Table of contents for 6th November 2019 in MCN

The first time I saw the 1992 CBR900RR FireBlade is still indelibly painted on the back of my retina. I never did like the multi-coloured version that everyone gravitated towards, but the launch-year black model did something to my trouser region that hasn’t diminished over the last 28 years. For many superbike fans, the Fireblade is the Japanese offering that cuts the deepest. But it’s been a difficult love affair if you allow logic to creep in. Yes, the original was a game-changer. But its Elvis-like ballooning robbed it of precision, and it took a whole decade for the Blade to return to form with the 954 model in 2002. Then came more creeping softness until 2008 when we were once again blown away – but it’s been a disappointing…

Amidst all the new 2020 production machines being unveiled this week in Milan, Ducati have revealed two concept bike drawings that’ll set Scrambler fans’ hearts racing. The first – and the one we’re really hoping makes it into production – is the Desert X (main picture) which is based on the Scrambler 1100 and is inspired by the Lucky Strike-liveried, Ducati V-twin powered, Cagiva Elefant 900 which Italian Edi Orioli powered to victory in the 1990 Paris-Dakar Rally. Effectively a ‘suped-up’ version of the existing 800cc Desert Sled, it’s powered by the 85bhp, 1079cc V-twin from the standard bike and is likely to come with all of that bike’s associated goodies, like cornering ABS and traction control. It also looks to have 21/18in wheels, which would make it quite handy…

Honda have based the new Fireblade’s ‘inner fairing winglets’ on the aero set-up of their MotoGP RC213V missile. Honda claim the road bike’s wings provide a similar level of downforce, while also making the Blade the most aerodynamically efficient of all current superbikes. The fairing design is all-new with the fuel tank now 45mm lower than previously and a new screen is claimed to significantly smooth out airflow over bike and rider. The lower fairing has been extended and shaped to channel air downward. This has two effects: in dry conditions, less air hits the tyre, lowering drag; while in the wet, less water hits the tyre, improving grip. Meanwhile, the sides of the rear hugger are carefully shaped to allow air to flow around the rider’s feet with minimum…

BMW have unveiled the all-new F900XR which is designed to take the sporty adventure theme to a new level. Stylistically based on the S1000XR – to the point when it’s almost indistinguishable at 20 paces – the F900XR is instead powered by a new version of its F-series parallel twin and designed to take on Yamaha’s popular Tracer 900GT, but will it cut the mustard? As the name hints, the parallel twin has grown, with a 2mm bigger bore pushing capacity to 895cc. There’s also a revised cylinder head. This pushes peak power to 105bhp and gives more mid-range oomph, although peak torque is unchanged. As with the 850, crank pins are offset giving a 270˚ firing interval along with a faux V-twin rumble. In addition are all the fancy…

Next year’s Tuono 1100 Factory gets subtle updates in the form of new carbon fibre front mudguard, side panels and engine covers made from the lightweight weave, to ‘further highlight its simply unrivalled position.’ It also gets a new ‘Atomico Racer’ paint scheme inspired by the colours of the RSV4 Factory and to further distinguish the Factory from the base Tuono 1100, which comes in either red or grey. FAST FACTS • 1078cc• 172bhp• 209kg (kerb)• £16.5k (est)…

A pair of motorcycling mates are planning to ride to all four corners of the UK in under 24 hours to raise money for charity. Kai Samlofski, 47, of Newton-Le-Willows, and Mark Isherwood, 44, from Congleton, begin their epic journey at John O’ Groats, Scotland, before heading south and east to Lowestoft, Suffolk, west to St David’s in Pembrokeshire, and then south to Land’s End in a ride they’re calling ‘The 24hr Compass Challenge.’ “You hear about people riding from John O’ Groats to Land’s End in a certain time and I thought that’d be nice, but everyone’s done that, so I thought about doing this instead,” Samlofski told MCN. “I just said to Mark: ‘Let’s just do it. There’s nothing stopping us. If we raise some money, then happy…

Globetrotting adventurer and rally racer Lyndon Poskitt is hosting a series of talks across the country promising an evening of fun anecdotes and the odd story of derring-do. He spent five years riding around the world and has raced in rallies on every continent. Along the way he went through 74 countries, covered 143,000 miles and competed in two Dakar rallies. The speaking tour runs from November 18 – 22, starting in Glasgow, then heading to Birmingham, Cardiff, London and Manchester. As well as talking about the trip, Lyndon will also have his bikes on display and will talk through the challenges that face such machines. Tickets cost £16.80. For more info and to book online, head to www.eventbrite.co.uk.…

