Table of contents for 6 October 2021 in MCN

‘The new R7 punches well above its weight’MICHAEL NEEVES ON THE NEW YAMAHA NEW BIKE TEST Yamaha R7 is set to stun you with fun Sportsbikes have been on a power trip for, well, ever... But there’s a new breed of accessible middleweights that are threatening to entertain us rather than shock us with their power output. And that sounds good to us. Yamaha’s new R7 is the latest to eschew big power, screaming redlines and electronic aids in favour of corner carving fun and light weight. Are you ready for that? ROAD & TRACK TEST P34 TOP STORY Tiger, Tiger, burning bright... After their big tease a month ago, Triumph have finally binned the disguise-tape and revealed the Tiger Sport 660 in all its glory. And it looks superb.…

Suzuki have revived the Phantom name for their classy new special-edition GSX-R1000R. The new model comes with a Yoshimura exhaust and a smattering of genuine Suzuki accessories, including track-focused brake and clutch lever guards, a tank pad and fuel cap trim, and a smoked double bubble screen. A single seat cowl matches the matt black livery, which is complemented by gloss black decals. Standing out against the stealthy black colour scheme are gold wheels and gold Showa Balance Free Forks. The special edition costs £17,499 – £500 more than standard – and is available in dealers this month. Sign up for Malle Malle London have announced that rider registration for the 2022 edition of The Great Malle Rally, a seven-day, 1500-mile, fully-inclusive adventure ride from the southernmost tip of England…

Paralysed motorcyclist, Claire Lomas, battled to the finish of the London Marathon in her wheelchair on Sunday – in full bike kit! Claire was paralysed from the chest down after a horse riding accident in 2007. Now married with two children, she discovered a love of motorcycling, and this inspired her to take on her latest feat, raising money for disabled children (Whizz-Kidz) along the way. She’s raised over £750,000 for various charities and has already smashed her £10k target this time round. She completed the London Marathon in 2012 using a special robotic walking suit but did not receive an official finisher’s medal as it took her 17 days. She said: “It was great to get a medal this time and the spectators were amazing.” Pushing in bike kit…

ASSISTANT EDITOR, MOTORCYCLING AUK outfit have developed what they say is a fast, secure and tamperproof motorcycle security solution that can ‘withstand any form of attack’. The Moto Lock Secure is the brainchild of Ewan Montgomery and uses a combination of 6, 10 and 12mm steel plates to enclose the front wheel. You then fit a padlock behind a tamper-proof enclosure and that’s it, your bike isn’t going anywhere. ‘It’s unbeatable’ Three sizes of device are available: a small, scooter wheel version. a large for adventure bikes, and a medium for everything in between. There are also plans for a cruiser-specific version. “The main driving force for me to build this lock was the bike theft fiasco – the damn things just disappear,” Montgomery told MCN. “We’ve tried to break…

The estate of Evel Knievel has lost a $300,000 US lawsuit claiming a toy featured in Toy Story 4 called ‘Duke Caboom’ infringed their copyright, including that of a Knievel toy first released in 1973. Judge James C Mahan sitting in Nevada ruled there were enough differences and that Caboom’s facial hair, name, jumpsuit and backstory all made the character separate from the actual stuntman. Harley demo tour H-D are running a demo ride tour for the new Sportster S, Pan America 1250, LiveWire and others. The H-D Experience Tour runs until October 21 and visits Sycamore Harley in Uppingham on October 7, Chesterfield on October 9, Edinburgh on October 12, West Coast on October 14, Leeds on October 16, Manchester on October 19, and Oxford on October 21. Malle…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday October 6 BIKE MEETS ■ Squires Cafe Newthorpe, West Yorks. 01977-684618 or www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ The Old Stores Pontblyddyn, Mold, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548224866 or Facebook: The Old Stores Motorbike cafe ■ Seaways Fridaythorpe, East Yorks. 4pm-8pm mike@seawayscafe.co.uk ■ The Plough Cadsden, Nr Princess Risborough, Bucks www.ploughat-cadsden.co.uk ■ Loomies West Meon, Hants. Till 9pm www.loomiescafe.co.uk SPEEDWAY ■ Birmingham www.birmingham-speedway.com ■ Poole Pirates Dorset www.poole-speedway.com TRACKDAYS ■ MSV Donington Park GP Derbys from £115 www.MSVTrackdays.com ■ No Limits Oulton Park Cheshire £139 01525-877087 or www.nolimitstrackdays.com Thursday October 7 BIKE MEETS ■ Iron Horse bike Night Market Deeping, Lincs 6pm-9pm 01778-346952 or www.ironhorseranchouse.co.uk ■ Vic Bikers Pub Coalville, Leics 01530-814718 or www.vicbikerspub.co.uk ■ Manor Farm Diner Bellerby,…

