Table of contents for 22 February 2017 in MCN

‘One thing the new SuperSport isn’t is a tourer – the riding position is sporty’ HIGHLIGHTS • 113bhp liquid-cooled 937cc desmo V-twin • ABS, traction control and three riding modes • Stunning Brembo M4.32 radial brake calipers • Multi-function LCD dash • Fully-adjustable Marzoc chi forks and Sachs shock What exactly is Ducati’s new £11,495 SuperSport all about? Is it a sports-bike, a sports tourer, or something in between? You’d be forgiven for being a bit confused because on first glance it’s a bit of a mash-up. The 113bhp liquid-cooled 937cc V-twin is a rejigged Hypermotard 939 motor, it has a Monster-based frame and Panigaleinspired bodywork. You can’t really look to its direct rivals to see where it fits in, either, because it hasn’t really got any (see over the…

Fast for 24 hours Carl Reese is attempting to ride 2023 miles in 24 hours to break the world motorcycle endurance record on February 25. Reese will have to average 85mph on his BMW K1600GT, around an 8.5-mile private test track. Self-stopping bike Honda are working on a motorcycle braking system that could automatically apply the brakes to prevent an accident. Honda have fitted these ‘collision mitigation braking systems’ to their cars for a while, but on piloted motorcycles they could be clunky at best. Go the whole Hog Harley are offering the chance to win a free bike along with a trip to the H-D museum in Milwaukee, a riding tour of the Great Lakes and a trip to New York with £2000 to spend. To be in with…

‘At the last count, there were 356 members. 200 of those are riders’ “I’m one of four founders, but I’m the only one that’s left. I saw an advert on TV and it showed a blood biker, but there were none in the North of England at all. I made some inquiries and there were two other guys interested in starting a group too. “I met up with them at Rivington Barn, on the outskirts of Bolton, and really the rest is history. That was in August 2011. Another guy came along and we started the ball rolling. “We run at night during the week and all weekends when other people don’t. In our first year we did 812 runs in 12 months. Now we are averaging 10,000 to 11,000…

Tyred at the TT A great option for TT fans who haven’t booked their accommodation for TT 2017 has emerged - the Metzeler Village. Based in the National Sports Centre on the outside of Quarterbridge, it’s ‘glamping’for bikers. Prices start from £22 per night/person, with tent options for 1-4 people. The Metzeler Village will be open June 1 to 10 and can be booked at metzelervillage.com Chief concerns While 26in chrome front wheels and saddlebags that would make Cruella De Vil jealous aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, to the folks of North America they are very special indeed. So much so that Indian had a competition among their dealers as to who could make the best bagger from the Chieftain model. The winner will be chosen in March, but the…

‘A bike as capable of touring in such comfort shouldn’t handle this well’ HIGHLIGHTS • Class leading power-to-weight ratio • Semi-active suspension with four modes • New 6.5-inch multifunctional dash With the demise of KTM’s 1190 Adventure, the 1290cc Super Adventure has been split three ways for 2017 (see side bar) and I tested the Super Adventure S, which has a smaller 23-litre fuel tank, new front end and headlight and is the most direct replacement to the 1190. All of the new 1290s are Euro4-compliant with, say KTM, power and torque outputs unaffected. The frame, chassis and brakes are essentially the same as the Super Adventure from 2015 with revisions made to the headstock to make the steering smoother. KTM have resisted making a giant leap forward with the…

The biggest and best event north of the border – the Carole Nash MCN Scottish Show – returns to Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Centre on March 11-12 with a cracking display of new models and classics. Ducati will be bringing along a host of hot models including the 959 Panigale, Monster 797, Scrambler Desert Sled and SuperSport. KTM will be displaying their 1090 Adventure, 1290 Super Adventure S and 1290 Super Adventure R plus the updated 1290 Super Duke R. Triumph will not only have the Bobber, Street Scrambler and Street Cup on their stand but also the just-launched and highly-rated 765 Street Triple. If it’s kit you’re after you can bag a bargain in the bike jumble and browse the retail village where a host of traders will be able…

