Table of contents for July 4th 2018 in MCN

Is it human nature to complain about too much of a good thing or more a phenomenon reserved for grumpy Brits? After decades of decidedly iffy summer weather, we seem to be enjoying a glorious couple of months at last. And yet, last weekend I overheard a sportsbike rider complaining of the heat. It may have had something to do with his one-piece leathers, complete with speed hump. I don’t get it. Motorcycling is a solar-powered pastime so when we get it we should use it. What’s making this recent bout of brilliant weather even more appealing is that it coincides with the World Cup, you know that football thing. So not only is it dry and warm and the roads sticky – but they are deserted most evenings too…

Honda have revealed an all-new SuperCub. The original machine was launched over 60 years ago and has sold more than 100 million units. It became the most popular motorised vehicle ever made and was the foundation of Honda’s success. This all-new Super Cub C125 is a modern ‘re-imagining’ and tribute to the classic Cub. Styling has been cleverly updated with LED lighting, including the cute ‘ring’ headlamp; the wheels have grown from 16 to 17in; there’s now disc brakes in place of drums; an analogue/digital display and even keyless ignition. The engine, meanwhile, is all-new, too. It has an air-cooled, two-valve, fuel-injected, 125cc single that puts out just shy of 10bhp. It is paired with a four- speed gearbox and is capable, Honda say, of returning 188mpg, giving a theoretical…

‘I’m loving this group. It’s been a real inspiration’ R5K MEMBER MIKE BRITT Hundreds of MCN readers have already completed MCN’s 5000-mile challenge and it’s not too late for you to join in the fun. Since launching our 2018 #ride5000miles campaign in March, 3000 new members have signed up, boosting numbers to almost 7000 mile-munchers. “R5K is always in the back of my mind whenever I get the bike out, and it helps me clock up the miles,” says one of R5K’s most prominent members, Chris Hood. “The sticker is on the back of my helmet too. It’s often a point of conversation with other riders when we meet up and I have met some riders through being recognised as part of the group. “I got 5000 miles under…

Next week we test the new Ducati Panigale V4 Speciale, the limited-edition ‘halo’ version of the fastest, most advanced superbike we’ve ever seen. When the V4 was unveiled to the public last year there was much talk about the new engine and its link to the MotoGP project, but how close is it to Ducati’s race winner? Size is everything The first thing to look at is dimensions. With a bore of 81mm, the Panigale’s Desmosedici Stradale engine shares the same bore as the MotoGP racer. There is a good reason for this; with the same bore, the combustion chamber shape and cylinder head design can be taken directly from the MotoGP racer, drastically reducing development time. “It made perfect sense,” said Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali earlier in the year.…

During over 40 years as a motorcyclist I have never heard of anyone being killed by having a small number plate or noisy exhaust. North Wales Police's Superintendent Banham (MCN, June 20) needs to address the real issues involving accidents. RoSPA and the THINK campaign have shown that drivers failing to look properly and misjudging speed are the real issues. Then there are the appalling road surfaces with the increasing number of potholes and other avoidable issues. Another survey has shown that many collisions are caused by drivers running into the back of bikes, then we have cars pulling into motorcyclists etc. Surely if road safety is on Ms Banham’s agenda, then education and not prosecution is the key? Andy Meads, Northants…

I’m disgusted by some fans in MotoGP these days. Booing on the podium and cheering when someone crashes is unacceptable. When you’re bouncing down the road end-over-end it bloody hurts! Trust me, I’m speaking from experience here. ‘WHEN YOU’RE BOUNCING DOWN THE ROAD IT HURTS’ I saw pictures from Mugello of gravestones with Marc Marquez logos on and stuff; what the hell is the world coming to? I don’t think they’d attack him physically (they don’t have the guts), and I don’t think they mean it, but it has gone too far and people need to wake up. The hatred for Marquez is interesting. I mean, nobody likes the same person winning every week because it gets a bit boring. Nobody liked it when Mick Doohan was winning all the…

