Table of contents for 26 February 2020 in MCN

THIS WEEK FRIDAY 28TH Performance & Fast Bikes Night Ace Cafe, Stonebridge, London Entry 6pm Info 020-8961-1000 or www.london.acecafe.com SATURDAY 29TH MSV General Track Day Donington Park Grand Prix, Derbys Entry From £119 Info www.MSV Trackdays.com SUNDAY 1ST FIM Motocross Grand Prix Matterley Basin, Winchester, Hants Entry General weekend adult admission from £58. Various tickets combinations available, please see website for details Info www.greatbritain. motocross-tickets.com/ Bike Stop monthly rideout Bike Stop, Stevenage, Herts Entry Briefing at 10.30am for 11am start Info www.bikestop.co.uk Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts Entry 10am. Standard Adult Admission £7 Info www.newarkautojumble.co.uk YOUR HANDY EVENTS GUIDE Find more great things to do in your area…

Why do people buy Suzukis? True, they’ve got some extremely dependable, long-lived designs – but that’s the point: Suzuki haven’t built an all-new bike in decades. Everything is a variation of the old 650cc and 1000cc V-twins or the 650cc and 1000cc fours. They’re parts bin specials. Nothing wrong with that – the original Bandit was one, and it was great. But at that time, Suzuki also had some interesting bikes. I reserve my deepest cynicism for the GSX-S750. I mean, what’s it about? A naked bike based on the GSR750, itself a cut-price machine intended to compete with the Street Triple. Fat chance of that. Yes, it’s a bit lighter and more powerful than the GSR but it’s up against formidable competition from Yamaha’s MT series, Triumph’s 765 triples…

Reader Richard Brightmore/ Paul Harnett The ride Germany, Cochem (Mosel), Black Forest, Colmar, Bitche (France), Bitburg, home When to do it April to September is biking nirvana and there are no potholes. Don't miss this “Cochem is a gorgeous town to stop in with some fab roads and the best ice cream I have ever eaten. It’s definitely worth calling in.” THE BIKES The pair of Multistradas are great for a trip like this. Comfortable and practical but fast too. STOPS There are plenty of places to stay across Europe and it is up to you how rigidly you make your plans. WEATHER We had plenty of sun although at one point it was 44°C and the roads started melting. EATUP! Cochem is a must and we found an amazing…

Q ‘I keep getting bogus calls’ I have a claim against a car driver who pulled out in front of me. I have decided to pursue the driver’s insurance company myself to recover my repair costs as I was only third-party. Despite suffering no injuries, I keep getting calls from so-called lawyers asking whether I want to bring an injury claim. It is really annoying. Adam, Durham A Contrary to popular belief, qualified solicitors aren’t allowed to make unsolicited approaches (cold calls) to members of the public in order to advertise legal services. We also have a duty of confidentiality, so will never share our clients’ contact details with others without expressed permission. That said, there are plenty of claims management companies operating in and around insurance and legal services…

JEMMA KING  Age 23 Height 5ft 2in Current bike 2018 Yamaha MT-09 Been riding for 5 years First bike Yamaha DT50 “What I like best about my MT-09 is the styling; it’s incredible. But who doesn’t love a triple? I love that it’s light and easy to chuck about. When I went to my Yamaha dealer, I actually meant to buy an MT-10, but I struggled to touch the ground. I took the 09 for a spin and instantly fell for the triple. “I use the bike for everything – commuting, touring, trackdays – and the best trip I’ve taken it on was when I rode down to Cornwall; it’s ideal for the small twisty roads, with awesome power to open up on the bigger roads. “The only issues I’ve…

• Twelve new bikes • Thousands of real-world test miles • What works, what doesn’t and what fails • How to get the most out of your new bike • The best mods, parts and accessories tried, tested and reviewed • No punches pulled • See the whole fleet story so far online at motorcyclenews.com 8593 MILES BMW S1000RR Sport 4432 MILES Ducati Diavel S 4795 MILES Triumph Speed Twin 3764 MILES Ducati Scrambler Café Racer 1411 MILES Indian FTR1200S 3917 MILES Suzuki Katana 10,497 MILES Yamaha Niken GT 25,376 MILES Kawasaki Versys 650…