1 Norton Motorcycles, Donington Hall, Castle Donington, Derbys. 6pm-8pm. 01332-812119 or www.facebook.com/ NortonMotorcycles 2 Cafe Manhattan The Diner (formerly Porkys), Basildon, Essex. Thursdays, 6pm-10pm. 01268-728809 or www.phoenixriders.co.uk 3 Whistlestop Cafe, HTM Business , Rhuddlan, Denbighshire. 01745-91235 4 Southport Carousel, Promenade, Southport, Mersevside.Wednesday meet. www.discoversouthport.co.uk 5 Squires Cafe, Newthorpe near Sherburn in Elmet, West Yorks. 01977-684618 or www.squires-cafe.co.uk GET YOUR MEET ON THE MAP If you have a bike-friendly venue and want to get your meet on the map, email: sam. @ williams motorcyclenews.com…

Oxford Hot Grips Premium £46.97 The Oxford Hot Grips come in three different versions (sports, touring and adventure) to suit various styles of machine. They’ve got a five-setting heat controller, and come with full fitting kit and instructions included. The smart system also features a battery saving device to prevent drain on your bike’s resources. Keis Chicane Heated Grips £89.99 Extremely comfortable and tactile heated grips made from super-soft rubber, the Keis Chicanes feature a built-in LED status light to indicate when the grip has reached its working temperature. There are six pre-set temperature levels, and the Keis grips even come with their own throttle tube to replace your standard item. Oxford Hot Hands £49.99 A great solution if you don’t fancy permanently fitting heated grips to your bike. The…

THE EXPERT Tony Foale is a successful racer, chassis builder and author of the seminal ‘Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design’ book. The steering geometry of many of today’s bikes follow the theories he set out 30 years ago When discussing steering geometry people often only think in terms of rake and trail, but these are related by other parameters as well. Specifically, tyre rolling radius and the offset of the wheel axle from the steering axis. Wheelbase should also be regarded as part of the equation, too. Tyre radius and trail are the two most important factors which affect how we perceive the steering feel. Trail is determined by the rake, offset and tyre size. I am often asked if there are optimum values for these parameters. The short answer…

Europe’s biggest BMW showroom A BMW dealership in Baildon, West Yorkshire, have completed a 3000sqft expansion of their showroom to make it one of the biggest in Europe. Allan Jefferies Motorrad now boasts over 17,000sqft of retail space, and the team are inviting riders to take a look at their new showroom as well as taking a ride on new 2017 models this Saturday, February 25. www.bmwbikes.co.uk Still time to win a Thruxton R Tickets are still available to win a Triumph Thruxton R. Fitted with a Track Racer kit, the bike is worth £13,000 but could be yours by buying a £2 raffle ticket. Second prize is a 1954 AJS Model 18 and third prize is a luxury weekend away for two. The draw takes place on April 23.…

‘You will struggle to buy a bad CBR600F on the used market’ “The CBR600F was a fantastic bike, a really solid machine and you will struggle to buy a bad one on the used market. Like all Hondas of that era, the camchain tensioner is a bit weak, but it’s not a massive issue. Getting it out can be a bit of a fiddle as it is fairly well tucked away and a banjo for the fuel pipe gets in the way, but a bit of persistence and you should be fine to swap it yourself. “Some riders swear by fitting a manual tensioner, but personally I don’t trust them. You never know how tight to do them up and most of the time people over tighten them, putting more…

‘The season starts at one of the strongest tracks for me and the bike’EUGENE LAVERTY World Superbike may have been a Kawasaki and Ducati playground for the last two seasons but one man hoping to change that this year is 2013 series runner-up Eugene Laverty, who returns to WSB after two seasons in MotoGP Grand Prix. The Irishman will be reunited with Aprilia’s formidable RSV4, with which he took nine race victories on his way to second in 2013. The 30-year-old will be heading up the British-run Milwaukee team with full factory support from the Aprilia factory in Noale. “We expect to be strong because it’s not like I’m hopping on a new bike,” explained Laverty who spent two seasons on the bike alongside Max Biaggi in 2012 and Sylvain…

