Table of contents for 7th August 2019 in MCN

Respect, admiration, adoration. They can all happen together, or separately. How we choose which ones to attribute to a rider is a complex calculation. Respect is usually the easiest to decide – while whether you admire or adore them is often largely irrelevant. They’ve either earned and deserve your respect, or they don’t. The next two are somewhat more subjective. Admiration usually comes with affection, while adoration can be utterly misplaced. Guts or hearts often taking the blame for these feelings. None of which makes it any easier to really understand why Marc Marquez doesn’t garner much admiration or adoration. Respect flows freely enough. As he cruised to a near-faultless win at Brno on Sunday, racking-up an astounding 50th MotoGP win from 118 starts (p71), I couldn’t help but feel…

There’s a new Africa Twin on the way and Honda have all but confirmed it themselves. The current model is nearly four years old now and rumours have been swirling for some time that it is about to be updated. Now Honda are asking people to register their interest for a new ‘True Adventure’ model that will be unveiled later this year. Brother and sister The Africa Twin squeezes just 94bhp out of its 998cc parallel twin, which is fine for off-roading or solo jaunts, but lacks oomph when two-up with luggage. With Euro5 just around the corner, insiders tell us the new model will increase to 1084cc with a jump in power up to just over 100bhp. It still won’t pack the punch of the 1200cc+ adventure bikes but…

Nobody can deny the importance of wearing the best head protection you can afford as shown in the fake lid report (MCN, July 24). My mate was doubly unfortunate last week, firstly filling his S1000R with diesel then putting his helmet on the seat of his bike whilst waiting for recovery van. This was OK until a lorry came past and the helmet was blown off. This was still OK until the helmet rolled onto the opposite side of the road. This was still OK until the helmet went under the wheels of a 14 tonne lorry and was dragged a good 20 feet. The pictures prove what a quality helmet can withstand and the amount of protection it can give should the worst happen! Gary O’Keefe, email…

‘I was there when Barry won his last race...’ There’s few people with more experience in grand prix racing than veteran commentator and journalist Nick Harris. Now semi-retired after stepping down from his role as the official MotoGP commentator at the end of the 2017 season, the former MCN reporter has spent the last year putting the finishing touches on his new book Never Say Never. Part-chronicle of his time in the premier class of two-wheeled motorsport and part a history of the series as it enters its seventieth season, Harris’ book is a must-read for any GP fan – but in a typically modest style he’s quick to downplay the significance of his British perspective on the sport. “I’m incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to write the…

DIRT QUAKE, ARLINGTON STADIUM, NEAR EASTBOURNE, AUGUST 9-10 ‘Go sideways then sea ways’ This is a weekend with a difference, with a ‘run what you brung’ flat track race at the heart of proceedings. The Route Leave the dirty action behind and head to the coast for an afternoon of clean air on this seaside ride. Where the A22 meets the A27 at Polegate follow signs to Jevington, which cuts across the most easterly point of the South Downs. At Friston turn left on the A259 to pick your way through Eastbourne and on to Pevensey Bay. Avoid heading inland and continue to hug the coast through Normans Bay and on to Bexhill. Take the Old London Road from Hastings for a hop to Fairlight and Winchelsea Beach.…

Time for the Café Racer’s first mod, and it’s an aftermarket Termignoni. The new silencer has been on for the last 500 miles or so and I’m pretty chuffed with the result. As standard the 2019 CR didn’t quite have the same snap, crackle and pop as my personal Scrambler (a 65-plate Full Throttle). It’s odd because the stock silencers on both machines look virtually identical, so it must be tweaks to satisfy Euro4 that have dulled things slightly. Fellow CR riders on the Scrambler Facebook group recommend aftermarket offerings from Arrow to Akrapovic and Two Brothers but I went for the Termi because it comes with an official tweak to the fuelling, something Ducati describe as an ‘upmap’ which has the added benefit of making the dash flash up…

