Table of contents for 19 June 2024 in MCN

FINDING INSPIRATION You may already know the Peterhansel name, but you might not know of Andrea, inspirational Dakar legend THIS WEEK Norton close the book on the past Norton’s rollercoaster has soared higher, and dramatically lower, than most manufacturers over recent decades. With the appalling mismanagement of the Stuart Garner era now firmly behind them, the company are ready to start looking forward. Norton have confirmed that all existing customers who took up the offer of a new V4 have now received their bikes, so what comes next? PAGE 4 ON TEST THIS WEEK The return of supersport thrillers Anyone who laid a tasty bet on the return of the supersport class has probably now netted enough cash to actually buy the glut of new models on the market. With…

Kawasaki UK have teamed up with stunt rider Jonny Davies to try and break the Guinness World Record for ‘Fastest speed being dragged behind a motorcycle’ using a supercharged Ninja H2 SX sports tourer. The record currently belongs to stunting legend Gary Rothwell, who achieved 156.3mph from the back of a Suzuki Hayabusa on April 18, 1999. The Liverpudlian rider was dragged behind his GSX1300R on special titanium-soled boots at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire. “I’m surprised no one has attempted it sooner,” Rothwell told MCN following Kawasaki’s official announcement. “If he gets over that part of being scared and keeping the throttle open, I can’t see him not being able to break it.” Davies (also known as JD Stunts) is a UK Stunt Champion and two-time record holder…

Bike sales are on the up both on a monthly and yearly basis when compared with 2023. Motorcycle Industry Association data, released at the beginning of June, shows positive results for both petrol and electric bikes. As it stands, total registrations across May 2024 sit at 11,172 bikes, which represents a 2.6% rise over 2023. In year-to-date figures, registrations have climbed to 49,084 – a 0.7% improvement. “It is very encouraging to see the market continue to perform strongly in spite of not having a particularly good spring,” said MCIA CEO Tony Campbell. ‘Registrations for May are up by 2.6 percent’ “The next Government have the unparalleled opportunity to positively address the need for our sector’s involvement in future transport plans and to enable the acceleration to net zero.” The…

AGV K6 £199.99 Big savings on last year’s lids Although manufacture of ECE 22.05 certified helmets has now ceased, there is still some stock at retailers and this means that clearance deals are at their peak. We’ve been having a good poke around the web’s virtual shelves to see what offers there are on established brands and have found some massive savings. AGV are a company that pride themselves on high quality products that exceed safety standards, so it does come as a bit of a surprise to find the previous model of their leading sports-touring lid can be picked up for such a low price from Demon Tweeks. The lightweight ACU gold approved K6 has a carbon and aramid fibre shell that has been aerodynamically designed to feature an…

PART 8-FLEXIBILTY The hips don’t lie. Seriously, they don’t. Next time you throw a leg over your bike your hips will tell you loud and clear whether you’ve been stretching your body… or your luck. Fight, flight, freeze Having a really great ride or workout can feel like you’ve just taken a massive glug from the fountain of youth. These are the things that make us feel alive, that activate our sympathetic nervous system (the fight, flight, freeze response) and give us stress, a buzz, or both. Being permanently on high alert won’t do you any good long term though. The parasympathetic nervous system is the ‘rest and digest’ flip side. It helps you discharge all the energy that your primitive brain dumped on you when it thought you were…

BUY IT NOW The other day I got an email from the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) that contained the UK’s motorcycle sales figures. This set of stats covered April and it made interesting reading. Triumph seem to be on a roll, selling 1016 bikes in April and topping the 125cc-500cc charts (again) with the Speed 400, which sold 173 units. Honda are sitting quite pretty, shifting 1976 models although a fair few seem to be scooters (393 PCX 125s in April alone!), while Yamaha sold 960 bikes, BMW 833, Enfield 532 and Kawasaki 463. Down at the bottom was Suzuki, who sold just 211 bikes in April. Yes, just 211, which is five less than Harley (who you expect to have slow sales until the sun comes out). I sincerely…

1 June 22 RWYB Saturday Night Special This Saturday at the quartermile-Santa Pod (NN29 7XA) -you can bring your bike and take to the strip. Prices start at £26 and camping is available. santapod.co.uk 2 June 22-23 Suzuki Live Hosted at Cadwell Park (LN11 9SE) Suzuki Live is back with bikes old and new, test rides and an off-road experience. bikes.suzuki.co.uk/events/suzuki-live-2024 3 June 23 Romney Marsh Classic Bikejumble At Hamstreet, Kent (TN26 2JD) every rider can enter the ride-in show, where you could win a £25 prize for best classic and best post-classic machine. www.elkpromotions.co.uk 4 June 24 Cassington Bike Night Cassington in Oxfordshire is putting on one of the best bike nights this Monday. There are traders, food, drinks, and bikes galore! cassingtonbikenight.wordpress.com…

