Table of contents for 23 August 2023 in MCN

Chairman and CEO of Piaggio Group, Roberto Colaninno, has died aged 80, leaving behind a 20-year legacy featuring some of the most standout machines of the modern era. The news was confirmed by Piaggio in a press release on August 19, just days after his 80th birthday. No cause of death was revealed. The Italian took over at the helm of the conglomerate –which comprises Piaggio, plus Ape, Scarabeo, Derbi, Gilera, Vespa, Moto Guzzi and Aprilia – in 2003. As part of his role, he helped launch the three-wheeled MP3, which has become a popular staple for all-weather commuters. Earlier this month, the group celebrated the sale of 324,600 machines during the first half of 2023 – that is a 1.2% rise over the same period in the previous year.…

The BarbersRide motorcycle run is celebrating its biggest year yet, with 39 riders taking on a lap of Ireland to raise an estimated £25,000 for the Make a Wish children's charity. Founded in 2017 by Xavier Berrell, Richie Finney, and Colin Petrie, who all work in the male grooming industry, the event sees riders travel between barber shops. “It's extraordinary really, because when we started, I think we had 12 bikers on it,” Berrell told MCN. “What happened though is everyone knows another biker and slowly but surely it just got bigger and better every year.” This year's ride had the largest attendance to date, with organisers hoping to entice 50 entrants in years to come – and you don't have to be a barber to join in. The 2023…

Norton Motorcycles have announced a series of test ride dealer days to allow would-be customers to sample their Commando 961 retro roadster. Kicking off on Wednesday, August 16, the Nortonrider Roadshow is offering plenty of opportunities to take part, with the fleet of bikes appearing at Williams Automobiles in Bristol today (August 23) – the latest dealer to stock Norton's range – the sole bike brand on the premises. From here, it moves on to Judd Racing in Nottingham on Saturday August 26, before concluding at Thor Motorcycles in Bodmin on Thursday August 31. Those wanting to take part must sign up for a tests ride at nortonmotorcycles.com/test-rideroadshow in advance.…

More images of Royal Enfield's imminent new liquid-cooled Himalayan 450 have appeared on social media, giving the clearest view yet of the bike's spec. A video posted on the Instagram account of leading Indian off-roader (and sometime Royal Enfield Ambassador) CS Santosh appears to show the new Himalayan being put through its paces at an enduro park. Although mildly modded for off-road use (the bike has no mirrors and is fitted with off-road tyres) it's also unmistakably the new machine we've seen in spy photographs. This film shows it in its most production ready form so far and underlines its dirt capabilities. MCN's last sighting of the prototype bike, which is expected to be officially unveiled this autumn before going on sale in 2024, came during road tests both in…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Readers Tracy and Kevin Atkinson The ride ‘The French Connection’ How many miles? 1686 How long do you need? One week Best time to go? Summer Tell us about the trip… We travelled 310 miles down to the Chunnel via Caffeine and Machine just outside Stratford upon Avon (amazing place to visit). Early crossing the next day – anyone heading to Normandy has to do the coast road from Sangatte to Bologne sur Mer, it really is an amazing 20 miles of twists and turns. Visited Le Mans then on to Oradour sur Glane, very humbling. Stopped at Loheac Motor Museum then on to Tracy sur Mer and Arromanches and 210 miles via coast road back to Calais, the tunnel back to Blighty and then…

“The things that make the KTM the undoubted star on the dirt also carry over on to the road. Its engine is crisp and punchy, the gearbox deliciously smooth. It rides like a gnarly supermoto, but never feels completely happy with tarmac under its wheels. Its brakes lack bite and the riding position forces you over the front wheel – fine standing up off-road, but cramped sitting down. “The Husqvarna is a softer, more touring-focused take on the KTM theme with its plusher ride, more spacious riding position and softer seat, but it doesn't excel enough at anything to be truly memorable. “The Yamaha is outclassed in this company; heavy, breathless and way down on power, although thrashing it to keep up brings its own enjoyment and its road handling…

Ducati Multistrada 20th Anniversary Twenty years ago the biking world was still clinging to the peak of superbike supremacy complete with lurid leathers, loud pipes, and a black market in partially atomised kneesliders so that those who couldn't scrape a knee still looked cool down the pub. How times have changed. And few could have predicted that Pierre Terblanche's new creation for 2003, which looked like Cyclops had been crossed with a wheelie bin, was going to help change the biking landscape, develop a new niche of adventure-sports bikes, genetically modify the very DNA of Ducati – and be the bike that transformed their reliability and reputation. Four generations, a rotating cast of players, and well over 144,000 bikes later, the Multistrada is Ducati's biggest selling single model (and the…