AGV AX9 £399 Tested by Jordan Gibbons, two months, 1500 miles The AX9 is AGV’s latest attempt at producing a modular adventure/road helmet but they’ve made it so fussy that it fails at the most basic stuff. For a start the visor needs a screwdriver (or a coin) to remove it. With the visor fitted, you can’t wear a set of goggles and if you push it up to the top, it blocks the vents on the forehead. The peak is solid, a bit like the business end of a spade, and does just as good a job of catching scoopfuls of air. If you adjust it to the lowest position (screwdriver job again), it prevents the visor from opening above halfway. The only redeeming feature is that the chin…

1 Flying kilo Hickman“We are driving hard down here, up through the gears to 170-180mph and just inches apart.” Harrison“You try to move into the first couple of rows to get the slipstream. You just try to fit in!” 2 Deer’s leap Hickman“An awesome place to watch and ride. The track drops away at 150mph and the front wheel comes up!” Harrison“You have to keep the front down, rolling the throttle and back brake, so you can drive down the hill.” 3 Cochranstown Hickman“You can go for 2nd or 3rd gear through here but there isn’t much room for error.” Harrison“My favourite part of the circuit. You come barrelling down the hill and the road comes up to meet you.” 4 Lougher’s Hickman“My favourite and hard…

Championship contender, Tarran Mackenzie had his title hopes dashed after a monster highside in Q1 ruled him out for the rest of the weekend with a fractured wrist, meaning he’s finished just two of the last eight races. “I’m aiming to be back for Cadwell. I’ll see the fracture clinic this week and work out if it needs a screw.” Mackenzie will see the same doctor that previously treated John Hopkins, Leon Haslam and Jake Dixon. On the other side of the McAms Yamaha garage, Jason O’Halloran returned to the sharp end with a pair of fourths.…

Yamaha began the task of ending their world championship losing streak with the roll-out of a 2020 prototype YZR-M1 at the Brno test. Yamaha’s last world title was back in 2015 when Jorge Lorenzo was their top rider. Now, fewer than 24 hours after the squad’s weaknesses were embarrassingly exposed in Sunday’s Czech GP, an M1 with step one of a 2020 engine upgrade was on track. According to Yamaha team boss Massimo Meregalli, the bike also featured proposed aero and bodywork designs wrapped around an updated 2019 frame. “We are chasing more top speed and this is the first step of the 2020 engine. We expect a more powerful step at the Misano test next month. We need to keep the bottom end smooth, but with more top power,”…

With just two weeks to go before MotoGP arrives in the UK, Silverstone are delighted to announce that huge-selling band Toploader will be headlining the stage at the GoPro British Grand Prix MotoGPTM weekend on August 23-25. Famous for their hits Dancing in the Moonlight and Achilles Heel, the British rock band will be providing the post-race entertainment on Sunday, August 25 – and with no need to rush off back for work the next day, it means you can stay and enjoy the festival vibes. This follows the news that multi-award-winning band Clean Bandit will be headlining on the Saturday night. Like all the on-stage entertainment, it is included in the ticket price. Other bands signed to perform include Legacy and Duke, with a mix of covers and original…

Jack Miller was living proof in Brno that fortune favours the brave. The Aussie had not used Michelin’s hard compound slick front tyre at any stage during the weather-hit weekend, but his gamble to use it on his Pramac Ducati in the race itself paid big dividends after a pass on Alex Rins on the penultimate lap secured third place. It was only Miller’s second dry race podium in his premier class career but Brno was far sweeter than his first in Austin earlier this season, which came gift wrapped after Marc Marquez crashed out of a commanding lead. He said: “This podium feels like a real one because nobody fell off in front of me and I had to dig deep and work really hard for it. I rode…

Cal Crutchlow conceded that the ‘podium train’ departed without him at Brno despite a late, tyre-burning charge into fifth place. The LCR Honda star was at his forceful best on Sunday carving up factory rivals including Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) and Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) as he stormed into contention from the fourth row. But his stunning late race podium pace, which matched that of Jack Miller’s third-placed Ducati, was still not enough to bridge the gap to the top three. Instead, after starting 11th on the grid, Crutchlow made a sensational eight-lap surge to secure fifth in the tricky low grip conditions. •‘The podium train was going but I used up too much rear tyre’ “I stayed one lap too long behind Petrucci and then Valentino and when I got clear…