‘Reunited with old friends’ R5K MEMBER PAUL STANLEY I took this at Long Mynd as part of a weekend away covering around 680 miles. I took in some off-road on the way and met up with friends I’ve not seen for five years. It’s a long day’s ride doing 300 miles on roads only wide enough for one car! ‘A trip over Applecross’ R5K MEMBERS STEVE AND TRUDI NORMINGTON After spending a few days in Ullapool in the Scottish Highlands, we rode over the Applecross Pass on the way to a few nights in Plockton. It was a nice clear day and although I’ve been over it a few times now, the view doesn’t get old. ‘European adventure’ R5K MEMBER KEVIN FOX I’m on a European adventure, taking in some…

MCN 250 MILE ROAD TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK It’s Britain’s toughest road test route. A fun but punishing mix of A-and B-roads, busy motorway, towns and villages. It’s all Britain’s road types compressed into one route. There are three sections and we combine the two that best test the bike’s character. On average we ride 450 miles per bike, per test. ROUTE 1 122.73 miles of fast-flowing A and B-roads ROUTE 2 126.94 miles of open A and B-roads and towns ROUTE 3 117.88 miles of big A roads and motorway WEATHER WATCH Mixed sun and rain 13-degrees 20mph south…

GUEST TESTER They may all be middleweights but each has its own approach. The Suzuki is a workhorse of a bike that would make a fabulous commuter as it just gets on with the job. It has the best range, the biggest tank, the most protective fairing (aside from its screen’s irritating adjustability...) and the squishiest seat – but it also has the least impressive motor. The Honda is also a workhorse but it is one with a bit more style, tech and practicality. The storage compartment is a genius idea, the DCT gearbox will split opinions but for mundane rides it certainly reduces the strain while its handling is sporty yet still nicely safe and secure. It’s not sexy but it is remarkably efficient and fun to ride briskly…

CHIEF ROAD TESTER Yamaha’s new R7 neatly proves you don’t always need lots of power and technology to enjoy yourself on two wheels. Sporty, friendly and with a voracious appetite for corners, it’s the perfect machine for new riders to start their sportsbike journey when it’s full licence time. Its relative lack of straight-line performance and basic spec may put some off, and the brakes could be better, but the R7 is all about the purity of riding while not scaring yourself silly. The Yamaha is well built, handsome and comfortable, but best of all – affordable. It’s half the price of an R1, but twice as fun on the road. THE FACTS £8200 Yamaha R7 Engine 689cc 8v parallel twin Frame Tubular steel diamond Suspension KYB 41mm USD forks,…

★★★★★ Rev’It Arc H2O jacket £209.99 ‘A do-it-all favourite’ Tested by Your Ben Clarke for 24 months, 5000 miles This jacket was initially intended for a bit of light commuting work on warm but changeable days on a sportsbike and has ended up being a trusty riding companion for all sorts of days. I’ve ridden through blazing sunshine, pouring rain and everything in between. I even pressed it into service on an off-road trip in Lesotho before the pandemic. It may look like a sporty cut but the arms are loose-fitting enough that you can pretty much use it for anything. With the lining out and all the vents open it keeps you cool on even the hottest of rides and with the liner in and the vents closed you…

“It all totally makes sense now! If I move about, I’ll see more – it really works! I have to admit, I was reluctant to have training as I find it quite hard receiving the feedback, despite it being in my best interests and to better my riding. But I found Ryan to be incredible, he approached the things I wasn’t doing quite right in such a way that I didn’t feel like it was a training session, more of a friendly prompt. I made an effort on the way home to put into action the things we worked on such as road positioning and reading the road like a book, from the top to bottom and so far I feel like my riding has improved and I can’t wait…

MECHANIC Ged Shorten of GCS in Ringwood, Dorset The new owner of a 1972 Moto Guzzi Eldorado was not a happy man when he rocked up at Ged Shorten’s workshop. Ged, boss of GCS Motorcycle Services in Ringwood, Dorset, told us: “It looked very pretty as the seller in the States had really gone to town with the paintjob and metal components. Our customer imported it for £5000 when a mint one can be £12,000, so he was chuffed. But on his first ride with his wife on the back, it blew itself to pieces after just three miles because the seller forgot to put fresh engine oil in it.” The owner got a load of money back on the deal to pay for the repairs, which is when Ged…

If there were Ducati team orders at CoTA, then Spanish hotshot Jorge Martin was prepared to ignore them. Just how that would have gone down with Ducati bosses, who still faintly hope Fabio Quartararo will make a mistake to open the title door for Pecco Bagnaia, is unknown. The only thing that stopped Pramac Ducati rider Martin from making a late dive to regain the third place position he had controlled for 15 laps was a long-lap penalty. In the end Martin was an exhausted fifth, still not 100% fit from his early season leg injuries. A confident and ambitious rookie, Martin, with a pole (Qatar) and win (Styria), cares little for reputations. He was the top Ducati rider holding third place at CoTA until Bagnaia ran him down three…

