Table of contents for 23 October 2024 in MCN

‘Triumph’s focus is all about real-world riding’ MEET THE NEW TIGER SPORT 800, P4 NEWS Tiger sweet Looking to steal a slice of the Tracer 9’s success, Triumph have revealed their new Tiger Sport 800. The tall-rounder features a new 798cc triple-cylinder motor, loosely based on that of the Street Triple, wrapped inside the frame from the smaller capacity Tiger Sport 660. As a result, the new Tiger packs 113bhp peak power with 90% of its maximum 63lb.ft torque available right through the rev range, while also looking like it’ll retain the Tiger 660’s agility and user friendliness. At £10,995 complete with cruise control, two-way quickshifter, 18.6l tank, cornering ABS and more, it’s shaping up to be great value too. PAGE 04 THE BIG TEST Style on trial There was…

WORLD EXCLUSIVE While it’s no secret that Royal Enfield have been working on electric machines for some time, this exclusive spy shot indicates the firm’s first battery-powered bike is nearing a production-ready state. This image, taken earlier this month, appears to show a late-stage prototype being ridden on the streets of Barcelona - by none other than Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO of Eicher Motors. It comes hot on the heels of a design registration by Enfield’s parent company, Eicher, in India showing a retro-futuristic electric bike (MCN, September 18). Although Royal Enfield have tested and teased EVs with the likes of an electric Himalayan-style adventure bike, their first offering is set to be a city slicker reminiscent in its appearance of the WD/RE125 ‘Flying Flea’ that played a huge…

Suzuki are gearing up to celebrate 25 years of their legendary Hayabusa at Motorcycle Live, taking place November 16-24 at Birmingham’s NEC. The Japanese manufacturer will roll out a dedicated display area showcasing the evolution of the hyperbike, featuring the original 1999 model, the second generation Launched in 2008, and the anniversary edition which was launched in 2021. With its road-going Legacy covered, Suzuki are also turning the spotlight on the custom scene that has sprung up around the Busa - displaying an array of modified show bikes, drag racers and top-speed contenders. Also included in the exhibition will be a Hayabusa-powered Radical SR3, nodding to the influence the engine has had in the four-wheeled world. Owners can get involved by sending in their own Hayabusa photos for a feature…

BMW are upping the spec and list of optional extras on their two mid-sized scooters – the C400GT and C400X. Launched in 2018, the C400X is the dynamic-targeted scooter while its C400GT sibling is a ‘Gran Turismo’ version for covering longer distances. Both are powered by the same 350cc single with CVT transmission, which has been made Euro5+ compliant for 2025. Thanks to an IMU, BMW’s angle-responsive ABS and traction control systems, ABS Pro and Dynamic Traction Control, are standard where the old models only had basic ABS and stability control. Dynamic Brake Control, which detects if the rider accidentally keeps the throttle open while braking and prevents the bike from accelerating, is included with a flashing hazard lights warning when the deceleration is deemed too aggressive. Engine Drag Torque…

Isotta Seats from £259.99 You can now pamper your rear in Italian luxury through Pyramid Moto, who are ready to offer Isotta’s hand-crafted motorcycle seats in the UK for selected bikes. They use ergonomic shaping for comfort, and are available lowered/raised, or complete with a ‘prostate channel’ for comfort on long tours. pyramidmoto.co.uk Shark Dark Shadow Collection from £259.99 Shark have introduced a new ‘Dark Shadow’ colour scheme to four of their most popular helmets: the Skwal i3, D-Skwal 3, Spartan RS, and RS Jet. The matte finish is available in black or grey, with more of the firm’s product range planned to join the mean and moody dark side later this year. nevis.uk.com Oxford Exhaust Wrap £19.99 Made from fibres pressed out of pulverised lava rock, Oxford’s new exhaust…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews ‘Wow! What a race!’ Wow! That was amazing! Kyle and Tommy… I can honestly say that was one of the finest races I have ever seen! None of this electronic rubbish, just amazing skill and talent. It was beautiful to watch on the day at Brands Hatch, and as soon as I got home, I grabbed a few beers and watched it again and again. Those races will be remembered forever more. Awesome. Jamie Holmes, email STAR LETTER Write something that spikes our interest, and you could get selected for the Star Letter slot. Each week one lucky reader will receive an MCN T-shirt in a variety of different designs Worried for my ticker… I have just watched the greatest motorcycle race there has ever, ever,…