‘We’re not at the level at Phillip Island to fight for the win’JORGE LORENZO Following another difficult test at Phillip Island, Jorge Lorenzo has admitted that he’s still a long way off being ready to win races on the Ducati GP17. Finishing the three days in eighth, nearly a second off the times of Maverick Viñales, the five-time world champion conceded afterwards that his hopes of taking victory at the opening round of the series in Qatar next month are quickly diminishing. A track where both bike and rider have gone well in the past, Lorenzo was targeting the Middle Eastern circuit as one of the few this year where taking race wins would be possible – but with much still left to do, that’s now in doubt. “We have…

20 th  SCOTT REDDIING 1m 30.005s Pramac Ducati rider Scott Redding suffered a difficult three days at Phillip Island as he fought to overcome a number of issues that have plagued him since he inherited Andrea Iannone’s GP16 machine at the end of the 2016 season. Never getting into a rhythm as he fought chatter and grip issues, he was able to at least take some positives from the test by making some progress on the final day. “I’m happy and unhappy. To see where we were on the first day and where we came to makes me feel a bit better, but I expected more at the end. But we’ve just had no grip, and have been struggling with getting on the gas. I just don’t feel comfortable.…

‘I don’t know what to say, but for sure this is not normal, it was very strange’MAVERICK VIÑALES Tensions are already starting to build between 2017 MotoGP championship favourites Maverick Vi–ales and reigning champion Marc Marquez ahead of the start of the season next month. The two men topped the timesheets at the end of the three-day Phillip Island test, but not before the duo clashed on track. Completing the three days of testing first and second respectively, Vi–ales hit out at his fellow Spaniard on the final day after they came together on track. During his end-of-day planned race runs, Marquez latched onto the back of the Movistar Yamaha rider, resulting in on-track action that looked more like a race than a test as they traded a series of…

This year also saw the return of the Classic Bike of the Year competition, won this time round by a 1939 Matchless SS100. Owner Les Phelps is remarkably modest about the build considering his SS100 is the world’s first overhead-valve Matchless V-Twin. “I had two Model X Matchlesses before building the SS100,” said Phelps. “Matchless made V-twin OHV engines, which they sold to Brough Superior and Morgan, but they didn’t fit them to the Model X. A few years ago I found a guy who had the bones of an overhead-valve engine and I thought – why not build an OHV version of my X? “I liked the idea of a more powerful Matchless with Brough performance, so I bought the engine, but there are differences between the Brough and…

‘A pair of ace bars and a bumpy seat do not make a café racer’ QUICK FACTS • Capacity is out to 750cc • Gas-flowed head • Race cam • Pamco ignition • Balanced crank Limey Bikes, in Austin, Texas are all about pre-’83 Japanese classics. “That’s all we do as we believe that shops should stick to what they are good at and not try to do everything just to make a buck,” says ex-pat Brit Chris Kelland, Limey Bikes’ CEO and avid tea-drinker. Limey do full restorations and servicing, but also produce some of the sweetest – and usable – XS650 Yamaha-based customs you’ll see. “We do have a huge thing for the Yamaha XS650 and the 500 singles, so you could say it’s a speciality,” says Chris.…

KLIM REVENER £499 Adventure maestros Klim have released range of classically styled clothing, consisting of two jackets, trousers and gloves. Our top pick of the 626 range is the Revener jacket as it’s made using Gore-Tex. www.klim.com OXFORD HERITAGE PANNIERS £110 Made from tough waxed cotton, they’re tough and water resistant. They attach with straps, so can be adapted to fit most bikes and if you need extra storage there are some matching roll bags too. www.oxfordproducts.com BUILT MAGAZINE ISSUE 4 £4.99 Built have been touring up and down the land in celebration of all that’s great about custom bikes and in Issue 4 they make their way to London. www.builtmag.co.uk…