Q ‘Is the screen height adjustable?’ Asks reader Jinty Horsburgh MCN’s Alison Silcox has the answers A Yes, there’s 50mm of adjustment between the highest and lowest screen positions and the lever to move between them can be operated with one hand while on the move. While the adjustment range is decent, it’s tricky to find the right setting to give the best balance of wind protection and wind noise reduction. Q ‘Is the fuelling snatchy, especially in A mode?’ Maurice Markham A There are three modes to choose from and they’re easy to switch between, it’s a case of closing the throttle and flicking a switch. ‘A’ is the most aggressive, sporty and responsive, without being snatchy. ‘B’ (for poor riding conditions) feels sluggish, while STD is the best…

1. HANG OFF Body position is key. Hang off the inside, grip the tank with your outside knee and ride with your inside toes on the pegs. 2. RE LAX Don’t tense up, ensure your inside arm is relaxed on the bike and not straight and rigid. And remember to breathe! 3. OFF-THROTTLE Corner with the throttle closed to increase your speed and allow the bike to naturally flow through the bend to the apex. 4. POSITIONI NG With the right body position your knee will naturally touch the ground, although a slight stretch may help. DANGER ZONE Shifting body position to aid corner stability is crucial, but don’t destabilise the bike on corner entry.…

Adventure bikes are hugely popular now, partly because they are bought by 50-somethings who can’t contort themselves to fit sportsbikes, partly because of the Range Rover Effect (“I could take this thing to Timbuktu, even though I’m going to Tesco”), and partly because they are astonishingly practical. You get a comfy riding position, good fuel range, luggage and easy handling. The only thing most lack is sheer speed. £3950 SUZUKI V-STROM 650 645cc | 68bhp | 835mm seat height • Dealer price £2000-£7000 • Private £850-£5000 • This one £3950, private sale The smaller brother of the V-Strom 1000, this bike uses Suzuki’s torquey 650 engine to good effect. You get the same weather protection, comfort and good on-road manners, plus it’s a bit more usable on unsurfaced roads and…

Time is running out for you to take advantage of this special ticket offer for the Devitt MCN Ally Pally Show and Supersprint. You have until midnight on Saturday to snap up two standard tickets for £28. That’s a saving of £14 on the gate price. The show will be a bit special and features the world’s only indoor Supersprint where five celebrity riders, including WSB legend Carl Fogarty and TT superstar John McGuinness, will go head-to-head down the specially laid out strip. As well as the Supersprint itself, a range of super-exotic modern and classic race bikes will be firing down the strip at top speed. It’s a sight (and sound) you won’t want to miss. Of course there will also be stands crammed with bikes, riding kit and…

‘It’s playing on my mind and you need to have concentration’ Dani Pedrosa’s future in MotoGP took another twist at Assen, when a disastrous weekend for the Repsol Honda rider fuelled continued rumours about his 2019 plans. The Spaniard is strongly linked to a new Petronas Yamaha team which is set to be officially announced this week. But its expected confirmation at Assen was delayed once again as negotiations continue. The new Malaysian-run team is believed to be taking the grid slots of Aspar Ducati and it seemed a deal was in place for Pedrosa to join rookie Franco Morbidelli on factory-supported satellite Yamahas. But with Pedrosa believed to be demanding more money and increased support from Yamaha, it seems that the team are now reconsidering their options. Pedrosa failed…

Alex Rins produced the shock of the weekend by coming from nowhere to grab a stunning second at Assen. In what was the young Suzuki star’s best MotoGP ride yet he overhauled Maverick Viñales for a place on the podium. “There were a lot of overtakes and tight moves so I was always trying to push to stay with the others and hold my space,” he told MCN. “I feel very positive with my bike and with my team, and we all really want to improve and win. We’ve had a competitive bike since Qatar but we’ve been able to change a few things to get extra power and better performance so I hope I can stay at the top for the next races too.”…

