Table of contents for 29 January 2025 in MCN

TOP STORY The 2025 super-naked arms race is hotting up, with a new Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS set to arrive in dealerships from April 2025, priced at £17,495. The 1160cc 12v inline triple has been updated for Euro5+ regulations and pushes out a claimed 180.5bhp at 10,750rpm – around 3bhp up on the outgoing version, first introduced in 2021. It's also been given more advanced, semi-active Öhlins SmartEC3 suspension at the front and rear – a cleverer version of the system found on the outgoing Speed Triple 1200RR café racer (see right) – and an updated set of electronics, including independently adjustable wheelie control. Triumph themselves say these updates make the Speed Triple a direct competitor to the recently updated BMW S1000R and Aprilia Tuono V4 families – plus…

Stefan Pierer is stepping back from his role as CEO of both KTM AG and parent company Pierer Mobility AG as a result of the financial crisis engulfing the Ready to Race brand. It will be a bitter pill to swallow, with Pierer himself commenting: “For me, KTM was always more than just a company - it was and is a passion, a mission and a family.” The announcement came on Thursday, January 23 - the day before the second meeting of KTM's 90-day ‘self-administration’ process which began back on November 29, 2024. Although continuing as a member of the board, Pierer will be replaced by Gottfried Neumeister, who became Co-CEO of both KTM AG and Pierer Mobility AG on September 1, 2024 – around the same time as Pierer…

Indian are doubling their liquid-cooled PowerPlus V-twin family for 2025 by migrating the Chieftain and Roadmaster models from the air-cooled 1890cc Thunderstroke to join the existing Pursuit and Challenger. Further to this, the brand have upped the capacity of the 60-degree PowerPlus engine itself from 1768cc (108 cubic inches) to 1834cc (112ci) – a larger engine that was developed during the 2023 and 2024 King of the Baggers racing championships in America, which the factory won last year for a third time. “When we relaunched Indian Motorcycle, we made a commitment to innovation, just as our founders did back in 1901,” Indian's Vice President, Aaron Jax said. “Innovation powered their success, and it is still driving us today; and the expansion of our performance-oriented PowerPlus models is a perfect example.”…

Devon and Cornwall Police are celebrating surpassing 20,000 submissions to their Operation Snap campaign which encourages riders and drivers to submit footage of poor roadcraft. “Everyone will have witnessed driving or riding on our roads that falls far short of an acceptable standard – and quite often this behaviour puts people's lives at risk,” Devon and Cornwall Police's Head of Road Safety, Adrian Leisk said. “By submitting video evidence of these incidents through Op Snap, it allows the Police to take action.” The scheme was set up in 2019 and has received more than 20,600 entries. According to the force, 2024 was a record year for the programme with 6272 clips sent in. Footage includes everything from a car driving the wrong way along a dual carriageway, to a vehicle…

An online competition has been launched giving MCN readers the chance to win a brand-new Suzuki GSX-8R sportsbike by simply taking out an insurance quote. The 8R arrived at the start of last year, powered by the Japanese firm's 776cc parallel-twin engine. This motor is shared by the equivalent 8S naked and saw the bike scoop MCN's 2024 Sportsbike of the Year Award. Designed to go up against the likes of Aprilia's RS660, and Honda's CBR650R, it emerged as our favourite new-age soft sportsbike of 2024 – with a comfortable, accessible riding position and real-world performance. The contest is being run by our insurance comparison experts MCN Compare, and will run from now until 11.59pm on Tuesday, July 15. The prize bike will be finished in silver, and you will…

WIN! If you fancy kicking off 2025 with a bit of fun and frugality, we've got just the ticket… MCN has teamed up with Australian electric motorcycle brand Vmoto bring you your chance to win a TSx Dual Battery electric twist-and-go worth £3099. Plus Vmoto will even kit you out with an LS2 helmet, jacket and gloves of your choice – making this the perfect prize for someone keen to get started on two wheels, or handing you a cost-effective and easy-going urban funster to add to the other bikes in your garage. The Vmoto TSx Dual Battery is equivalent to a 50cc petrol bike and has a 28mph top speed, meaning it can be ridden by riders from 16 years old with an AM licence. Plus, with an all-up…

