being what he called “the best of the rest” in both big bike races. “I came up against two great guys on two great bikes and it was the Dunlop and Hutchy show this year, there’s no doubt about that,” the 23-times winner admitted. McGuinness on…

Two more TT riders lost their lives in crashes during the final day of racing at TT 2016. 2003 sidecar race winner Ian Bell was killed in a crash at Ballaspur during Friday’s second sidecar race. Ian’s son Carl was his passenger and was unhurt in the incident. The 58-year-old motorcycle dealer from Bedlington in Northumberland is survived by his wife Trudi and two children. 2014 Manx Grand Prix winner, Andrew Soar was killed in the Senior TT when he crashed at Keppel Gate. The 32-year-old from Loughborough made his debut in the 2012 Manx, finishing runner-up in the Newcomers A and the Senior Manx races.…

Michael Dunlop’s pace over the opening two laps of the Senior saw him establish new record times for the opening three sectors of the 37 ¾ mile TT course. Dunlop is now the fastest rider on his Hawk Racing BMW superbike from the Grandstand to Glen Helen, from Glen Helen to Ballaugh and from Ballaugh to Ramsey Hairpin. His Tyco BMW rival, Ian Hutchinson, also established new record times this year for the Bungalow to Cronk Ny Mona section and from Cronk Ny Mona to the Grandstand on his Superstockspec S1000RR, leaving only Steve Plater’s time for the Ramsey Hairpin to the Bungalow sector, set on the HM Plant Honda in 2009. The new speed for all of the fastest sectors added together-the virtual fastest TT lap- is now 134.662mph…

2008 Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa Colours Black, blue, orange or white Dealer £5800 Private £4400 This one 6200-miler that’s well priced at £4900 considering the low miles. 2010 Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa Colours Black, blue, white Dealer £6500 Private £5100 This one 15,300 miles, recent tyres and service — going for £5995. Poor bloke is selling to fund his daughter’s wedding! 2012 Suzuki Hayabusa Colours Blue, red, white Dealer £7200 Private £6500 This one Dealer sale with a low price (£6499) to reflect relatively high miles (23,368 in four years), and lack of posted information in the advert. 2013 Suzuki GSX1300RA Hayabusa Colours Black, white Dealer £7800 Private £6900 This one On a 54-plate with Yoshimura exhaust, and crash protectors. Dealer sale, 10,015 miles, £7999.…

The ZX-10R comes with Bridgestone RS10 fast road/ trackday rubber as standard. They give excellent grip and confidence on the road, but on track they lack a bit of feel and take a good few laps to warm up. It’s worth noting that these are ‘original equipment’ RS10s, so they won’t be exactly the same as an RS10 you buy from a tyre dealer (approx £240 before fitting), which Bridgestone says has better performance. They still looked good after 1350 miles when I replaced them for a set of K3 (road) compound Metzeler Racetec RRs (approx £260 before fitting). The Metzelers are a noticeable step up in feel, grip, confidence and offer a plusher ride on the road and track. I managed to get over 3500 miles out of these…

YAMAHA MT-03 £4499 FUEL 14 litres @ 68mpg = 195 miles WEIGHT 168kg SEAT 780mm POWER 41.4bhp TORQUE 21.8ftlb SIMON BROWN Been riding 20 years, has a Scrambler Full Throttle in the garage at home HEIGHT 5ft 9in WEIGHT 70kg simon.brown@motorcyclenews.com I’m impressed. The last fill of petrol went in with 171 miles on the clock and the MT had been on reserve for approaching 20 miles. With only 14 litres to play with that’d mean we were running into vapour territory, surely. But no, the Yamaha took just 11.47 litres to brim – with the bike on its sidestand because my local garage won’t activate the pump if you don’t dismount. That gives me an mpg of 68 and a potential range around the 200-mile mark. Now, I’m not…

AGV RP60 Royal £149.99 Authentic styling helps AGV’s open-facer stand out, as does the inclusion of free goggles and a press-stud transparent peak plus a loop to secure the goggles. There’s a faux leather edge to the lining. Bell Custom 500 £139.99 When it comes to jet lids, Bell are among the pioneers. This one is based on the firm’s original helmet from 1954, which was named the 500. It has a suede lining. Roof Cooper £129.99 French kings of quirky lids Roof have been back in the UK for a few years now and the Cooper has a twin-visor system that combines the main visor with an external sun shield. The plastic shell has a vent on top. HJC FG-70S Heritage £119.99 Retro yet modern – the FG-70 has…

 This year’s Suzuka 8-Hour will be an epic showdown, with former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden set to take on the cream of the crop from Grand Prix, World Superbike and the MCE British Superbike championships. ‘It’s a great honour and a very different race with a running start and team-mates’NICKY HAYDEN The American will line up at Suzuka at the end of July alongside double winners Takumi Takahashi and Michael van der Mark – who is also Hayden’s Honda WSB team-mate. The trio will be competing on the HRC-backed MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO, the squad that fellow MotoGP champion Casey Stoner joined in 2015. And, heading to the most prestigious race on the endurance calendar at a circuit owned by Honda for the first time, Hayden says he can’t wait…