There are bike nights all over the place throughout the summer. Here are a few dotted around the country to get you started: Amici Coffee Wednesdays 6pm-9pm, Sandy SG19 1NA The Old Stores Wednesdays 9am-8pm, Mold, CH7 4HR Seaways Wednesday evenings until 8pm, Fridaythorpe, YO25 9RX Oily Rag Monthly during summer, Gloucester, GL11AJ Iron Horse Ranch House Thursdays 5pm-10pm, Market Deeping PE6 8EB Victoria Biker’s Pub Thursdays, Coalville LE67 3FA Zoom Zoom Tearoom Thursdays, 4.30pm-8.30pm South Cave HU15 2JQ Fowlers’ bike night First Friday of the month, 5.30pm-8.30pm Bristol, BS4 3DR Ace Café Fridays from 6pm, NW10 7UD Custom Café Fridays from 6pm, Bexhill-on-sea, TN39 4QR West Coast H-D Last Thursday of every summer month 3pm-8pm, G52 4FA…

THE MCN TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK £10,499 Honda CBR600RR • 599cc liquid-cooled inline four DOHC 16v • 111.4bhp/44.6lb.ft* (claimed: 119bhp) • 193.8kg kerb weight* • £115.83 a month on PCP £10,599 Kawasaki ZX-6R • 636cc liquid-cooled inline four DOHC 16v • 115.7bhp/50.5lb.ft* (claimed: 122bhp) • 187.2kg kerb weight* • £104.64 a month on PCP £17,195 Ducati Panigale V2 • 955cc liquid-cooled V-twin DOHC 8v • 140bhp/72lb.ft* (claimed: 153bhp) • 209.2kg kerb weight* • £219.39 a month on PCP £11,495 Triumph Street Triple 765RS • 765cc liquid-cooled inline triple DOHC 12v • 117bhp/55.7lb.ft* (claimed: 128bhp) • 190.6kg kerb weight* • £110.82 a month on PCP We’ve never really thought of Triumph’s Street Triple as a supersport bike before. From its 2006 inception it was always the tamer,…

WIN # 1 2009 SUPERSPORT RACE 2 1st Dunlop (Yamaha) 2nd Anstey (Honda) 3rd Cummins (Kawasaki) After three DNFs in earlier races, the 20-year-old finally claimed his maiden win in the second 600cc race on a Street Sweep Yamaha R6 ahead of Bruce Anstey and Conor Cummins. WIN # 2 2011 SUPERSTOCK RACE 1st Dunlop (Kawasaki) 2nd McGuinness (Honda) 3rd Martin (Suzuki) Dunlop celebrated win No2 and his first on a 1000cc machine as he Led John McGuinness and Guy Martin home on a Kawasaki ZX-10R. WIN # 3 2012 SUPERSPORT RACE 2 1st Dunlop (Yamaha) 2nd Donald (Honda) 3rd Farquhar (Kawasaki) A frustrating week of mechanical. problems was cancelled out when Michael won the second Supersport race on a R6 ahead of Cameron DonaLd and Ryan Farquhar. WIN #…

The Hawk Racing boss who has worked with both Robert and Michael Dunlop Although it went largely unmentioned during TT 2024, this year marked the bleak 30th anniversary of Robert Dunlop’s huge crash during the 1994 Formula One Isle of Man TT race, Michael’s father suffered career changing injuries when the rear wheel of his Medd Honda RC45 collapsed after Ballaugh Bridge. Stuart Hicken, the team boss of the Medd Honda squad, and his son, Steve, fielded the Hawk Racing Honda Fireblade that Michael Dunlop raced in this year’s Superbike and Senior TTs. They have now been working together for over a decade and the relationship has given Stuart a unique insight to what makes the Dunlop road racers tick. “Robert was a quiet character until he had a drink…

‘Not bad for a first try…’ If someone handed me the keys to the Z7 Hybrid and said ‘it’s a prototype, what do you think?’ I’d say it has promise but needs its rough edges smoothed off. But it isn’t a prototype, it’s a production bike, and that makes it a touch disappointing. While its tech is undeniably clever, and I genuinely like hybrids as they remove the range anxiety you get with pure electric, the Z7’s gearchange is poor, the handling heavy and the price too high. The scenarios where it would make sense to buy are limited and I can’t see why you would pick it over a petrol-powered middleweight and a stack of leftover cash. THE FACTS £12,059 Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid…

Clarke Jet 9500B £275.98 Unlike cheaper, more ’plasticky’ jetwashers I’ve owned (and worn out) this is made of sturdier stuff. It’s heavy (21.6kg), which gives it a feeling of sturdiness; and the main unit, hose, reel and gun are all superb quality. With its 2400W motor and 130bar working pressure it’s plenty powerful, but quiet enough not to wake the neighbours on a Sunday morning. It’s recently developed an intermittent fault; with too much tap pressure the jetwash pulses and eventually trips the fuse in my garage, so I have to be careful how much to turn on the tap. It’s out of its 12 months guarantee, but this test sample is from Machine Mart, who plan to take it away for inspection. Quality Value machinemart.co.uk 27 months ON TEST…