‘It was a crazy race. It was like a pack of wild animals’ The Assen circuit once again delivered an intense MotoGP battle that will go down in the history. Reigning champion Marc Marquez came out on top of an eight-rider dice for the win while the top 15 delivered the closest finish in premier class history. Strong winds on race day negated the impressive pace shown by Marquez earlier in the weekend and the Repsol Honda rider was unable to make a break. Instead, he spent the whole 26 laps locked in battle with a host of other riders, only eventually pulling a gap right at the death. In fact, the Spaniard was so strong throughout the weekend he admitted after the race he was surprised how hard he…

‘I’d like to see a rise in training school numbers’ CHIEF EXAMINER MARK WINN Riders are being encouraged to take part in a new advanced skills drive with the added incentive of possible insurance discounts. Aimed at people who already hold a licence, whether they are new or seasoned bikers, the Enhanced Rider Scheme has just been launched by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. The idea is that candidates will book an assessment ride with a local school and then receive pointers on what they need to improve. There’s no actual pass/fail test but you will get a certificate. The DVSA says the scheme is ideal for riders who have just passed a test, are looking to upgrade to a more powerful machine or simply want to sharpen…

For those who want a 125 but don’t want to look like they’ve borrowed a bike from a training school, Mutt has the answer. The upstart Brit brand has gained success with a range of cool-looking, learner-legal machines based on Chinese-built mechanicals and this, a 125 version of their delightful RS-13, is their latest offering. Distinctive features include: wide knobbly tyres, cut-down rear subframe, a stumpy diamond-stitched seat, short front mudguard, wide Renthal bars and a hand-finished tank. Like other models in the range it has a Chinese-made, air-cooled motor (originally designed by Suzuki) making 11bhp and 7.4ftlb of torque. It also has modern LED indicators, a halogen headlight, a fuel injection induction system and linked ABS brakes. The RS-13 125 costs £3495 and each bike comes with a two-year…

‘It’s based on the 1200S and has loads of flash kit’ 1 If looks could thrill Paintjob is inspired by that of the 2008 Monster S4RS Testastretta Tricolore 2 Lovely touches Mirrors, frame plugs, bar ends, petrol cap and levers are all milled from billet aluminium 3 Peak twin 1198cc Testastretta is as powerful as ever but now more reliable, with valve checks every 20,000 miles 4 Cover up The ‘25’ also comes complete with its own dedicated cover (because let’s face it, it won’t be ridden much will it?) First presented at the Cologne show in 1992 as something of a parts-bin special, the Monster has gone on to be one of the most iconic bikes in history. Since production began in March the following year, 325,000 Monsters have…

‘Many meets are commercialised but not this one’ 10,000 bikes roll into a ‘proper old bike night’ With its traditional green, historic pub and medieval church, Cassington could well be considered the quintessential English village, a place where the smack of leather on willow might mingle with birdsong on the summer evening’s breeze. On any evening that is, except the last Monday in June, when this picturesque hamlet rolls out the red carpet to welcome thousands to the annual Cassington Bike Night. “It all began 30 years ago,” says Caroline Morton of the Cassington Sports and Social Club, “when the British Motorcycle Riders Club Oxford would invite other groups to their regular meet here at the Red Lion. In 2012 it was passed over to a village committee, without whom…

ARIEL LEADER This was me with my Ariel when I was about 17. Fifty five years later and after about 35 bikes, I’m still riding 8000 miles a year on a Triumph Thunderbird Storm. David ‘Owl’ Pratley YAMAHA RD250 This is from July 1980. I was 17 and had great days on my RD250. I’m still riding bikes 38 years on. Tim Claridge YAMAHA DT125 Never mind the lack of helmet on my old DT, check out the massive boots and protective stripy jumper. Mark Webster NSU QUICKLY My grandfather and my father with his NSU Quickly. Just like him, I have the biking bug and own a BMW K1200R Sport. Craig Carmichael SUZUKI GSX400F This was my first big bike. I got it soon after passing my test. It…