 Ben and Tom Birchall made up for their disappointment after breaking down while leading the first Sidecar TT by winning Friday’s second race on their IEG Honda outfit. ‘It’s like having marshmallows on your hot chocolate’BEN BIRCHALL The Mansfield brothers took their fourth TT victory by 38.7 seconds from first race winners John Holden and Andrew Winkle (Silicone Engineering Honda) with Tim Reeves and Patrick Farrance in third spot. The Birchalls had set a new three-wheeler lap record at 116.798mph in the first race before their retirement, but it was the race win that was most important to the duo. “It’s race wins that I want and lap records are a bonus,” Ben explained. “I’ve said it before, it’s like having marshmallows on your hot chocolate. Nice to have them…

Bruce Anstey gave Mugen their third TT win in a row as he claimed his 11th TT in the TT Zero – with John Mc-Guinness out after apparently hitting the kill switch with his backside! Anstey stormed to victory with a lap of 118.416mph on his battery powered machine, but behind him the race developed into a shambles. The Belgian Sarolea team wheeled both their machines to the start line but riders Lee Johnston and Dean Harrison were stood down as the bikes were returned to the paddock without turning a wheel. That left just six machines taking part in the single lap event and with transponders only working intermittently because of the electric field surrounding the machines, confusion reigned among the timekeepers and commentary team. Early leader and winner…

Dean Harrison’s impressive 2016 TT continued in the Senior as he took fourth on the Silicone Engineering Kawasaki ZX-10R. The 27-year-old scored podiumn in both Supersport races and the Superstock earlier in the week. Hampered by traffic he encountered in starting at No 12, Harrison was in contention for a similar result in the early stages before finishing fourth, 53 seconds adrift of John McGuinness. “I pick my way through and build up as the week goes on. This is the best road race in the world against the best road racers in the world so to have two seconds, a third and this result today can’t be bad, can it?” he said. “I’m over the moon. Every year we come back and get quicker and I’m finding the Kawasaki…

ORIGINAL R NINET The R nineT took the old air-cooled 1170cc boxer twin being retired from the GS/R/RT range. R NINET SCRAMBLER Due to launch next month, BMW added more heritage styling including higher set handlebars. R NINET ‘GS’ The Lac Rose closely mirrors MCN’s computer generated image from October 2015. THE BASE MODEL The base model will strip away the expensive parts to create a blank canvas for customisers. THE S MODEL The S is expected to have clip-on or drop bars, a seat cowl, and an ‘Imola’ style nose cowl.…

‘It’s better in every way’ All things considered, there were only two aspects of the Harley I preferred: first, its screen generated slightly less turbulence, plus I also prefer its ‘heel-toe’ gearchange (it is an option on the Springfield). That, however, is it. Yes, I know it’s not quite the whole story. While the Indian is dynamically better in every way plus better equipped and detailed, it’s also more expensive than the established, proven and loved Harley – and for a newcomer, that’s a big ask. Nor is the Harley a bad bike – far from it: the Road King delivers everything you expect. It’s just that the Indian delivers more in every respect and, with the added reassurance of a five-year warranty and Polaris backing, that ‘more’, particularly in…

Speed addicts have never had it so cheap Speed is a drug. Once you’ve ridden a truly, truly fast motorcycle, almost everything else seems, well, lesser. More pedestrian. So you sample the Next Fastest Thing On Wheels, and then you’re condemned to feeding the monkey on your back. The good news for anyone burdened with such an addiction is that the cost of satisfying it is getting cheaper by the year. Almost anyone with three grand in their pocket can join the 180mph Club these days. Forget the old Kawasaki ZZ-R1100 and 1200: most are fairly tired now. Honda’s Blackbird is quick, agreed, but somehow a bit anodyne. If travelling very, very, very fast in relative comfort is your thing, you have a choice of the Hayabusa and the Kawasaki…

‘When buying a used Hayabusa, mileage isn’t a problem at all’   “The Suzuki Hayabusa is one of a kind, an absolutely brilliant motorcycle that has earned its formidable reputation. It really is a bike where you can turn the key and fire out 186mph without changing it at all. And with complete reliability. “The Busa engine is just so strong, it is amazing what you can throw at it as it is massively over-engineered. The very early bikes did occasionally suffer from gearbox issues, so I’d always test the gearbox to ensure it doesn’t hop out of gear before buying one, but the later model’s box has been beefed up. I actually use a stock second generation gearbox on my 700bhp turbo Busa! “Suzuki always comes in for some…

HARLEYDAVIDSON ROAD KING Ten-years-old with 33,000 miles on the clock, a full service history plus upgraded seat, bars and exhaust. It’s a private sale. SUZUKI C1500T INTRUDER 3700-miles 2014 model with a high spec including an upgrade exhaust, cissy bar, luggage and radio, on sale at a specialist dealer in the north-east. TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 1700 Another low-miler (3200) from 2014 comes with screen, front fog lights, crash bars, a sissy bar and luggage rack among other extras. TRIUMPH ROCKET III TOURING The seller of this 46,700-mile triple has lived up to the bike’s billing with pictures of spectacular backdrops among his classified selection. Has a host of extras.…