Once you’ve had some hard luggage on your bike, it’s difficult to go back. OK, so a topbox isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing item, but the luxury of having a secure, dry place to stash your helmet and jacket soon makes up for it. Luggage size is expressed in litres of capacity – and the topbox used in this week’s How To is a fairly modest 30-litre item, but still large enough to swallow a full-face lid. ‘Check your specs and pack wisely’ The thing to always keep in mind, though, is weight. No matter how capacious your topbox is, the real governing factor is the weight limit of your rack – which will often be surprisingly little, perhaps even 10kg or so and bear in mind that this will…

Finding the stories behind the headlines at Misano WSBK Toprak Razgatlioglu battered his rivals into submission with a terrific treble World Superbike victory at Misano delivered in the most controlling fashion imaginable - leaving Ducati scratching their heads and crawling back to the drawing board. Furthermore, in a dramatic development, it emerges that the BMW rider has the chance of leaving the series early to pursue a MotoGP dream next season. Not since Marco Melandri in 2012 have BMW topped the championship standings in the World Superbike Championship. That all changed on Saturday as Toprak marched to the top courtesy of his Race 1 win from pole position, also marking the first time the affable rider has led the championship himself since winning for Yamaha in 2 021. It is…

Going behind the headlines in the 2024 BSB series ‘It’s my job to push Honda to the limit’ People who questioned Tommy Bridewell’s move to Honda Racing UK at the start of the year are quickly being made to eat their words. The reigning champion’s consistent start to life on the Fireblade took yet another step on Saturday when he produced a dominant display to win as a Honda rider for the first time. It was Bridewell’s first-ever success at Knockhill, and Honda’s first since Michael Laverty’s 2012 win. The stats get better. Bridewell’s double podium finish in Sunday’s races takes him to six consecutive visits to the rostrum, the first Honda rider to achieve that feat since Alex Lowes during his title -winning campaign in 2013. Despite crossing the…

TT Legend John McGuinness MBE in MCN every week Seeing Tommy and Honda leading the championship means there are a few people lunching on their words and trying to gulp down their humble pie at the minute… and to be fair, I’m one of them! They had a steady start, but now, it’s just ‘wow’. I was at Knockhill and it was a very, very mature and savvy ride from Tommy and as we’ve said many times before - champions don’t fall off. In one of the practice sessions he did over 50 laps; he’d obviously been reading the weather and knew Sunday was going to be tricky so he made sure he had a good package for the wet. But then he put it on pole and was dominant…

Want to know how to make your next bike fit perfectly? Zenith Motorcycles’ Karen Neill reveals how… “Lowering kits are a simple way of lowering a bike, and the kit comprises a replacement linkage for the shock. They cost from around £50 and are available for most makes and models. It’ll take a maximum of an hour to fit: jack the bike up, unbolt the bottom of the rear shock, take out the linkage, replace it and you’re done. “You can lower a bike safely by up to two inches (50.8mm). Lowering any more than that can start to affect ground clearance, and bear in mind the sidestand might need shortening, too. You’ll also lose a bit of suspension travel, but unless you’re going on bumpy terrain you may not…

SAVE £3000 £17,495 Ducati Multistrada V4 One of the most accomplished and capable adventure bikes on the market, with a staggeringly good V4 lifted from the Panigale, meaning it delivers almost perfect performance with more than enough poke to trouble anything else out there. That’s not all though and the big Multi is also superbly comfortable, with unrivalled tech. www.blademotorcycles.co.uk SAVE £1800 £10,995 Triumph Speed Twin 1200 Combining the best bits of Triumph’s retro range with genuine sporting ability, the Speed Twin is comfortable, quick and easy. www.triumphwestyorkshire.co.uk Engine 1200cc • Power 99bhp • Weight 216kg • Seat height 809mm SAVE £1400 £11,068 Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX Offering a grunty inline four motor, comfortable cockpit and slick steering, the big Ninja thou’ is an impressively capable sports tourer. www.cobbandjagger.co.uk • Engine…

Former TT racer Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle has received the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his ‘outstanding contribution to road racing’. The Manx resident is one of the most well-known faces at the festival, having won the 2002 Lightweight 400 TT, with a second in the 2000 Production TT. After retiring following an accident in 2003, Quayle put his passion for racing into nurturing the next generation of stars, becoming TT Riders Liaison Officer in 2006. Grab a pint of the Hairy Bikers brew Si King (of TV’s The Hairy Bikers) has announced their Triple Hop beer will now be available to the public. The Hairy Bikers ale was produced at the back end of last year at Yorkshire’s Theakston Brewery. Beer enthusiasts will now be able to purchase the tasty…

