Table of contents for 19 July 2017 in MCN

Sidecar tryouts At the fifth round of the British Sidecar Championship, a lucky group of sidecar fans got to try the sidecar experience in aid of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire. Fans donated £20 for a ride on a sidecar, raising a total of £2020 for the fund. Ride to raise cash Harley-Davidson are sponsoring the Barbersride, a charity ride to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Lions Barber Collective. The ride makes its way from Dundee to London from July 22 to July 26. More info about taking part: www.barbersride.com Armed Triumphs Triumph have introduced a two-tier discount scheme for serving members of the armed forces on new motorcycles. Active personnel can get £220 off a sub-1000cc bike and £300 off anything over 1000cc.…

The recall has two potential remedies: One – if your fork shows absolutely no signs of any gap having opened, nor of any resultant damage, then your dealer will fit a reinforcing collar (see right). Two – if there is any evidence of a gap or damage, BMW will replace the fork with a new one, which has been modified, ensuring that the problem can’t redevelop. 1. Due to the rubber boot covering the point where stanchion meets fork plug, it’s not immediately obvious if there’s a problem. 2. Roll the rubber sleeve down, and the join is clearly visible. If you can see any hint of leaking fork oil, the fork could be damaged. 3. Use a feeler gauge to check the gap. Here, a franchised dealer – Riders…

URBAN RIDER T-SHIRT £25 Urban Rider in London have been serving the retro community with their wares for some time now. If you want to show your appreciation and be part of the gang, they’ve made this T-shirt. www.urbanrider.co.uk HEDON HEROINE DIRTQUAKE £585 The Hedon Heroine is well on its way to becoming a classic but we love this Dirtquake special-edition complete with rad colours and flat-track inspired peak. www.hedon.com ASHLEY EVERSHOLT WATSON JACKET £535 Honed over a 4000 mile trip around Europe, the Eversholt is fully lined with Dyneema fabric, comes with D30 armour and has a fully-waterproof lining under the waxed cotton. www.ashleywatson.co.uk BUILT ISSUE 5 £4.99 If you love your custom bikes, Built is the magazine for you. There’s no better place to indulge your passion and…

1 TRACK NAME Over which European circuit does this rusting bull sculpture stand? 2 NAME THE RIDER The bike is one of Beale’s stunning RC174 replicas. But who’s riding? 3 WHO IS THIS? This time it’s the real deal - but who is the legendary rider on board? 4 WHAT’S SPECIAL? This is the semi-fictional R1200GS XDrive. What’s unique about it? 5 ROUTE NAME This breathtaking loop of Scotland is a set route – what’s it called? 6 WHO IS HE? Ignore Snoopy and the delightful Soeli, who’s the chap in the middle? 7 WHICH COUNTRY? It’s one of the nuttiest bridges on Earth, called Storseisundbrua... 8 NAME THE BUILDER The bike is a Honda CB750, but which firm made the bodykit? WIN AN MCN MUG! Get them all right…

‘Rutter is proper old-school and looks like a normal bloke’ Q1 What are you riding? I’ve got a Triumph Scrambler that I’ve customised a bit. I’ve changed the suspension, re-covered the seat, fitted new lights and knobbly tyres. I’ve also made a little bash guard for it from an old bit of aluminium plate I found in the road. It’s quite handy off-road now on the trails around where I live, despite the weight, and it’s good for little B-road blasts. Ultimately I’d like to kit it out with racks and head off around the world on it. I’ve also got a Yamaha TDM900, which is great for commuting. Q2 Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? Michael Rutter. He’s proper old-school as he’ll ride almost any bike on any…

1 Picking the bike up Twist the bars so the front wheel is facing the sky and use the handlebar closest to the ground as your lever point. Walk into the bike as you lift and use your knee to steady it if you need to. The bike won’t slide away because you will have most likely dropped it in gear. When upright, swing your foot directly over the saddle and straight onto the peg. If you try to put the foot you threw over onto the ground you will end up see-sawing between feet and lose your balance. It’s the same when getting on and off a bike; instead of using the sidestand, open up the bars and swing your foot straight onto the peg. 2 Stand up to…