I LIKE • The cruise control is a godsend • I love the smooth throttle response, there’s no jerkiness at all to spoil the ride • The hard, lockable luggage is excellent • There’s nothing else that sounds like it I DON'T • It doesn’t come with a centrestand • Heated grips could do with being hotter • The tank could be bigger to up the range • There’s no lug on the sidestand making it awkward to find with your heel QUICK SPECS •1215cc •139bhp •244kg •790-810mm seat height PRICE NEW £14,995 VALUE NOW £11,495…

‘Keep an eye on the things you can’t see’ There was someone in our workshop last week with a KTM RC8. You don’t see many of these big sportsbikes, but they’re brilliantly usable. Seat height, ’bar position and ’peg location are adjustable, meaning it can be a head-down nutter or a surprisingly practical machine. The owner had his set-up the latter way, and with its spacious riding position and effective screen he was using the KTM as an all-rounder. Yes, in winter. He’d looked after it. The chain had been lubed regularly, brake calipers were frequently cleaned, anti-corrosion potion meant the chassis was in fine fettle. He even misted the whole bike with Scottoiler FS365 every morning, to make muck easier to wash off. Yet it was in for repair…

Be clear in what you’re trying to achieve – and don’t just feel the need to invest in a new smaller or larger sprocket just because it’s what everyone’s doing on the owners’ club forum. Typically revvy bikes like early 2000-onwards supersport 600s and naked middleweights like the Honda Hornet can be made to feel more exciting by fitting a larger rear sprocket, but perhaps altering your riding style in order to utilise more of the bike’s natural power band might be an easier and cheaper way of boosting excitement. Plus, as gearing changes are always a compromise, you wouldn’t then be saddled with a bike that was fun to gas away but buzzy and annoying on motorway runs. If you are changing your gearing for the purpose of track…

If everyone thinks that Fabio Quartararo is the future of MotoGP, why didn’t Yamaha tie him to a four or even five year contract, like Honda have done with Marquez? ‘This makes HRC ahead of the game’ In two years time Fabio might be even hotter property than he is now, but back on the 2022 open market making it feasible for HRC to dare to dream about running a Marquez/Quartararo super team. A move that would cover off MM’s eventual retirement perfectly. And even if HRC didn’t want the young Frenchman, Yamaha will no doubt have to fight Ducati and KTM for their protégée. Honda have broken the cycle of all the big teams being on parallel two-year deals by signing Marc for four more years. Marquez will be…

Xavi Fores Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR Starts: 91 | Wins: 0 | Titles: 0 As the Spaniard points out himself, Fores is the best independent rider from 2018 with the best independent bike from 2019. After a year in BSB he deserves his place on the WSB grid. Sandro Cortese Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10RR Starts: 36 | Wins: 0 | Titles: 0 Squeezed out of GRT Yamaha, Cortese was left high and dry but that left him free to do most of Barni Ducati’s testing when Leon Camier was injured. An eleventh-hour deal sees both Cortese and Lucio Pedercini’s team return to the grid – but it won’t be easy. Loris Baz Ten Kate Racing Yamaha YZF R1 Starts: 109 | Wins: 2 | Titles: 0 A real dark horse who…

With the increase in UK R&D focus, could this mean an acceleration of the firm’s TE-1 electric bike project? “It’s still on the same timeframe,” says Stroud – which means the project will conclude in around eighteen months’ time before the next phase is announced. “We’re locked into a timeframe with our other partners, but one could logically conceive that as we’re developing a design and engineering team for the future then you’ve got to be looking at how you develop your electric bike design capabilities, and that project is very much part of that jigsaw.” While TE-1 might sound like a bike model, Triumph say this project is focused on battery technology, motors and the packaging constraints that currently hinder electric motorcycles – not building a specific single model.…