Oxford Spartan Air women’s boots £89.99 These lightweight breathable boots could be a smart option for urban riding. The upper is microfibre and Cordura, supported by a heavily treaded rubber sole, and is PU reinforced at the toe, heel and through the footbed. The fastening is laces, with a hook and loop ankle. oxfordproducts.com Weise Rennen gloves £159.99 Designed with the sporty end of touring in mind, these full grain leather gloves have accordion stretch panels and a micro suede palm covering to ensure grip. Protection includes hard TPU knuckle armour, sliders for the scaphoid and cuff and extensive padding, all of which earns CE 1 KP weiseclothing.co.uk Laser Tools Power Bar Set £68.59 A must have tool for jobs such as the removal of sprockets, spindle nuts and clutch…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews ‘Huge TT achievement’ So we need to know in detail if the third reserve goalkeeper for England’s Euro squad has a broken toenail but the greatest TT rider of all time tops his uncle’s ‘unbeatable’ record of IoM wins and is it all over the news? No! Not a mention apart from the specialist press. To win a TT is a massive achievement, to win 29 of them is phenomenal. I know some will argue that Joey had fewer races to enter, but Michael has not only won more but has won a bigger percentage of his races and has rostrummed a greater percentage as well. Arguments will always rage, including about the quality of opposition, but Michael is up there with the best. Is it…

What’s happening? The Farmyard Party is back with a weekend full of entertainment (there are more than 25 acts performing) open fires next to your tent if you fancy it, and great food, too. With traders, a ride-in custom show and even a comedy tent if you want something a little different, this really is the rally for everyone. The essentials It takes place inside the walls of Duncombe Park in Helmsley (Y062 5EB). Tickets are available online, with weekend and day tickets available from £10. If you’re taking the car ora camper, then you’ll have to buy a pass. This year, you can also add on the Adventure Ride weekend which includes access to private trails and green lanes suitable for all skill levels, too. Head to mapevents.co.uk/farmyard-party for information…

‘Satisfy that lust for speed’ Triumph’s Street. Triple 765 RS is the supersport weapon of our generation. OK, so it doesn’t have a fairing and clip-ons, but sales figures have shown we fell out of out of love with traditional race reps years ago. The Triumph serves to satisfy any headbanger’s lust for speed with sublime handling and savage braking power to match. It goes like a racer, but it’s easy to live with thanks to a roomy riding position, lots of real-world grunt, useful rider aids and a glorious three-cylinder soundtrack. Best of all it’s a hell of a lot of bike for the money. But for those for whom only a race rep will do, the Ducati and new Honda and Kawasaki still shine. The CBR600RR is the…

From his debut at the 2006 Manx Grand Prix until he broke his Uncle Joey’s record in 2024, Michael has been determined to make his mark on the Isle of Man Mountain Course although no-one could have known then - as he raced alongside his brother William under the shrewd gaze of their father, Robert - how things would eventually unfold. MEC MICHAEL DUNLOP TT’S GREATEST EVER…

‘It steamrollered its way to the top of the sportsbike tree’ SUBSCRIBE TO MCN! Subscribe to MCN now at: greatmagazines.co.uk/mcn-offer When Suzuki entered the litre sportsbike class in 2001 they did so with a bang. In fact, it was more like a nuclear explosion as the GSX-R1000 K1 moved the goalposts not just a few increments wider but blew them apart. The decision by Suzuki to rely on brute force kickstarted a performance war that has led to sportsbikes pushing out over 200bhp. And, remarkably, at the time it all came as a surprise. In 2000 Suzuki released a totally revamped GSX-R750, which seemed an odd move considering the R1 and Blade had given validity to the 1000cc class over the 750s and World Superbikes were expected to allow litre…

Welcome to the final instalment of MCN’s Skills School series. This week, the experts at Rapid Training explain how you can increase traction and consequently increase your safety and speed. How to create grip Many riders underestimate the effect they can have on traction, and assume it just depends what tyres they’ve fitted, how warm they are, and the state of the tarmac. Those are important but they’re only half the story because traction doesn’t just depend on the coefficient of friction (a ratio describing the ‘grippiness’ of two surfaces in contact). It also depends on the force pushing the tyre into the road, and we can dramatically affect that using the throttle and brakes. The basic physics is simple: an increase in weight increases the force between two surfaces,…

RATINGS Exceptional Very good Good Average Poor 3000 miles ON TEST SW Motech Pro Day Pack Tank Bag £138.98 As my 5ft 4in tall grandad always said, all good things come in small packages-and that’s definitely the case with the Pro Daypack Tank Bag, which holds between five and eight litres of gear. In reality, that’s my sandwiches, phone, wallet, keys… all the usual stuff. It’s great for passports or documents. A tank mount is required, which is an easy fit: just replace the screws in the top of the fuel cap with the ones in the kit and the mount sits proud of the tank. The bag then fits in place; and to remove, just pull the red tabs to unhook the securing mechanism. Well thought-out, and quick and…