A WHOLE NEW CLASS Where super-nakeds are de-faired superbikes, the Striple is a de-faired supersport, the 675 Daytona. Simple yet brilliant. A BRIT WORLD-BEATER The original Street Triple in 2007 was the first Hinckley bike to be the unquestionable best in class. It still is. AN UBER-COOL RIDE If you’re an A-lister and wanna be seen on a Brit bike, the Striple is the one. Go Angelina! THE LATEST STRIPLE 765 The latest range-topper has: Brembo M50s, Öhlins, quickshifter, 123bhp, 5in TFT screen and more. Amazing.…

‘This ribbon of tarmac begins with a run along St Mary’s Loch’ Moffat makes an ideal base for exploring an often overlooked region of Scotland, that of Dumfries & Galloway and The Borders. The climate can often be kinder than the wild northwest and there are some truly awesome roads to be found; in fact no tour of Scotland could be considered complete without experiencing these routes less travelled. Fuel stops can be few and far between, so this ride starts from the filling station on the A701 – top up here and you’ll be good to go. Leave Moffat and head north, riding high along a shallow valley between the evergreen forests and River Annan. The road reaches its zenith with a twist around the rim of the Devil’s…

1 Buccleuch Arms Hotel, Moffat. Not so much a meet but a great bike-friendly base for touring routes like the one on p40. Email enquiries@buccleucharmshotel.com 2 Penny Garth Café, Market Pl, Hawes, DL8 3RD. Great food and a warm welcome. pennygarthcafe.co.uk 3 Revved Up Tea Bar, Walton-onthe-Naze, Essex, CO14 8AT. 07947 408542 4 Battlesbridge Motorcycle Museum, Battlesbridge, Essex SS11 7RF. Open Sundays. battlesbridgemotorcyclemuseum.wordpress.com 5 Iron Horse Ranch House, Market Deeping, Cambs, PE6 8EB. Good crowds, tasty food and a fun atmosphere. www.ironhorseranchhouse.co.uk 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…

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE RS Price £9900 Fuel 17.4 litres @ 49mpg 187 miles Weight 166kg Seat 825mm Power 121bhp Torque 57ftlb joe.dick@motorcyclenews.com With modern finance deals nearly every bike is affordable, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re all good value for money. There’s so many bikes to choose from it’s not always easy to see all the differences between them and where your money might be going. I’ve got 4000 miles under my belt with the new RS now and I’ve started to wonder if it is really worth the price tag. The new Street Triple RS is £9900rrp, that’s £1900 more than the base S model Street Triple and £1000 more than the R model, but you do get considerably more for your money. Compared to the R, the…

Everybody wants an old BMW ‘airhead’ – the air-cooled flat twin that remained in production for 70 years. There’s a good reason for this. These bikes were, at least until the mid-1980s, built to standards that outclassed the opposition. You got stainless steel and quality glass fibre, top-notch alloy castings, paint as good as you got on BMW’s cars and even (before it was banned) red lead coating on the inside of the tanks, to prevent corrosion. BMW airheads have never been cheap. Right now, though, you’re looking at your last chance of bagging one at a sensible(ish) price. BMW made small changes over the decades, but they were immensely significant. They abandoned the expensive roller-bearing crankshaft models in favour of plain bearing motors. Then they hogged the engines out…

OLI RUSHBY BSB Reporter YAMAHA MT-07 “I’d go for a used MT-07. You can pick one up with relatively low mileage for just over £4k, so it is slightly over budget, but it’s so much bike for the money! They are light and agile with plenty of poke. It can be heaps of fun while also being economical and practical. It’s a win/win really and they tend to keep their value. JAMES ARCHIBALD Junior Web Producer SUZUKI GSX-R1000 K5 “With £4000 in my pocket I’d buy a 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000 K5, no question! It’s the best bike from the time – before electronic wizardry took over. I’ve wanted one for absolutely ages! The problem though is that they keep increasing in value and are getting rarer, which means they keep…