JUST BREW IT Ride out to Britain's best biking cafés THE DETAILS • Tues-Fri 10am-3pm, Sun 9am-3.30pm (winter hours) • Caenby Corner Estate, Gainsborough DN21 5TL Housed on a now defunct RAF base, Faun Café have quietly been beavering away for almost 20 years thanks to Teresa Nalton, and more recently partner Leigh Reynolds. But with the Lincolnshire Wolds only a short whizz away (and the A631 being one of the go-to routes) bikers have made Faun Café a must-stop destination and have been welcomed with open arms. “We'll give you a discount if there's a gang of you!” says Leigh. The standard menu is full of staple breakfasts, tempting lunches and homemade dinners. But Leigh takes pride in the fact he cooks everything from scratch – with the exception…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday January 29 BIKE MEETS ■ Amici Coffee Biker Night, Amici Coffee Cafe & Grill, Girtford Bridge, Sandy, Bedfordshire www.amicicoffee.co.uk ■ Huggys Speedshop, Mallory Park, Leicestershire. From 10am www.huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Mold, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 or Facebook: The Old Stores Motorbike cafe ■ Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, near Sherburn in Elmet, West Yorks, 01977-684618 or www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ Loomies Moto Cafe, West Meon, Hants. Open till 9pm 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 Facebook: Pathfinder Cafe RIDEOUTS ■ Burgess Hill & DMC, Station Road Car Park, Burgess Hill, Sussex 7pm-7.30pm burgesshillmc.com Thursday January 30 BIKE MEETS ■ Vic Bikers Pub, Coalville, Leics…

Triumph's mid-capacity range of engines can be a little baffling: there's the 660 (one version for the Trident/Tiger, plus another for the Daytona), the 765 (two states of tune for the R/RS models), the Tiger 850 Sport (now discontinued to make way for the 800), and the T-plane 900. That's not counting the older 800 and two iterations of 675 that went before… And this one doesn't share much more than the external dimensions/mounting points and the placement of the crank and gearbox shafts. Triumph's Chief Engineer Stuart Woods explains why they didn't just raid the range for a complete engine: “We didn't design the Tiger 660 as a whole with creating the 800 in mind; when we released that bike, that's when we felt it was worth doing. But…

Reducing tank sizes appears to be an easy way for firms to reduce weight, particularly on performance models where lightness and agility are important attributes. In recent years, keeping an eye on total weight has become a prime focus for manufacturers, as the increase in ride-enhancing safety tech as well as requirements for additional sensors, exhaust components and sound deadening for road homologation regulations have combined to add extra kilograms to the all-up weight; there's a price to pay for that cornering ABS and two-way quickshifter… and a smaller tank may well be it! However, as Triumph's Steve Sargent mentioned, both capacities and performance are also trending upwards, and the side effect of this increased engine size and output means poorer fuel economy. Plus, when you add in the effect…

Eleveit X Privilege £249.99 These enduro boots can mix it up with the best midrange offerings – except for one major drawback. They're comfortable, while being sturdy enough in a spill, water resistance is respectable, peg feel is good and grip both on the bike and off is admirable. So, what's the drawback? The buckles are subpar and hard to work – to the point that on occasion, I've had to resort to using tools to pry myself free. Quality Value www.eleveit.it 7 months ON TEST…

Michael Dunlop tested a Ducati Panigale V2 in Jerez last week, the record-holding 29-time Isle of Man TT winner lapping the Spanish track on Tuesday and Wednesday while dropping a subtle hint about the bike with which he's likely to compete in this year's TT Supersport races. Heading around the Andalucian circuit on a Feel Racing-owned, Aruba-liveried machine, the Northern Irishman was using the bike that carried Spain's Adrian Huertas to the 2024 World Supersport title. MCN understands Dunlop's 2025 TT assault in the Supersport category will come with support from Philip Neill's TAS team, while it is probable the project will be funded by power tools company, Milwaukee. TAS have a proven track record with the Ducati V2 and ran Davey Todd on the bike to great success in…

Not only does Triumph's new Tiger Sport 800 sound like it has an amazing motor, but I was delighted to discover that, at 18.6 litres, it's packing a decent-sized fuel tank too. Fuel range has become something of a bugbear for me over recent years, after spending 2023 with a Street Triple 765 (15 litres), and most recently Ducati's Hypermotard 698 Mono (12 litres). While I can forgive the single-minded motard's puny tank, I couldn't help but feel shortchanged by the Street Triple's lack of capacity, especially as older versions had 17.4 litre tanks. Is it just me? Am I asking too much to expect a sporty naked to be able to go for more than 100 miles before the fuel warning light comes on? Judging by the responses from…