So I was invited out to Jerez World Superbikes last weekend to ride the new R9. They rang me and said: “As you’re a Yamaha legend” – their words not mine – “We want you to ride as you were the first person to win a World Supersport race on an R6.” I rode it with Stefano Manzi (World Supersport rider) as he’s the last rider to win a race on the R6. I only did one lap but it was great fun. Before we went out, I walked up to Manzi who was doing the lap with me and I said “Look I’m not f***ing about so don’t get under my feet… alright!” And he looked at me a bit funny, I think he knew I was just joking…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Reader Bri (sprockets_shaftson Instagram) The ride Exploring the TET How long do you need? 14 days How many miles? 2600 Tell us about the trip… I take the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam… enjoy the food onboard followed by a few beers, waking up the next morning nice and fresh. After many years of touring, this year I decided to take a different adventure. I fell across what is known as the TET (Trans Euro Trail). A free downloadable route across Europe on tarmac roads and incredible off-road tracks, it is a true adventure full of surprises and stunning views. Covering Holland, Belgium, France and Italy… traversing from loose gravel, rocks, grass or even muddy trails…. My adventure included breakdowns where I met incredible people…

GET 12 ISSUES FOR JUST £19.99! Subscribe to MCN now at: greatmagazines.co.uk/mcn-offer ‘It’s a Hardknott life’ RICHIE SALT This is a picture of my bike at the top of Hardknott Pass in the Lake District a couple of weeks ago. ‘De-Luxembourg’ STEPHEN WOOLLEY Manchester to Linz, Austria in seven days. Taking in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and France. ‘Sunny Scotland?’ MICK TURNER Me and a couple of the lads on a wee run across to Inveraray on a rare sunny day. A mere 240 miles on the total. ‘A French fancy’ DAVID NEALE On a recent two-night trip to France, we did a route that included the old race track at Circuit de Reims-Gueux. ‘Welsh wonder’ COLIN REID This picture was taken during a four-day tour of North Wales with my…

Indian Scouts Indian’s big-selling Bobber is one of five new Scouts in the American firm’s 2024 range. They all have new 106bhp ‘SpeedPlus 1250’ V-twin engines housed in steel, rather than aluminium frames. The £16,095 top-spec 101 Scout sits at the top of the range and with its extra power (110bhp), fully adjustable suspension and radial Brembos you could almost think of it as an ‘R’ or ‘SP’ version, Slightly cheaper, but still sporty is the £13,395 Sport Scout. Then there’s the stripped-back £13,195 Scout Bobber, £16,095 Super Scout tourer and traditionally styled £13,395 Scout Classic. The standard Bobber model, has an analogue dash, fuel gauge and LED, but our test bike is in the all-singing ‘Limited + Tech’ trim and Nara Bronze Metallic paint, bringing the price up to…

In terms of track rivalry, the RC45’s nemesis was the Ducati 916. With both bikes launched in 1994, the RC45 and 916 were fierce competitors throughout their lives with both manufacturers throwing all available resources at teams in an effort to secure success. In the end it was a decidedly one-sided battle (not helped by the WSBK rules favouring the V-twin format over the V4 and inline fours) with Ducati winning five rider and manufacturer titles to Honda’s one and totally dominating them in terms of race wins with the 916 taking 81 victories compared to the RC45’s fairly paltry 34.…

‘A class act’ Without being able to compare the new Versys against the old, it’s tricky to say just how much performance has improved. But what we can say, after a meaty day in the saddle, is it never Leaves you wanting more. The motor is smooth, there’s grunt aplenty and it delivers strong acceleration out of slow corners with a hard-edged, growling soundtrack to match. It’s at the tourer end of the sports-touring genre, but it’s hard to fault its handling in tight corners or fast sweepers. The composure and quality from the SE’s electronic suspension is spot-on, and the braking power is all you’ll ever need. It’s roomy, well-built, has a huge pillion seat, is quiet in the wind and packed with useful toys. Go for the base…