‘It was a bitch to start. You had to sneak up behind it’ QUICK-FIRE ROUND Fast, intermediate or novice group? Fast Mud or tarmac? Mud Four-stroke or two-stroke? Ooh, it depends Dark visor or clear? Dark Gloves in or gloves out? Out GPS or map? GPS Dealer service or do it yourself? Do it yourself Q1. What are you riding? I’ve got a Triumph Tiger 800 at home and I’m really excited to get riding again on the new Thruxton R. I’ve also got a Kawasaki W650, which I chopped up a few years ago that I’d like to get back on. Q2. Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? Ted Simon. He was a huge part of why Ewan and I went on our trips. Here was a guy…

Wandering around the packed Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle Show last weekend, there was a lot to like. A stack of new bikes, plenty of silliness in the Slide live action show and superstar riders, such as four-times WSB champ Carl Fogarty and British Dakar winner Sam Sunderland joining the fun. A closer look at what everyone was cooing over highlighted just how much motorcycling has changed – and is changing. Cool classic, custom and retro bikes are taking more space and attracting more attention than ever before. It just shows how rich and diverse the world of motorcycling is these days. I saw one 50-year-old (ish) bloke jump from a Honda Fireblade onto an X-ADV scooter, before heading towards the Norton stand. The wider the offering, the bigger the…

1090 ADVENTURE £11,299 Replaces the 1050. Makes 125bhp compared to the 95bhp 1050. See the test over the page. 1090 ADVENTURE R £12,149 Same as the 1090, but with a 21in front and 18in back wheel to make it more off-road focused. 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S £14,299 New full colour dash, new styling, new headlight and revised rider aids and semi-active suspension. 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R £14,499 Like the S but more aimed at the off-road market with a 21in front and 18in rear wheel. 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE T £15,499 Has the upgraded motor, dash and other 2017 goodies but keeps the older styling, headlights and larger fuel tank.…

Your number’s up Wipe the frame and VIN numbers with aerosol paint remover or nail varnish wipes to see if the paint comes off. If it does then the bike has been ‘made good’ after alteration. Check the engine number too. Sticky situation Stickers hide security numbers and holes where the LED from an alarm used to be. It’s worth peering under the stickers if you can to see if a Datatag number is behind it. Proper plates Post-2003 bikes should have the details of the supplier along the bottom of the plate. Don’t be fooled by logos like www.yamaha.com as they’re attempts by thieves to make it look genuine. ID please Check any numbers found with the marking company and remember both the stolen and donor machine may have…

Datatool Demon Evo alarm The days of top-spec bike alarms being expensive and difficult to fit are over, as Datatool say that their Demon Evo can be installed by a competent home mechanic with no soldering required. Once armed via the keyfob, the unit will trigger if it detects movement and will release aural chaos via the high-decibel alarm. Features include a keyfob-activated panic mode, and also a transport mode which will deactivate the motion sensor for times when your bike’s in a van or on a trailer and you want a quiet drive! www.datatool.co.uk Bike-It Garage Guard Don’t give thieves a chance to attack your garage by scaring them away with this 105dB alarm. Once activated via the remote control fob, the Garage Guard gives you a short period…

RIDING EXPERT Adam Child MCN Senior Road Tester and year-round commuter from Yorkshire I CAN SEE CLEARLY You can get rubber blades to slot over a finger and keep the outside clear. A Pinlock insert will stop fogging. KEEP IT SMOOTH Plan ahead so you can avoid jerky acceleration and braking. Select the latest sports touring rubber for great wet grip. The latest sports touring rubber offers incredible wet weather grip, but I often wonder whether it helps to be a bit obsessive about riding a bike. Obsessive people think about every detail, and test the smallest little things to see if they make an improvement. Nowhere is that mindset more useful than when it’s pouring with rain. The critical problem with rain riding isn’t tyre grip or smooth throttle…