A protest ride is to be held on Saturday, March 14, in memory of biker Harry Dunn, who was killed in August last year. The Justice4Harry Green Ribbon Campaign Protest Run will meet on Victoria Embankment at 1pm before setting off towards the US embassy on Nine Elms via Parliament Square, Whitehall and Vauxhall bridge. Harry was killed when riding past RAF Croughton in August last year and it is believed American citizen Anne Sacoolas was responsible for his death after she allegedly drove out of the base on the wrong side of the wrong. Despite telling the police she had no intention of leaving the country, she flew back to the US days later under the protection of diplomatic immunity. Hope had been raised for the Dunn family after…

The F750GS-P isn’t the first bike the police have enlisted to help chase criminals in hard-to-reach places. Some forces have opted for Honda CRF250s to tackle antisocial riding off-road as they can go places a big GS police bike can’t. Officers in Lincolnshire were tired of being outrun by high-performance sportsbikes and opted to use a modified Ariel Atom for the job. There’s even a police-issue Ducati Panigale V4S, but you won’t see it chasing down criminals as it’s only used at events to help raise awareness for the BikeSafe campaign.…

Weight saving The Duke’s injection-moulded seat unit weighs 900g but an equivalent steel trellis subframe would weigh roughly 3.2kg. Ready to go KTM can incorporate any aluminium threaded fittings for mounting panniers etc into the mould before the resin is injected. The future The resin structure allows too much flex for it to be used as a main frame replacement, but KTM are looking at other ways to deploy it on their bikes. Thickness The resin subframe is only 3mm thick, which is thicker and heavier than a carbon subframe but it is far cheaper and faster to produce. Subframes are often a complex piece of engineering as not only do they need to support both a rider and pillion, they also need to be able to house electrical components…

Bring on the dream team Rossi and Lorenzo in the Petronas Yamaha team next year would be superb. I know it’s supposed to be a team to ‘nurture’ new talent, but who wouldn’t want to see the two Yamaha world champs together again if only for one or two seasons? Phil Hadley, email Four-wheeled nonsense I’ve just opened the February 19 issue, and here it is, another overweight, overpriced heap of unrideable junk, the Lazarus. It joins things like the Dodge Tomahawk, the Aston Martin AMB 001 and the so-called new Brough Superior SS100 as examples of motorcycle porn. Today’s mass-produced motorcycles run rings round these weird things. I can’t help but think that people who stump up for one need some sort of counselling. Jon, email Going the extra…

•‘An avalanche of man and machine breaks free’ You can hear the roar interspersed with snippets of excited commentary bouncing off the Dachstein mountains all along the valley. It’s Skijöring day in Gosau! One of the craziest spectacles you’ll ever see. In this normally quiet resort in upper Austria, riders and skiers have assembled from all over the country and further afield to throw themselves - often quite literally - into the snow on dirt bikes whilst towing intrepid skiers hanging onto knotted ropes. What could possibly go wrong? Skijöring originated in Norway hundreds of years ago when the Sami harnessed reindeer to tow them across vast snowy expanses. By 1912 Skijöring behind horses had become popular in Switzerland and France and by 1928 it appeared in the Winter Olympic…

It’s time to wave goodbye to the Honda CBR650R and I’ll be really sad to see it go. One of my concerns at the start of this long-term test was that the CBR would be too soulless for me – and it’s not the sort of bike that makes your tingly bits tingle – but that doesn’t mean it has no personality. The charisma of this bike is wrapped up in its ability to do everything. Honda have nailed the sweet spot between performance and practicality, meaning there’s never a feeling of disappointing compromise. I’ve covered just shy of 20,000 trouble-free miles on the Honda and in that time I’ve done my first trackday on two wheels, experienced the thrill of introducing my knee sliders to tarmac for the first…