From traffic-clogged ring roads to deserted curves that make your heart sing, our 250-mile test route has it all and is designed to be a true test of any road bike. Dedicated tourers lap up the open bits but get their knickers knotted in the city; pure sportsbikes fly in the twisty stretches but are often too uncompromising to excel at slower speeds. Retros? Typically they’re cool for the first 100 miles or so, but become painful after seven hours in the saddle. So the search continues for the ideal bike for the MCN 250, the best bike in fact for UK roads. Step forward Yamaha’s MT-07 and Kawasaki’s Z650, our two latest contenders, bikes with rock solid, all-round reputations plus temptingly competitive PCP and showroom prices. Back in December…

Both the Yamaha and Kawasaki have full digital displays that are simple and easy to navigate. Both also have easy-to-read gear position indicators, although neither have mode buttons or any electronic riding aids. The Kawasaki’s analogue rev counter, combined with digital speedo, gives it a slightly dated feel plus there’s no ambient temperature readout either. Overall the Yamaha’s display is a little easier on the eye, and clearer to read. FUNCTIONALITY…

Maxton founder Ron Williams is now 77, but he’s still sitting at a computer designing suspension units. He is one of motorcycling’s old-school engineers who has been there, seen it and built it. Ron started out in the late 1960s designing chassis components for Chevron race cars, but soon decided to go his own way and work with two wheels. “I’m working class,” he says. “I fit in better with motorcycling people.” Ron spotted an opportunity for improving the chassis of Yamaha’s two-stroke proddy racers, the TZ250 and 350. “The Yamahas were terrible; the shock stretched the frame over every bump. So in 1971 I set up Maxton (Max from Maximum, and ton meaning 100mph), and built my own frames,” he adds. Ron’s success took him to the TT and,…

All around me is beauty. The shattered peaks of the Sella Towers are silhouetted against a perfect sky. Climbing to over 8000 feet, before the irresistible force of tectonic shifting shunted them towards the sky they were once a coral reef at the bottom of a primordial ocean. But now they reach to meet the clouds from foothills so lush, so green they are almost fluorescent. Below me a dream road is mapped out. It snakes and switches as it descends to a valley rich with vineyards and dotted with wild flowers. Right now, the SS242 that wends its way to the dormant Canazei Ski Resort doesn’t just feel like the best road in the world, it feels like the best place in the world. I’m here to ride in…

Can you believe Aprilia’s RSV4 Factory has been around for nearly ten years? The 2009 original wowed us with its wailing V4 and 250cc GP-like handling. Since then the 2010 SE spawned sublime APRC electronics and it joined the 200bhp club in 2015, in its updated RF guise. But for those for whom the latest 201bhp, £19,999 RSV4 isn’t enough, Aprilia will sell you factory bolt-ons to give more power and take away weight. It’s called the FW (Factory Works) kit and has gas-flowed, high compression cylinder heads, pistons, ECU, full Akrapovic exhaust, a thinner tank, lithium battery, lightweight top yoke and carbon winglets. If you fit the whole shebang, like the test bike in the pictures (which also has a special US-only paintjob and other bolt-on goodies) you’ll be…

Ihaven’t taken to avoiding the queue at the printer quite yet, but when yet another colleague slides alongside and asks, “So what is the 790 Duke all about, then? Handling? Engine? Doing really bad stuff?” I can only say, “Um, erm, it’s not a straight forward answer.” Some days it’s all about getting me into work asap. It’s a parallel twin, of course, but an aggressively thin one, with wickedly light steering and nonchalant walking-pace balance. And it’s good for at least 60mpg, no matter how badly it’s ridden. The drive is a bit juddery, as all twins can be at low road speeds, while throttle response is irritatingly abrupt just when it needs to be smooth. But the 790 is a flowing and commanding commuter that will even hop…

MK BIKE SHOW, MILTON KEYNES, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, JULY 8 ‘Visit this biking show of strength’ Building on its successful launch in 2016, the MK Bike Show is back for 2018 and set to be bigger and better than ever. Located at Stadium MK, it’s a celebration of all things motorcycling, is free to enter and features trade stands, club stalls, tour operators and a huge display of classic and custom machines. The route Take the A5 north to Towcester onto Watling Street past the Super Sausage café. Turn left in Towcester for Brackley Road and after crossing the A43 make for Abthorpe, Wappenham then Helmdon. At the B4525 turn left towards Silverstone. Push on to Buckingham and the town centre, then follow ‘all routes’ via Bridge Street and London Road onto…