Givi 34 litre Top Case £67 and fitting kit £97 Tested by Rupert Paul Time tested three years/6500 miles What’s good? I fitted luggage to the MT-07 I share with my wife so that she could carry a 15in laptop. Since then we agree that it has been trouble free, and incredibly useful. Topboxes never improve a bike’s looks, but they are far better than panniers because they don’t open sideways and you can still filter. As with any topbox it is useless at carrying eggs, goldfish or unexploded munitions. But we’ve loaded it way beyond the recommended 3kg dozens of times with no problem beyond slightly clumsier handing. Givi do several models which all take the same base plate. This one (the 34-litre version) doesn’t affect top speed or…

1 Trail One of the effects of trail is to give a measure of straight line stability, that means if the steering is deflected by some influence, such as unevenness in the road, the steering will return to the straight-ahead position without rider input. When the tyre is deflected, it forms an angle to the direction of motion, this is called a slip angle, which creates a lateral inward force on the tyre. This force acts behind the line of the steering axis and so it rotates the wheel back to the straight and narrow. 2 Rake Rake is set by the angle of the headstock bearings, which means it will vary with the pitch attitude of the bike. If the bike pitches forward the rake will decrease and vice…

2016 (66) Yamaha XV950 £8000 This XV has already been slicked up with loads of Yamaha extras including touring bars and custom grips. Buying this zero-mile pre-reg saves you over £1500 on its RRP. 2016 (66) Suzuki VL800 £6299 Dealers are selling off their stocks of the smaller Intruder for brilliant savings. This one-mile-old example can also be purchased via a PCP plan for just £99 down. 2016 (66) Moto Guzzi Audace £12,495 With a saving of over £2400 off the RRP in return for just 44 miles on the clock, the California version of the Audace is worth a second look. There’s also 22 months of warranty left.…

‘It is these guys that I race against and the things they say that piss me off!’ JONATHAN REA The 2016 season saw Jonathan Rea become the first rider since World Superbike legend Carl Fogarty to win back-to-back crowns. This year will see him try to better that record as he goes for a historic third title on the bounce – a feat that not even four-time champ Fogarty ever achieved. And, on the eve of the 2017 season, the hat-trick appears to be a distinct possibility for Rea and the Kawasaki Racing Team after a strong showing in pre-season testing. “When you are from the UK and you think about WSB you think about guys like Foggy, who’s top of the list, Toseland, who won two championships and Hodgson…

‘Consistency has been our downfall, especially when racing Jonathan’CHAZ DAVIES Having won seven out of the last eight races in 2016, Chaz Davies lines up for this year’s World Superbike Championship as the clear favourite to challenge Jonathan Rea for the title. A step forward with his Ducati Pangiale during a test in the summer break saw Davies decimate the opposition in the final four rounds of last season. However, the Welshman and the Aruba.it Ducati team have not rested on their laurels over the winter and went in search of further improvements to boost their title chances. “I’ve been asked a few times whether after last year’s results, testing for us would be fine-tuning but it really isn’t,” Davies told MCN. “We don’t want to find half-a-tenth, we want…

Losing bulk “We will struggle to reach 168kg but we can shave off another 2.5kg. We will have new, lighter wiring looms, and a new subframe and seat, which will allow us to make a new narrower tank and move fuel around.” Bigger is better “The throttle body diameters are bigger than before (at 48mm) which gives more intake flow. The piston coating is also new and there are new piston rings and a lightened piston pin – which is key as these parts have to remain stock.” Brace! Brace! “We have added some welding around the base of the chassis near the swingarm pivot. We will also weld on top of it, adding material in different directions. There is also gusseting on the chain side of the lower chassis.”…