1 Starting to feel cranky Each stage of the assembly will use a mix of individual parts and partially pre-assembled items. The engine line is almost exclusively staffed by female technicians as they're considered more precise engine builders. 2 The ultimate Airfix kit Every engine starts its life in a trolley as a huge build kit, with every single component housed in a cart which is barcode tracked and wheeled onto the production line for a technician to start building onto the crankcases. 3 Talking about torque Precision and accuracy are everything when building high-power engines with exceptionally fine tolerances. Technicians use torque guns preset for each task, while this machine torques all the head bolts simultaneously. 4 Getting a head Each engine and its associated build cart travel down…

DXR Code Evo Boots £75.99 3000 miles ON TEST French brand DXR's wide range of value-friendly riding kit is gathering pace in the UK – available to purchase through Sportbikeshop's network of gear stores. I've put more than 3000 miles of testing through these Code Evo waterproof sports boots this year - using them for commuting, weekend rides, a short tour, and more than the occasional summer downpour. At a penny shy of £76, they offer a spec sheet far greater than their price would suggest – featuring double stitching in vulnerable areas, grippy rubber soles, toe sliders, external shift pads, and hard plastic armour over the shin and ankle areas. Finished in red and black, they look decent too – sporting a style reminiscent of some sports touring designs…

It all started so well. Bezzecchi, fastest on Friday, continued to shine in his role as the all-Italian Rossi gang's Next Big Thing. Given his Rookie of the Year status in 2022 and this year's two main race and one Sprint win – the gap-toothed 24-year-old is both heir and challenger to Bagnaia. His Friday lap, at the end of the hour-long sole timed session, was a new track record. For a rider in only his second season, on a year-old Ducati, what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot. From then until Sunday afternoon, the nascent superstar's weekend went downhill. He ran out of gas in qualifying, ending up seventh. Then came the Sprint race first corner, when “I did a front flip” among the tumbling dominoes. Bezz blamed…

Paddock veteran reports direct from the Red Bull Ring Brad Binder and KTM came to Spielberg to extend their MotoGP love affair and hopefully end a two-year losing streak at their home race. “That was the plan,” said Binder whose celebrations were again derailed by Pecco Bagnaia and Ducati. Twice, both in the Sunday GP and the Sprint, Binder and KTM were comfortably the best of the rest but unable to reprise their 2021 Austrian GP victory. But the result reinforced Binder's decision to sign as a KTM lifer with a contract extension to the end of 2026. “We are coming very close to what we want to achieve on the track,” Binder said. What he wants to achieve is the world title and while that remains a colossal outside…

For the first time in over 300 days, Marc and Alex Marquez found something in common other than being siblings. Incredibly, Austria was the first time that both got to see the chequered flag at the end of a feature MotoGP race since last October's Sepang round. Marc stopped the rot of five successive Sunday shockers. But a lowly 12th highlighted the plight the Honda star finds himself in and how far the mighty have fallen. Marquez senior was 23 seconds behind dominant winner Pecco Bagnaia and that ninth world title to equal former foe Valentino Rossi's tally has never looked so distant. Self-preservation and data gathering for struggling HRC has won over his natural instinct to go for the jugular on every lap. Resigned to testing as much as…

MOTO2 PEDIGREE The Street Triple 765 RS packs a punch – and that is down to a whole host of know-how that Triumph have gained from their time powering the Moto2 series. As you can imagine, the race engines are tuned to a higher level than the road bikes, as they rev to 14,400rpm and produce over 140bhp. Even so, Triumph barely encountered any reliability issues over the past four-andahalf seasons, which meant that they could push the standard motor ever further, resulting in the fact that it now produces just over 128bhp at 12,000rpm. This is thanks to new combustion chambers that see the compression ratio increased by 4.7% (to 13.25:1) with new pistons to match, as well as beefier conrods and gudgeon pins. The motor has also been…

MCN AWARDS 2023 HONDA XL750 TRANSALP BEST ADVENTURE BIKE UNDER 1000cc 2023 ‘Long-travel suspension means it can handle a trail’ When Honda pulled the covers of their XL750 Transalp, it looked set to be in the perfect sweet spot of performance, price and technology for a middleweight adventure machine. Equipped with a light chassis, a punchy parallel twin, riding aids and a colour TFT display that allows for connectivity, the Transalp offers a full package for very sensible money. From blasting up and down the smooth tarmac curves on the side of Mount Etna to tackling sodden green lanes in the heart of Lincolnshire, MCN have racked up the miles on the Transalp, and it has performed admirably. This is down to that new 755cc parallel twin which works an…