BMW have given their five-strong R18 cruiser range a tickle for 2025, introducing subtle chassis changes, styling tweaks, engine improvements and more on-board tech throughout. Launched in 2020, the big-bore line-up now consists of the original R18, the R18 Classic, R18 Roctane, R18 B (for bagger), and the flagship R18 Transcontinental models. The updates bring all flavours in line with Euro 5+ without impacting peak power from the 1802cc flat twin, which retains a healthy 91bhp. Torque, however, has been boosted by 3.7lb.ft at the top end, totalling a claimed 120.2lb.ft overall – 90% of which is available below 4000rpm. Ride the big wheel The standard R18 sees the most substantial updates, with the rear wheel growing from 16 to 18 inches. The change brings with it a new seven…

Yamaha have thrown a host of updates at their WR250F enduro bike for 2025, with tweaks to the engine, suspension and frame. Available now and costing £8700, the YZ250F-derived off-roader gains a redesigned chassis with a 15mm lower tank rail design and improved ‘flex-characteristics’. The KYB suspension has undergone changes throughout, with fork stroke reduced by 10mm, matched by a 10mm drop on the rear. Yamaha say this, alongside new spring rates and revised damping properties, improves the WR's cornering credentials and bump absorption properties. Power tweaks include a reworked cylinder head and low-friction cam chain, as well as changes to the air intake, with ducts now positioned in new side panels, frame, and tank. There's also fresh graphics, a new exhaust, and rounding out the changes, a slimmer fuel…

Learners could get an easier ride with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Lilian Greenwood MP confirming the Department for Transport (DfT) is considering a review of the current motorcycle licensing structure. “The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing,” a press officer for the DfT said. “We want to take account of the long-standing plans in DfT and DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency), and recent information/ proposals we've had from the sector.” The Minister's comments came at a meeting with the Motorcycle Strategy Group in London, which includes key players such as the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) – who had previously proposed a change to the licensing structure in their A Licence to Net Zero campaign. The current structure sees riders…

Pyramid 20-litre duffel bag £34.99 Promising total waterproofing for your kit and caboodle, this 20-litre duffel bag has a seamless PVC shell with heat-sealed stitching. A roll-top closure with an air-release system allows for compact packing, and the soft construction keeps it flexible. It attaches via a universal four-point system that should fit almost any bike. pyramidmoto.co.uk HJC i80 helmet £229.99 Flip-front adventure helmets offer the best of all worlds for tarmac touring, and HJC's latest should be bang on the money. It's certified for riding with the chin bar open or closed, and has a drop-down sunshade for changeable conditions. The peak has been wind tunnel tested. oxfordproducts.com SHARK + SENA from £169.99 SHARK have teamed up with comms specialists SENA to produce a range of intercoms for the…

MotoGP's hottest prospect Pedro Acosta will make his UK show debut at the Devitt Insurance MCN London Motorcycle Show as the guest of honour on Saturday, February 15, giving visitors the exclusive chance to meet the man himself and hear stories from inside the paddock during unmissable live on-stage interviews. With manic schedules and closed-off paddocks, opportunities for fans to meet their MotoGP heroes are rare – which makes the Saturday even more special! All those who purchase MCN London Motorcycle Show tickets for Saturday, February 15 will automatically be entered into a free prize draw with the chance to win one of just 12 places to attend a VIP interview with Acosta at ExCel. Not only that, one lucky winner will also bag a visor signed by the KTM…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Reader John Malcolm The ride Touring Scotland When to do it April/May or September/October How many miles? 650 Tell us about the trip… Best done in spring or autumn when it's quiet and the weather is usually good. It was a 650-mile return trip on my 11-year-old Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Classic starting from Prestwick on the A78 dual carriageway, which changes to two lanes north of Ardrossan and this is where the roads and scenery start to blow one's mind on a journey up the Clyde. The road is slow in summertime but this gives time to take in the coastal views with a stop at Nardini's in Largs for breakfast before turning left at a roundabout north of Inverkip onto the A770 to…

Looking ahead to the start of the 2025 WSBK season TOP STORY Jonathan Rea heads into 2025 after the worst season of his career, failing to win a race for the first time since he started full-time in World Superbike in 2009: far from the rejuvenating Yamaha debut he had planned. To say one pole and a single podium for a six-time World Champion was a disappointment would be the understatement of the century yet during chats with MCN during testing over the last few days, Rea (who celebrates his 38th birthday on Sunday) seems relaxed. Some say that 2025 could be the swansong year for Rea, while several believe he won't see out the season if it goes as badly as 2024. Talking to the man himself, he's making…