Keeping your brakes shipshape is up there with the most important requirements of maintaining a motorcycle - and yet some riders will happily carry on with defective anchors. Kahn Teece, owner of Six Towns Motorcycles, recalls one of the very first jobs he encountered after opening his business, when a Honda VFR800F came in with a charging issue. It wasn’t the electrical gremlins that shocked him, but the terrible state of the rear brake, which the customer hadn’t even thought to mention. “When I first looked around the bike, I noticed the back brake wasn’t working,” said Teece, “The customer just replied that it had been like that for a good while. “Given that I needed to test ride it after sorting the charging issue, I really needed to sort…

At the heart of the MotoGP world for more than 35 years Great tracks make for great races. Great races require great riders. Sunday at Phillip Island clearly confirmed the greatest of his era, as Marc Marquez took his year-old bike to a victory for the ages. The 31-year-old overcame not only the two superstars disputing the 2024 championship, not only the creed that overtaking has become so difficult it’s almost impossible, but also an extraordinary act of hapless self-sabotage. Dropping his tear-off visor under his own back wheel took him from second on the grid to halfway down the grid into the first corner. From there to the end, he was simply breath-taking. Breaking his own 11-year-old lap record was just the icing on the perfect upside-down cake for…

Reporting direct from the final round of WSBK 2024 TOP STORY It’s a refreshing thought that the rider still makes such a difference in racing. Toprak Razgatlioglu is right up there on Marc Marquez levels and has taken World Superbike to never-before-seen heights since first becoming a race winner in 2019. What’s so good about Toprak, and manager Kenan Sofuoglu, is that they’re not afraid to break convention and have superb gut instinct. They took heavy criticism when leaving Kawasaki for Yamaha in 2020, then again when they departed Yamaha for BMW in 2024; they duly won the championship both times, with the BMW partnership bringing the ultimate success in their first year – despite missing out on a potential 124 points following his horrendous Magny-Cours accident. If anybody put…

Triumph have a long lineage of upright and long-travel touring machines. Although the first Triumph to bear the Tiger badge appeared in 1937, it wasn’t until the 1993 885cc Tiger 900 that the adventure-touring DNA we recognise today emerged. The 955i ushered in a new evolution, then the 1050, launched in 2006, changed the game again, gaining a dedicated following before its 2021 retirement. In the same year, the Hinckley marque introduced the Tiger 850 Sport-a cheaper alternative to their Tiger 900 range, but with it too set to get the axe, the new 800 will now fill its place. There are key differences between the two machines, however. Where the 850 was a watered-down adventure bike, shod with a 19 in front wheel and a chassis intended to lap…

A pair of limited-edition Triumph motorcycles gifted by James Bond star Daniel Craig have fetched £60,000 at auction, with all proceeds going to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The two bikes, a Triumph Tiger 900 (#001/250) based on the Tiger 900 Rally Pro, and a Scrambler 1200 Bond Edition (#003/250), built on the top-spec Scrambler 1200 XE platform, sold for £32,000 and £28,000 respectively. Both are inspired by the 25th Bond film, No Time to Die, and each one is signed by the Bond actor. “The RNLI has always been close to my heart,” said Craig. “I grew up near the Hoylake station and also have unforgettable memories of going out with the Ramsgate crew. It’s an honour to support an organisation that’s saved over 146,000 lives in its 200-year…

Q ‘It’s a claims mud-dle’ I was travelling around a bend on a country road when I skidded on a large deposit of mud. It covered the whole of my Lane and went on for about 20 metres. Luckily, I managed to avoid suffering a serious injury, but I have a sore shoulder and I will be off work for the next few weeks. The police told me that the mud originated from a farm gate. I’ve since spoken with my insurance company who told me that the accident would go down as my fault, which seems unfair. Terrance, Somerset A Large deposits of mud are especially dangerous to motorcyclists. Farmers and vehicle operators are Legally responsible for cleaning up any mud they leave on the road. If they don’t,…