The new electric Sur-ron LBX is the two-wheeled equivalent of the missing link, effectively bridging the gap between bicycles and motorcycles. It’s more like a lightweight motorbike than a big pushbike – with no pedals and all the power control coming from a proper twist grip, while the rest of its cycle parts, like the suspension (which is adjustable), brakes, wheels and tyres are all built specifically for a bike of this size. The result is that it weighs just 50kg but doesn’t feel flimsy like an up-specced push bike. The LBX comes in two versions: a purely off-road X model (that can only legally be ridden on private land) and a road-going L1E model. To make it road-going, the L1E has mirrors, indicators, proper headlights and a numberplate. As…

Kawasaki’s Versys 650 has proved itself to be an incredibly capable all-rounder since it first appeared 12 years ago and now there are three flavours to choose from: Standard, Tourer and Grand Tourer. But its parallel-twin heritage stretches all the way back to the early 90s with the KLE commuter and ER family. So if Kawasaki’s current 0% finance deal doesn’t tempt you, there are plenty of cheaper used twins to choose from. 2019 VERSYS 650 GT What is it? Small-capacity all-rounder is brilliant at munching miles and great for less experienced riders. MCN says “The Versys 650 is comfy on the long haul and the new taller, manually-adjustable screen and wide tank protect better from high-speed windblast.” Want to buy one? £8649, £1750 deposit, £95 per month on…

•‘Wehave seizednearly 100stolenbikes’ DETECTIVE SGT CRAIG BROWN Officers working as part of Operation Benelli have arrested 30 suspected motorbike thieves in just three months. Specialist detectives working on the operation featured in the BBC documentary: Our Cops in the North where they can be seen arresting the kingpin of a criminal gang involved in bike crime. The operation was set up to tackle a surge in criminal activity linked to motorbikes in the area, including reports of riders being kicked off before having their bikes stolen. Officers covertly observed suspects across the region to identify offenders. “It is important to recognise that the vast amount of incidents we deal with do not involve any violence and bikes have been stolen because they haven’t been adequately secured,” said Detective Sergeant Craig…

A leak from Indian’s annual dealer conference has revealed their next model will be a mighty tourer called the Challenger. The Challenger will be powered by a new 1770cc water-cooled V-twin, codenamed the Powerplus 108. Unlike previous Indians, the Challenger will have a large fairing that’s fixed to the frame, a little like the Harley-Davidson Road Glide. The new water-cooled engine was previously developed for Victory but with that company closing, it’s now found a home with Indian (both brands are owned by Polaris). The engine is expected to be much more powerful than the current air-cooled Thunderstroke lump, with performance in excess of 120bhp. It’s also expected to be much more technologically advanced likely featuring power modes, lean sensitive traction control and cornering ABS, as well as sporting top-spec…

As this exclusive spy shot shows there’s a brand new KTM 1290 Super Duke R on the way with updates that should make the brutal Austrian super naked easier to live with day-to-day but also even more of an animal when you really prod it! The old model was no slouch, but being largely unchanged since 2013 and with a Ducati V4 Streetfighter on the way as well as an updated Aprilia Tuono, it was time to up its game. To do it, KTM have clearly given the bike a complete overhaul, starting with the chassis. The main frame is still steel tube but simplified with fewer tubes of a larger diameter. Meanwhile, the rear subframe is now a pair of aluminium spars while the forks and wheels have been…

•‘We put a band on and fire-up the barbeque…’ Hundreds of bikes converged on the Suffolk town of Bury St Edmunds last Thursday for the monthly ‘Late Night’ gathering at specialist motorcycle dealer and bespoke bike builders Krazy Horse. A scattering of summer showers had threatened to put a damper on the occasion, but by late afternoon the roads had dried out and two-wheeled revellers arrived in droves. The theme of this month’s Late Night was classics and there was plenty of period metal to drool over, from vintage machines such as Neil Cocksedge’s 1928 Ariel Model B to rare classics like Richard Gordon’s Triumph powered Rickman CR and modern icons, of which Julian Winter’s 1985 Suzuki GSX-R750 was a shining example. Aside from the bikes rolling in there was…