1. RST Adventure 3 CE Textile Jacket £289.99 I don’t like the multi-layered system with separate waterproof and thermal liners – they either poke out the cuff or try to follow you when you take it off. None of the zips are waterproof and there aren’t enough pockets. 2. BMW System 6 Helmet (Discontinued) I’ve had this for around 10 years as it’s so comfortable and quiet, however when it’s raining I get drips down the inside of the visor and onto my nose which can get a bit annoying on a long trip. 3. Hein Gericke Sheltex Textile Gloves (Discontinued) These are about as effective at keeping water out as a sponge. 4. Daytona Road Star Boots (Discontinued) I bought these in 1998 and they’re…

Alpinestars Racing Absolute Leather Suit £2499 Tech-Air Race Vest £999.99 Tested by Michael Neeves for two years, 1500 miles After walking away from two high-speed crashes at Phillip Island recently, I’d normally use these words to wax lyrical about my Alpinestars leathers and body armour but the star of the show this time is my suit’s airbag. My first get-off made me jump after hitting the grass at 90mph to avoid a freshly highsided Yamaha TZ750, but the real eggbeater was after being punted off the next day. I’ve never had an airbag do its thing, but it went off in both crashes (praise the lord it has two gas charges). There’s too much going on to sense it deploying when you’re tumbling, but you feel it like a cossetting,…

Breaker bar A breaker bar is an ideal bit of kit to help you apply extra leverage where necessary, especially for components that are torqued up with high values. Torque wrench Takes the guess work out of tightening up. It’s vital that things like spindle nuts and brake calipers are torqued up correctly. A quality modern wrench will have a memory and digital display making it very easy to use. Sprockets Don’t go cheap when replacing sprockets, use a known brand. In an ideal situation you could replace the chain at the same time. 10mm to 12mm spanners A good set of quality metric spanners is a tool box staple. Two sets of different lengths ranging from 8mm to 19mm will cover almost everything. •Tell us about your favourite at…

Yamaha: ‘The strongest package since Ben Spies won in 2009’ Bikes on the grid: 5 The Yamaha, in a similar vein to its factory MotoGP cousin, seems to be the most useable bike on the grid. All its riders were fast and looked comfortable in pre-season testing. The R1 has received a few upgrades for 2020: the bodywork has been modified to accommodate its taller riders; the addition of a small and subtle wing under the nose cone is not to be underestimated on their acceleration gains; the engine has been revised and gained some speed – the R1 always had a fantastic first touch of the throttle, and thanks to its cross-plane crank it always had more initial mechanical grip than its rivals – and comments regarding the…

‘Honda have prompted a big response’ Many questioned the wisdom of Dorna and the FIM maintaining such a high level of tune in WSB. Rev limits were a major talking point in 2019. Ducati’s V4 revved to an eye-watering 16,350rpm, reduced to 16,100 mid-season where it starts 2020. The Honda will start revving to 15,600, with Yamaha gaining a further 250rpm to 14,950 thanks to their newly-homologated R1. Kawasaki have won six of the past seven crowns for a reason: WSB is its sole racing focus. Manufacturers have always used WSB as a test bed for engine, chassis and electronic development and there seems to be fresh impetous with the factory teams seemingly having increased budgets. Honda’s decision to take WSB very seriously via HRC seems to have had a…

James Toseland will be on the ground at every round in 2020 for what promises to be a brilliant season of racing. Toseland has recently moved into team management and heads up the WRP Wepol Racing team in World Supersport where he’ll be working closely with British rider Danny Webb. WSB has its depth of field back again – not only with the manufacturers but with the different nationalities and riders, which is very important. The Brits are obviously still there but it’s great to have a Spanish rider, a Turkish rider and a Dutch rider right up there in contention. Ducati man Scott Redding is really fired up. Winning BSB in his first year was a massive achievement and I’m so pleased for him after his tough years in…