Me and some mates have just come back from what has to be one of the best road rides I’ve ever done. The aim was to avoid the NC500 while riding round the north coast of Scotland! Because as soon as you go on the NC500 it’s full of campers and whatnot, but that’s a good thing because that’s where they all go. So if you avoid that actual route it’s great. It was a four-day trip, up past Newcastle, over the Forth road bridge, Perth, Inverness, took a B-road right across the highlands, Ullapool, down to Applecross and home. It was raining when we left Yorkshire, like it always does, and it was raining when we got back to Yorkshire, but the whole time in Scotland we never saw…

1 Oct 26 Flame & Thunder With stunts, drag racing and fireworks, you need to be at Santa Pod this Saturday. Tickets are £39, for kids it’s £6. Weekend tickets available too. santapod.co.uk 2 October 26-27 NMM Live The National Motorcycle Museum in Brum is hosting its annual live event with fire-ups and talks. national motorcyclemuseum.co.uk 3 Oct 27 Ardingly Classic Head to the South of England showground this Sunday for the Ardingly Classic Bike Show and jumble. Tickets are £7.62 for entry from 10am. www.elkpromotions.co.uk…

THE MCN TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK £14,495 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special • 975cc l/c 4v V-twin • 89bhp/70lb.ft • 225kg kerb weight • £144.46 a month PCP £13,195* Indian Scout Bobber • 1250cc l/c 8v V-twin • 104bhp/80lb.ft • 246kg kerb weight • £204.27 a month PCP You know what you’re going to get with a HarleyDavidson. I’ve ridden my fair share of them over the years and they tend to follow a tried and tested formula that sees them selling in their droves all over the world. They’re heavy and slightly agricultural, but owners love them for their laid-back, chuggy attitude. Harley’s Nightster Special is a retro-styled cruiser conceived to conjure images of 1970s California dreamin’. It’s their entry-level cruiser, although £14,495 for this Nightster Special…

‘Harley’s Nightster is confused’ When it comes to producing an American retro, the Indian Scout Bobber hits its design brief perfectly. It’ elegantly built and finished with the kind of attention to detail that even satisfies an arty-design type, like our guest road tester Paul Lang. It rides beautifully at cruising speeds and is packed full of throbbing V-twin character. If you love the old-school Bobber style the Scout will be right up your boulevard. The slightly confused Nightster also has its own retro style and impresses in its own way. It’s a performance bike that just so happens to Look like a Harley, but does it need to be that good on a back road? Its revvy engine is so sporty it lacks traditional Harley character or grunt at…

Britain used to rule the roads when it came to a world-leading motorcycle industry. Those halcyon days may be behind us now but the memories are being kept alive in a city that was once at the beating heart of bike production. Birmingham’s National Motorcycle Museum (NMM) turns 40 next week and will celebrate in style with the annual Museum LIVE event this weekend. So, what’s the story behind the biggest collection of British bikes in the world? It starts with a patriot The museum hums with low murmurs of appreciation, and delicious smells from the café linger in the air as visitors flow in. But for now we’ll leave the splendour of the main displays and instead head to the lobby hot on the heels of museum director James…

3000 miles ON TEST Macna Synchrone jacket £426.60 ‘It survived a thorough dunking’ Tested by Robin Kirkley for three months Macna say the outer shell of their Synchrone jacket is waterproof and I can vouch for that as I’ve tested it through torrential downpours. But I now know that it’s also flood-proof. I found this out the hard way by tipping over in deeper-than-expected flood waters on the way to work. The Raintex DL shell kept me dry underneath even though the rain was hammering down, and I was mostly submerged before I could clamber to my feet and pick my bike up. Hard panniers saved my engine from going under and I was able to ride away-shaken, not soaked. There are three layers to this jacket: the laminated waterproof…

When you have a look at the options for purchasing rearset kits, you are spoilt for choice. There is a wide range to choose from, and an equally wide price range. Some of the poshest rearsets that caught my attention were from Gilles and they went straight to the top of my shopping list, as they tick all the boxes of both functionality and appearance. The trouble comes with the cost - for this GSX-R600 they cost £400, nearly a third of what the entire rest of my machine would set you back. So, with my feet firmly back on the ground and a quick browse, I managed to source a set elsewhere for just under £100. The crucial thing is that they fitted the bike perfectly, had loads of…