It’s the bike that completely changed the motorcycling landscape. The R1200GS topped the sales charts when it arrived in 2004 and has pretty much stayed there ever since. So much more than the tweaked R1150GS we all expected, the R1200GS was a completely new bike and as a result it became sharper, lighter and more powerful than ever. The upshot was a genuine all-rounder that could handle itself through the bends, was as comfortable as a dedicated tourer and could effortlessly tackle big adventures. If you’ve got a smaller budget, you’ll be looking at the first generation 1200s, but bear in mind that the 06-08 models have sealed ABS modules, and they aren’t cheap to replace if (when) they fail. But, because of that, many have a bypass kit fitted…

Every year there’s a huge tide of high-end new bikes with big price tags, mind-boggling spec and the increasingly prominent assertion that ‘It’s actually quite affordable on PCP.’ But not everyone wants to pay monthly for something they’ll never own, and not everyone wants a wildly expensive bike with enough bells and whistles to lead a carnival parade. But we all want great bikes. And this week we’re revealing a model that might prove to be one of the best: Triumph’s Tiger Sport 660 (p4). Underpinned by the excellent Trident’s heart and soul, this adventure-sport styled new middleweight boasts all the ingredients to be one of the stars of 2022. We already know the engine is a peach, and that the chassis is engaging – so the boost in practicality,…

SEAT’s first scooter, the electric 125 equivalent Mó has gone on sale for £4996 (with the EV grant included). The e-scooter uses removable batteries which can be taken out for convenient charging and has a top speed of 59mph with a range of around 85 miles. It also includes a built-in tracker with a sim card for real-time location info in case it is stolen. The Seat Mó is available from 24 dealerships now, visit www.seat.co.uk for more info. The Highway to Well A church pastor in Cornwall has raised £780 and awareness for Little Harbour Children’s Hospice South West. “I discovered that only about 20% of what they did was to do with end of life care, and 80% to do with wellness,” said Isreal Stanway. Plans are underway…

A brand-new rotary-engined race bike is set to be revealed at this year’s National Motorcycle Museum Live event on October 30-31. The Crighton CR700 has been built by rotary pioneer Brian Crighton – the man responsible for Norton’s all-conquering rotary-engined race bikes from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Although official details remain scarce at this time, videos shared to the Crighton Racing Facebook page in May last year show a stripped bike on the dyno – screaming its way to the redline and said to be producing 200bhp and over 100lb.ft of torque at the back wheel. The new machine will be revealed at the museum’s two-day event on October 30-31, with Crighton himself on hand to talk and for fire-ups of the new machine. Crighton is planning to…

‘Is it time for you to downsize?’ I have to hold my hand up here as I’m not heavily into the classic bike world, however from an outsider’s point of view I can’t help but think there is a trend for small capacity classics on the horizon. Well, certainly for fans of British bikes. Here’s why… A few years ago my father had to give up riding his 1961 Velocette Venom, mainly due to the fact that a combination of a short kickstart with little leverage and the compression of a 500cc single made it a nightmare to start. Honestly, it’s now in my garage and I have a dedicated ‘Velo boot’ with a steel shank in it that I put on just to start it and if I get…

YOU’RE NEVER RIDING ALONE I had a childhood devoid of motorcycles. How bad does that sound? But when I finished university I was in a house share with three other guys – including Sam Daymond, who is a key part of Baffle Haus – and we were watching David Beckham’s ‘Into The Unknown’. We just thought ‘how cool is that?’. They were riding these custom Bonnies, wearing no real protective gear, had full-face helmets on with no visors – it was the most impractical get-up, and we just thought ‘yeah, we need a bit of that!’ And that was how I got into riding, along with Sam. Sam then revealed that his dad was really into bikes and builds his own cafe racers, and suddenly I was immersed in the…

Q ‘Judge got my case wrong…’ I was in court last week as a result of my bike accident. I was claiming against a van driver for injuries caused in the incident but I lost my case. My friend says that I should appeal the court’s decision and have a retrial. Basically, the accident involved the driver turning in front of me without warning. The judge found fully in favour of the driver but I believe that he misunderstood the evidence that was presented. Please let me know if I can, and should, appeal against this. Ben Matthewson, email A You are up against a time limit of 21 days from the court decision in which to lodge an appeal. To succeed you will need to show that the judge…