‘I have concerns but I know this time that we can overcome hurdles’MICHAEL DUNLOP “It will be a new lease of life for me.” That is how Michael Dunlop has described his decision to race the new Bennetts-liveried Suzuki GSX-R on the roads in 2017. After months of speculation, last year’s Superbike and Senior TT winner and the outright lap record-holder on the Mountain course has revealed he will remain with Stuart and Steve Hicken’s Hawk Racing team to race the new superbike at the North West 200, TT and Ulster Grand Prix. “I am back with the dream team for another wee spin,” the Ballymoney man smiled. “It is good for me and it is good for Steve because the team has full factory support again.” Dunlop says it…

Some like it wet Michelin will hold a special wet weather test in Valencia later this year, with the track artificially soaked to allow the firm to gather data. The test will take place after the Jerez round in May, but it remains to be seen if the front runners will attend and take the risk that wet riding presents. Rins shows form Rookie Alex Rins impressed in Phillip Island by beating team-mate Andrea Iannone by half-a-second. The former Moto2 rider has adapted well to the Suzuki following a delayed start to his 2017 MotoGP season after being injured at Valencia in his first test on the GSX-RR. Grinding away Former Moto3 world cham Danny Kent pulled the covers off the Kiefer Racing Suter machine that he’ll ride this year…

‘It looks like they start to understand what I want with this engine’MARC MARQUEZ Despite running at the front of the three-day Phillip Island test and finishing second overall, Marc Marquez has admitted that there’s still a lot of work to be done. Marquez and his fellow Honda riders have been disappointed so far with the latest iteration of the RC213V’s engine, with the switch from screamer to big bang firing order configuration failing to bring the increased rideability and acceleration and decreased aggression that they’ve craved. And despite an impressive performance at the test to finish second to Maverick Viñales – and to end the test with a number of very impressive race simulations, the reigning MotoGP champion says that they can’t get ahead of themselves just yet. “We…

While things might have been good on the Viñales side of the Movistar Yamaha garage, it was decidedly less so on his team-mate’s side, with Valentino Rossi struggling through a difficult three days’ at a circuit where he normally excels. Working hard on race pace and data collection as they look to improve how the M1 conserves its tyres into the second half of the race, Rossi put in three hard days riding. But with multiple entries and exits from the pits, and much of his time spent on used tyres, it meant he languished in 12th spot. Completing far fewer laps than most of his rivals and not getting the chance complete a full race simulation (Viñales did two) means that Rossi is a long way off where he…

‘It’s just testing and everything can change in the actual race!’JONAS FOLGER Maverick Viñales wasn’t the only Yamaha rider to come away from Phillip Island having seriously impressed, with rookie sensation Jonas Folger stunning the established elite by finishing fourth overall – only just missing out on being a member of the 1m28s club. Running a fast and consistent pace, the German has shown an incredible turnaround in form following a difficult 2016 Moto2 campaign – but says that it’s simply a case of the more advanced MotoGP electronics allowing him to ride the bike the way he wants to. “It’s hard to say why the transition has been so good, but the MotoGP bike’s electronics help me in many ways – in places where I had problems in Moto2.…

THE BEVEL-DRIVE 1973-1982 This Supersport was the superbike of its day, and in both 750 and 900 form is now one of the most collectable classics around. It was spawned from the famous Imola 200-winning Paul Smart bike of 1972. THE BEAUTIFUL ONE 1991-1998 After a short-lived model from 88-91, the ’90s air/oil-cooled 2-valve SS range provided an attractive sporty underdog to the water-cooled superbikes. They’re an exercise in corner speed and flat power delivery. THE UNPOPULAR ONE 1999-2006 The Terblanche redesign left most people cold, but they are now gaining popularity. The best was the 1000SS, but the early 750 and 900SS bikes had cooler 916-style clocks. THE NEWEST ONE 2017-onwards Spiritually closest to the 1990s SS family, the new bike has the looks of the flagship superbikes in…