R10 CzechRepublic Brno August 6 Track length 3.36 miles Top speed 196.6mph Average speed 92.7mph Circuit record 1m 56.027s (Pedrosa) 2016 podium Crutchlow, Rossi, Marquez Most wins Rossi, Lorenzo, Stoner, Pedrosa (2) MCN’s tip for the win Marquez There’s probably no better place to get the season back underway than Brno. A neutral venue in recent years with Honda and Yamaha both sharing top honours, it’s one of the most level playing fields of the season. Last year it was Cal Crutchlow who gave his rivals a tactical masterclass in tricky conditions to take the win, but the odds of a similar stunt repeating itself in 2017 are probably slim. Instead, if conditions are good, it might finally be the location of the fabled Viñales versus Marquez duel that we’ve…

‘I need to get going with the front men now’JAMIE COWARD Run on a stone wall-lined 4.25-mile circuit near Castletown on the Isle of Man, the Southern 100 is the home of the island’s second road race venue. Celebrating its 62nd running in 2017, the event differs in many ways from the more famous Manx and TT races on the 37.73-mile Mountain course. As a time trial event which offers a unique challenge and lucrative financial rewards, the Isle of Man TT is the world’s premier roads event, attracting the sport’s elite talent and fans from all over the world. With more tents than motorhomes in the paddock, the Southern offers a more affordable option for grassroots competitors to rub shoulders with TT stars like Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison…

 Although Dean Harrison and Michael Dunlop took most of the headlines with their victories and lap records at this year’s Southern 100, Dan Kneen’s performances in all four superbike races highlighted the Manxman’s impressive progress. ‘I’m running my superstock BMW out the back of a van’DAN KNEEN The 30-year-old, who claimed his first TT podium finish in this year’s Superstock race, matched the speed of Harrison and Dunlop to finish runner-up in all four Southern superbike races on his DTR BMW. “It has been a hot pace this week, but I have been able to match it, which I’m happy with given that the BMW is a completely stock bike running on treaded Metzelers,” Kneen smiled. The Braddan man felt the work he has put into his preparation for 2017…

★★★★★ A retro is the perfect machine for chilled-out riding, without any of the pressure you’d get on a race-rep. They’re just about a simpler life. An air-cooled engine, an upright riding position and classic good looks. Get the right modern retro and you’ve got all the right ingredients for serious fun – bikes like the Ducati Scrambler and BMW R nineT have superb handling and more than enough performance . Scramblers ROAD TESTER ‘It was only a matter of time before BMW revived the original G/S name’ JON URRY BMW R nineT Urban G/S With the trend for air-cooled retro models, it was only going to be a matter of time until BMW dipped into their past and revived the G/S name in its original form, with the…

Meet your expert Sara Linney runs the Motolegends website and also oversees purchasing Sara has been a biker for over 25 years. She’s cool and has ridden the world over... 1 SW-Motech Legend SLC “Owning a cool custom or retro bike with modern plastic luggage is simply wrong. Yet we at Motolegends have never been convinced by soft bag systems that require myriad straps, buckles, hooks and a Heath Robinson level of ingenuity. As such, the SLC system from SW-Motech is perfect and uses a very simple and discreet carrier to which two sizes of bag can be attached. To date, it works on around 20 bikes, but more models are being added all the time.” Coolest part “This is an understated, soft-luggage system that fixes to bikes via a…

So is this the end of Ducati V-twins? In short – no. The flagship superbike will be a V4, but the recently-released £11,495 SuperSport is at the beginning of its lifecycle, and the need for a model to fill the gap between it and the new V4 pretty much guarantees that the £13,795 959 Panigale will continue. The 959 is Euro4 friendly so it’s likely to live on for at least two more years. A big-capacity Panigale is not expected to be built beyond 2018. Will we have a Monster R, middleweight superbike, or Multistrada boasting a V4 in the future? It certainly seems likely – but not imminent.…