MCN AWARDS 2023 MARK WILSMORE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2023 The Ace Cafe Opened in 1938 and made notorious by the ‘ton-up boys’, the cafe (and it is a ‘cafe’, not a ‘café’) was shut in 1969 and remained closed for 25 years before being resurrected by Mark Wilsmore's energy and vision. Despite qualifying to collect his state pension this year, Mark Wilsmore is showing no signs of slowing down. Since resurrecting the Ace Cafe back in the 1990s, Mark's been pivotal in the celebration and continuation of British biking culture, being both the brains behind the reunion on Brighton beach every year as well as the inspiration for the Ace's global expansion. He's given British riders a place to belong and helped glorify our two-wheeled past - it's for those…

MCN AWARDS 2023 DUCATI DIAVEL V4 CRUISER OF THE YEAR 2023 ‘So much more than a shiny Italian cruiser’ Ducati's Diavel V4 is one of the surprises of 2023. Since it is based on the outgoing V-twin version you think you know what you're going to get: a fast, but slightly heavy cruiser made for burning-off Porsches at traffic lights and looking good at posh coffee shops. The new machine still ticks those boxes and retains a brooding stance with its fat 240-section rear tyre, diamond cut wheels and new 166bhp ‘Granturismo V4’ engine displayed loud and proud. But now it has a surprise sporty side, which broadens its appeal, although at £23,595 it still isn't cheap. This newfound lust for corners was highlighted at the press launch in Abu…

MCN AWARDS 2023 VERTU MULTIFRANCHISE DEALER OF THE YEAR 2023 ‘It is a way of life, we are always learning’ This year sees Vertu Motorcycles scoop a hattrick of MCN Awards – an incredible achievement for a growing company that never seem to rest on their laurels. In 2020 Vertu's Honda franchises were singled out for going above and beyond what is normally expected from a dealership, assisting new riders get onto two wheels through their link with Alpha Rider Training as well as their showrooms providing a destination for riders to visit through various organised events, and all while delivering a high level of service. Despite a tough year for the industry, Vertu's tireless efforts saw them recognised with a second MCN Award in 2021 and for 2023 they…

WELCOM The annual MCN Awards seem to come round faster and faster – but they do say time flies when you're having fun. And this year's crop of soulful protagonists represents some of the most emotive and enjoyable motorcycles you could ever hope to own. The process of picking the winners is a well-trodden path, but there are always a few scuffles along the way. Some class winners are so clear-cut that the judging panel – which comprises a mix of MCN staff and some of our most prolific expert freelance testers – merely need to all say their personal pick out loud to discover we've all said the same thing. Others need dramatically more debate – not because we're unclear on any given bike's merits, but because some categories…

This year's Romney Marsh Ride-In Show and Bike Jumble will take place on Sunday, September 17 in Hamstreet, Kent, promising £25 cash prizes for visitors entering their bikes into the Ride-in Show on the day at no additional cost. Alongside this, there will be an autojumble, plus a BikeMart section allowing people to buy/sell full motorcycles in running order, again at no extra charge. You'll also find clothing, accessories, memorabilia, and a range of food and drink vendors – with advanced adult tickets purchased online costing just £5. For more, go to elk-promotions.co.uk…

Kazakhstan-based sidecar brand Ural have just launched what they as billing as the ‘ultimate adventure outfit’, the Gear Up Expedition. Ural say the new Expedition ‘comes with everything a rider and a passenger could need to travel to the edge of the world and back.’ And that's good news, since owning one will set you back £33,750. On top of the Gear Up's standard spec, the Expedition comes with more luggage space, tougher bike and sidecar protection, matching windshields and upgraded suspension. It has real heritage, too. The Ural combination dates back to 1940 when the Soviet Union acquired the design and production techniques to the BMW R71. As a result, the new M72 was a similar air-cooled boxer twin with powered sidecar wheel. Wartime production commenced in 1941 and…

BEATING BIKE CRIME SAVE OUR BIKES! A Norwegian tourist had his UK adventure saved by Northumbria Police, who returned his bike to him just two hours after it was reported stolen from the town of Washington. The white BMW was taken from outside a hotel on Emerson Road at the end of July but was located fast thanks to a tracker. The rider was horrified to wake up at 7.15am to find his bike missing –but had the good fortune to be reunited with it by 9.30am the very same day. “This was amazing detective work by our officers who were able to locate the motorbike within the hour and return it two hours after it was taken,” said Inspector Patrick Hannon, of Northumbria Police. “Our team was quick to…

THIS WEEK Cops in the east of England are stepping up their use of police bikes in a new initiative aimed at tackling speeding motorists. Norfolk Constabulary have announced a new trial which will see bikes deployed in up to 80 locations across the county where the usual police Safety Camera Teams cannot operate due to positioning or safety issues. According to Norfolk Constabulary: “Historically, police officers or Safety Camera Team operators have found positioning themselves safely, not becoming an obstruction, in a village or a smaller country lane almost impossible. This means that they are unable to offer the speed checks in areas often asked for by members of the public.” ‘We've seen a really positive response’ Senior Safety Camera Officer Malcolm Fitzsimmons was involved in an early trial…