1 CAN REA BE BEATEN TO THE 2020 TITLE? Of course he can! He’s only human. Alvaro Bautista’s dominance of early 2019 proved that. This year, Rea is one of few riders not to have moved team. He has consistency in his personnel and equipment as well as his results. JR knows he’ll be beaten at times – that’s obvious with 39 races – but whether he will lose the championship depends not just on his own steadiness but on how regular his rivals are with their points hauls over race weekends. As we’ve seen so many times before in World Superbikes, three podiums are much more useful than two wins and a crash… 2 CAN SCOTT REDDING REALLY DO IT? He’s talked the talk, but can Redding…

It’s harsh to judge the bikes like this because it’s not about a ‘winner’, it’s about describing their characters. But there has to be a ‘winner’, so: “The BMW is good,” says Bruce. “Edges are rounded off and it’s civilised, but engine character is everything on a naked and it’s not got enough.” Justin agrees: “To get as much fun from the F900R as the other two, you have to ride it harder than feels right.” “The Kawasaki is much improved,” says Bruce. “Sporty, comfy and dynamically better than the MT-09 – but although the Yamaha is twitchy and wayward, it’s so thrilling – it’s the purest motorbike of the group.” Justin again concurs: “I love the thrashability of the Z900 – but the unhingedness of the MT-09 wins for…

RIDER: David Sams (24) from Gosau SKIER: Patrick Demmel (23) from Gosau BIKE: KTM 300 EXC TPI “We are both members of the organising club ‘Off-road Team Rabenkogel’. This was my second year in this event and Patrick’s fifth. We arrived early in the morning to compete in the MX Open Category and it was freezing cold. All the teams got to inspect the track and adjust tyre pressures depending on the snow conditions. Very low pressures are typically used (around 0.5 Bar) with specialised super-soft snow tyres. Spikes are not allowed. When our turn arrived we got into position and waited for the start line to be released. I gave full gas and Patrick put weight onto the back of the bike to help with initial traction. We tried…

‘Nothing floats my boat like a big scoot’ Q ‘Is it as uncomfortable as it appears?’ Jonathan Magee A No. My TMAX is no stranger to big miles and I’ve even been on a couple of trips to France. It’s smooth, spacious and its plush, heated seat, cruise control and electric screen are all luxurious weapons in its long-distance armoury. But with all your weight going through your lower spine, back ache can creep in after a while. It’s imposing enough not to be bullied by cars and trucks, once they realise you’re on something quick and not a pizza delivery boy, and you can even squeeze north of 190 miles out of tank if you hold your nerve against the reserve light. Q ‘Do you worry that someone will…

The owner of this Aprilia Tuono was lucky to stay shiny side up when his rear suspension collapsed, causing the wheel to lock. ‘It hadn’t been greased since it left the factory’ AP Motorcycles workshop manager Stephen Snoxall picks up the story: “The guy gave us a call and told us he and his bike needed picking up because it had ‘skidded’ to a stop. When we got there he was standing by the side of the road ashen-faced and there was a 20m skidmark snaking back up the road.” A quick look underneath revealed that one end of the dogbone connecting the linkage to the frame had cracked in two and the suspension collapsed with the rear tyre jamming into the undertray. “The whole suspension area was badly corroded…

Marc Marquez and Cal Crutchlow have cast serious doubts on their prospects of launching a podium challenge in the season’s opening MotoGP clash in Qatar next weekend. Reigning World Champ Marquez and Briton Crutchlow finished second and third in Qatar one year ago behind Andrea Dovizioso. But with Yamaha and Suzuki dazzling under the Losail floodlights during the final preseason showdown, it was doom and gloom for HRC. Marquez and Crutchlow both experienced heavy front-end crashes on day two, while the new RC213V was beset by turning issues in Qatar’s high-speed changes of direction that left the duo way off the pace set by Maverick Vinales, Fabio Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli, Alex Rins and Joan Mir. Just like in Sepang earlier this month, Vinales was the standout rider in terms of…