Reader Paul Dearman The Ride Madagascar with extremebiketours.com When to do it June-July Miles 1300 Time required 15 days Don’t miss this “The scenery and the wildlife such as lemurs and even chameleons.” THE PEOPLE The people are among the poorest, but they are welcoming and resourceful with warm smiles THE TRIP The organisers plan the route and have hotels booked. We had 12 hours of sunshine most days THE BIKES 20-year-old Africa Twins are perfect for the job. Other makes and sizes of bike are also available THE GROUP Most of my fellow riders happened to be from New Zealand and were really good company! The trip was stunning from start to finish and definitely recommended THE TRIP SEND US YOUR TRIP PICS EMAIL YOURPICS@ MOTORCYCLENEWS.COM…

SUZUKI TS250 This is me circa 1979/80 on my Suzuki TS250 which was being rebuilt in a TZ style after I’d written it off. Malcolm Pitman SUZUKI BANDIT 1200 I purchased my first bike back in February, got the bike MoT’d last month and she’s been a blast to ride! Luke Redman SPRITE 250 This was my 1966 Sprite 250. It had a Villiers 37A engine with Greeves square barrel and Q.U.B. exhaust. Bert Powell TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE I chose my Bonnie based on its looks... then came to appreciate it for being a great ride! Heike Martin SUZUKI TS100 Jackie practising on her first bike, a brand new 1976 TS100 which we both loved to bits. John Edwards YAMAHA DT125 My first dirt bike in 1977. These days I live…

As you’d expect from a cheaper machine the Yamaha’s LCD display is fairly basic but contains everything you need including clear speedo and gear position indicator to a clock and trip information. But the fuel gauge plummets from full to half with nothing in-between. If you want a colour dash you’ll have to go for an MT-10SP or the Aprilia. The Italian’s display also shows rider mode settings, lean angle and can be turned into a race display. Many bemoan the lack of fuel gauge, but we find it’s better to ride to a trip meter anyway. APRILIA APRILIA SWITCHGEAR Flappy paddles, pitlane limiter, cruise and wheelie control, indicators etc are all squeezed on. A joystick controls dash functions but is fiddly to use. FUNCTIONALITY YAMAHA YAMAHA SWITCHGEAR Less cluttered…

1 Best race you’ve commentated on? “Austria 2015 – the race that caused all the drama between Marquez and Rossi! What a privilege to be able to commentate on a race with 52 overtakes for the lead! Rossi’s first win at Welkom on the Yamaha was also an incredible day. There’s lots of other special days, too, though, like Bradley Smith winning his first race, Gardner winning in Phillip Island, or Gibernau winning the first race after his teammate Kato was killed.” 2 Best circuit to visit? “Lots of people ask me this, but as a motorcycle racing circuit there’s not much better than Phillip Island – it’s got everything. For atmosphere there’s lots of strong contenders; driving into Mugello on a Sunday morning with the crowd singing…

You don’t have to look at the 790R for long to appreciate it’s a bike built for the dirt. Yes, it masquerades as a road-going adventure bike – and to be fair it delivers. But, unlike the majority of adventure bikes that are more show than go when it comes to off-road, the 790R is the real deal the moment the wheels start kicking up the dirt. It’s all in the DNA Despite their big budget MotoGP project, KTM are synonymous with off-road success – just take a look at their unprecedented win rate in motocross, enduro and Dakar (18 consecutive victories and counting). It’s fair to say that their off-road pedigree runs deep, but the 790R takes it to a new level and has been sprinkled with extra ‘Ready…

THE STUDENT Sam Creedon-Gray, 32, Cambs After enjoying a pillion ride, Sam took her CBT in January and hasn’t stopped riding her Bullit Hunt S 125 ever since. Sam’s riding problem ‘I use my bike to commute daily so I am keen to filter to beat the traffic, but I don’t really know what’s acceptable.’ THE TUTOR Mark Edwards, Rapid Training Former police motorcyclist Mark’s been teaching people to be safer, better, faster riders on the road for the last 20 years. Mark’s action plan ‘I’ll teach Sam the rules and etiquette for filtering, ensuring she stays safe whilst enjoying the traffic-busting benefits of biking.’ THE LESSON 1 On the approach Assess what could be causing the jam. An approaching junction could mean drivers will make last-minute lane changes,…