WHAT'S NEW IN TECH It's hard to talk about two-stroke engines these days without getting misty-eyed about the past. The smell, the sound, the incredible hit as they wind into the powerband; it's a sensation that's all but disappeared within modern road biking. Yet in 2023, in a time of heavyweight emissions laws and incredibly tight standards on internal combustion engines, there is still some hope for the ring-adinging stroker, thanks to the Pierer Mobility Group (the Austrian powerhouse behind KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas). The firm are now one of the only mainstream companies still pumping resources into two-stroke development, with a number of their MX and enduro models still powered by these designs, and plans to continue their refinement for as long as possible. Pushing the envelope As such,…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com In Caerphilly doing my first trial, aged 15. Before that I had a 98cc Sun with a handlebar gear change. John Rushworth Me with the GP100 bought with my own wages (took a year to save). I now have a Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello. Wez Carnell Me on my fist bike back in 1993/4 I believe. I was eight years old and couldn't believe it was mine. Stefan Holdsworth I'm new to riding and have just done my first charity rideout raising money for the air ambulance. Beverley Swales Me when I was a lad learning the art in 1975. I now have a motorcycle school in Laos. Tom Down on the farm in Anglesey back in 1981, with my Kawasaki KE100 and…

August 20-28 Manx GP The action kicks off on Friday with the Lightweight, then the Classic Senior and Manx Junior on Sunday, with the Senior Manx and Classic Superbike races on Bank Holiday Monday. manxgrandprix.co.uk August 26 Autojumble Get up to Squire's in Sherburn in Elmet this Saturday for the monthly autojumble. With good food, tasty coffee and bargains, you won't want to miss out! www.squires-cafe.co.uk August 27 Clubs and Classics Motor Show North Yorkshire's Ripon Racecourse is playing host to the Clubs and Classics Motor Show with more othan 500 vehicles and an autojumble. greatbritishmotorshows.com August 27 Autojumble Sammy's summer autojumble is this Sunday at his museum just outside the New Forest. It opens at 8.30am and is a fiver for adults with discounted tickets for the museum too.…

ADVENTURE BIKE SHOOTOUT THE MCN TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK £13,299 KTM 890 Adventure R ● 889cc parallel twin ● 105bhp/73.8lb.ft ● £133.84 per month PCP £14,195 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro • 888cc inline triple • 93.9bhp/64.1lb.ft • £133.03 per month PCP £13,599 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition ● 889cc parallel twin ● 105bhp/73.8lb.ft ● £169 per month PCP £11,910 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid • 689cc parallel twin • 73bhp/50.1lb.ft • £108.61 £14,795 Ducati DesertX ● 937cc 90˚ L-twin ● 110bhp/68lb.ft ● £173.22 per month PCP The adventure sector is almost buckling under the weight of incredible machinery it offers. There's so much choice, from entry-level A2 all-rounders to eye-wateringly powerful (and expensive) rangetopping weapons. Yet, right in the middle ground, there's a sweet spot: the hardcore, sub-litre off-roader. These bikes are…

BIKING LEGENDS BIKING LEGENDS People who have shaped our world The statistics are impressive by any standards: In a 10-year period between 1989 and ‘99, Michael Sydney Doohan started 137 500cc Grand Prix races. He finished on the podium 95 times, was on pole position 58 times, set 46 fastest laps, and won 54 races. That was enough to win five consecutive 500cc Grand Prix world championships. But it wasn't just the stats that impressed, it was the way Doohan went about his racing that made him one of the sport's most revered competitors. Doohan's modus operandi was simple: Destroy your opponents every single time you go out on track. Break down their self-belief and dominate them so overwhelmingly that they're only ever racing for second place. In 1997 alone, Doohan,…

Multistrada 1000DS Engine: 992cc, air-cooled, fourstroke, 90-degree L-twin, DOHC, desmodromic, 4 valves per cylinder Power: 83bhp @ 7750rpm Mass: 195kg (dry) The original Multistrada confused and delighted in equal measure. Basically a touring supermoto, it was a hoot to ride – but divisive styling and quality issues damaged its overall success. Multistrada 620 Engine: 618cc, air-cooled, fourstroke, 90-degree L-twin, SOHC, desmodromic 2 valves per cylinder Power: 61.6bhp @ 9500rpm Mass: 183kg (dry) After two years with the 1000, Ducati added the 620 engine to the line-up, making it more accessible to more riders, but compounding the lack of performance criticisms of the 1000. Multistrada 1100 / S Engine: 1078cc, air-cooled, fourstroke, 90-degree L-twin, DOHC, desmodromic, 4 valves per cylinder Power: 93.9bhp @ 7750rpm Mass: 196kg (dry) A decent hike in…