The latest new bikes show the power war is getting stupid again. Ducati pushing the boundaries with a naked touting 208-odd bhp? No-one needs that much power on the road, it’s just dick swinging. Another gripe is the number of big bhp nakeds with paltry pillion provision. The advantage of having big power and torque is that carrying a passenger does not blunt the performance. Bike manufacturers need to realise that today’s happy pillion is a potential rider of tomorrow. A pillion trying out a balancing act comprising of sheer terror mixed with literal pain in the arse is not going to make a keen bike buyer. Tim Wild, email MCN Star letter Write something that spikes our interest, and you could get selected for the Star Letter slot.…

This is one of the closest 250 contests I’ve ridden. The GS benefits from 10 years of development and refinement to be a brilliant all-rounder, while nearly £2k of accessories give it luxury the KTM can’t hope to match. But underneath I can’t help but feel the F850 is showing its age. The brand new KTM, meanwhile, mostly matches it yet is newer, fresher and slightly sharper, if blighted by a harder seat and less proven reliability. My head says BMW and my heart KTM, but prices of these versions also play a big part and don’t forget Triumph’s brilliant Tiger 800 with rumours of an even better 900 for 2020.…

Getting on a level with the sport’s greatest stars Hodgson gets access to the sport’s biggest stars and because of his own credentials as a racer has the respect of riders and team managers. A rider’s eye view He may not race any more, but Hodgson remains seriously quick and completes onboard laps as well as other testing duties for BTSport. Paddock banter Hodgson and fellow BTSport presenter Gavin Emmett have become the grid walk double act of choice in recent years. Team work makes the dream work... Hodgson is an integral part of BTSport’s presenting line-up and has evolved into an accomplished presenter alongside Suzi Perry. Getting the inside line The former BSB and WSB champion brings his intimate knowledge of racing to the fans by going trackside during…

For a moment, I hesitate. It seems so close… yet still so hard to reach. I look at the sign again, then at my rental bike: a tidy Honda Crossrunner with a full set of Givi luggage and road tyres. Just the job for exploring the flowing tarmac of New Zealand. Then I look at the road: it’s not tarmac… it’s gravel. I look back to the sign for the third time and decide, to hell with it. I have to try to get there. The sign reads: Paradise 7km. I’d started my ride from Kingston in New Zealand, a small village at the foot of Lake Wakatipu. This is a huge S-shaped body of water ringed by white-tipped peaks, less than a hundred miles inland from the southern edge…

THE STUDENT Tony Hughes, 37, Newcastle After years on sportsbikes, Tony has switched to a KTM 990 Super Duke R and needs help with its upright riding position. Tony’s riding problem “My upper torso is too rigid and the ground feels a long way away to get my knee down. I don’t feel confident or connected.” THE TUTOR Gareth Roberts, Chief Instructor Silverstone’s Chief Instructor has been racing for 20 years and a trackday teacher since 2006. Still a roads and endurance racer. Gareth’s action plan “Getting the most from a naked on track is about putting your body in the best place to understand how the bike is behaving.” THE LESSON 1 Actively loosen arms and hands Tony’s upright and riding with locked arms. Gareth advises him to…

‘So smooth you don’t realise how fast you’re going’ Variety is the spice of life, or so it’s said, but when it comes to choosing a new bike there’s a certain gravity to be placed in sticking with what you know. “My mates say that if I cut myself in half, it’d say Kawasaki right through the middle,” says MCN reader Stuart Pickup. “In the past 15 years I’ve owned two ZX-10s and a couple of ZZR1400s which have all been brilliant.” That’s not to say that he hasn’t tried anything else, but those other experiences have been sadly regrettable. “My second bike was a 2005 Aprilia Mille, but I had so much trouble with it that I ended up taking it back,” he says. Stuart then purchased his first…

Retro doesn’t mean clunky and old fashioned. Sure, there’s plenty of period character and more than a dash of the flavour from a bygone era, but it’s served up with the handling, abilities and usability we expect of a modern motorcycle. So you can have ’60s café racer image with 2019 efficiency, or grit-in-your-face cool of an old desert sled paired with the dynamic ability to tackle a trackday. What’s not to like? £7250 TRIUMPH THRUXTON 1200cc |203kg |96bhp |810mm seat height • Dealer up to £9900 • Private up to £9000 • This one 2016, 5000 miles Launched for ’16, the Thruxton 1200 is a huge step on from the older 865cc model. The parallel twin supplies a heady mix of thudding torque and wheel-lifting power, and it…