‘The BMW Off-Road Skills Centre in Wales has experienced fork stanchion movement’ BMW have issued a major recall for all R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure models manufactured between November 2013 and June 2017. BMW say that the fork stanchion can suffer damage if subjected to “momentary high stress”, which can result in the fork tube coming loose. In worst case scenarios this can result in the fork becoming completely separated from the yoke, resulting in an immediate front-end failure. It’s important to note that there are no known instances of this happening as a result of normal road use, but bikes which have been used extensively off-road, or which have experienced high-impact shocks to the front fork, could have sustained damage. All bikes covered by the recall period will be retro-fitted…

Ducati may be on the brink of another buyout as the Volkswagen Group looks set to unload the booming bike business, but it does not seem to have distracted the men driving the famous Italian firm forward. Ducati may have suffered a few ups and downs in their colourful 91-year history, but one thing they’ve always been is brave. And with an incredible V4 four-stroke about to rewrite the sportsbike rulebook (see new pictures and details on page 4), Ducati just got even braver. Ducati, under the guidance of CEO Claudio Domenicali, have managed to branchout into new areas of motorcycling without diluting the brand. The Diavel (and XDiavel), the Scrambler and the Multistrada have been big plays into parts of the market Ducati have not been famous for in…

2003 CBR900RR £3800 Believed by many to be the best road Blade ever, the 954 is now going up in value again. This one has just 12,270 miles on the clock, and is almost original. 1995 CBR900RR £4750 One owner from new! This Urban Tiger is also one of the best known versions, and has only covered 12,340 miles. It’s not cheap, but it is a total stunner. 2008 CBR1000RR £5491 A fine example of the bike that put the Fireblade back at the sharp end of the superbike class. Just 11,083 miles on the clock, and almost completely standard. 2017 CBR1000RR £13,699 Dealer demo with just 481 miles on the clock – so it’s not even fully run in yet. It’s as good as new, and a decent saving…

How to find these routes The easiest way is to join your local TRF group. Membership is £45 a year and your money goes towards protecting the lanes as well as seeing you become a fully fledged member. The Fellowship operates a network of local groups throughout England and Wales, with most organising trail rides on a weekly basis. You’ll join a like-minded local group who will take you to these lanes and show you where you can and can’t go. Most members run adventure bikes and are happy to help other riders learn how to make the most of trails. Visit www.trf.org.uk for more info. Green-laning and the law Trail riding is not ‘off-roading’. The routes used are all public highways with vehicular rights. Bike and rider must therefore…

‘Each glorious twist is answered by a joyous turn until you reach Hawes’ This ride kicks off from Junction 51 on the A1(M), signposted A684 Bedale. Take the A684 in the direction of Bedale and a newly-opened bypass will whisk you away from the madness of the motorway. Turn right at the roundabout towards Leyburn and after a mile or so there’ll be an opportunity to top up in Little Crakehall. Turn left in Leyburn by the Bolton Arms to ride the tarmac snake that glides along the valley, crossing the River Ure at Wensley. The road’s liquid curves reflect the river’s meandering course as it winds onward to the Dales; flick right to left over Bishopdale Beck, then duck and dive among the encroaching hills before a plunging corkscrew…

Tractors and trailers Farm traffic will increase, especially towards the end of July, through August and into September, as farmers get ready to harvest their crops. In rural areas you need to be aware of this, especially on late summer evenings. You may think the roads are virtually empty but be prepared for slow-moving farm traffic as grain is lugged along. Watch out for breaks in the hedges as these can mean field entrances. Look for clues When you are riding roads for the first time you need to gather as much information as possible about what lies ahead. So think about your road positioning – towards the left for right handers and closer to the centre for left-handers so you can gain the clearest view through corners. If in…

KTM X-COUNTRY BACKPACK £169.20 Tester Adam Child Time tested 5 months/ 1500miles What’s good? Putting a solar panel on a backpack is a stroke of genius; whoever came up with that idea at KTM deserves a giant gold star. On the top of the backpack there is a small four-watt solar panel, which is one of the world’s most powerful panels with an efficiency rate of 22.4%. Once the panel is in sunlight, the energy is stored in a 5000mAh battery, which then charges anything with a USB socket – such as a phone or GPS As I’m riding, I’m re-charging my mobile – all for free! It’s brilliant for camping – leave the backpack in daylight and it will re-charge my iPad. It doesn’t have to be the middle…