DESERTX FACTOR The rise of the Multistrada was always going to spawn additional siblings, which started as early as 2005 with the addition of the 620 to the line-up. However, real value arrived when the 950 family kicked off in 2017 as a credible alternative to its more powerful and complex 1200cc big brother. But while the 950 and 950S are both brilliant, it's the 2022 DesertX that really captured the imagination of the buying public. And rightly so. The first seriously off-road capable bike to emerge from Ducati's stable, the DesX boasts a 21in front rim and 18in rear to open up a whole world of dedicated off-road rubber options. You only need to watch Antoine Méo ride one to understand what the DesertX is capable of when the…

Pinlock Earplugs £20 2800 miles ON TEST Manufactured from soft, medical grade TPE, these Pinlock Earplugs slip into the ear canal easily and, providing you get them seated properly to begin with, will stay in place all day. Two sizes are included and I've worn the larger ones for hours on end without any issue at all. Removal is a simple case of pulling on the tab. They're rated to SNR24, which in practice means a dramatic reduction in wind roar, but thanks to the removable red plastic filter, both music and speech from my Cardo comms system comes through clearly. Traffic and other ambient sounds are easy to discern too. The filter is removable, allowing you to wash the plugs to keep them fresh, and Pinlock provide a carry…

Year-round rider, B-road blaster, and performance bike fan When it was announced that the Suzuki Live event would return for 2023 as a weekend-long trackday celebration at Cadwell Park, I knew I had to be a part of it. With the gathering open to both modern and classic Suzuki machinery, and me living just a stone's throw from the circuit, it was the perfect chance to let the GSX-8S off the leash and discover whether it's capable of cutting loose and cracking a smile on the challenging 2.2-mile course. Perfect preparation With the 8S now having covered more than 2500 miles, the standard fitment Dunlop Roadsmart 2 tyres had begun to square noticeably. They're also very hard and lack feel in the cold and wet - not what you want…

SPORT Celestino Vietti secured a surprise first win in 14 months on Sunday after reeling in and defeating superstar Pedro Acosta in Moto2. Tyre management was key, with track temperatures of 29°C resulting in reduced front grip and a big rear tyre drop. Vietti managed it best, reeling in early leader Acosta, who struggled late on for rear traction. Britain's Jake Dixon recovered well from his Silverstone disappointment to record a strong fourth. Dixon said: “The front three had the lighter wheel rims to disperse the heat better. We tried a similar rim this weekend but had some vibrations. Maybe that helped them have a lower front tyre temperature. “But there are many positives we can take from this.” Fellow Brit Rory Skinner was 18th, his first finish since Jerez,…

ROUND 10 AUSTRIA | MOTOGP Coming into the weekend, a sixth place at one of Aprilia's bogey tracks would have represented a strong result. But Maverick Viñales’ speed through Friday and Saturday (he qualified second) had indicated a podium challenge was possible for the RS-GP. Despite improvements to their starts at Silverstone, the Catalan felt he was let down by Aprilia's clutch, which led to poor starts on Saturday and Sunday. After two slow get aways, he found himself 18th on the first lap of the Sprint, and ninth after the first lap on Sunday. “I push the guys so much, because we must improve it,” Viñales said of the clutch issues. Teammate Aleix Espargaro freely admitted he couldn't live with his fellow Catalan in the Red Bull Ring's six…

Some years this award is simple to give by dint of the volume or significance of wins, in other years it's given for a single moment of genius or innovation, a market-defining bike release, stellar sales results, racing domination or for significantly contributing to the future of motorcycling. This year's victors – Ducati – tick pretty much every box with mix of award wins, a record-breaking year of global sales and profits, innovation in moving key segments of the market forward with bold and emotionally engaging motorcycles, and for relentlessly refining and honing their core offerings to take them to the top of numerous two-wheeled classes. This brand continue to build some of the most visceral but also intelligent bikes on the market, while being aspirational, soulful, and seductive. They…

MCN AWARDS 2023 Since its release in 2021, the Multistrada V4 has been a seriously impressive machine, albeit one that did come with a few criticisms. Although it's an adventure bike it lacked in true offroading ability, while its thirsty engine and small tank made fuel stops a regular occurrence. But for 2023, Ducati have fixed it all with their new, all-conquering Multistrada V4 Rally. Building on the already impressive Multistrada V4 platform, the Rally takes everything up a notch, with a 30-litre tank, better fuel economy, longer-travel suspension (with more ground clearance) and more of a dedication to getting dirty. But most impressively, Ducati have done all of this without losing any of the Multistrada's civilised road-going abilities. Naturally, it comes with fully loaded with cutting-edge technology, from the…