1 Whip off the panels to reach the radiator Liquid-cooled bikes use a mixture of anti-corrosion inhibitors, antifreeze and lubrication agents in their cooling systems. The fluid should be changed every two years or at a mileage detailed in the service schedule. Follow the specific procedure in a workshop manual to give you access to the radiator cap, draining bolts and coolant expansion tank. 2 Remove the cap and check the pipes Make sure the bike is completely cold before you attempt to work on it, otherwise there is a risk the fluid will be pressurised and spray out. Carefully remove the radiator cap and place to one side. Do a visual check on the condition of the coolant pipes, wipe away any dust or dirt so that…

A vicious high-side during qualifying, the best first lap of his career, another record-breaking podium finish and wild family celebrations made it a dramatic and memorable Sepang MotoGP for Marc Marquez. Battered and bruised after a violent high-side in Q2 while trying to follow Fabio Quartararo, Marquez qualified outside the top 10 for just the second time in 126 MotoGP races. But after starting 11th, he carved his way through the pack in breath-taking fashion to finish lap one in second place. And while he didn’t have the speed to seriously threaten runaway victor Maverick Viñales, his second place finish moved him to a record MotoGP points haul of 395, surpassing Jorge Lorenzo’s previous best tally of 383 set in 2010. Marquez said he drew inspiration for his early charge…

Multiple speed record holder, Zef Eisenberg, has been awarded The Simms Medal by the Royal Automobile Club for his ‘outstanding contribution to motoring innovation.’ With over 50 British, World, ACU, FIM and Guinness records, Eisenberg made headlines again in September by setting four new FIM speed records at Elvington aboard the University of Nottingham’s TT Zero electric racer. Holder of over 50 speed records... ...and the UK’s fastest-ever bike crash! ‘His spirit is at heart of the Simms Medal’ “I’m very proud to have been awarded the Simms Medal,” Eisenberg said. “I’ve worked for the last eight years pushing the boundaries of engineering to deliver the most extreme and powerful motorbikes and cars. Pushing engineering and performance to a superior level is in our DNA. To be recognised by the…

Honda’s Fireblade has never really been about headline-grabbing power - until now. The radical new version sees Honda pull out all the stops to deliver a claimed 215bhp at peak courtesy of a brand-new, massively oversquare (81 x 48.5mm) 999.9cc inline-four engine. Honda say the new Blade’s bore and stroke is same as the V4-powered RC213V-S and also mimics that of Ducati’s class-leading Panigale V4R. It also produces similar power and torque. Its new top-end includes a swap to finger followers, Diamond Like Coating on the cam and a clever, new patent-pending ‘semi-cam gear train’, which is just code for ‘shorter cam chain’. The bottom-end has been reworked, too, with con-rods now forged from a titanium alloy of Honda’s own making, small-ends coated with beryllium copper while the piston skirts…

BMW’s S1000XR has gone on a serious diet for 2020, losing a 10kg. And although it doesn’t get the hoped-for ShiftCam engine from the latest S1000RR, the updated XR does get some more meat in the midrange. The key difference is a new, 2.1kg-lighter, aluminium ‘Flex Frame’ and swingarm, complete with a 9% lighter subframe, which uses the engine as more of a stressed member. There’s also a lighter, Euro5-compliant exhaust, while the suspension set-up has been revised to suit. Overall performance is unchanged but fourth, fifth and sixth gears are longer for smoother acceleration and lower fuel consumption. There’s a smoother slip-assist clutch and new cornering ABS while other electronic improvements include an extra riding mode, where Rain, Road and Dynamic are now joined by a fully adjustable ‘Dynamic…

Yamaha have significantly sharpened the popular Tracer 700 for 2020 in a bid to keep its middleweight all-rounder rivals at bay. Since the middleweight sports-tourer appeared in 2016 it’s sold solidly but this revamp should win it a lot more friends. The redesigned front-end is more aggressive and modern with new side lights backing up more powerful LED projector headlights. There’s a new screen that can be adjusted (with one hand) while on the move and can be lifted by as much as 60mm. New handguards are also claimed to help with the windblast. The incredibly capable parallel-twin motor is now Euro5-friendly without affecting power and torque (still 74bhp and 50ftlb), but suspension has been upgraded front and rear and is now adjustable for both preload and rebound (the outgoing…