Looking ahead to Brit interest in the 2025 Dakar Rally DAKAR NEWS James Hillier will make his return to Dakar two years after completing the gruelling event. The 39-yearold showed rugged resilience to finish the 2023 race despite breaking his shoulder on day three and doing the entire event in the Originals by Motul class, which meant he had to sleep in a tent and do all his own maintenance with no outside help whatsoever. But for 2025 it will be different. Firstly he’s going with the WTF Racing team - the squad he rides for at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT, and is the same setup as the British Superbike title winning OMG Racing squad. This means that unlike in 2023, Hillier will have full…

Scott Redding will race a Ducati next year in a single-rider MGM team after the squad parted from BMW. Also confirmed are Andrea Iannone, staying with GoEleven but with extra support thanks to PATA, while Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter remain at GRT Yamaha. Andrea Locatelli’s Saturday podium was PATA Yamaha’s first since the R1 was re-homologated with winglets. Mahendra does it for Indonesia Indonesia, one of the largest bike markets in the world, can boast its first World Champion after 18-year-old Aldi Mahendra wrapped up the Supersport 300 title. With one win and eight podiums, the BrCorse rider scored points in every race. Further history was made as Kove sealed the first World Championship race win for China, Julio Garcia taking the chequered flag on Sunday. Ana Carrasco is…

Toprak Razgatlioglu “We are World Champions: the first for BMW and second for me. The first was very special because it was for my late dad (Arif), whereas this one is for me. It’s been an amazing season, including 13 wins in a row. We’ve never given up. I’m happy but I’ll wake up feeling the same! It hasn’t changed my life. It was just incredible for BMW and to get on the podium together with Mikey for the first time. That was amazing. He’s a very, very good guy and pushing so hard every weekend. I hope we can do it even more next season. I’m spending this week at a street parade in Istanbul, when I will lead thousands of bikes around, then visiting the Turkish Championship this…

Can-Am will be showcasing their new electric bike duo at Motorcycle Live 2024 - the all-new Pulse and Origin models, which will be available to view in hall 3 stand 3C10 from November 16-24. Mike Loach, the firm’s commercial manager UK and Ireland, said: “The bikes are our first foray into the EV market, supporting us on our way to becoming a global electric motorcycle leader.” Enjoy a sleigh ride Phoenix Motorcycle Training have announced details ahead of their annual, toy run on December 14. Money raised will benefit the Rutherford School, a specialist centre catering for students with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Attendees are encouraged to meet from 10.30am at Phoenix Training, Sidcup in festive attire and bring gifts from Rutherford School’s Wish List. Visit bookonline.uk.com/toyrun to sign…

SAVE £2004 £11,895 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ Suzuki’s GSX-S1000GT+ is effortlessly quick, comfortable and reassuring, and thanks to its K5-derived inline four-cylinder motor it offers plenty of excitement. With bags of smooth grunt on tap, there’s always enough poke for any situation - and this being the ‘plus’ model, there’s ample luggage for touring escapades. www.blademotorcycles.co.uk SAVE £1854 £8145 Triumph Tiger 660 Sport Triumph’s middleweight tourer is a brilliant jack of all trades. This one is even more of a bargain with colour-matched panniers included. www.shirlaws.com • Engine 660cc • Power 80bhp • Weight 206kg • Seat height 835mm SAVE £1454 £6845 Suzuki GSX-8S Great value, even at full price. The Suzuki GSX-8S is adept at anything you ask of it, from commuting to B-road scratching-it can do it all. www.blademotorcycles.co.uk •…

‘New NT? Go for a used bargain’ I was surprised to learn that Honda have unveiled an updated NT1100 for 2025. There again, in many ways I wasn’t surprised because having ridden the NT a fair amount, it is pretty obvious where it can, and should, be better. When the NT was unveiled in 2022 it seemed to be on the money. Costing £11,999 (or £12,999 with a DCT gearbox) it was good value and while not that thrilling, I could certainly see its worth. With panniers and a huge fairing, the NT seemed on first inspection a no-frills bike with a sensible price and relaxed nature. But then I rode it. Even though I expected it to be a bit ‘beige’, I felt the NT was a let-down. I…