When chasing the title in a specific category, it's easy for bike manufacturers to look at the numbers produced by their rivals and simply come up with something lighter, more powerful and cheaper. Suzuki have not done this with the £7999 GSX-8S, although they have still managed to create something special. And even away from the glare of a launch or even a big group test, the 8S simply rolls up its sleeves and gets on with the job. With Yamaha's MT-07 resetting the standard in the affordable naked class back in 2014 and with Honda bringing back the Hornet, Suzuki had a mountain to climb. But climb it they did and now they now sit atop the highest peak, proudly looking down on rivals scrabbling to reach the pinnacle.…

Scooping the Best A2-licence Bike award for a remarkable fifth year running, Honda's CB500X remains the best do-it-all for those on a restricted licence. Or even those who hold a full licence and just want an easy-going machine that is economical, bags of fun, sweet handling and comfortable for either a daily commute or weekend adventure away. Unassuming and understated, the CB500X is one of those bikes that has gradually matured into its role in life and knows exactly what it is and to whom it appeals. Powered by a peppy parallel-twin that has enough drive to keep up with traffic but never threatens to intimidate, you can easy record 80mpg during an average ride, meaning the Honda will cover over 200 miles on a tank. And allow you to…

MCN AWARDS 2023 IRON CITY MOTORCYCLES BEST SINGLE FRANCHISE DEALER 2023 Since opening their first HarleyDavidson dealership in Leeds in 2012, Iron City Motorcycles have gone from strength to strength. After relaunching the HarleyDavidson brand in the north east in 2016 with their Gateshead branch, the firm have continued to evolve and offer customers a refreshingly personal experience. Both of their dealerships feature a huge stock of Harley-Davidson motorcycles as well as official Harley-Davidson clothing and accessories, and are destination locations for riders of all motorcycle brands. Regularly putting on events for motorcyclists to attend and enjoy, Iron City Motorcycles’ recent birthday parties in Leeds and Gateshead saw live music, BBQs, fire-eaters, archery and even a tattooist – making it a truly unique experience, not just a dealer. Outside of…

THIS WEEK TOP STORY KTM have kicked off their 2024 new model reveals with a ground-up redesign of the 390 Duke and 125 Duke nakeds, featuring new engines, chassis parts, electronics, as well as a styling refresh. Designed and developed at KTM's HQ in Mattighofen, Austria, the bikes are then built in India by automotive giants Bajaj. The firm also assemble Triumph's new Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X singles, with BMW's G310 range also produced in the country by TVS (the current owners of Norton). “The main focus of the other brands seems to be more pricing than performance. The KTM was always a ‘ready to race’ machine, a premium motorcycle at the top of the range – with the most power and best power to weight across categories,”…

Alongside the 390 Duke, the CBT-friendly 125 model has also been updated with similar changes, sporting the same grown-up looks and updated chassis parts, but suspended on slightly more basic springs. Distinguished from the 390 by its narrower shoulders, the smallest Duke keeps the same updated LED headlight set up and side-profile inspired by the firm's largest 1290 V-twin super-nakeds. Rolling on all-weather Michelin Road 5 tyres, the 14.8bhp SOHC single will also receive Supermoto ABS as standard but misses out on the cornering traction and launch control, as well as optional riding modes. It can still be equipped with the quickshifter and blipper. The 125 comes with a pleasingly low 800mm seat height (20mm lower than the 390) as standard and retains the same five-inch bonded glass TFT display,…

A much-loved collection of more than 80 bikes from the A.R.E. Classic Motorcycle Collection on the Isle of Man will be offered without reserve during midOctober's Autumn Stafford Sale auction with Bonhams. Going under the hammer on October 14-15 as part of a larger 136-lot auction, the bikes previously found a home in the grounds of The Old Vicarage at Kirk Michael village on the Isle of Man TT course and were lovingly curated by the late Tony East, who moved to the Island in 2002 after retiring. The collection was then opened to the public as a museum. Tony was a regular at Stafford Classic Bike Shows, and was also the president of the Isle of Man section of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC). He organised and hosted…

Fans visiting this year's Manx are being invited to take part in a mass lap of honour to help celebrate 100 years of the event. The big ride will take place on Sunday, August 27 and will consist of a speed controlled single lap around the 37.73-mile Isle of Man TT course. Organised by the Manx Grand Prix Supporters Club, the MGP Centenary Spectators Lap is open to all motorcycle owners and will pull out of the pitlane 10am following instructions from Clerk of the Course, Gary Thompson MBE BEM. Prior to the ride, fans will also be encouraged to rev their engines in a one minute ‘Sound of Thunder’ and those who wish to take part should be ready in the pits from 9am. Other ways to mark the…