Reporting direct from the latest pre-season testing Umbrellas are sometimes used at Jerez for deflecting the sun's rays but they reverted to their more conventional role last week as heavy rain showers absolutely battered the Spanish circuit for the opening World Superbike test of the year. Thankfully, the opening day of Wednesday was dry to allow those gathered to get in some laps despite strong gusts of wind. So, who's hot and who's not? Nicolo Bulega looks sensational and Scott Redding is back on form, while BMW are facing a mess behind the scenes. Over at Bimota, wings are the talking point… Bulega: He's Mr Confident Cool as a cucumber, the championship runner-up rookie of 2024 is striding around the paddock with a real air of confidence. In year two,…

Harley-Davidson have taken the crown in the 1000cc plus category of the Africa Eco Race with a near stock Pan America adventure bike. Catalan rider and rally raid veteran Joan Pedrero piloted the 1252cc machine during the race, which covers roughly 3700 miles between Monaco and Lac Rose in Dakar, Senegal. The win put Harley-Davidson in eighth place in the overall standings. Classics kick-off The UK's largest classic off-road event, the Classic Dirt Bike Show, returns to the Telford International Centre on February 8-9. Thousands of enthusiasts and trade sellers will gather, with British motocross legend Graham Noyce and two-time European trials champion Mick Andrews to headline. Doors open at 9am, and tickets are £16.75 in advance or £21 on the day. Under 16s go free. Visit classicbikeshows.com/telford for further…

At the same time as announcing a new Speed Triple 1200 RS for 2025, Triumph confirmed the departure of the half-faired Speed Triple 1200 RR. Only launched back in springtime 2022 – around a year after the previous incarnation of the Speed Triple RS naked was revealed – the £17,950 retro will not be updated to meet Euro5+ emissions regulations. “The RR will be dropping out of the range,” Triumph's Chief Product Officer, Steve Sargent confirmed. “The café racer style models are very iconic, they're very unique, and they're quite different, but they are relatively niche in terms of volume.” A number of Speed RRs can currently be found in dealers with very few miles on the clock and thousands slashed from the price – making them an absolute bargain.…

Suzuki used the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in New Delhi to launch their first electric, with representatives for the UK arm of the business suggesting it could be heading here in 2025. Set to be called the e-Address in the UK (it was announced as an e-Access at the show) the urban scoot was revealed on January 17 alongside a 124cc combustion version, and a 249cc ‘Gixxer SF 250’ to go on sale in India from this month. “Suzuki will introduce various BEV (battery electric vehicle) models in order to realise a carbon neutral society,” Suzuki's Representative Director and President, Toshihiro Suzuki commented at the show. “In addition to BEVs, Suzuki offer a variety of other options, including synthetic fuels, hydrogen engines, and biofuels and aim to meet the expectations…

‘Rubber comes from Michelin's Scorcher Sport range’ Most adventure bike owners feel no need imitate off-road hero Chris Birch by sending their pride and joy down the nearest mud- and rut-strewn green lane. Harley-Davidson know this, which is why they've come up with the £16,995 Pan America ST for 2025 – effectively a 17-inch wheel equipped, road-focused version of their globetrotting adventure bike. In essence, what the Milwaukee brand have done is take the standard 258kg Pan Am, strip off its big cumbersome wellies and put on a neat pair of sporty trainers. The idea being to offer all the same the wind protection, upright riding position and electronic gadgets as before, but improve the handling on sealed roads. To achieve this, the Pan gets new cast aluminium rims shod…

‘It's been my life's work’ Who gets to write a regular column in MCN? People like John McGuinness, Mat Oxley, Peter Bom and Allen Millyard. I certainly don't consider myself well-known or famous – not like those I have mentioned – so why have MCN invited me to write a regular column on motorcycle clothing? Well, I have been involved in the manufacturing, testing and certification of motorcycle clothing for almost my entire working life – having started out back in 1984. I also recently set-up an MCN-backed petition challenging the Government to do more against unregulated bike kit sold online (sign up using the QR code below), and have advised various organisations, including the police, on safety. I simply count myself fortunate to have found a niche in motorcycling…