‘It’ll chug out of a hairpin bend in any gear’ Finding your ideal bike can be a lifelong quest, but after three decades of searching MCN reader Ian Speight thinks he’s finally found his. “I started off with a moped at 16,” says Ian, “which was followed by a Honda 250 Super Dream, CB900, CX500 Turbo, Yamaha 350LC and a Kawasaki GPz900. In the 1990s I moved on to sportsbikes, then sports tourers until I ended up at the BMW R1200 GS Adventure.” But it wasn’t love at first sight and it took Ian three bites of the apple before he was smitten. “My first GS experience was around the time of the Long Way Round (2004)” he says, “and my honest opinion was that I couldn’t believe they were…

Banking over through a turn is what makes a motorcycle different to every other vehicle on the roads. Nothing else can deliver the sensations of leaning for the verge, balancing on two small patches of rubber, kerb scything past your visor. So celebrate this unique and intoxicating feature with a bike that puts cornering prowess above all else. Attach fresh kneesliders and head to the twistiest B-road you can find. £4950 TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675 675cc |185kg |115bhp |830mm seat height • Dealer up to £8500 • Private up to £7500 • This one 2009, 9500miles Yeah, so the very first Daytonas in that glorious Scorched Yellow are probably a future classic and so have investment potential. Don’t care. Bikes are for riding, not hoarding, and few ride like Triumph’s…

1 Check your bearings for play There’s no hard and fast rule on how long your bearings will last, but one thing is for certain… worn bearings are an MoT fail. To check the condition you need to get the wheel off the ground and attempt to move it from side to side. A worn bearing will feel notchy, and you should look/feel for movement between the hub and wheel spacer. 2 Take a look at your hub Remove the wheel and inspect the area around the hub. Wipe away any road dirt or debris with a cloth so the bearing or seal area is clean. Now place the wheel on a suitable surface so that it can be worked on; an old tyre is ideal for preventing…

Josh Brookes staked his claim for the 2019 Bennetts British Superbike championship with a classy victory at Thruxton on Sunday, backing up his third place earlier in the day to home-in on series leader, team-mate Scott Redding. Following Redding’s Snetterton double a fortnight earlier, the pressure was on Brookes as he returned to his beloved Thruxton. But the 36-year-old Aussie did not disappoint at the high-speed Hampshire venue, heading home with a new lap record and a ninth Thruxton win to move one ahead of six-time champ Shakey Byrne. With Brookes scoring 41 points and Redding just 20 following a penalty in race two (see opposite), the 2015 champion moves to within 20 points of the ex-MotoGP man and only six podium points in arrears. And with five races still…

Andrew Irwin staked his claim for a 2019 showdown spot with an emphatic victory and a second place in an enthralling pair of bar-banging races at Thruxton. Irwin’s win was Honda’s first since Dan Linfoot’s at Oulton Park in 2017, and the team’s first at Thruxton since Ian Lowry took his one and only victory in 2012. “It’s a dream come true for me and as close to the perfect day you can get,” Irwin said afterwards. “It’s my first podium and my first win, and it’s a day I’m never going to forget. It’s been a tough road to get here and this feels like the first proper win I’ve ever had – and I never thought I’d be disappointed with a second place!” Leading a race at Thruxton…

•‘Then the pit limiter activated when I hit 60kph!’ Podium opportunities for Sam Lowes and John McPhee went begging at Brno when the British hopefuls both made early check-outs. Lowes and McPhee had high expectations after both qualified on the front row for their respective Moto2 and Moto3 races. But a pre-race joint decision by Lowes and his Gresini Kalex team to make a major set-up change had ugly consequences. He then tumbled out of ninth place on lap nine having started second on the front row. “No pointing fingers but we got it wrong big style, both myself and the team,” Lowes said afterwards. “I didn’t hit the same line twice in the first five laps. We moved the front out to get better braking stability but we took…