‘You need an expert who can reconstruct the accident’ Q Will lack of memory cost me my case? I had an accident when overtaking. The driver who hit me said I was going well above the speed limit and was riding erratically. He said he was slowly attempting to turn right and was indicating. I can’t remember the accident but there are witnesses. Some of them say I was speeding, while others say I was not and some of them say the other driver was indicating, while others think that he pulled out sharply. My solicitors are considering dropping my claim. Just because I can’t remember the accident does that mean I should take the blame? David, Pontypool A If you are unable to remember the accident it will cause…

Kawasaki are offering 0% finance over 36 months when you buy a new bike on hire purchase – with a deposit of just £99. The offer is available on bikes across the range – from supersports machines to low and mid-capacity scooters like the J125 and J300. As well as these machines, the offer has proved popular with newer riders wanting Kawasaki’s Versys 650 as well as the Vulcan S cruiser. And one advantage of buying a bike using hire purchase is that, unlike PCP, riders will actually own their machines outright at the end with no large final payment to contend with. Neil Hudson is a Sales Executive at Wheels Motorcycles in Peterborough, who have embraced the deal with open arms. He said: “It’s been a very popular deal.…

Slow sales mean unbeatable deals Figures released by the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) for the month of June have shown a 14.1% fall in sales to 12,140 units. While that’s bad news for dealers it means customers should be able to negotiate great deals or take advantage of cheap finance offers. Suzuki GSX250R gets launch date Suzuki’s long-anticipated baby sportsbike, the GSX250R, will have its official sales launch at Llangollen Motorcycle Festival on Saturday August 5. The bike will be unveiled on the main stage at midday, but you can read MCN’s test on the bike in the August 2 issue. Prices for the A2-friendly machine start at £4299. www.llanbikefest.co.uk Dorsodur-no! Aprilia UK have decided not to import the Dorsoduro 900 to the UK, due to a lack of…

PRICE NEW £24K PRICE NOW £26K-£35K IN A YEAR £36K • 1198cc, 8-valve, V-twin • 180bhp • 99ftlb • 165kg Built in limited numbers so it could be raced in the WSB, Ducati’s 1098R offered drop-dead good looks and savage performance – all wrapped up in an unashamedly racey riding position. As well as being a looker, this bike was clever and was one of the first to be fitted with traction control, to help keep its 180bhp V-twin lump under control. This then jumped up by a further six ponies, when fitted with the carbon-fibre racing Termi pipes and race ECU, which were supplied by Ducati. This bike also handled as well as it pulled and was dressed to the nines in Öhlins finery, with a fully adjustable TTX…

 He may have left BSB under a bit of a cloud, but that didn’t stop Ryuichi Kiyonari showing a host of WSB and MotoGP superstars the way around Suzuka in the latest round of testing for the 8-Hour race. ‘My honest feeling is that our one-lap pace is better than our race pace’DAN LINFOOT Riding for the Moriwaki Motul Honda team the three-time MCE British Superbike champion was joined by former Moto2 race-winner Yuki Takahashi and Honda BSB rider Dan Linfoot with the three men delivering a surprise performance on the last day of action at the official Suzuka 8-Hour test to beat the factory bikes to top honours. Despite not being one of the fully HRC-supported Honda squads at this year’s race, Kiyonari nonetheless brings a huge amount of…

One thing that’s also played a key role in 2017’s open warfare is single tyre manufacturer Michelin and the radically different approach that they’ve brought to the series from previous incumbent Bridgestone. Back when the Japanese manufacturer was calling the shots, their tyres were a sure thing. Reliable week in and week out, in reality it meant that while riders rarely had a complaint to make about the rubber, the tyres also rarely played a role in racing, with it not unusual to see the entire grid opting for the same combination front and rear. But what Michelin have brought to the party is a different ethos, striving every weekend for perfection instead of settling for very good. It’s a strategy that’s brought them more risk, and often sees angry…