RST TracTech Evo 5 CE £169 The TracTech Evo 5 is RST’s most advanced sporty road textile jacket, featuring the same level-two armour in the shoulders, elbows, and back as the firm’s leather TracTech garments. There’s a respectable AA safety rating overall, with a polyester outer, hard plastic shoulder armour mimicking brand’s track-spec leathers, and even a SinAqua waterproof membrane plus removable thermal liner. You also get twin front zips, multiple vents, subtle reflective details, six pockets and a 360-degree connecting zip for a pair of matching trousers. For less than £170, I think that’s very decent value. 1000 miles ON TEST Out on the road, it’s very comfortable too -providing plenty of warmth during our chilly start to the ’summer’ riding season. I’ve had to adjust both the arms…

MCN’s website has expert opinion and buying advice on hundreds of used bikes, regularly updated and packed with insight. Here are three of the latest - visit motorcyclenews.com for more. Kawasaki ER-6f (2012-2017) Owners’ rating The forerunner to the Ninja 650 has been reviewed 11 times online. It scores fairly averagely across the board but owners aren’t impressed by its level of equipment as it lacks trinkets such as inverted forks and flashy calipers. Honda CB500F (2022-CURRENT) Owners’ rating Honda’s popular naked middleweight scores a lower overall rating than we would have expected. The main area of concern appears to be the slight lack of punch but it is still a classy machine. Suzuki GSX-8S (2023-CURRENT) Owners’ rating If you are in the market for a middleweight, it might be worth…

Tyres are the only thing connecting you to the road-but the owner of this Yamaha XJ6 didn’t seem to have taken that into account. All mechanics worth their salt will tell you that it pays to be cautious when it comes to tyres and brakes, but in this example, caution appears to have been thrown completely to the wind. “The bike belongs to a Spanish couple, they’re lovely people and they’re always riding two-up,” said Jon Clarke of Dave Clarke Motorcycles. “They rode in for a replacement rear tyre on their XJ6, and we were shocked by what we saw. The edges of the tyre were completely roasted down to the cord, but strangely, the centre was fine. “It must’ve been down to the limit and needing replacing 500 or…

Almost unbelievably, one third of the way through the season, Jonathan Rea is yet to finish on the podium and is placed 14th in the championship with Yamaha and behind Andrea Locatelli, Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter on the same bike. “I really need to put a lot of pressure on the guys to give me what I need to be fast,” says the Northern Irishman, who is working for the first time with good friend Andrew Pitt as crew chief. “I’m thankful I got to race on Sunday (after Saturday’s 131mph) crash. I was very lucky to get away with that. The setup just isn’t coming and it’s really frustrating. I need something I can fight with. There’s no excuse for being sub-par. I try to put a positive…

In a dramatic development, MCN has learned that Toprak Razgatlioglu has a get-out clause in his BMW contract stating he is free to do what he wants in the event of claiming the World Superbike title this year. That’s despite a cleverlyworded BMW press release on Monday suggesting all stays the same next year, with Michael van der Mark having just renewed his contract. But Toprak was already on a two-year deal. The foresight to write the get-out clause shows just how confident manager Kenan Sofuoglu was before Toprak originally joined BMW, despite so many people writing them off. With a new ruleset for Grand Prix racing coming for 2027, with fewer aerodynamic aids and reduced engine size of 850cc, there’s plenty of talk about BMW moving in. However, it…

ROUND 4 BSB CHAMPLONSHIP STANDINGS 1 BRIDEWELL 141Pts 2 IRWIN 130Pts 3 KENT 125pts 16 Stacey 31pts 17 McConnell 30pts 18 Buchan 22pts 19 Hickman 14pts20 Rollo 10pts 21 Harrison 9pts22 Hedger 7pts 23 Bourne 5pts 24Mossey 2pts 25 Olsen 1pt BSB POSITIONS RACE 1 16 McConnell +37.46717 Rollo+38.13618 Olsen+40.826 19 Harrison +41.30720 Sikkelerus+41.855 DNF Irwin 21 lapsDNFElliott+20 laps NC Valleley 17 laps DNF Iddon 10 lapsDNFVickers16 laps DNF Cook 16 lapsDNFHickman 11 laps BSB POSITIONS RACE 2 16 Neave+47.47217 Harrison +50.341 18 Olsen+51.38219 Elliott +51.646 20 Sikkelerus+1 lap DNFValleley 16 laps, Kent 15 laps, Hickman 11 laps, Haslam 8 laps Bourne 4 laps, O’Halloran 3 laps, Irwin 0 laps BSB POSITIONS RACE 3 16 Elliott 1 lap 17 Bourne 1 lap 18 Valleley 2 laps DNF Haslam 21 laps,…