Triumph have paid tribute to legendary Hollywood stuntman and off-road racer, Bud Ekins (he of The Great Escape jump fame), with two special-edition Bonnevilles based on the T100 (900cc) and T120 (1200cc). Each comes in a special two-tone paint scheme with hand-painted coach lining and classic Triumph logo. Also included are ‘flying globe’ Bud Ekins tributes on the tank and front mudguard, a Monza filler cap, LED indicators, black engine badges and knurled grips. Prices aren’t yet out, but the T100 tribute is expected to be £9500 with the T120 around £11K. FAST FACTS • Hand-painted details• Monza filler cap• Bespoke logos and badges…

As revealed on page eight of this week’s MCN, BMW’s updated S1000XR and the all-new F900 range will make their UK debut on the BMW Motorrad stand at Motorcycle Live in Birmingham’s NEC. In a highly anticipated update of the best-selling adventure-sports bike, the 2020 S1000XR promises to be lighter and more agile than before, to help it achieve an unprecedented combination of long-distance performance and sports capabilities. Meanwhile, additions to BMW’s middleweight range include the new F900R, a sports roadster that’s set to offer precise, dynamic and purist riding pleasure at all times. Plus, there’s the exciting new F900XR - an uncompromising mix of sportiness and touring capability, offering unrivalled dynamics with GS-like ergonomics. Looking to the future, showgoers will be able to get up close to the Vision…

SUZUKI GSX-R125 My wife Michelle at the ripe old age of forty-hmmmm has decided to learn to ride a motorcycle. Alex Loader BSA A10 This is my Uncle Johnny an American airman when he was based at Burtonwood, Lancs on his BSA A10 Plunger in 1963. Steve Judge RIEJU SMX 50 My first bike was this Rieju SMX 50 Supermoto. Great little machine but I had the engine rebuilt! Lewis Bishop SUZUKI GT380 Me aged 19 on my 1976 Suzuki GT380. I’m still biking today aged 59 on my Suzuki Intruder VZR1800. Paul Jones SUZUKI VAN VAN Here is a picture of my very first run on my first motorcycle. My lovely Van Van 125, what a beauty. Emma Ringland TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN My first big bike with my then…

Both have info-packed and customisable full-colour TFT displays but where the KTM’s is only 5in wide, only fills about ¾ of the available area and its text is a little small, the BM’s is 6.5in packed with options and styles, is clearer to read and continues to set the standard. The BM’s is generally easy to navigate via the menu button and scrolling wheel but the KTM’s is simpler and quicker. The BM (in this spec) also has more modes and switchable features (heated grips, ESA etc) all also controlled via the screen. BMW BMW SWITCHGEAR A mass of extras features (ESA, modes, cruise, heated grips) makes left-hand switchgear busy and slightly fiddly but it works well. KTM KTM SWITCHGEAR Simpler, less fiddly and perhaps more sturdy than the BMW’s…

•‘That first WSB win in 2000 was the pinnacle of my career’ On paper Neil Hodgson’s career has been packed with success: British champion, 500GP rider, WSB champion and highly regarded pundit for BTSport. But while the highlights speak for themselves, it is the difficult times, the poor results, the thoughts of quitting that have shaped him. Hodgson’s rise was staggering: “I started in 1990 and was British Champion by 1992. By 1993 I was a 125 GP rider, and by 1995 I was in 500GPs up against Mick Doohan! “That season in 1995 was amazing and then I went from GPs to WSB as John Kocinski’s teammate on a factory Ducati. I’d never had a teammate and I ended up with the worst teammate in the world – a…

If you’re struggling to get to the Milan show this week don’t worry, all the important new 2020 models will be on display at February’s Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle Show at ExCeL. Book now to guarantee the cheapest ticket deals at the first big show of 2020. The hottest new bikes all under one roof All the major manufacturers will be bringing their new ranges to London. Already confirmed are displays from BMW, Ducati, Indian, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, Royal Enfield, Triumph and Yamaha. See the new model ranges, sit on your dream bike and book a test ride right at the show. The MCN Show is definitely the event to go to if you want to organise your next purchase. Biking bargains galore More than 180 exhibitors will be…