 TT 2017 had just three newcomers on the start line – Adam McLean, Joey Thompson and Paul Jordan. ‘Race organisers struggle to balance rising costs and falling revenues’ McLean, 21, who completed 105 sighting laps in a car as part of his preparation for his Mountain course debut, was the fastest of the trio, lapping at 120.6mph on his way to 18th place in the Supersport race. TT race boss Paul Phillips has always focused on quality rather than quantity with rider recruitment but just three new solo competitors must give some cause for concern. There have been efforts to recruit talent from other disciplines, including BSB riders. Peter Hickman and Josh Brookes have both made a successful transition to the roads but even they are adamant BSB remains their…

Kawasaki Z650 by Jamie Smith ‘When the kids go to bed, I go to the shed’ “I’m a proper backyard builder, who juggles full time work with a wife and young family,” says Jamie Smith. “I work for Caterpillar in Peterborough where I’m a research engineer specialising in engine valve-trains. “I always fancied a modified Z1000 with fat rims, USD front end etc but these days a donor bike is pushing the budget, so I sat sifting through eBay one night and there was a scruffy, badly-modified 1980 Z650. I had always liked the 650’s iconic duckbill back end. The next morning at 7am I was picking it up. “It sat for a little while but then one day I took it out, did a few sacrificial burnouts, rode it…

Following a huge increase in crimes committed on scooters, including robberies and acid attacks, many have been left questioning why the police seem unable enforce the law. The crimewave reached another peak last week, when two teenagers on scooters attacked five people with acid in 90 minutes. According to an MCN source, an official memo has warned officers against pursuits due to the potential recourse should the scooter riders be hurt, leading to gangs running amok under the pretence that the police are powerless to stop them. In October 2014 Henry Hicks was killed when he lost control of his scooter during a police chase. The four officers involved face a misconduct hearing in October, but this could be brought forwards so that the police can consider the outcome with…

Spark plugs only fulfill one purpose in life – they deliver energy produced by the coil to the combustion chamber in the shape of a spark. However, when this is 40,000 volts at a temperature of over 500-degrees, they have to be built out of strong stuff! A spark plug has a shell, which is the part you screw into the engine, and within this shell is the ceramic. The ceramic is the insulator that keeps the high voltage that is passing through the centre of the spark plug from earthing – if you have ever touched an uncovered HT lead when the engine is running you will know why this is necessary! In the centre of the plug you have a terminal, which is the bit you connect to…

We rode London The We Ride London campaign held another awareness ride last weekend. Hundreds gathered at the Tea Hut in Epping Forest and made their way to Blackheath. One of WRL’s aims is to defeat the proposed £12.50 per day charge to ride an older motorcycle in the capital. A Smart move Gogoro have broken sales records on the opening of pre-orders of their new Smart Scooter 2. The CEO announced they have received over 13,000 pre-orders, already up on the 12,000 total sales they made last year. The Smart Scooter is an electric scooter that uses removable batteries and docking stations. Bright sparks KTM have opened a specialist motorcycle electronics R&D centre in Germany. The facility will prototype new technology with a particular focus on connectivity between rider…

All hail Hailwood The Castle Combe Hailwood tribute race meeting was one of the best I have ever attended. Easy parking, great viewing all round the circuit, access to all areas to view and hear some of the best racing motorcycles ever made. John McGuinness explained in detail how he has to stretch his leg 1/2mm every six hours and Guy Martin’s enthusiasm for anything mechanical was fantastic to watch. All this and more for £20. Neil Rivers, email I wish they all could be… I recently had to cancel a Ducati Track day, run by California Superbike School at Silverstone, after pulling ligaments in my knee. Following a discussion with Wendy at CSS she agreed to transfer my booking to a Ducati Experience day they run later in the…

YAMAHA RD80LC Me on my Kenny Roberts replica Yamaha RD80LC circa 1984.... Sporting full denims and the original Simpson Star Wars lid. William Nogdon HONDA MTX125 Back in 1986 just after I’d passed my test. Rip Torn YAMAHA FIZZY Me on my FS1-E back in the mid 70s. That hair is long gone but they were happy times! Mitchell Pope BSA GOLD STAR Me and Ted May on BSA DBD34 Gold Stars 1960 – I sold mine for £160! Stuart McFadyen YAMAHA TY50M I rode this one from Worksop to the Piston Broke rally over in North Wales with full camping gear! Here’s me introducing my cousin Steve to bikes. Andy Bell KAWASAKI KE175 Me on my KE 175, back in 1978, aged 18. I’m now 57 and riding a…