Alison Silcox, 54, MCN Office Manager, 5ft 10in, 33in inside leg Riding for 20 years, Alison currently rides a Suzuki GSX-S1000GX but also owns a Ducati Monster 695 and Yamaha XMAX 400. She loves longdistance solo rides Saffron Wilson, 29, MCN Reporter, 5ft 8in, 30in inside leg Riding for 13 years, Saffron’s got a Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail in her garage, and also currently rides a BMW R12 nineT. Racks up big miles every year. Charlotte King, 32, Products Writer, 5ft 3in, 27.5in inside leg Sportsbike lover Charlotte has been riding for three years and in that time has owned a Honda CBR600RR, a Suzuki SV650 and currently owns an Aprilia RS660. Emma Franklin, 43, MCN Deputy Editor, 5ft 6in, 29in inside leg Riding for 20 years, Emma’s a fan of…

‘A perfect partner’ The bikes on test here today only serve to reinforce the notion that, whatever you’re into, you’re spoilt for choice. While the Honda impressed us all with its build quality, surprising punch, fun handling and accessibility, we felt it could be limited in its practicality. Likewise the Yamaha R7-as beautiful and sharp handling as it is - its extreme riding position would be only something that dedicated sportsbike fans would put up with on a daily basis. Initially, the Tiger 900 GT Pro raised eyebrows with its appearance on our female rider popularity list, but after riding the marvellous middleweight we could appreciate why- it’s beautifully balanced, accessible for a broad spread of riders, and packed with loads of top features. It’s a proper riders’ bike that’ll…

French singer Francoise Hardy has died aged 80. Born in Nazi occupied Paris in 1944, Hardy rose to stardom in the 1960s, following the release of her debut single, Tous les garcons et les filles and went on to model for brands such as Yves Saint Laurent. Hardy maintained a firm love of bikes, owning and riding a Honda CB750. Indians on screen Indian have released the first in a new six-part YouTube series following the build of three unique Scouts. Roland Sands will present the new six-parter, which follows on from Forged: Season One. All three Scouts are inspired by stories that have secured the bike its spot in the American motorcycling pantheon. Husky get 2025 kicked off early Husqvarna have announced a handful of changes for their 2025…

Tribute to the King Triumph have another special in the line-up with the £14,495 Bonneville T120 Elvis Presley Limited Edition. Restricted to 925 bikes worldwide, it comes just over a week on from the last special edition – a £22,995 Speed Triple 1200RR produced in collaboration with watch company, Breitling. A ‘Slippery Sam’ tribute Trident 660 came before that in late March. The Bonnie build is inspired by the story of the ‘Memphis Mafia’ Bonnevilles – a group of T120s purchased by Elvis back in 1965, following a test ride on his friend Jerry Schilling’s machine. Elvis was so impressed by the Triumph, that he asked his transportation manager, Alan Fortis to order one for him and all of his friends that evening. Seven T120s were then delivered to his…

WHAT’S NEW IN TECH Italian urban riding specialists Tucano Urbano are looking to make city dwellers safer, and airbag tech more affordable, with a new range of vests featuring emergency call integration. The Airscud Flex and Airscud Flex Lady are produced in collaboration with In&Motion. Designed to be a simple and easy safety aid, the Italian brand hope it will reduce the number of riders seen whizzing across city centres without protective kit. “With the new Airscud Flex, we want to continue the airbag revolution,” Marketing Director, Florian Martin said. “Our cities are still too full of motorcyclists riding without any protection, completely unaware of the dangers.” The UK price has just been announced at a relatively affordable £245.89. Both are ventilated and washable too. They are designed to fit…

Q ‘Can I claim for unlit skip?’ I was riding my bike home at night on a fairly badly lit urban road. I was well within the speed limit when all of a sudden I spotted an unlit temporary roadworks set up around 10 metres away from me on my side of the road. I had no time to brake and I tried to swerve but ended up crashing into the roadworks skip and was catapulted from my bike. I broke my hand, arm and shoulder and I am going to be off work for a few months. Do I have a claim? Ian, Gosport A You should have a claim. Section 139 of the Highways Act 1980 deals specifically with skips that are deposited on carriageways. It states that…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Reader Kev Meers The ride Up to Durham then Scotland including Loch Ness and over to Skye When to do it We went for the May bank holiday How long do you need? Five days for a relaxed trip How many miles? 1150 in total including riding up from home Tell us about the trip… We took five days in total, covering over 1000 miles. We headed up to Durham, then over to Fort Augustus to see all of the lochs leading into Loch Ness. Day three was then over to Skye with the lovely A87 then a stop at Fort William. Our last night was over to Seahouses on the coast in Northumberland then back home. Highlights include the Highland roads, in particular through…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday June 19 BIKE MEETS ■ Huggys Speedshop, Mallory Park, Leics From 10am www.huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ Amici Coffee Biker Night, Girtford Bridge, Beds www.amicicoffee.co.uk ■ The Solstice Bike Night, The Dashwood Roadhouse, Piddington, Oxon from 6pm 07940-492348 ■ Sycamore Cafe, Great Billing, Northants ■ The King Billy Rock Bar, Northampton 6.30pm Facebook: The King Billy Rock Bar ■ Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 ■ Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, West Yorks www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ Seaways, Fridaythorpe, East Yorks 4pm-8pm mike@seawayscafe.co.uk ■ Loomies, West Meon, Hants till 9pm www.loomiescafe.co.uk ■ Chequered Flag, Liskeard, 7pm Facebook: Chequered Flag SW ■ Paignton, 6pm Facebook: English Riviera Bike Night ■ The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey. From 10.30am-lpm Facebook: Pathfinder Cafe ■…

