MCN -julkaisun 15 June 2022 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

Indian Motorcycle have revealed this special, limited edition version of their punchy, flat track-style FTR roadster. Called the FTR Stealth Gray, it has been specifically designed for Indian’s international markets, features a one-off colourscheme and is to be restricted to just 150 units worldwide – so get in quick if you want one. The FTR was launched in 2019 and has proved one of the US-brand’s most popular overseas models thanks to its Euro-friendly styling and 120bhp-plus performance. A variety of models have been offered with the top-spec ‘S’ examples boasting TFT instruments, three riding modes, Brembo brakes and an Akrapovic exhaust. In 2021 the FTR was refined further with a remap, new 17in wheels/tyres and revised steering geometry for better handling. The ‘Stealth Gray’ now adds to that ‘S’…

MCN CONTRIBUTOR Despite an apparent breakthrough in the continuing confusion surrounding shipping bikes to Europe post-Brexit, there’s still no clarity on whether riders or shipping companies can transport motorcycles to Europe without applying for a carnet. New talks are taking place between the UK Government, the EU and French officials and it’s hoped a final resolution can be reached – although it may take months to complete. “Without doubt the work done has ‘shifted the dial’ and led to the reopening of talks which had stalled back in December,” National Motorcyclists Council Executive Director, Craig Carey-Clinch, told MCN. “The Government supports the riders’ groups position and have reported that similarly, France may also now be keen to find a resolution. But there are technical issues at play in relation to…

The Nod with MCN is a new motorcycling podcast exploring mental health and wellbeing, plus the freedom of two wheels. It is hosted by men’s mental health ambassador Ben Bowers, plus TV presenters Charley Boorman and Anthony Partridge, and the trio are joined by a famous face every week, with all episodes now available on streaming services such as Spotify. Recent guests include two-time Daytona winner Brandon Paasch, who stopped by to discuss his racing career, as well as dealing with pressures from the online world and moving to Europe to pursue his dreams at a young age. For more info on tuning in, visit motorcyclenews.com/thenod…

WORTH OVER £2000 The Monster Energy British Grand Prix MotoGP is taking place on August 5-7 and we’ve got a pair of three-day hospitality tickets worth over £1000 each to giveaway. You and a friend could be enjoying three days of action from the Riders Lounge, located between the Brooklands and Luffield corners. This stretch of track is synonymous with some of the most iconic moments in racing history. It offers guests one of Silverstone’s best viewing experiences, including all the drama as bikes brake hard into Brooklands, then fly down the straight before squealing into Luffield corner and exiting full-throttle out of Woodcote down the start/finish straight. Hosted by a knowledgeable race-day compère, guests will enjoy an all-day grazing menu which includes a buffet breakfast, gourmet two-course buffet lunch,…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com KAWASAKI GPZ600R Just thought I’d drop you a pic in of my first ‘big bike’ – a GPZ600R loaded up to ride from Torquay to Stranraer in 1989! Richard Hill AJS SCRAMBLER My 93-year-old father Cliff Wood at Brands Hatch in 1949. He went on to compete on the tarmac at Brands in the 1950s. Doug Wood SUZUKI RG125 GAMMA I had a secondhand RD125 but crashed it on my 17th birthday, the first day I could legally ride it, so I traded in what was left! Paul Fowler SUZUKI X7 First new bike, a 250cc Suzuki X7 bought from Dave Power Motorcycles in Reading in 1979. If anyone has CDP 986V, I’d love to have it back. Peter Fox SUZUKI GS550E Me…

1 MAG Farmyard Party June 17-19 Featuring more than 30 bands and the last ever English performance for the Purple Helmets stunt team. Tickets are £45 for the weekend (when booked in advance). www.mapevents.co.uk 2 Yamaha Live June 18-19 Toprak Razgatlioglu will be at Crescent’s Verwood HQ for Yamaha Live. There are test rides, prizes and and much more. @crescentmoto @crescentmoto (Twitter & Facebook) 3 Santa Pod Retro Show June 19 It’s not just a case of gawping over metal, you can take part in the racing as well as the show and shine! Open to vehicles from the 1950s to 2000, tickets are £19 and kids are £5. santapod.co.uk 4 Banbury Run June 19 Vintage motorcycles will descend on the British Motor Museum this Sunday. You can watch or…

When your backside is aching after a day in the saddle it’s only natural to assume that you need to upgrade to a softer seat. From featherbeds to squishy sofa cushions, we are constantly encouraged to equate softness with comfort, but the truth is slightly more complicated. Although featherbeds are soft, the feathers act like tiny springs, adjusting to the contours of your body and distributing weight evenly. Without the natural elasticity of the feathers, you would sink down and end up resting on the same pressure points as if lying on the floor. ComfortAir Seat Cushions use air flotation tech to spread and dissipate the pressure points. A correctly inflated seat cushion only contains what appears to be a small amount of air, when viewed resting on the saddle.…