Is it really worth it? There’s no getting away from the fact that flying to New Zealand for a motorcycle tour is an expensive thing to do. But if you are fortunate enough to be able to afford the trip, then yes it is definitely worth it. New Zealand offers a range of landscapes, from the black beaches and lush forests of the North Island to the wild mountains, fjords and lakes of South Island. But as it’s in the southern hemisphere, the worse the weather gets in the UK, the better it gets here. In the depths of a British winter, a riding trip in a Kiwi summer could be one of the most memorable experiences of your life. How to do it yourself You can Google and book…

‘I love the twisty road from Weldon to Oundle’ After a 10 year break, Mark has recently got his beloved Ducati 998S back on the road once again and enjoys exploring picturesque Rutland on a weekly spin. There’s a real mixed bag of roads on this 55-mile route, which has a blend of undulating sweepers, tight twisties and pretty villages lined with stone cottages. There’s a couple of decent cafés on the route and the OK Diner on the A1, where the route starts and finishes, is biker-friendly, too. “After 10 years off the road, it’s been fun exploring the local roads on my Ducati and I always come home beaming,” says Mark. “I especially love the twisty road from Weldon to Oundle, it’s definitely my favourite part of the…

1. LIGHT TOUCH Your grip should be relaxed and loose – it’s all part of not having the top half of the body locked-up tight and rigid. 2. BRAKING Keep a light touch on the bars and grip the tank with your thighs. Push down through the pegs for a relaxed arm position. 3. SLIDE OFF Once braking’s finished, slide your bum over; one-and-a-half cheeks should give you enough hang-off on a naked bike. 4. SHOULDER DROP Once you’ve initiated the turn, dropping your shoulder into the corner lowers your head and torso too. 5. BEND ELBOWS With your top half lowered into the tank, your arms will have to bend and that means they’re not locked rigid. 6. FEET AND LEGS Pegs should be under the balls of your…

By the time the new World Superbike season swings into action at Phillip Island next February, it will have been 13 years since Honda last won the championship when James Toseland did the business back in 2007. It’s a dismal record for the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer which is why next year sees an all-new Fireblade that Marc Marquez is helping to develop, a new team and two new riders with Alvaro Bautista and, as we can now confirm, former BSB champ Leon Haslam. Up to the end of 2018, Honda’s WSB team was a joint collaboration between the Ten Kate outfit and Honda’s European arm. For 2019, HRC (the Honda Racing Corporation), the dedicated outfit behind Honda’s MotoGP effort, took over the reins in a partnership also involving Moriwaki…

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow says he has stopped counting points and his focus now is on the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix and on 2020 with his LCR Honda Team. Crutchlow was disappointed but realistic following his DNF in Sepang, a victim of the hot, low grip conditions and a mystery power fade from his Honda RC213V V4 motor. His early exit, crashing out of 12th place at the tricky final corner, was in stark contrast to his second place result the previous week at a cold and windy Phillip Island. “I don’t care about the points now,” he told MCN. “I only care about race wins and podiums. So now I’m looking at being fast at the final race in Valencia and seeing what we can bring for 2020. “The positive…

A fairytale home race turned into a nightmare for Petronas Yamaha SRT riders Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli at a heat-soaked Sepang. Impressive pace-setters in qualifying Quartararo (pole) and Morbidelli (third) were part of Yamaha front row lock-out. However, seconds after a horrible start Quartararo was trapped in traffic and a race-long battle for sixth place with an equally despairing teammate Morbidelli. To make matters worse, soaring front tyre pressure robbed Quartararo of crucial front-end feel. “I’m really disappointed, I had the pace to fight for the podium at least but finished more than 10 seconds from the lead,” Quartararo said. ‘I’m sensitive about front tyre pressure and it went really high’ “I’m really sensitive about the front tyre pressure and it went really high and I had lot of…

MV’s new Superveloce 800 has broken cover and it looks remarkably like the concept bike. A limited-edition Serie Oro edition costs a salty £24,190, while the standard machine costs about £17,000, although an official price has not yet been confirmed. Using the same 798cc liquid-cooled triple as MV’s F3 sportsbike, producing 145bhp at 13,000rpm and 65ftlb at 10,600rpm, the motor has been reworked for midrange grunt. There’s also an eight-way traction control system, riding modes, and an up-and-down quickshifter. The Serie Oro has a triple-exit race exhaust, which boosts power to 151bhp at 13,250rpm. This sees two cans exit on the right of the bike and one on the left, rather than the standard bikes’ three-exit exhaust, which all overlap on the right in a similar style to the F3.…