CBR1000RR Fireblade SP £19,125 The most special (mass production bike) of the new Blade family, the SP is more than most riders will ever need – but it lacks that special ingredient that makes it uncompromisingly drool-worthy. It’s cheaper than its exotic rivals. RCV1000 £35,000 (est) Set to go head-to-head with the Panigale R and Ninja H2, the RCV is destined to be one of the most accessibly collectable high-end Honda superbikes since the RC45. Brimming with exclusivity, it will also be a typically-Honda great road bike. RC213V-S £137,000 Honda’s MotoGP bike with lights is exceptionally rare, wildly expensive, and utterly beautiful. No mass-produced road bike can ever get close to the RCV’s directness or speed around a track. But it’s playing a very different role to the new V4…

When you fill up your bike you generally get the choice of 95 or 97 fuel. These numbers are the fuel’s octane rating, which is shown in the industry standard of RON, which stands for Research Octane Number. This number is a figure demonstrating how much compression the fuel can withstand before it ignites. High performance engines generally have high compression ratios and that means running a fuel with a low RON figure could lead to pre-ignition (also called detonation or knocking), which robs the motor of power and can potentially cause damage, although modern motors automatically alter the ignition timing – within a range of parameters – to prevent damage occurring. The higher the RON number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before igniting and that means high…

De La Soul told us three was the magic number and it seems that rubbed off on the owner of this customised W800 when they briefed Untitled Motorcycles on the 3-DOM. The Kawasaki W400 was never officially imported into the UK, although visually its nearly identical to the venerable W650. To begin with the engine and gearbox were stripped and rebuilt, then the wheels were powder coated and shod with a pair of Avons. To achieve the clean look they were after, the airbox, the battery and all the usual underseat gubbins were ditched, and replaced with a battery box under the seat. The electronics were the hardest part, as tucking them away neatly is easy but doing it in such a way as to make them accessible when needed…

KAWASAKI KE125 On my Kawasaki in 1980. Ian Taylor ROYAL ENFIELD CRUSADER Me on my first bike in 1963 (and my first dog getting in on the act too). Roger Bilbe YAMAHA FS1-E Fantastic start – although the day after my 16th birthday I crashed into a car and broke my leg. Glenn Cooney SUZUKI AP50 It’s 1979 and I’d bought it from my cousin Gary (standing). I was 15 and saved my paper round money. Phil Treadgold 1929 FRANCIS BARNETT A 15-year-old Sammy Miller. He now has an identical model in his museum. TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN My first custom rebuild when I was 17 in Bristol. Phil Meyers send pics to: mcn.letters @motorcyclenews.com…

‘You don’t have to abuse the throttle to have fun as there’s real kick’ HIGHLIGHTS • Refined 1050cc V-twin now produces 125bhp • Three riding modes plus one optional off-road setting • ABS with an optional off-road setting • New manually adjustable screen The now deceased 1050 was KTM’s entry point for new riders into their Adventure range. The Austrian factory deliberately restricted its LC8 engine to 95bhp while the whole package was designed to be fun without over-challenging the inexperienced. Now KTM have unleashed all the power and launched the new 1090 with 125bhp and 80.4ftlb of torque. Even though it’s now called the 1090, capacity remains the same at 1050cc. And, don’t worry, KTM also offer a 95bhp version that can also be restricted to the 38kW (47bhp)…

‘When it’s winter my ZX-10R, with its smooth power, traction control and ABS is still a joy’ KAWASAKI ZX-10R KRT Price £13,799 Fuel 17ltr@45mpg = 168-miles Weight 197kg Seat 813mm Power 197bhp Torque 84ftlb MICHAEL NEEVES Sportsbike lover who also races in Thundersport GP1 Height 6ft Weight 72kg There’s a lot to be said for parking-up your 200bhp superbike when the summer packs its case and heads down under. Bikes like my ZX-10R love clean, dry roads and there aren’t many of those around right now. The last time I rode a bike through the winter months was my then-new Suzuki GSX-R750J in 1988. It didn’t fare too well. The shiny bits furred-up like an old kettle and the first-generation Michelin A59/M59X radials were crashes waiting to happen whenever it…