The Kymco X-Town 300 takes the good-around-town scooter concept to a whole new level with an ability to leave the urban sprawl behind and head for the hills. The A2 licence-friendly scoot is an evolution of the popular Downtown but with an updated chassis and redesigned bodywork, which is slimmer and more angular. The engine meets Euro4 regs and the scooter has ABS as standard. At £4600 it is priced to compete with the Yamaha T-Max 300. We know small-capacity scooters are great for the daily commute but with this 276cc engine, can the X-Town tackle longer journeys in comfort? Around town the engine is smooth, nippy, responsive and once out on the open road the Kymco gains pace quickly and sits easily at motorway speeds. The long wheelbase makes…

We relegate our adventure riding to dreams of far-flung lands. But there’s a whole world hidden below the tarmac, right here, on your doorstep. Some of us can’t see it, or have no idea how to find it – so we stick to pondering. And others dismiss it, assuming it’s reserved for men of Dakar calibre. But that’s just plain wrong – there are three times as many unsurfaced road miles as motorways in the UK – they’re called green lanes and they’re waiting for you. These trails are not ‘off-road’, but old roads and tracks with vehicular rights, making them perfect for adventure bikes and anyone who wants to test their bike in a variety of conditions. Here’s how to find and ride some of the easiest and best…

‘The Suzuki is the best bargain’ These two middleweight adventure bikes are very well matched. The V-Strom XT is more comfortable than the GS, considerably cheaper, and easier to just jump on and ride. Even on the same tyres the Suzuki would have the handling edge – just. But, the BMW has more gizmos, better brakes, and a smoother gearbox. It’s more fun and has more off-road potential – so if you intend to ride off-road more than occasionally then you have to opt for the (cheap on PCP) German. But if you’re a cash buyer, the GS is 32% more expensive than the XT, and most will prefer its on-road prowess, and relish its long-range comfort and tank range. The Suzuki is an underrated bargain – and could be…

‘I noticed a slight lack of power in a head-on wind with the luggage fitted’ DUCATI MULTISTRADA 950 Price £10,995 Fuel 20 litres @ 48mpg = 210 miles Weight 205.7kg (dry) Seat height 840 Power 113bhp Torque 71ftlb simon.relph@motorcyclenews.com Have you ever tried to build flat-pack furniture from a well-known Swedish furniture-maker while suffering from a hangover? When I took the instructions out of the three large boxes that arrived containing my new SW-Motech Trax (Trax Adventure pannier system £824.99 and top case £451.99, both including VAT), I feared just such a headache. On paper the sheer amount of parts looks daunting, to say the least. Like most things, it’s all about the preparation, I collected all the tools together that I needed for the assembly process and laid out…

Subscription to MCN £50 Never be without your favourite biking read. If you win this subscription, you’ll be sat waiting for the postman every Wednesday!! Haynes Manuals , £25 Haynes know loads about bikes and we’ve got a couple of their great bike manuals for you to win. Enter until: July 31 SportsBikeShop Gift Voucher £50 We’ve got a £50 gift voucher for the UK’s biggest motorcycle online retailer and it could be yours to spend on thousands of bits of biking kit. Enter until: July 31 Podium Stage System Cleaning Kit £25 We’ve got a great set of Podium Cleaning products up for grabs, including bike cleaner, finishing spray and helmet cleaner. Enter until: July 31 Oxford Boss Alarm £85 Fitted with a 100db alarm this disc lock is…