Just like lots of new bikes this year, the updates to Kawasaki’s Z650 are designed to squeeze it through the new Euro5 emissions tests, saving time for a big update in the future. So the Z650 now runs cleaner thanks to a new exhaust and revised airbox. But the rest of the bike receives minor tweaks including new Dunlop rubber, thicker pillion seat foam and a slight aesthetic rework around the front. The Zed also now sports a fancy 4.3in full-colour TFT dash, which brings with it a suite of fancy tech all activated through a Bluetooth app and including vehicle info, GPS ride logs and even phone notifications. The new bike should be arriving soon – expect it to cost around £6500. FAST FACTS • Engine 649cc parallel twin•…

Aprilia are giving their range a thorough shake-up with the introduction of a new family of middleweights. These will be based on a fresh parallel-twin engine, and this is the first bike: the new RS660. Though clearly a sportsbike and designed with performance in mind, this isn’t a super-serious track tool like the RSV4. Instead, the RS660 is designed to ‘rediscover the pleasure and joy of everyday riding’ and be as much fun on the road as it will be on the occasional trackday. Its eight-valve, parallel-twin engine is based on the front cylinder bank of the 1078cc V4 from the RSV4 1100. It uses a 270˚ firing interval for V-twin-like sound and feel, like Yamaha’s MT-07, and makes 100bhp. The engine is a load-bearing part of the chassis and…

Aprilia’s new 2020 RSV4 F1100 Factory, has finally been given Öhlins electronic suspension. Its Smart EC 2.0 system is different to that of the Tuono Factory, has been co-developed by Aprilia and Öhlins and is claimed to cut lap times on average by 0.5sec compared to the mechanical setup. Aprilia are also eager to point out that the system’s ability to react to the surface means greater comfort on the road. FAST FACTS • 1078cc• 215bhp• 199kg (kerb)• £23k (est)…

Triumph have just unveiled this leaner, madder, badder Bobber. The limited-edition Triumph Factory Custom (TFC) version of the already excellent 1200cc V-twin now punches out 10bhp more power (85.6bhp) and 3ftlb more torque (81ftlb) than the base Bobber. Top-spec Öhlins suspension is found front and back while stopping power comes courtesy of twin four-piston Brembo M50 calipers. A magnesium cam cover, thin-walled engine covers and lighter header pipes on the custom Arrow exhaust combine to save a further 5kg over the stock version. Just 750 of these top-spec machines will be built. FAST FACTS • 85.6bhp @ 6250rpm• 81ftlb @ 4500rpm• Top-spec Öhlins suspension…

The all-new Silverstone Experience opened its doors to the public on Friday, the culmination of a seven-year project to convert a WW2 aircraft hangar into an interactive museum. Conceived to celebrate the motorsport heritage of the circuit, the project’s completion comes after receiving a £9.1 million investment from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Billed as a 2.5-hour immersive experience into the world of two and four-wheeled motorsport, attractions include a number of legendary racing vehicles, which have been curated with help from the likes of Suzuki GB and the National Motorcycle Museum, amongst others. Machines on display include Maverick Viñales’ 2016 Silverstone race-winning Suzuki GSX-RR MotoGP bike, alongside Barry Sheene’s 1979 XR27, which finished that year’s British Grand Prix just 0.03 seconds behind Yamaha’s ‘King’ Kenny Roberts. Located close to…

It was a while ago now but I got asked to take a journalist round the TT on a pillion lap. It ended up being a guy from a car magazine. It was a closed circuit and I went for it and did an 100mph+ lap. When I look back at it now I realise that when we were on the start line he had absolutely no idea what he was about to go through. I told him to hold on to me and trying to look cool he said he’d be fine just holding on to the seat. So I said to him again: “Look we’re all big boys here, hold on properly…” ‘HE COULDN’T EVEN UNDO HIS HELMET STRAP AFTERWARDS’ When we got to the end of the…