‘Each win is five podium credits – that’s what matters’ Leon Haslam heads into this weekend’s fifth round of the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship with a huge 64-point lead after five wins from the last five races. The JG Speedfit Kawasaki star’s unexpected Snetterton double saw him extend his title advantage and more importantly his podium credits tally. Haslam is now 15 credits ahead of Buildbase Suzuki’s Bradley Ray. Haslam won at Knockhill back in 2016 but missed the Scottish round last year after breaking a bone in his neck during practice. The 1.3-mile circuit has recently been fully resurfaced and in testing there last week, Haslam lapped 0.6 seconds under the quickest ever BSB lap and 0.8 seconds under the lap record. “Knockhill is a track Kawasaki goes…

From operating table hell to the Laguna Seca podium, it’s been a roller-coaster ride for Eugene Laverty. His record of 13 wins and 34 WSB podiums sp eaks for itself and after returning to the rostrum in the USA, his target, he told MCN, is to win next time out in Portugal. Q Is the World Superbike series in good shape? A I like the Saturday race, but three races would be good with two on Sunday. We’d need a pay rise though! The trickiest thing is dominance; sometimes it’s best not to change rules, then it’s down to manufacturers to close the gap. Q How bad was the Thailand incident? A Massive – I went into shock. My two pelvic fractures were bad but the internal injuries were worse. My urethra…

MCN has sorted out an exclusive one-off ticket deal with Silverstone for this year’s British MotoGP event to save you a significant 20% off Weekend or Race Day General Admission tickets. MotoGP returns to Silverstone for the GoPro British Grand Prix on the Bank Holiday weekend of August 24-26 and always delivers thrilling action on track, as well as plenty more off-track. Get up close and personal on Friday and Saturday evening with rider interviews on stage, followed by on-stage entertainment throughout the weekend. If you’re coming with the family, there’s plenty to see and do. You can check out the latest manufacturer model line-ups from Ducati, Suzuki, Yamaha, Triumph and KTM or get stuck in at the try-out zones where kids can ride Oset electric trials bikes. There’s also…

‘The season is long but we need to make a step’ Strong results for the factory Movistar Yamaha team at the Dutch TT on Sunday can’t hide the fact that Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi still have to address deep-seated issues with the M1. The pair had one of their best weekends of the season so far, finishing third and fifth, but warned that it is not the long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel as they bid to get back to their winning ways. Struggling for over a year now and matching the longest ever time Yamaha have gone without a MotoGP victory (18 races) the pair are still complaining about issues with acceleration. Yamaha worked last year to address issues with tyre life but the problem is…

Kawasaki created the ultimate distance destroyer with the supercharged H2 SX. The H2-inspired engine gives incredible thrust and powers a sports tourer that can cruise at high speed across continents. But it’s not the only one. Kawasaki have a long tradition for building super-fast mile-munchers dating right back to its speed king ZZ-R1100 from the early ’90s. So, grab a bargain and hold on tight. 2018 H2 SX What is it? More civilised than the H2, the SX comes in four different versions; Standard, Tourer, Performance and Performance Tourer with accessories like centrestand kit, large windscreen, knee pads and Akrapovic sports exhaust. MCN says “The combination of usable supercharged power combined with comfort is genius.” Want to buy one? £18,899, £168/month on a three-year PCP deal. See www.kawasaki-kalculator.co.uk 2016 Z1000…

‘This team is invaluable to tackle moped crime’ HARRISON WHITE, GMP With news full of ‘scooter scum’ mugging everyone from comedians to politicians, it would be easy to think the police are powerless. But new video footage has emerged of two plain clothes officers in Manchester taking dramatic action to stop three scooter suspects. Direct action The dashcam footage shows three people on two scooters paused at traffic lights on Saturday, May 12 just after 4pm. They’re about to set off from the lights, when a plain clothes officer on a Honda CRF enduro clatters the front end of one of the scooters and blocks the path of the other. In the ensuing struggle, the struck rider drops the bike, before making a run for it. At this point,…