What's happening? With more than 3000 rumbling V-twins expected to descend on Aviemore, you can appreciate how this legendary Harley Owner's Group rally got its name. There's live music all weekend, ‘Ladies of Harley’ meet and greet, mass rideout and a custom bike show as well as plenty of traders, demo rides, food and more. For a weekend full of metal (particularly of the Harley variety) it's not to be missed. The essentials It's all taking place this weekend at the Macdonald Highlands Resort in Aviemore. Camping tickets are still available which allow you 4pm. It's £65 per person which includes camping, entertainment, and bike raffle ticket. Make sure you head to registration before setting up. Campervan/motorhome tickets are sold out. For more information check out www.facebook.com/TITG2023.…

TRIUMPH HUSQVARNA DUCATI KTM YAMAHA…

‘A single-sided swingarm adds to the sporty nature FIRST RIDE Motorcycles may no longer be allowed to compete in America's most famous hill climb but that hasn't stopped Ducati continuing to use the name on its sportiest Multistrada model – the V4 Pikes Peak. First introduced in 2012 on the V-twin 1200 after Greg Tracy won on a Multistrada, the Pikes Peak name has always signified the most performance-focused Multistrada model in the line-up. And the latest version is certainly no exception. 1 Spice of life Ducati's crossover bike has always used 17in wheels to give it a sporting sway, but the introduction of the V4 changed this with the front swapped for a more adventure-targeted 19in item. On the Pikes Peak it returns to 17in, something sportier riders will appreciate,…

Mick Doohan and Honda's NSR500 were the most formidable and successful partnership of the 500cc era of GP racing, which ran from 1949 until 2001. The NSR scored more than 100 GP wins between its introduction in 1984 and Doohan's retirement in ‘99, and the Aussie took more than half of them. But the bike was far from perfect when Doohan first rode it in ‘89. “The engine was great, but the chassis was terrible,” he remembers, “so it didn't do anything you wanted, and it would just spin up all over the place.” Over the years Doohan and HRC refined the NSR into the most potent weapon in GPs. For 1992 Honda replaced its vicious ‘screamer’ engine with a new ‘big bang’ version. This made the bike much easier…

Parked unassumingly in a corner at Ducati's Borgo Panigale home is a Multistrada V4S test bike. The casual observer wouldn't give it a second glance – but this firstmodel V4 has seen more tarmac (and dirt) than any other, and rarely has the luxury of being idle. Ducati's Marco Rimondi has the key in his pocket, and presses the keyless ignition button to bring the dash to life, revealing its partypiece: The odometer reads an impressive ‘Totale’ of 198,183km. That's 123,145.2 miles to our imperial British brains. Ducati wanted to know how reliable the new V4 is when used in the real world, so they've ridden it a distance the equivalent of five full circumnavigations of Earth. “We have a programme called ‘La Flotta’ (The Fleet), where some of the…

Alpinestars GP Pro Knee Sliders £50 250 miles ON TEST I'm pretty particular about my kit. Everything must feel perfect for me to be comfortable on track, and an important part of that comes from a knee slider. It may seem like an afterthought, but for me they play a huge part in confidence – being the only contact between rider and tarmac. I've tried a lot of sliders in my time but the GP Pros from Alpinestars are my favourite, thanks to the perfect level of grip and feeling on offer. They offer bundles of feedback yet they don't grip tarmac too aggressively and are shaped well, which is everything I look for in a slider. Although they are costly, thanks to the polymer construction and their size they…

Always in search of somewhere good for an ice cream With over 8000 miles ridden on the Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST consisting of camping trips, cross-continental voyages and slugs up to Scotland, it was time for a bit of R&R. So, the bike has been left with H-D for a service and hopefully a few new toys, too (watch this space). While the Low Rider ST is away, I've been lucky enough to be loaned the new Nightster Special to ensure I can still get out on the road, and my gosh, it's a completely different beast. Pulling away, the first tentative few inches had my feet pawing the air, searching for stretched-out footboards rather than the Nightster's more conventionally placed pegs, but I soon hunkered down with this nifty…

Pol Espargaro's heroic sixth in the Sprint at Spielberg showed the Spaniard is intent on justifying his place at GasGas Tech3 after a traumatic four-month lay-off following significant injury. Espargaro finished sixth just one spot behind KTM rider Jack Miller, an inspirational comeback from a fractured vertebra and jaw suffered at Portimao in March. In the GP, a tiring Espargaro finished 14th on the road ahead of Miller and Augusto Fernandez (GasGas) but was demoted to 16th for a track limits penalty. “It's mentally challenging and not the result I want. I want to fight Brad Binder up front very soon,” he said.…

Beastly luck Enea Bastianini's dream switch to Ducati's factory MotoGP squad is starting to feel as flat as a month-old party balloon. ‘The Beast’ is a shadow of the rider that won four races in 2022 to earn a prized berth alongside Pecco Bagnaia. Now fully fit after a broken right shoulder blade forced him out of the opening five rounds, Bastianini can't stop and turn the GP23 and was AWOL again in Austria with no top 10. “I can't ride the way I want,” said Bastianini, who hasn't finished higher than eighth in an injury hit season.…