THE EXPERT Si Martin Si has a TEC Diploma in motorcycle Engineering, Merton College and has 30 years of experience building, modifying and repairing motorcycles from Supermonos to CBX1000 Café racers. Ducati and desmodromic valve systems go together like chips and mayonnaise – foreign and a little bit exotic – but what is it and why has one Italian factory embraced technology that everyone else has ignored? Four-stroke engines use poppet valves to control the passage of the air-fuel mixture into and the exhaust gas out of the cylinder. The valves are invariably opened by a camshaft, either directly acting on the valve stem or via a rocker lever. Conventionally the valve is closed by a spring or springs, usually in the form of compressed coils pushing up against a…

Kawasaki Ninja 650 Great for new and experienced riders alike, the Ninja 650 is the perfect middleweight option for the everyday motorcyclist. Deposit £99, 36 x £186.72, 3% APR. OTR price £6489 Kawasaki Ninja 300 This A2-licence compliant 300 is the perfect entry point into the sportsbike market, only with added comfort. The monthly rate is appealing. Deposit £99, 36 x £134.52, 0% APR. OTR price £4942 Kawasaki Versys 650 A comfy, upright and nonthreatening mini adventure bike with a characterful parallel twin and perfect for the daily commute. Deposit £99, 36 x £199.69, 0% APR. OTR price £7288…

‘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…

The MCE British Superbike Championship is renowned for a strong depth of field, but in 2017 the level of competition has risen to another level with a glut of riders fighting hard for one of the coveted six Showdown spots. This season, the riders fighting for the top six has been more varied than ever before. With Luke Mossey, Shane Byrne and Leon Haslam looking strong in the top three slots, Josh Brookes’ two second places at Snetterton were enough to cement his place in the top six with Jason O’Halloran also looking strong in fifth. But with nine races before the Showdown places are decided at Silverstone, it’s all to play for as we head into the mid-way point of the season at Brands Hatch this weekend. And nobody…

Jake Archer and Tom Booth-Amos, who sit first and second in the British Motostar championship, will take to the grid at this year’s British Grand Prix for a wild-card appearance in the Moto3 race. The pair have dominated Motostar this season, taking eight wins out of nine races and Booth-Amos says the wildcard ride is a dream come true. “I can’t wait to see how I get on against the best Moto3 riders, but I’m not expecting miracles.”…

MarcMarquez 1st Title position 2 Wins 129 Points 5 Podiums Reigning champion Marquez may be leading the standings but his route to the top hasn’t been plain sailing. Despite taking his now-traditional win at the Circuit of the Americas, he suffered crashes at both Argentina and France. Crashes that remind him of the importance of consistency and not just outright speed. Gone are the days of 2014 when he won the opening 10 races. Marquez is instead having to focus on improving his Repsol Honda and the added dimension brought by this year’s Michelins. Another factor in his up and down start to the year is that he was a little rattled by the arrival of super-fast former sparring partner Maverick Viñales. Having been outpaced in the opening races by…

‘You don’t need skinny jeans or a blog. This is cool biking for normal blokes’ “Things aren’t as good as they used to be” is a phrase that comes from all of us as we get older. And the truth is when it comes to motorcycling, in some ways people are right. The great looks and simple riding experience afforded by bikes of the past was a joy – as was the pleasure of working on your own bike. It’s part of the reason that classic bikes are so popular. Of course, we forget about the unreliability, the wobbly suspension, terrifying brakes and Bakelite tyres… This is where the new wave of retro bikes come in – with the best bits of old bikes – the looks, combined with able,…

As cool as it gets! Thunderbike and Vintage flat-track What is it? Events like DirtQuake are boosting the popularity of flat-track racing in the UK. It’s part of an eight-round series and the vintage racing is a fantastic spectacle. You can see old-school Harleys battling it with classic Triumphs, Bultacos and BSAs Watch it here: Ammanford in Wales on August 12-13. www.dirttrackriders.co.uk Back to the 80s! CRMC Superstock 750 What is it? For 750cc production-based machines like VFRs and GSX-Rs built prior to 1987. The CRMC race between March and October on a range of UK tracks, including Pembrey and Cadwell Park, before finishing at Brands Hatch on October 7-8. Watch it here Donington Park circuit on August 4-6. www.crmc.co.uk Terror on two wheels! The Toughsheet National Twinshock Championship What…