Old Mooneyes is back A few weeks ago I was trying to sell my VFR800 when I got a call from a guy wanting to look at it. We made a date and he said his name was John Cooper. No I thought, it couldn’t be. But when he turned up it was old Mooneyes himself. John was one of my heroes, alongside Hailwood and Ago, who we used to watch as kids when we crawled through the fence at Mallory Park. John bought my bike and left me with a few mementos which I shall treasure. David Moore, Leics Noisy cans spoil it for all I had to laugh at Al Fagan’s comment regarding people swimming in the gene pool whilst the lifeguard wasn’t looking in MCN's Blog Off…

Our quest so far has taken us to cafés based at historic hangouts, beautiful locations and amazing roads, but this week we head deep into the centre of London to check out one of the newest kids on the block, the Bike Shed Motorcycle Club in trendy Shoreditch. The Bike Shed is a unique destination, located amongst a series of railway arches just off Old Street, there’s the café/ restaurant, a barber, tattooist, apparel shop, chill out and meeting area, exhibition space and free, secure parking for around 100 bikes. “It’s the only reason we’ve come to London,” says Alex Turner, who’d ridden from Leamington Spa with Anna Brown on his sparkly orange Honda Hornet. “The steak salad is amazing.” The menu may well be more exotic than your average…

It’s Britain’s best road test route. A tough 250-mile mix of A and B-roads, a stretch of busy 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 for sportsbikes, and Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground and the dyno for hard and fast data when needed. You want answers? We’ve got ’em. WEATHER WATCH 1 Short story How low and small is the Kawasaki? I keep bending my legs waiting for the seat to connect with my bum but it doesn’t. It’s only 15mm lower than the Yamaha but feels much more. It’s also very narrow where it meets the 15-litre fuel tank, which makes the Zed ideal for…

1 Machining from billet A Maxton shock, like this WR26 twin-shock designed for a range of classic and post classic bikes, starts as a billet of 6082 T6 aluminium. This part will become the shock top and remote cylinder. 2 Fine machining A single piece will face over five hours machining, with more than 20,000 instructions, before going for anodising. 3 Know-how Maxton’s filing cabinets are stuffed with technical info for thousands of different shock and fork set-ups. 4 Setting up assembly All pieces are picked from Maxton’s stock of parts and almost all are made in–house. Even the piston rods are drilled through a solid bar of steel rod. Only springs, seals and bearings are bought in. 5 Gassing up Once the remote cylinder has its damping oil added,…

MCN have teamed up with Oxford Products to offer readers this handy Triple Brush Set. All you need to pay is £1.99 to cover the postage and packaging. But be quick because we only have 1000 of these cleaning kits to give away. The brushes have soft rubber ergonomically shaped handles and durable nylon bristles. Each pack includes a large wheel cleaning brush, a forked cleaning brush for tackling awkward areas and a claw brush designed for cleaning sprockets and chains. Terms and Conditions Important to note that at the time of ordering we will ask you to cover the postage by credit/debit card and a payment will be taken of £1.99. Call times are Monday-Friday 8am-8pm and Saturdays 10am-6pm. Calls are free from any UK landline and mobiles. This…

‘There’s no better place to ride on a sunny day’ When you live in the West Country, there are loads of amazing roads, but Tony Lloyd says his One-Gallon gem is the best in the area. The Kawasaki Z1000SX-rider says his route has a bit of everything. “On a nice day, there is no better place to be than riding around Poole. Of course there’s the bike night every Tuesday, but there are always bikes around the Poole Quay area anyway. So it’s always good for a browse and a chat. “The first half of the ride is about great, pure riding on challenging bends and small roads. The second half is more about stunning scenery as you head towards the coast and then ride around the harbour and back…