Readers Meuryn Davies (aka Cliff) and Sam Davies The trip From the IoM to East Lothian and beyond How far did you ride? We totalled about 450 miles Best time to go We went in mid-July, during the fine weather and stayed with relatives Tell us about the trip… It was a ferry crossing from Douglas to Heysham and a long weekend in East Lothian. Up on the A6 and A7 and back on the A68 and A686 over the Hartside Pass (awesome roads). The next day we had a great ride into the hills of East Lothian, finishing off around the coast of the Firth of Forth. For the ride back we took the A68 down through Jedburgh and the A686 over Hartside Pass, which was quiet. It was…

FRIDAY October 8 7.30pm, EUR2, Speedway: Second semi-final second leg of the 2021 British Speedway Premiership SATURDAY October 9 5.30pm, QUEST, Shed and Buried SUNDAY October 10 9am, ITV4, World Superbike highlights from Portimao, Portugal 10am, ITV4, MotoGP highlights from the Red Bull Grand Prix of Americas, Texas. 6pm, ITV4, Goodwood Revival highlights KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT – DISCOVERY REAL TIME DSC – DISCOVERY CHANNEL DHD – DISCOVERY CHANNEL HD EXS – EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL EUR1 (2, HD) – EUROSPORT 1 (2, HD) MOT – MOTORSPORT.TV CH4 – CHANNEL 4 CH5 – CHANNEL FIVE BBC BBCI – BBC INTERACTIVE ESPN – ESPN CLASSIC CHANNEL ITV DST – DISCOVERY TURBO SHED – DISCOVERY SHED INST – INSIGHT SS1 (2, 3 OR X) – SKY SPORTS 1 (2, 3 OR EXTRA) QUEST BTS1…

1 Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2 £294.29* There’s confidence enough with these tyres to drag the pegs on the way to the green lanes and they don’t make you look like you’re riding a tractor. John Jess, Spencers Wood 2 Michelin Anakee Wild £328.57* They spend most of the time on the road and they are extremely well mannered. Even in the wet I don’t consciously think about them. Andrew Harrison, Telford 3 Continental Conti TrailAttack 3 £304.51* Faultless in the worst weather I have ever ridden in. I will be replacing my current Metzeler Tourances with another set of Contis. Dave Meany, Limerick 4 Michelin Anakee 3 £321.43* I’ve done 12,300 miles on this latest set and there’s still some tread left! I’m not a fast rider, but they’ve always…

Saving you money on essential bike maintenance BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician 1 A handy skill to have Balancing a wheel is one of those tasks that you probably don’t think about, mainly because it’s generally left to a tyre fitter. But being able to balance a wheel is a handy skill to have, not only when fitting new tyres but also for curing any strong low-frequency vibrations coming from the front or back end. First, get the bike up on stands and remove the wheel. 2 Select a spindle A static wheel balancer costs from around £20 and will come with a selection of different-sized spindles. Choose the correct size for your bike’s hub then slide the spindle through the wheel and mount the wheel in the balancer, placing…

Britain’s Tom Booth-Amos fought through the agony of a broken collarbone to seize runner-up spot in this year’s Supersport 300 World Championship. The Shropshire rider profited from two crashes for outgoing Champion Jeffrey Buis. This year’s title has been won by impressive Spaniard Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki), the 18-year-old from Madrid having demonstrated the best racecraft over the course of the season despite some questionable and aggressive tactics at times. On Saturday, Samuel di Sora became the 20th different race winner since the class started in 2017 – and the first from France. The final win of the campaign went to Huertas, the Champion victorious for the sixth time by an incredible two-second margin. He dedicated the title to the late Dean Berta Viñales who tragically lost his life in…

SPORTS REPORTER Gino Rea is a BSB race winner after two astonishing performances in the cold, wet and treacherous conditions at Donington Park. Rea lived up to his reputation of being a wet weather specialist, first given to him after a Moto2 podium in the wet at Sepang in 2012. In Saturday’s perilous conditions, Rea bolted from pole position, taking a comfortable win while his rivals literally threw it down the road. Sunday’s wet finale came with its own challenges, with the sun causing glare problems for Rea, who opted for a clear visor. He admitted to MCN that he couldn’t see his pit board, and therefore didn’t know if he had a gap, or if he was in a group. But it ended in what was a near-perfect weekend…

JOSH CLOSE INSIGHT Our man with a finger on the pulse of BSB This year’s Showdown has it all. Unpredictability, excitement, tension, celebration, misfortune, and heartbreak. Donington provided yet more twists and turns as the weather intervened and played its part in determining this year’s champion. After Saturday’s wet race Tarran Mackenzie and Jason O’Halloran were miraculously level on points at the top – like Yamaha duo Niall Mackenzie and James Whitham were heading into the 1996 season finale at Donington. And after the weekend, it’s Mackenzie junior who leads in 2021 by 10 points. However, it could, and likely would, have been more had a battery connector not snapped in the final clash. It was a real shame for the McAMS Yamaha rider who had produced another champion’s ride…