Flying doctor Allister McSorley was paralysed in a crash at the Armoy Road Races a year ago, but returned last weekend to complete the lap that was so dramatically cut short. Paramedic McSorley, son of Fred who also worked as a race medic until his retirement two years ago, collided with a medical van during the 2018 event, sustaining critical injuries. But the 30-year-old was determined to get back on a bike and, after many tough months in and out of hospital, he fitted an electronic gear shifter and thumb brake to his otherwise standard Triumph Daytona 675. McSorley said: “It was an amazing feeling to get back out on my bike and to wear the Flying Doctor helmet that means so much to me, my family and the racing…

A motorcycle auction raised more than £1.3m as over 300 classic machines went under the hammer last week. The H&H Classics sale at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham saw a 1932 Brough Superior 680 Black Alpine grab the headlines when it sold for £120,000. The bike had been sympathetically restored so that it exuded a careworn look rather than resembling a shiny new pin (as is typically the case with freshly-refurbished motorcycles). Another big money-spinner was a 1955 Vincent Black Knight that had been owned by the same person since it had been bought new over 60 years ago. With 58,000 miles on the clock, it went for £46,000. •‘It was last used in 1959, 60 years later it sold for £12,000’ There were many ‘barn-finds’ which attracted attention,…

From Cockermouth to Scratchy Bottom, Britain is home to some truly comical place names and one #ride5000miles member could not resist the temptation to visit towns and villages with rude names for some right rib-tickling selfies. In fact, 40-year-old Jon Long from Leeds went further still by exploring Europe’s sweariest sites as part of a 4500-mile tour on his BMW R1100RT. After recently getting back on a bike after a 15-year hiatus, Long covered 4498 miles bringing his total for the year to around 7000. His epic adventure began with a ride to John O’Groats, before catching the ferry to Orkney to visit Twatt. From there, he rode on to Bell End and Mincing Lane in the Midlands. After camping overnight in Calais, Long headed to Willies in France and…

Bike dealerships just ain’t what they used to be – and that’s a good thing. Gone are the days of the miserable prowling salesman not prepared to give you the time of day unless you’re ready to part with a fat deposit, or the surly spares department whose only purpose in life is to tell you what’s no longer available, or on never-ending back-order. Nope, these days your local dealer takes pride in being a destination, an all-under-one-roof Aladdin’s cave to meet every biking need, from new rider training, through bike purchase and the latest kit to the all-important place to meet – a proper biker’s café. At least that’s the case with MCN’s dealer of the year 2017, Colchester Kawasaki, so we sent our intrepid reporter to the furthest…

This year’s Suzuka 8-Hour was wild and what an achievement by Kawasaki to win it. They haven’t won there for over 25 years and beating Honda and Yamaha really is special, so congrats to Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam. ‘THEY USED TO PUT RIDERS ON DRIPS BETWEEN THE SESSIONS’ I’ve raced at Suzuka a few times, it’s amazing and the Japanese manufacturers go all-out to win. You can’t believe the level of kit that gets wheeled out. I can remember seeing the TSR Honda and it was unreal compared to the TT Legends bike I was riding. I was looking at it thinking: ‘What forks are those? What swingarm is that? What fairings are they?’ It was a thing of real beauty. When you got on track with it, it…

‘The ’18 Tuono was amazing. The ’19 is even more surefooted’ It’s Britain’s best road test route. A tough 250-mile mix of A and B- roads, a stretch of motorway, plus plenty of towns, villages, blind corners, ballistic straights, and a huge range of grippy to slippy tarmac. There are two cafés, an off-road section for adventure and trail bikes, track time at Silverstone for sportsbikes, and Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground and the dyno for hard and fast data when needed. You want answers? We’ve got ’em. 1 A good start It’s not often we’re buzzing before we’ve even started, but my ride cross country to our start point on the MT and MCN Web Producer Ben Clarke’s first taste of a Tuono has us revved-up for the day ahead.…

It’s been hard going on the Yamaha since Stratford. There’s little give in the suspension and tyres, giving a harsh ride over the Cotswold bumps. The brakes are wooden and the ABS too quick to chime in as the front end skates over the Tarmac. But all is forgiven on the dual carriageway run up Fish Hill. On this smooth, grippy stretch the Yamaha digs in and displays the kind of balance and easy steering that made its R1 sister the trackday and club racing weapon of choice for so many UK riders. This is the best of all Yamaha’s MTs. The MT-09 has its weird, understeery high front end and bouncy rear and the MT-07 is as bouncy as hell when you push it. But the MT-10’s crossplane motor…