‘The KTM is this year’s weapon of choice for many’ It’s Britain’s best road test route. A tough 250-mile mix of A and B- roads, a stretch of motorway, plus plenty of towns, villages, blind corners, ballistic straights, and a huge range of grippy to slippy tarmac. There are two cafés, an off-road section for adventure and trail bikes, track time for sportsbikes, and Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground and the dyno for hard and fast data when needed. You want answers? We’ve got ’em. 1 First thoughts As we prepare to set off it’s clear this duo is well matched: two 800cc (ish) dual-purpose adventure bikes; similar parallel twin powerplants producing an identical 95bhp. Both are chain drive, have fancy TFT displays and both come with credible cycle parts with…

After swapping back to the BM at the Cotswold Diner I expected to be slightly disappointed by its lesser sporting ability and was also almost immediately neutered slightly by a flashing fuel light which prompted me to prod it back from Dynamic to Road. Even so, the GS was anything but a disappointment. Its extra midrange meant earlier shifts slowed it not a jot; brakes aside there’s nothing in it handling-wise (when in Dynamic ESA) and its refined delivery, better comfort and extra equipment all reminded me this is a superb all-rounder: M-way cruising (although I’d have a taller screen), country carving and traffic-splitting are all despatched with ease. But then, the KTM does all of that, too, albeit with a harder seat, fewer toys and a more raucous character.…

‘We’re fixing the fuelling and how the bike rides’ Getting your bike on a dyno has far more benefits than just being able to bore your mates down the pub with a chart proving how much power it makes. While a manufacturer spends countless hours developing a brand new high-performance engine, rules and regulations on emissions then require them to undo all their hard work to meet stringent targets. And the result is a bike that is often compromised, with a jerky throttle response and snatchy fuelling a common complaint – which is where a skilled dyno operator can help. “I’ve had my Yamaha MT-10 for about a year now and while I love it, its throttle is way too aggressive and jerky at low speed, especially on roundabouts and…

RATINGS POOR ★ AVERAGE ★★ GOOD ★★★ VERY GOOD ★★★★ EXCEPTIONAL ★★★★★ Dane Nimbus Gore-Tex Pro £874.99 Tested by Mike Armitage for 24 months, 40,000 miles Value doesn’t mean the same thing as cheap. Dane’s top-of-the-range textile might be £875, but you’ll potentially never buy another jacket. I ride all year round in all weathers, and it’s covered perhaps 40,000 miles including two long winters and the worst rain I’ve ever ridden in, plus endured two years of neglect rather than anything approaching care. No leaks, no faults, and as warm, dry and comfortable today as when new. The storm cuffs are fabulously easy to use, Gore-Tex laminate means it doesn’t get waterlogged, and there’s a real sense of robust quality. It’s festooned with armour, abrasion-resistant panels and all manner…

Suzuki’s Joan Mir may have got an apology from Johan Zarco but he also received a ‘long lap’ penalty after bumping the Frenchman out in Sepang. And he reckoned stewards took the easy option of penalising the rookie for the incident which occurred during his tight pass. “I’m a rookie, it is the easy thing to do but Johann apologised later and also me to him,” Mir said. Suzuki teammate Alex Rins was also in trouble with stewards after his run to fifth included a heavy contact which angered Jack Miller and which ripped a winglet from Rins’s bike. “I did nothing wrong otherwise the stewards would have penalised me,” Rins deadpanned.…

Forty-year-old flyer Valentino Rossi is the new lap record holder at Sepang after an irrepressible performance that saw the ageless legend just 0.3s off the podium. Unfortunately for the Italian, his late braking moves and superior corner speed weren’t enough to edge back past Andrea Dovizioso’s Ducati. “I tried the maximum because to go on the podium is lot better,” said Rossi. “In the corners I was faster but in acceleration and the straight Dovi was very, very strong. I tried a few times but he pass again. In the end I could not make the attack. The best way to win is like Maverick, go alone in front and make the difference in the corners where the M1 is strong.”…

Maverick Viñales went from zero to hero in just seven days to show why Ducati are hotly-tipped to launch a big-bucks swoop for the Spaniard’s services in 2021. Just a week after crashing out of victory contention on the last lap in Phillip Island, Viñales dominated the Sepang clash to register just his second win of the season and Yamaha’s first on Malaysian soil since 2010. Performances like his Sepang stunner will certainly put Ducati on red alert, with the 24-year-old linked with a transfer to the Bologna brand. Speculation started to pick up momentum during the flyaway triple-header in Japan, Australia and Malaysia that Ducati are willing to spend big to hire Viñales, who has a proven track record of fighting with and beating Marc Marquez on a factory…