MOTOGP REPORTER Jack Miller and Joan Mir have set the scene for a juicy sideshow to close out the final three races of the season. The squabble hit the rev limiter at CoTA with Miller’s fury sparked by a last-lap bump by Mir – not for the first time this season. Qatar, Assen, Misano and Texas are on the list according to Miller. “Every time I race with the guy, he runs into the side of me. I think I’m one of the fairer guys on the grid. I don’t care about his excuses anymore,” Miller said. With the championship out of reach for both riders Miller’s focus is now on grabbing third from Mir in the standings. Miller is fourth, 28 points behind Mir in third, so a big…

INSIDE THE MOTOGP PADDOCK FOR 35 YEARS Saying that Fabio Quartararo has one hand on the 2021 MotoGP World title understates the case. He has one arm right round it, and the other (heavily tattooed) manipulating throttle and brake to ensure he doesn’t mess it up. The 22-year-old need only finish one place ahead of Pecco Bagnaia at the next round at Misano to become the first French premier-class champion in more than 70 years. Put another way, if the Ducati rider wins all three remaining races, Fabio need only finish eighth at all three. ‘El Diablo’ has put on a complete display. Front-row starts at 14 of 15 races including four poles; five wins plus five more podiums underline his race-craft. Only once out of the top ten, stricken…

Valentino Rossi saved his best until the last but it was not enough to lift his almost anonymous final MotoGP appearance in America. Rossi, 42, has competed in all 25 MotoGP races held in the USA and said goodbye with 15th and a single point in Texas. He last won in the USA at Indianapolis in 2008. Rossi was the fastest rider on track on the 20th and final lap although his 2’05.914 on the Petronas Yamaha M1 was a massive 1.2s slower than the best of factory man Fabio Quartararo (lap eight). Age has finally caught up with the GOAT: “Modern MotoGP is very physically demanding. It’s very difficult, you have to be 100 percent fit and you have to be very young. I can try to be 100…

JOHN McGUINNESS TT Legend John McGuinness MBE in MCN every week How can you have the premier track in America in that state with the bumps? Yes I know all about bumps, I race the TT. But that is a road – this is supposed to be a race track. Part of me thinks the riders should just get on with it, but then I thought, no because it’s not supposed to be like that. It’s supposed to be a groomed, immaculate purpose-built race track. Although there was a lot of whinging before the race, I don’t think it made any difference to the result because they just got on with it in the end. At the end of the day, as a racer, whatever gets thrown at you, you…

Triumph’s Tiger 900 and Scrambler 1200 motorcycles feature in key stunt scenes in the 25th James Bond film No Time to Die following a major collaborative partnership between Triumph Motorcycles and EON Productions that was announced in December 2019. The film franchise has brought together two great British icons – 007 and Triumph Motorcycles – for the very first time, and now the stunt bikes from the film are on display at the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience. Want to see the bikes in the metal? Head to www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/visitor-experience to book your tickets. ● Turn to p38 of this week’s MCN for our four-page Bond special.…

If you’re itching to be one of the first to see the all-new Tiger Sport 660 and Speed Triple 1200 RR, then you’ll be stoked to hear that Triumph will be exhibiting both hot new models at Motorcycle Live at NEC Birmingham from December 4-12. Tiger Sport 660 Triumph’s all-new Tiger Sport 660 is set to bring the manufacturer’s triple-powered character and advantage to the middleweight adventure-sports world. The exciting new model is the most powerful bike in its class with 80bhp peak power at 10,250rpm and 47.2lb.ft peak torque at 6250rpm. It’s the first triple in the category with such a strong combination of low-down torque, strong mid-range and punchy top-end power – and it can also be A2 compliant with an accessory-fit conversion kit. ● ‘The 660 has…

It’s the bike that completely changed the motorcycling landscape. The R1200GS topped the sales charts when it arrived in 2004 and has pretty much stayed there ever since. So much more than the tweaked R1150GS we all expected, the R1200GS was a completely new bike and as a result it became sharper, lighter and more powerful than ever. The upshot was a genuine all-rounder that could handle itself through the bends, was as comfortable as a dedicated tourer and could effortlessly tackle big adventures. If you’ve got a smaller budget, you’ll be looking at the first generation 1200s, but bear in mind that the 06-08 models have sealed ABS modules, and they aren’t cheap to replace if (when) they fail. But, because of that, many have a bypass kit fitted…

Ducati are giving their V-twin Multistrada a makeover for 2022. Although looking similar to before, the 5kg lighter Multistrada V2 gets the latest 937cc Testastretta V-twin producing a claimed 113hp and 72.3lb.ft of torque. Cradled in the same tubular steel trellis frame as the old bike, it’s an updated version of the unit already found in the 950 and also features in the latest Monster, SuperSport 950 and Hypermotard. Although not the 155bhp 955cc twin from the Panigale V2 sportsbike that some were hoping for, the engine features new conrods, a new eight-disc hydraulic clutch and an updated gearbox. These upgrades have helped shed 2kg, with 1.5kg slashed by the new clutch alone. The rest of the weight savings come from the Multistrada V4-derived mirrors, front brake disc flanges and…