WHAT'S NEW IN TECH Honda aren't just betting on electric bikes to hit their 2050 carbon-neutrality target - they're digging deeper and swapping out traditional bodywork for eco-friendly alternatives made from plants. That's not to say battery machines aren't getting their fair share of the brand's attention, with Honda bosses in Japan recently letting slip that their latest EV Fun and EV Urban models could be released in Europe soon. But going electric is just one piece of the puzzle for the brand, who have now adopted a ‘Triple Action to Zero’ approach, which also aims to power production from renewable means, as well as seeking raw materials from recycled or renewable sources. Back in 2023, Honda America Vice President, Jay Joseph said: “The concept is simple: We will no…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Having been riding since 1975 my first big bike didn't come along until 2011. It was a Guzzi 750 Nevada. Steve Stuart Chilling out at the age of 19 on my GSX250 with Dunstall exhausts. Passed my test on this bike in 1981. Tony Bones My dad was a biker and I was riding pillion with him as soon as I could reach the pegs. He taught me to ride. Anna Bispham This was my first bike – the 1977 model with the disc brake on the front wheel. Jimmy Dam Sadly, my dad died when I was 12. Three years ago I met a man, a biker, the love of my life, and now I am back. Anna Bispham My wife and…

The Flying Millyard will also be getting a bit of attention so it's ready for spring. That bike mostly looks after itself, but one of the jobs I do like to perform is cleaning the spark plugs. It's got four – two in each cylinder – so I remove them, clamp them in a vice with the threaded portion sticking up then heat them up with a blowtorch until the electrode glows red, then let them cool down. And as they cool naturally (never drop them in water because they'll just explode), you'll see all the carbon burning off with the oxygen and the tips will go completely white… they'll be like brand new. It's particularly good with two-strokes when you've wetted a plug, you can get them to work…

The Tiger Sport 660 is one of the most humble, simple machines to win MCN's Bike of the Year in recent times. Low on frills, but high on fun factor, practicality and value, the straightforward all-rounder charms us every time we ride. The new 800 repeats the same tricks, but in a higher-spec package which makes it a more potent, useful and compelling tool for the more experienced rider. From the outset, it's all very familiar: a larger fuel tank and extra wind deflectors either side of the screen haven't affected the compact, yet spacious feel. The controls are broadly the same: only the addition of a cruise control button differs from the 660 (though that also gets the wrist-saving gadget for this model year). The new engine (see box…

APRILIA HONDA YAMAHA…

‘Beating Rossi was a highlight!’ There aren't many riders that can say they've beaten one of the greatest racers of all time – but Jezza certainly can. “One of the milestones came in ‘98. At one of the races, Harada had made the break, and I was fighting with Rossi and Biaggi who were on factory Aprilias. I was having a good, fun battle with those guys, but my breather line came loose so I had to reconnect it – which meant I lost a load of time and had to catch them up again. “I beat Valentino that day to get second behind Harada who had shot off into the distance, and when we came in, he was like ‘f************ck, McWilliams you lost the front so many times!’ and…

We asked Steve Sargent, Chief Product Officer at Triumph Motorcycles, why tanks seem to be getting smaller… MCN: We've noticed the Street Triple's fuel tank capacity has got smaller. The 2007 original was 17.4 litres but for 2023 this was reduced to 15 litres. Why? SS: Simply put, 15L matches how the majority of owners use their bikes. The Street Triple is a sport-focused naked roadster designed to deliver maximum fun through a powerful engaging engine and a light, nimble and agile chassis. Data from Street Triple customers shows that performance factors and light weight are very high up on their priority list and are much more important than, for example, touring capability. Not that the Street Triple can't be used for touring, I have ridden one from Hinckley to…

‘Recent spy shots reveal a 650 Himmy’ As I've continued to clock miles on the Himalayan 450, spy shots of a larger-capacity twin-cylinder Himmy have emerged, sparking much debate. Could this bigger bike build on the 450's charm, or risk losing the essence of what makes the Enfield special? Here's what we know so far and how it might compare to the 450. So what's the 450 like? After 10,000 miles on the 450, its strengths have become clear. This bike thrives on versatility – offering manageable power, decent off-road capabilities, and relaxed road manners. Its liquid-cooled, single produces around 36.5bhp at the rear wheel, which is enough for most adventure riding scenarios, but there have been moments on long highway stretches or steep climbs when I've wished for just…