‘Magistrates can use discretion and not ban you if there are compelling reasons shown’ Q Have the Court taken too long to summons me? I was caught by a mobile camera in June last year doing 70mph in a 50mph and received a Notice of Intended Prosecution a couple of weeks later. I filled in the forms and sent payment for the fine. I was then told that because I already have nine points on my licence I would have to go to court as I could be banned. I have now finally received a summons to attend court. I thought they only had six months – do I have a defence to this? Keith Parrott, Sheffield A The six-month rule would have given you a defence had you not…

I sold the Kawasaki KH100 at Kempton Park for £775, or £125 more than it cost me in late 2015. So I scratched the lingering two-stroke itch, had some fun, and made a nice little profit on it. If I’d hung on, I know I could have got more, but the man haggled well and waved cash, and that always works with me. All I spent on it, apart from road tax and an MoT, was a few quid for a new six-volt battery and a rear brake operating arm (the splines had gone). You could do the same - there’s no secret to it. Just buy wisely and at the right time. I haven’t fully sorted out the Triumph Sprint ST simply because it’s in an unheated lock-up, under…

2001 Honda CBR600F  Colours Yellow, red/black,red/silver, silver Dealer £2600 Private good £1900 Private average £2300 This one At £2400, this bike is cheaper than average and has just 12,961 miles on its clocks. Well worth a look. 2002 Honda CBR600F Colours Yellow, red/blue,red/silver, silver Dealer £3300 Private good £3000 Private average £2700 This one The silver paint is very appealing and with 18,750 miles it is hardly run in for a CBR. 2003 Honda CBR600F Colours Colours Black, red/blue, red/silver Dealer £3400 Private good £3000 Private average £2800 This one Has a relatively low £2695 price due to the 27,000 miles on its clocks. 2003 Honda CBR600F  Colours Black, red/blue,red/silver Dealer £3400 Private good £3000 Private average £2800 This one £2695 due to its 27,000 miles. If the service history…

‘My style is all about extreme stopping and acceleration’TOM SYKES As the World Superbike technical regulations have been dumbed down, Sykes’ secret weapons have slowly been blunted. Over the past two years, rule changes have seen the level of engine tuning drop in an effort to reduce costs and level the field and this year that goes even further with the banning of split throttle bodies. Technology his team tailored to suit his aggressive style. “The more the engine is designed for racing the faster I am, because my style is all about extreme stopping and extreme acceleration,” Sykes explained. But the technical landscape has now changed, and this has led Sykes to consider a change of riding style as he looks to return to winning ways in 2017. “After…

‘There is no component the same as 2016 – it is all redesigned’MICHELE GADA After scoring only a single podium in 2016 it is clear Yamaha had underestimated the task of winning in World Superbike following their four-year absence from the series. However, it seems that this is no longer the case. A revamp of PATA Yamaha’s overall strategy sees a new technical base in Italy, where all engineering advances and man management are under the control of Yamaha race boss Andrea Dosoli. This new strategy also sees the introduction of former works Ducati and BMW electronics guru, Michele Gada, who joins the team to coordinate technical efforts. “There is no component the same as last year, we have re-designed all the things on the bike that we can change…

The wait is finally over! The 2017 Superbike World Championship starts this weekend in Phillip Island, meaning you have just 24 hours remaining to get your entries in for this year’s MCN Fantasy Road Race. We’ve got a Shoei NXR helmet up for grabs, as well as £20 MCN Shop vouchers for the winners of each game round, so it’s well worth getting your team in! Why not create a mini-league and go up against your mates? Entries close at midnight on February 23 so get picking your six man team now! You’ll get a budget of £13.5 million to choose two MotoGP riders, two WSB riders and two BSB riders to score you points when the season starts. You’ll get two transfers ahead of any race weekend, so pick…