SAVE £1750 £19,055 BMW K1600B LE BMW’s bagger is a lowered K1600GT with a curved mudguard and saddlebags, a lowered seat height and a pulled-back handlebar. With perhaps the creamiest surging drive of any bike, it pulls like a John Deere from low revs, has huge midrange thrust to surge past traffic and, if you let it, streak to the top of its revs. • bowkermotorgroup.co.uk SAVE £1054 £5495 Honda NC750S There’s more than a grand off one of the last new NC750S models in the UK: a blue example at Smiths Honda in Cheshire. • smithshonda.co.uk ● Engine 745cc ● Power 54bhp ● Weight 229kg ● Seat height 830mm SAVE £1000 £14,899 Kawasaki Z H2 The Z H2 might shrink straights, but it whispers through villages without so much…

MT Targo Enjoy helmet £39.99 Treat yourself for fifty quid or less We’ve been working to a tight budget this week and set ourselves a limit of around fifty quid. We’ve found some fantastic deals including all manner of riding gear and accessories for your bike, too (see right). Swansea-based internet retailer M&P have more than 70,000 products in stock and offer free shipping on all purchases over £25. For example, this great value lid is available at half price, which makes it a steal at just £39.99. It has a three-star SHARP rating, meets the ACU Gold standard and is approved to ECE22.05. It has an aerodynamic shell, which is fully vented. A quick-release visor comes ready to accommodate a Pinlock, antifog visor insert and the lining is both…

Every week we give a different rider a wodge of fictional cash and ask them to ‘buy’ the bike that sets their soul on fire. This is Phil’s pick... When it comes to picking a bike to cover big miles, Phil Weston is the man. President of Iron Butt UK for nearly ten years now, he has completed the 11,000-miles-in-11-days American Iron Butt Rally four times and the SaddleSore 1000 (1000 miles in under 24 hours) and BunBurner 1500 (1500 miles in under 36 hours) more times than he chooses to remember. Not only that, he’s done 920 miles on a Honda Grom in 20 hours and is the only person in the UK to have done 3000 miles in two days. “Our members have completed the SaddleSore 1000 (which…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews Lessons from history I refer to your star letter on the Voge being a bit of a Honda copy (MCN Letters, September 22). Andrew is perhaps not of an age where he remembers the early days of the Japanese takeover of the UK motorcycle market. At that time Kawasaki produced an exact copy of a BSA – well, exact except it vibrated and weighed even more than the Beezer! Kawasaki learned fast and look at them now, full of innovation, creativity and effort. Andrew Hayes, email Give us more Keith please I tuned into BSB coverage on Sunday and was delighted to hear Keith Huewen with James Whitham. I really miss his input on BT Sport’s MotoGP coverage – it just isn’t the same without him.…

MCN staff and readers share their one-hour routes Start your day with a quick pit-stop at the Original Tea Hut in Epping Forest, you can enjoy a sausage bap and a cup of tea. Head down the hill to the roundabout taking the first exit on Epping New Road. From here you rise up and head over the top of the M25 before taking the road directly through Epping. Take the B1393, Epping Rd, to skirt round the North Weald Airfield and into Tyler’s Green where you take a quick right turn to join the A414. As you reach Chipping Ongar, take the first exit at the roundabout to join the B184. This is the Ongar Rd, which becomes Dunmow Rd as it reaches the village of Fyfield. Twist and…

If you’re looking to bag a bargain and have a packed day of classic motorcycling, then head down to the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics show this weekend. What’s happening? Don’t think this show is just for the really old metal (not that there is anything wrong with t hat). In a celebration of emerging and modern classic bikes from the 70s through to the 90s, there’s something for everyone. There will be more than 900 stands featuring traders, dealers and the all-essential autojumble to help you on your way with your next project. Add to that a full quota of club stands, live action entertainment, special guest stars and the Bonhams’ autumn sale (see page 4) and you’ve got a weekend that you won’t want to miss. The essential stuff The…

MCN CONTRIBUTOR MCN 250 MILE ROAD TEST ● THE HOTTEST BIKES ● EVERY WEEK £8202 Yamaha Tracer 7 ● 689cc parallel twin DOHC 8v ● 72.4bhp @ 8750rpm ● 196kg kerb weight £8450 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT • 645cc V-twin DOHC 8v • 70bhp @ 8800rpm • 213kg kerb weight £8379 DCT Honda NC750X DCT • 745 c c parallel twin SOHC 8v • 57.8bhp @ 6750rpm • 224kg kerb weight As the UK eases out of the pandemic, the way we commute has been turned on its head. With working from home commonplace, many are taking the opportunity to move away from busy cities and set up home in rural locations. Despite this change, the need to visit an office occasionally remains and for those few days a week when…