THE STUDENT Chris McCabe, 35, South Shields The Daytona 675R rider has ridden the Nürburgring but isn’t a regular track rider, and after 14 years is yet to scrape his knee. Chris’ riding problem “I don’t know why I haven’t done it. I’m not a trackday regular and although I’ve tried a few times on the road, I don’t want to push it.” THE TUTOR Michael Neeves, MCN Road Tester Neevesy has been testing bikes at MCN for over 15 years, instructs at the Ron Haslam Race School and races a BMW S1000RR. Neevesy’s action plan “Kneedown comes with good body position and improves safety as the bike’s more upright. I’ll sort his position and the rest will follow.” THE LESSON 1 It’s all about body position Chris’ body position…

Tom Quaye was only bitten by the biking bug three years ago but in that time he’s been on a voyage of discovery. He said: “I rode a twist-and-go scooter along the Hai Van Pass in Vietnam and from that moment I knew I had to get my licence. As soon as I got home (in August 2015) I did my Direct Access. Since then he has owned a number of bikes, swapping and changing to find something to suit his commute into central London. He eventually settled on his Harley Sportster Forty-Eight. “I was advised to buy a Triumph Tiger 800, however that was a mistake because it was bloody huge and I soon swapped that for a Triumph Scrambler. “Before I owned the Harley, I had a Triumph…

1 Work out what you are dealing with Depending on how a bike is stored, there can be several problems with old petrol. In the case of our classic Kawasaki KR-1S, the tank was bought as part of a job lot of spares for restoration and contained some old fuel. The first thing to do is use a torch to assess how much is in the tank and find a petrol can with enough volume for the fuel to be drained into. 2 Open doors and windows It doesn’t matter how long it’s been in the tank, petrol vapours are highly flammable. Open doors and windows in the workshop. Make sure that the bike’s ignition is switched off and that there are no potential ignition sources in the area. Make…

Status of England’s only road races remain in limbo Safety issues yet to be resolved There’s still hope for the future of England’s only road racing circuit, Scarborough’s Oliver’s Mount, despite the cancellation of all events so far this year in a dispute over safety. The situation arose following last September’s Gold Cup when two bikes ploughed through fences at Drury’s Hairpin and injured more than a dozen race fans in two separate crashes. The incident led to the sport’s governing body, the ACU, asking for a risk assessment which in turn identified safety modifications required to be undertaken at the 2.4-mile parkland circuit by the organising Auto 66 club before a racing licence would be issued. These, according to former Clerk of the Course and current Isle of Man…

Sam Lowes struggled to ninth place in Assen as he desperately tries to get his season back on track. The 27-year-old had difficulties all weekend as he fought to get the most out of his Swiss Innovative Investors KTM. He faced the same problem as the factory KTM duo of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder who could only finish in sixth and seventh position. “We struggled with rear grip, which is strange because it felt good all weekend, but it just didn’t have the same feeling in the race. We did struggle a bit as a manufacturer and I got beaten up at the start, but I do feel it’s getting better. That’s two weekends with decent results and no crashes. We’re not yet where we want to be but…

At a track where Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati were expected to struggle, the Spaniard underlined the huge progress made in the previous two rounds by again running at the front in the epic race. The 31-year-old led for half the 26-lap race but was ultimately unable to make it three wins in a row, finishing four seconds off the win in seventh. Never the biggest fan of the Assen track and not a race winner in The Netherlands since 2010, Lorenzo went into the weekend without high expectations. But, gambling with a soft front Michelin tyre, he was able to exploit the early grip to storm from tenth on the grid to lead the race after a tough dice with the Honda of Marc Marquez. “I was really surprised to…

Johann Zarco joined the Assen party, finishing eighth, but admitted he didn’t have the package to enable a podium challenge. And with no further development of the satellite Tech3 Yamaha M1 for the remainder of the season, it looks likely he’ll be facing a similar situation at other tracks this year as the full factory teams continue to improve, instead working to target success at specific circuits in his quest for his first victory.…