‘Spanish spin’ KEITH DIGHTON Riding through the Pyrenees yesterday, by the time we finish this trip my mileage will reach around 5500! ‘Hide and seek’ LEE EVANS Spotted out and about on my Suzuki V-Strom 800DE - that’s 4000 miles and counting so far this year. ‘Scottish sunshine’ IAN LEEDHAM This was during a day trip with this stunning view of the Isles of Jura and Islay in the sunshine! Not a drop of rain nor an annoying midge was witnessed during this trip in May. ‘Days in the Dales’ DUNCAN SAUNDERS Camping season is going strong. I rode 500 miles last weekend riding around the Derbyshire dales. Beautiful riding weather and the roads were pretty good. ‘Cafe cruise’ SIMON WILSON The three amigos during a little stop off at…

FUNCTIONALITY AND FEATURES ON THE DYNO Testing notes: It might be not have the outright oomph of the Panigale V2, but the Triumph’s power and torque curve shows you all you need to know about its road manners. While the Japanese supersport contenders and even the Ducati have all their power squeezed into the upper reaches of their rev ranges, the Street Triple delivers its 117bhp smoothly from the get-go with lots of grunt in the midrange. It means there’s always meaty three-cylinder thrust when you need it. The Kawasaki wins the Japanese power race against the Honda and has slightly more grunt with its extra ccs.…

Long-established team boss has observed Michael’s TT career from the start Clive Padgett was a contemporary of Joey’s before the Ballymoney man’s death in 2000, racing against him during the 1970s. His role running the family’s road racing team over the past two decades has seen him field riders including Ian Hutchinson, John McGuinness, Conor Cummins and Bruce Anstey who have all gone head to head with Michael at the TT. Padgett is well placed to weigh up the comparative merits of the Dunlop road racers… “Both Joey and Michael started racing the Mountain Course early in their careers and they learned the track quickly,” he says. “They may be two very different characters, but both have been single-minded and very determined.” However, Padgett feels there are some major differences…

Before the K1 arrived the litre bike class was dominated by the FireBlade and R1, both of which had been updated in 2000. Although Yamaha’s update was more of a revision (the first injected R1 arrived in 2002), the Blade was all-new for 2000 with a 17in front wheel, 929cc engine and stressed-member chassis. Not that this made any difference… The K1 left the Honda and Yamaha in its wake. Producing a genuine 143bhp, the K1 made 13bhp more than the R1 and 24bhp more than the Blade – and it also trumped them on torque. Flat out the Suzuki recorded 180mph, the R1 hit 171mph and the Blade just 168mph. In the sportsbike war, the K1 stood head-and-shoulders above its rivals.…

£3899-£6000 (2016-2023) When Suzuki released what is likely to be the final incarnation of the SV650 in 2016, their popular middleweight had sold a staggering 410,000 units since 1999. The SV’s V-twin engine is charming with lots of poke and excellent reliability while the chassis is highly userfriendly. Undeniably now a bit long in the tooth and low-tech, the SV is still a great first big-bike or bargain middleweight. And if you want a bit of retro-style, there is always the cafe racer X model.. BUYER BEWARE • The SV has always suffered from electrical issues due to the placement of the front cylinder. Always check here for signs of corrosion and fit a fender extender to help keep the grime at bay. • ABS was an extra on early…

BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician Topboxing clever Touring or commuting? Hard luggage could transform your ride 1 A simple solution If you’ve got a second bike for commuting, or an oLder model, without the option of factory boxes, a universal, topbox kit provides a cheap and secure luggage solution. This Oxford Products kit (£59.99) includes everything you need to mount to an existing luggage rack. Before you begin, have a good look at the instructions and familiarise yourself with the job. 2 Safe and secure Next you need to make sure that the existing luggage rack is secure and up to the job of securing the universal topbox. Give the rack a thorough visual inspection, checking for cracks and damage. Then check the tightness of the mounting bolts individually, ideally by using…