DANGER ZONE Don’t be tempted to filter on the nearside as this is classed as undertaking. Also be aware of potholes and debris. 3. SET SPEED Your speed shouldn’t be 20mph more than the traffic you’re passing. Don’t filter through fast moving traffic. 1. OBSERVE Reduce your speed and look around for traffic jam clues. Is it caused by a junction, roundabout, or maybe even an accident? 4. GET VISUAL Use your peripheral vision to keep look-out for potential hazards and look at traffic near you and in the middle distance. BE GRATEFUL Thank any drivers who move over to give you more room. A nod of the head or leg dangle will do the trick. 2. THE RIGHT POSITION Put your bike in a position that gives you the…

Peter Hickman and Dean Harrison will renew their ‘between-thehedges’ rivalry at the Ulster Grand Prix this week with both the Smith’s BMW and Silicone Engineering Kawasaki stars believing they can reinstate Dundrod as the world’s fastest race track. The 7.4-mile roads circuit located in the hills above Belfast held the title since Bruce Anstey set the record in 2010. Harrison established a new Dundrod mark of 134.614mph in 2017 but that was eclipsed by Hickman’s 135.452mph TT lap record set on his way to winning the 2018 Senior, handing the honour to the Isle of Man’s Mountain circuit. “I think the Ulster is a faster track because there is only one slow corner,” Hickman says. While Harrison, who can lay undisputed claim to being the fastest big bike rider at…

Championship leader Scott Redding was left fuming after a post-race two time penalty for failing to complete a ‘Long Lap Penalty’ dropped him from second to 22nd. The former GP man received the ‘Long Lap’ for cutting Club Chicane then later admitted to ignoring the penalty signs on what he claimed were safety grounds. “I saw the board with about two laps to go,” Redding told MCN. “I’d dropped back behind two guys and thought that was fair. The positioning of the Long Lap lane is dangerous (on the right-hand side between Cobb and Seagrave corners). This was a savage eight-lap race with two laps to go. Imagine somebody comes out of there and they didn’t see them. I’m thinking about all of the riders’ safety. I feel too punished…

The Czech GP was a confidence-booster for Alex Rins but also put a dent in the reputation of the Suzuki GSX-RR as the most tyre-friendly bike in MotoGP. After losing winning chances at Assen and the Sachsenring, Rins was disappointed to finish fourth having spent most of the race third in close company with Andrea Dovizioso’s Ducati when the silky-smooth Suzuki inexplicably succumbed to massive late race wheelspin. “After two crashes scoring points was a positive but I had lot of spinning on the right side of the tyre. I was using the kerb for traction,” Rins said.…

The joy of KTM’s first-ever MotoGP front row turned sour when Johann Zarco slumped to a disappointing 14th place in the race. The Frenchman’s troubled transition to the RC16 continued when he triggered a dramatic lap one crash that put Franco Morbidelli and Joan Mir in the gravel. “I lost a lot of places at the start and had contact with Franco but I did not know he crashed so sorry for that,” Zarco said. “It was a difficult race, we did not have the pace for dry conditions.” Despite a superb third fastest performance in wet qualifying, Zarco finished 12 seconds behind teammate Pol Espargaro in eleventh.…

Marc Marquez’s merciless rampage through the MotoGP record books shows no sign of relenting after his rivals were bashed and beaten into submission in Brno. A delayed start to allow wet sections of the track to dry fully after heavy rain fell less than an hour before the scheduled start only delayed the inevitable Marquez romp to another dominant landmark success. Win number six of 2019 was his 50th in MotoGP and makes him only the fourth rider in premier class history, alongside Giacomo Agostini, Valentino Rossi and Mick Doohan, to reach the half century milestone. He has now also tied with late British legend Mike Hailwood on 76 career victories across all classes leaving only Agostini, Rossi and Angel Nieto having won more GPs than the 26-year-old. “It’s incredible…