BMW S1000XR SPORT SE £17,289 FUEL 20 litres @ 43mpg = 189 miles WEIGHT 228kg SEAT 840mm POWER 160bhp TORQUE82ftlb ANDY DOWNES Experienced road rider who loves a long continental trip when time permits HEIGHT 5ft 9in WEIGHT 80kg andy.downes@motorcyclenews.com ‘I went to move the bike in my garage and the key simply refused to turn’ I’d noticed something was amiss with the way the key was turning in the BMW S1000XR’s ignition barrel for a few days but assumed a little bit of dirt had fallen in and was responsible for the sticky action. I called my local BMW dealer and was told to pop in next time I was passing for a check over. Two days later I went to move the bike in my garage and…

MCN SAYS By Tony Hoare MCN Consumer Editor Suzuki and Yoshimura go together like bacon and eggs, so it’s no surprise that Yoshi are first out of the blocks with an exhaust for the new SV. I’m running an SV on MCN’s fleet this year and I’ve got a can on order – in carbon-fibre. Suzuki’s humble new SV650 is at a budget enough price to leave buyers with a few quid to spend on modifications – and Yoshimura are chasing those extra dollars with a new end-can. The Alpha cans are available in either a carbon-fibre or stainless steel finish and promise a small performance gain of a claimed 1.9bhp at 8500rpm and giving an extra 1.7ftlb lick of torque at 6350rpm. Removing the decibel-killing baffle will take that…

OWNING & RIDING Q Why is my R1 reluctant to start when hot? I recently bought a 2000 Yamaha R1 and now it won’t start on the button when it’s up to operating temperature. The carbs have been through an ultrasonic bath with no joy. Ben Russell, Easton on the Hill Answered by Paul Hinchliffe, BTD Engineering I’d suspect compression problems, but before you dig deeper there are some simple, visual fuelling checks. The tank will need to be up and the airbox cover off, with the bike securely positioned on a rear paddock stand so you can put it in gear with the engine running. Before start-up, see if there’s any obvious needle wear or the choke is sticking. Pull the choke on and off a few times while…

Italian World Superbike racer Fabrizio Pirovano has passed away after battling illness. The-56 year-old was a 10-time WSB race-winner and finished runner-up in the inaugural season of the championship back in 1988. Pirovano spent the majority of his career racing for Yamaha and was known for his committed and tenacious riding style. In 1997 he switched from WSB to World Supersport, becoming World Champion in 1998. MCN would like to join the racing community in expressing its condolences to Pirovano’s family and friends.…

Any new promoter seeking to market the TT would have been delighted by the Michael Dunlop and Ian Hutchinson battles that spearheaded all of the five main races at this year’s TT. Both men were mounted on very similar spec BMWs that, in their hands at least, were head and shoulders better than the Japanese opposition. The duo were in a class of their own, with John McGuinness’s best lap of the week on his Honda CBR1000RR being a full 10 seconds slower than Dunlop’s new outright lap record. Although both Dunlop and McGuinness set all of their best times for the TT’s six sectors on their superbikes during the Senior race, Hutchinson’s were divided equally between the Superstock and Senior races. Hutchy clearly felt more comfortable on the more…

 Ian Hutchinson equalled the late, great Mike Hailwood’s record of 14 TT wins with victory in the Second Supersport TT on the Team Traction Control Yamaha R6. ‘I didn’t want to stay on 13 wins too long! We’re having fun again’IAN HUTCHINSON Only Joey Dunlop, John McGuinness and Dave Molyneux have won more TTs than the 36-year-old. “To be anywhere near names like that is touching,” the Bingley man said. “It hasn’t sunk in that I’ve equalled Hailwood. To be in the position where I’m mentioned alongside names like his is astonishing and I definitely didn’t want to stay on 13 wins for too long! We’re having fun again and this is what it was like in 2010.” Hutchy’s Wednesday win was his fourth 600cc race win in a row…

SECTOR 1 Start-Glen Helen (4:09.437) Rider Michael Dunlop Race Senior Lap 2 Year 2016 SECTOR 2 Glen Helen-Ballaugh Bridge (3:02.145) Rider Michael Dunlop Race Senior Lap 1 Year 2016 SECTOR 3 Ballaugh Bridge-Ramsey Hairpin: (3:12.475) Rider Michael Dunlop Race Senior Lap 2 Year 2016 SECTOR 4 Ramsey Hairpin-Bungalow: (3:13.557) Rider Steve Plater Race Superbike Lap 5 Year 2009 SECTOR 5 Bungalow-Cronk Ny Mona: (2:14.241) Rider Ian Hutchinson Race Superstock Lap 2 Year 2016 SECTOR6 Cronk Ny Mona-Finish: (56.801) Rider Ian Hutchinson Race Superstock Lap 1 Year 2016 VIRTUAL LAP RECORD 16:48.656 (134.662 mph) ACTUAL LAP RECORD 16:53.929 (133.962 mph) DIFFERENCE = 5.273s…