Our expert explains the MotoGP rider merry-go-round Aprilia pulling off the shock of the season by snapping up Jorge Martin for 2025 was one thing, but within days KTM had pulled off their own coup, blindsiding the rider market in the process. The Austrian factory have convinced Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales to join Tech3 next year, next to Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder in the factory team. As KTM’s Motorsport Director Pit Beirer said: “Looking at the points standings, fourth (Bastianini), fifth (Acosta), sixth (Viñales) and seventh (Binder) are with us. I feel it will help us to go for our big target.” MCN spoke to Beirer to get the inside line on the firm’s swoop on two of MotoGP’s biggest names. Why speed was key By Le Mans…

Reporting direct from the Misano World Superbike round Ducati enjoyed what other teams might see as a successful weekend at Misano - with five podium finishes from a possible six for their factory team riders. However, there is work to do for Alvaro Bautista and new team front-runner Nicolo Bulega if they are to get back on top of the steamroller that is Toprak Razgatlioglu and his formidablelooking BMW. Sunday’s Race 2 saw Ducati celebrate their 99th and 100th Misano podiums, with Bulega second in all three contests while Bautista managed a pair of thirds despite a costly Sprint Race crash that dropped him out of the points. Ironically, his incident came at Tramonto corner while pushing hard to keep up - exactly the same thing that happened to Jonathan…

ROUND 4 WSB CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1 RAZGATLIOGLU 179 Pts 2 BULEGA 158 Pts 3 BAUTISTA 155 Pts Vierge 25pts Rinaldi 23pts Redding 23pts Lecuona 19pts Mackenzie 7pts Oettl 5pts Rabat 4pts Pirro 3pts Ray 2pts WSB POSITIONS RACE 1 16 Vierge +45.895 17 Oettl +46.811 18 Ray +54.387 19 Rabat +1’04.508 20 Norrodin +1’10.077 DNF Lowes S 6 laps DNF Aegerter 11 laps DNF Mackenzie 13 laps DNF Rea 0 laps WSB POSITIONS SP RACE 11 Rinaldi +17.038 12 Van Der Mark +19.858 13 Vierge +20.227 14 Redding +20.317 15 Rabat +23.507 16 Pirro +24.417 17 Bautista +26.037 18 Mackenzie +26.969 19 Oettl +27.588 20 Ray +27.798 21 Norrodin 34.941 DNF Gardner 5 laps, Gerloff 3 laps, Lowes S1 lap WSB POSITIONS RACE 1 16 Rinaldi +43.852 17 Ray +44.363…

Inside the racing paddock for over 35 years Minestrone? Or melting pot? Which best describes MotoGP? It’s been a bit of both. Spicy and volatile. All stirred up, so you never knew quite what would rise to the surface next. Bombshells came in quick succession. Almost as if teams were picking riders’ names out of a hat. And vice versa. How else would Toprak Razgatlioglu, ripe for a purple patch, consider Repsol Honda, currently stuck to the bottom of the saucepan? It started after the Italian GP when Martin unexpectedly dumped Ducati for Aprilia; followed directly by Ducati’s swoop on Marquez… showing admirable disregard for the feelings of Bagnaia. KTM responded urgently. Viñales was already halfway there, relishing the chance of becoming the first in history to win on four…

Reporting direct from the heart of the BSB paddock TOP STORY Rory Skinner made his nation proud at Knockhill when he became a Bennetts British Superbike Championship race winner for the very first time. It’s what the fans came to see and, for those who also enjoy football, very much needed after the national side’s hammering by Germany on Friday evening. Skinner, buoyed by a podium in race one, put in a truly dominant display in treacherous conditions as he bolted away at the front after taking the lead on the opening lap. Put simply, nobody was stopping the local hero. It’s Skinner’s first visit to the top step of a British Championship podium since the final race of his title-winning British Supersport campaign in 2020. The result is the…

When it comes to the things I love most about motorcycling, it’s the bikes themselves that sit top of my list. The engineering, the design, the evolution – plus, of course, how they make you feel as a rider. But with so many different types on offer these days, choosing one that best fits your needs can often feel overwhelming. To help streamline your thinking, we got together four of the most quoted-for new models by female users of insurance comparison site MCNCompare.com and gave them the WoMCN road test treatment. Read about how they did on p10. Running a very close second on my ‘list of things I love about biking’ has to be the people. In my 20 years as a bike journalist, I’ve met some amazing humans,…

HONDA A2-compliant 46bhp motor gives surprising performance at all legal speeds; stitched detailing on the seat adds a touch of class; simple but classy LED clock shows speed, gear position, fuel, trip, time of day, but there’s no rev counter. YAMAHA 689cc parallel twin can be easily converted to A2 via a simple £75 restrictor kit; at 835mm the seat is reasonably tall, but lowering kits are available for around £150 that’ll drop it 30mm; 4.5in dash looks slick and features all essential info. TRIDENT 660cc triple is fruity, fun and flexible; at 805mm high the Trident’s seat seems to make a variety of different sized bottoms smile; extra £234 adds connectivity for turn-by-turn nav, music and call control - all via the switchgear. TIGER 888cc triple is a proper…