Bull-it Ladies Tactical Slim Covec Jeans £79.99 Affordable kit for women riders Good kit in women’s fit isn’t as plentiful as it is for men, so this week we’re taking a look at gear designed for the female biker. From jeans and leggings to jackets and gloves, we’ve quizzed MCN product writer Charlotte King for her insight on what she’d actually wear, and found the best deals available for women riders right now. Last week’s deal on the Bull-it Tactical Icon’s was good, but this week girls get it even better. The Tactical Slim jeans in ladies fit are made available for a wide range of body types, with an extensive range of sizes, and including options for different leg lengths. They’re single-layer denim, the most comfortable kind of riding…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com My first bike was this little Simson 50 which was bought brand new for £400. David Mellin Here is my wife Julie with her first big bike, a BMW F800R parallel twin (see letters, left). Paul Stogdale My daughter Jessica, just back from her first ride on my 1961 Star. Has been renovated three times! Michael Sutherland Once I had finished with the Simson (left) I moved onto the Suzuki, which cost £1249 brand new. David Mellin My 1976 Suzuki GT250 Ram Air. Purchased with my Army salary when I qualified for 59 Commando. Dave Johnston Loved this first bike when I was 17! My Cagiva 125 roadster in 1992. Loved the fat rear tyre on it! Andrew Atherton I came to bikes…

JUST BREW IT Ride out to Britain’s best biking cafés THE DETAILS • Open seven days 9am-5pm-ish, late on Wednesdays • 10 Pier Road, Withernsea, Yorkshire HU19 2JS North Yorkshire is home to plenty of motorcycling gems, with great routes, an epic coastline, and in Withernsea on a Thursday, an awesome bike night too. Castle Café has been a staple of the seaside town for years, but when Paul and Andi Whitehead took it over eight years ago, it was the beginning of what has since become home for local bikers. “There were always bikers in Withernsea, they just didn’t have a home,” says Paul. “I thought if we could get ourselves organised and have a proper bike night, thinking it would be in the tens… and within a year,…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday October 23 BIKE MEETS ■ King Billy, Northampton. 6.30pm Facebook: The King Billy Rock Bar ■ Huggys, Mallory Park, Leics, huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ Sycamore Cafe, Great Billing, Northants. 4pm 9pm ■ Amici Coffee, Girtford Bridge, Beds www.amicicoffee.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 ■ Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, West Yorks www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ Loomies Moto Cafe, West Meon, Hants www.loomiescafe.co.uk ■ Ryka’s Cafe, Box Hill, Surrey 5pm-9pm www.rykas.co.uk ■ The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey. From 10.30am-1pm Thursday October 24 BIKE MEETS ■ Vic Bikers Pub, Coalville, Leics www.vicbikerspub.co.uk ■ Whistlestop MCC, Rhyl Rugby & Social Club, 07544-143494 ■ Zoom Zoom Tearoom, South Cave, E Yorks 6pm 01430-424242 ■ Whistlestop Cafe, Whitby, North Yorks 4.30pm-8.30pm…

THE FACTS ‘Just 578 were ever built, compared to nearly 5000 RC30s’ Viewed by many at the time as a failure, the Honda RVF750 RC45 was the last of the V4-powered homologation specials. Even though it failed to recreate the same domination as its predecessor, the VFR750R RC30, it still secured its fair share of silverware; especially at the TT and at the iconic Suzuka 8- Hour event, alongside a single World Superbike championship crown. Powered by the same 90 - degree V4 format engine as the RC30, the RC45 also retained the 360-degree crank with its grip-improving performance characteristics, but added a stack of modern technology too. Although this all sounded perfect, things didn’t go to plan for Honda. Swapping the RC30’s 35mm CV carburettors for a fuel-injection system…