Age 51 Height 5ft 9in Current bike Yamaha Tracer 700 Been riding Two years First bike Honda CB125F Dream bike Ducati 916 “I’d always loved bikes but never actually owned one. However, when I changed jobs and commuting became a real issue I decided to pass my test. Put simply, once I’d paid for the training and test etc, riding became the most cost-effective way of getting to work. Not to mention the fastest and most enjoyable. “After starting out on a CB125F I bought my Tracer 700 in August 2020, so it was my first ‘big bike’. I have quite short legs so a few bikes were out of the question but I did my training on an MT-07 and enjoyed it so I looked towards the Yamaha. I…

Yamaha have left the MT-07’s four-valve 689cc parallel twin virtually untouched for its new life in the R7. It still makes 72bhp@8750rpm and 49lb.ft of torque at 7750rpm and has a more direct throttle cam, but it slips through Euro5 thanks to new ECU and injection settings, tweaks to the intake ducts and exhaust. The six-speed gearbox remains, but now has an ‘Assist and Slipper’ clutch for a lighter lever action (by a third) and to prevent rear wheel hop into corners. Gearing is slightly taller with a one-tooth smaller rear sprocket (now 42) and combined with its superior aero Yamaha claims an 8% faster top whack than the MT-07. We’d expect to see around 130mph when we speed test it.…

Need help with your riding skills? MCN expert can fi x it THE STUDENT Leanna Brewster, 28, Essex Kawasaki Z1000SX rider Leanna has been riding for three years and, in between juggling her career as a nurse and being mum to her one-year-old son, she likes to get out on group rides as well as enjoying a spot of touring. Leanna’s problem… “On the approach to corners, I feel like everything rushes up at me. I’m always kicking myself because I know I could’ve done it better. I need to improve how I read the road, but how?” THE TUTOR Ryan Decarteret, Rapid Training Pro Coach A former surveillance motorcyclist for the National Crime Agency, Ryan rides a BMW S1000XR. Ryan’s action plan “Getting overwhelmed by info is a symptom…

The symptom of an unbalanced wheel is a low-frequency vibration and is obviously more pronounced when it’s the front wheel that is out of balance because you are in direct contact via the handlebars. The vibration will increase dramatically as the bike’s speed increases. Assuming the tyre is in good condition, rebalancing is often the cure for this problem. But this kind of vibration is also evident when wheel damage has occurred, so while you are checking the condition of the tyre, also look for damage to the rim of the wheel. Although you’ll often get away with a slight ding, if the wheel is buckled or out of true it will definitely produce those off-putting, destabilising symptoms. And it’s not just about wheels… A while ago, I had to…

GREG HAINES INSIGHT Our expert on the inside of the WSB paddock It was meant to be the weekend where Jonathan Rea re-took the series lead and stamped his authority on the series. Rea had a record of 12 victories at Portimao and heading into the weekend, all expectations were that he would add to that tally – perhaps even bagging a treble – but that wasn’t how it turned out. In fact WSB took on Hollywood to become the scene of some of the hardest, most aggressive and truly unpredictable action seen in the resurgent championship, which caused the main protagonists to have some choice words about each other. As the intensity of a season-long rivalry between Jonathan Rea, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Scott Redding shifted into a previously unimaginable higher…

The damp conditions were not a problem for Kyle Ryde, who claimed his first podium since joining Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW. Ryde, who hadn’t been on the rostrum since Silverstone 2020, took third in Saturday’s race after surviving three out-of-the-seat moments. That said, Ryde’s bike appeared to have much more grip than those around him and he duly secured second spot. Taylor calls it a day Taylor Mackenzie will retire at the end of the 2021 Superstock season. The Bathams Racing BMW rider made the announcement moments after storming through from 31st on the grid to take his third win of the year. He won the 2016 National Superstock 1000 title and also finished runner-up in 2019 but relied on funds raised from his YouTube channel to race in…

‘The crash we’ve been dreading’ Miracles can happen. Sunday in Texas saw one. A pack of maniacal Moto3 kids, hunkered down at top speed, was suddenly and shockingly scattered by a collision in the middle of it. Three bikes and riders tangled, bikes and riders somersaulted through the air. Amazingly, the following riders avoided the flying debris. Even more amazingly, none of the fallen riders were run over in the confusion. And all three of them – Jeremy Alcoba, Andrea Migno and Pedro Acosta – stood up and walked away. Phew! It was exactly the crash that Moto3 observers have been dreading in a season where the beginners’ grand prix class has been terrifyingly close at every round. From race one, more often than not, huge packs of 15 or…