MCN AWARDS 2023 ‘The Triumph oozes quality, with its sharp lines and exquisite finish’ TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE RS BIKE OF THE YEAR 2023 TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE RS BEST SPORTS NAKED 2023 When Triumph released the first iteration of their Street Triple all the way back in 2007, the bike was nothing short of a revelation. It left its rivals in the dust as an agile, exciting, and impressive machine that tempted thousands from aggressive sportsbikes to the naked scene. Here we are 16 years later in 2023, and Triumph have upped the ante once again, improving an already impressive machine in almost every aspect. The previous generation of Street Triple was certainly no slouch, but Triumph have honed the bike into something that pretty much transcends the sub-litre naked category…

BSA GOLD STAR RETRO BIKE OF THE YEAR 2023 The BSA wins our retro award for its genuine old-school simplicity and charm, over other machines which may be better in dynamic terms. A good retro adjusts your mindset from 2023 to somewhere several decades back, without casting aside all modern convenience, and the BSA's thudding single does the ‘time machine’ thing better than most. We revisited the bike on a warm summer's day, and set off into rural Northamptonshire without a destination, GPS or any time constraints: and simply follow the front wheel where it takes us, and soak in the surroundings. There's a relaxed, friendly feel from the moment you drop onto the low seat, with light-touch controls and great low-speed balance standing out the moment you get rolling.…

MCN AWARDS 2023 DUCATI PANIGALE V4 S SPORTSBIKE OF THE YEAR 2023 Ducati have always known how to build fast, achingly beautiful bikes, but they haven't always been the easiest to get on with. Their Panigale superbike is a case in point and the story starts way back in 2012 when the V-twin 1199 Panigale replaced the old 1198. Stiff-framed and pumped full of power, few superbikes felt as dramatic. The Ducati was an animal, despite an array of then new-generation electronics working hard to tame its eagerness to squirm a rear tyre out of corners and wheelie in the first three gears. Bologna boffins refined the Panigale through chassis tweaks and even smoother electronics as it evolved into the 2015 Panigale 1299, but real progress was made with the…

Motorcycle racing is a hard sport fuelled by tough characters, each and every one of them ravenous for victory. The newest team owner in the British Superbike paddock, FHO Racing boss Faye Ho is no different, driven by the very same burning hunger to beat the rest. Yet for Faye, it's about more than simply the pursuit of silverware. “At the end of the day, we're here to win championships,” she tells MCN. “But for me, it's more than that; I want to make a difference.” Faye believes in using her position as an entrepreneur and owner of a highly recognisable race team as a platform to help others get into the sport she adores. She has ploughed her energy, enthusiasm, and resource into opening up the often very firmly…

MCNAWARDS 2023 YAMAHA R125 125cc BIKE OF THE YEAR 2023 The R125 is a perfect example of a restricted-licence machine that inspires new riders to embark on a future of two-wheeled pleasure. Not only in its visual appeal but also its level of tech. Updated this year with a fresh new look that ensures it keeps up the family resemblance with the rest of Yamaha's R-series sportsbike range, the R125 has all the bling you want on a race-rep. With inverted forks, a radial brake caliper and a Deltabox frame and aluminium swingarm providing the all-important kerb-appeal, the R125 also packs an impressive array of hidden treats. Where some manufacturers cut back on the tech level with 125s, Yamaha have pushed the boat out on the R125 this year and…

KAWASAKI NINJA 1000SX SPORTS TOURER OF THE YEAR 2023 The MCN Award for best Sports Tourer has been brought back by popular demand. And that popular demand has been fuelled by so many amazing bikes once again battling it out in this sector. Taking all of the key factors of performance, handling, technology, comfort and price into account, there's one bike in the class that delivers the best value. Its inline four cylinder engine may not have changed much since the Z1000SX (as it was called then), first appeared in 2011 and even that motor came from the Z1000. But it still outguns the competition, and is a remarkably polished performer. ‘It will happily pull top gear from just 35mph’ The Kawasaki also boasts possibly the slickest gearbox action in…

SUPER SOCO TC MAX URBAN ELECTRIC OF THE YEAR 2023 It is in the urban segment that electric two-wheelers are really making an impact and when you look at the Super Soco TC Max you can see why. Costing just £4399 and being A1-legal, the Max makes for the ideal commuter and thanks to its battery being removable if required, not having access to a garage or handy charging point isn't a barrier to ownership. ‘You can remove the battery for charging’ Undeniably a slightly disposablefeeling product, the Max's range of over 50 miles is more than enough for any urban commuter and its light weight, handy storage compartment and ‘real-time’ range indicator make it practical. As a functional commuter, the Super Soco TC Max is hard to fault and…