BSA Fury Year 1971, Power 34bhp, Capacity 349cc, Weight 157kg, prototype In the early 1970s, BSA-Triumph were in trouble-all British motorcycle manufacturing was. At this time, BSA’s biggest market was export into the US, but American riders weren’t looking for big bikes with over 500cc, they were looking for something more compact around the 350cc mark. Although this machine would have been perfect for our Atlantic cousins, the BSA Group collapsed before it went to commercial production, so this is now one of the only examples left in the world. Brough Superior Golden Dream Year 1938, Prototype Made for the Earls Court bike show, could fetch £1 million at auction The Golden Dream was to be Brough Superior’s last foray into the motorcycle market (although they have resurrected the name…

BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician Climb a peg (or two) Fitting rearsets can make a big different to the feel of your bike BRUCE’S TIPS You will need a threadlock compound such as Loctite 243 1 Unpack and lay everything out A good way to upgrade your machine is by changing the stock footrests and hangers for a pair of rearsets. The footrests themselves will not only become rigid, but will also be set higher for more control and better ground clearance, which is ideal for track riding. To start with, unpack your aftermarket kit and inspect all the parts. 2 Prepare the standard footrests The stock footrests need to be removed, so the first job is to crack the bolts that hold the footrest hanger on before taking a look at…

Going behind the headlines as the title fight hots up PREVIEW There are just three rounds remaining of the 2024 MotoGP season and the top two in the championship are separated by 20 points heading into the Thai Grand Prix this weekend. The Jorge Martin v Pecco Bagnaia struggle looks set to go down to the wire in Valencia, with Martin’s Sprint win and GP second place in Australia edging him closer to a maiden title. This time last year it was Bagnaia who held the championship lead, with an advantage of 27 points. Who will win the next game of high-speed chess this weekend? And will Marc Marquez spoil the party once again? Martin on the charge Martin will have been thrilled with the way the Australian Grand Prix…

Paddock veteran delivers Phillip Island MotoGP verdict ‘Wow, I just thought how aggressive he is’ Jorge Martin is not wired to finish second but a riveting contest at Phillip Island showed that it could be a pathway to a career-defining title. In title terms Martin was the big winner coming out of the Australian GP where he finished second to Marc Marquez. That doubled his points lead to 20 over an off-the- pace Pecco Bagnaia with just three rounds remaining. That points buffer and his seemingly effortlessly fast race pace - now at virtually every GP - has the Spaniard cuddling the championship cup. If he controls the occasional costly errors he appears to have a timely but not invincible late-season edge. So can Martin ignore his DNA and reset…

When you compare this year’s Ducati’s Desmosedici GP24 to last year’s GP23 the bikes don’t look much different, so how different are they? And how much of a difference does GP23 rider Marc Marquez make with his talent? What you can see is the GP24’s upgraded ground-effect aero: redesigned fairing lower with bigger diffuser air scoops at the bottom. These improvements accelerate airflow beneath the bike to lower air pressure. Nature abhors a vacuum (or partial vacuum) so the higher pressure above the bike pushes the tyres into the ground, increasing grip for better turning. What you can’t see is the GP24’s slight increase in power and, more importantly, its revised ride-height device, which drops the bike even lower than the GP23 during acceleration to reduce wheelies and increase acceleration.…

Reporting direct from the final round of WSBK 2024 Despite being beaten to a career-first treble win by Toprak Razgatlioglu in Jerez on Sunday, Nicolo Bulega has had a stunning year. In reality, he wouldn’t have been in a position to beat the Turk had the BMW man not suffered his horrendous MagnyCours accident which put him out for two rounds. However, to win it you’ve got to be in it, and the 2015 Moto3 Junior World Champion has been the best Ducati rider by far. He out-qualified double title-winning teammate Alvaro Bautista in every one of the 12 Superpole sessions and won on his debut in Australia in February. Ducati’s ploy of building him up with tests on the Panigale V4 R from as early as April 2023 has…

Toprak absolutely smashed it even though he missed a couple of rounds through injury. I actually saw what I think was his first test on the bike in Portimao at the start of the year. On his first lap he looked loose, on lap two I thought ‘this isn’t going to last long’ and on lap three he was upside-down on his head in the gravel at turn five. He went back out and blew an engine and I can remember thinking at that point how he was in for a long season. But he’s turned it all round and he’s been super, super fast. The way he rides, the back wheel in the air it’s just eye-catching. Nobody else has been able to do it on a BMW. I…