16 Marquez A 54 17 Morbidelli 40 18 Lecuona 38 19 Petrucci 37 20 Marini 30 21 Rossi 29 22 Bradl 13 23 Pirro 8 FINAL POSITIONS MOTOGP FINAL POSITIONS MOTO 2 11 Canet +20.679 12 Navarro +22.738 13 Corsi +22.913 14 Chantra +23.247 15 Bensneyder +23.108 16 Nagashima +27.006 17 Baltus +28.086 18 Roberts +32.719 19 Manzi +37.542 FINAL POSITIONS MOTO 3 11 Nepa +2.683 12 Fenati +3.257 13 Sasaki +3.492 14 Artigas +3.652 15 Antonelli +6.086 16 Fellon +8.944 17 Kofler +9.529 18 Tatay +9.977 19 Surra +10.130 20 Rossi +10.536 21 Fernandez +14.107…

MICHAEL LAVERTY THE INSIDER BT Sport’s technical guru unmasks secrets at the sharp end of MotoGP Marc Marquez’s affinity with the Circuit of The Americas faced its toughest test last weekend. But despite his compromised physical condition, whilst riding what seems to be the most difficult machine on the grid he emerged victorious after another start-to-finish victory at the demanding Texan venue. Outsmarting his rivals Marc understood that he was at his best when the initial grip dropped from the tyres. He took command on the run to turn one, controlled the pace for the first few laps and then proceeded to up the ante from lap five onwards. He set his best on lap seven, stretching the gap out front to allow better energy management over the second half of…

If you’re itching to be one of the first to see the all-new Tiger Sport 660 and Speed Triple 1200 RR, then you’ll be stoked to hear that Triumph will be exhibiting both hot new models at Motorcycle Live at NEC Birmingham from December 4-12. Tiger Sport 660 Triumph’s all-new Tiger Sport 660 is set to bring the manufacturer’s triple-powered character and advantage to the middleweight adventure-sports world. The exciting new model is the most powerful bike in its class with 80bhp peak power at 10,250rpm and 47.2lb.ft peak torque at 6250rpm. It’s the first triple in the category with such a strong combination of low-down torque, strong mid-range and punchy top-end power – and it can also be A2 compliant with an accessory-fit conversion kit. ● ‘The 660 has…

It’s the bike that completely changed the motorcycling landscape. The R1200GS topped the sales charts when it arrived in 2004 and has pretty much stayed there ever since. So much more than the tweaked R1150GS we all expected, the R1200GS was a completely new bike and as a result it became sharper, lighter and more powerful than ever. The upshot was a genuine all-rounder that could handle itself through the bends, was as comfortable as a dedicated tourer and could effortlessly tackle big adventures. If you’ve got a smaller budget, you’ll be looking at the first generation 1200s, but bear in mind that the 06-08 models have sealed ABS modules, and they aren’t cheap to replace if (when) they fail. But, because of that, many have a bypass kit fitted…

Triumph’s Tiger 900 and Scrambler 1200 motorcycles feature in key stunt scenes in the 25th James Bond film No Time to Die following a major collaborative partnership between Triumph Motorcycles and EON Productions that was announced in December 2019. The film franchise has brought together two great British icons – 007 and Triumph Motorcycles – for the very first time, and now the stunt bikes from the film are on display at the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience. Want to see the bikes in the metal? Head to www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/visitor-experience to book your tickets. ● Turn to p38 of this week’s MCN for our four-page Bond special.…

If you’re itching to be one of the first to see the all-new Tiger Sport 660 and Speed Triple 1200 RR, then you’ll be stoked to hear that Triumph will be exhibiting both hot new models at Motorcycle Live at NEC Birmingham from December 4-12. Tiger Sport 660 Triumph’s all-new Tiger Sport 660 is set to bring the manufacturer’s triple-powered character and advantage to the middleweight adventure-sports world. The exciting new model is the most powerful bike in its class with 80bhp peak power at 10,250rpm and 47.2lb.ft peak torque at 6250rpm. It’s the first triple in the category with such a strong combination of low-down torque, strong mid-range and punchy top-end power – and it can also be A2 compliant with an accessory-fit conversion kit. ● ‘The 660 has…

Triumph’s Tiger 900 and Scrambler 1200 motorcycles feature in key stunt scenes in the 25th James Bond film No Time to Die following a major collaborative partnership between Triumph Motorcycles and EON Productions that was announced in December 2019. The film franchise has brought together two great British icons – 007 and Triumph Motorcycles – for the very first time, and now the stunt bikes from the film are on display at the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience. Want to see the bikes in the metal? Head to www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/visitor-experience to book your tickets. ● Turn to p38 of this week’s MCN for our four-page Bond special.…