£23,000 Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100 FUNCTIONALITY AND FEATURES £30,640 BMW M1000RR £34,295 Ducati Panigale V4 SP2…

New Indian owners TVS are the third-largest motorcycle company in the world, with money to spend. The name cost them £16m, they’ve set up a new factory in Solihull, and have pumped in a further £100m of investment before handing over a single bike. They bought rights to the name and bikes from the administrators, but not Donington Hall, the factory and other assets. The liability for debts and orders didn’t go with it, but freezing out supporters of the brand would be a bad move so anybody who placed an order and paid a balance to the old company can pay the remainder of the £44,000 asking price to the new owners, and receive a new V4SV. Those who received their RR or SS have been offered an upgrade…

Z650 and Z900 £7549 and £9999 Both models come with distinctive Firecracker Red paint and Z1100GP style graphics, gold fork tubes, black frames, gold Z logos, and Z50th logos on front mudguard, plus a special leather seat. Z650RS and Z900RS £8249 and £11,729 Special Z1 inspired ‘Fireball’ colours and graphics (applied in a unique way to deepen the lustre). Frames are gloss black, seat coverings leather, wheels finished in gold, DOHC logos on the crank covers and Z50th logo on tank. Z900SE and Z900RS SE £11,129 and £12,779 RS SE comes with Z1-a-like ‘yellow ball’ paint/graphics, an Öhlins shock and Brembo calipers. The Z900SE also gets an Öhlins shock and Brembos – plus discs and braided lines – and one-off black/green paint. Availability for all models is now, although the…

They’re amongst the grippiest road-compound tyres around and handle Oulton Park without ever getting close to letting go, and yet the standard Supercorsa SPs have worn surprisingly well. After 2944 miles the front still looks new and the rear has lots of tread on it and only now is it starting to square-off slightly. I’m off on a 2300-mile trip to Spain shortly, so I’ve now swapped them for Pirelli’s new Diablo Rosso IV Corsas. They’re still sticky and sporty, which will be perfect in the Pyrenees, but being more road-biased, should warm up faster and be more durable for all the straight-line motorways work, too.…

For the first time this year, Jonathan Rea has keenly spoken about his World Superbike future as rumours continue to circulate about Kawasaki. Whether the gossip is a bargaining tool from Rea’s management remains to be seen. Rea has won six titles from seven seasons with the firm. However, as more Ducati talk circulated earlier this year, MCN asked Rea about the chances of him moving. He kept his cards close to his chest but insisted he needed more technical support from Kawasaki. At Misano, more talk went around the paddock that Rea is not pleased with how Kawasaki are divided into separate crews working with their riders, as opposed to Pata Yamaha who share data inside the garage. “2023 is a long way ahead,” Rea says. “I’m at the…

Davey Morgan Northern Ireland’s Davy Morgan suffered a fatal crash at TT2022. The 52-year-old died when he crashed his Yamaha R6 at the 27th Milestone on the final lap of the first Supersport race. Morgan’s home town of Saintfield in Northern Ireland was the headquarters of the Temple 100 and he became a stalwart of the Irish road racing scene, competing at events like Temple, Tandragee and Skerries during a racing career that spanned almost three decades. Riding two- and four-stroke machinery Morgan also won races at the international North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix meetings. An archetypal journeyman racer, Morgan’s Mountain Course career began at the Manx Grand Prix in 2000 when he finished second in the Junior Newcomer’s event. After several podium finishes at the MGP he…

If there is one man that has the ability to deliver in the big races it’s Milenco by Padgett’s rider Conor Cummins, who for the third time in succession finished on the podium in the Senior TT. It’s an incredible achievement by the 36-year-old and one of the most popular successes of the two week event. He said: “It’s nice to be on the podium, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more. You can’t always have what you want, though.” Second in the Superstock at the start of the week saw him set a stunning 133.116mph lap which places him fourth in the all time fastest men ever to lap the TT, and also made him the fastest ever Honda rider having superseded John McGuinness’ best…

A longside Peter Hickman, Michael Dunlop was the other big winner at TT 2022, claiming victory in both Supersport races and a new 600cc lap record on his MD Racing Yamaha R6. When the Northern Irishman won the same race in 2013, he claimed he would eventually lap at over 130mph on a 600 and he is now just a gnat’s hair shy of that mark at 129.475mph. Both races were shortened affairs following interruptions to the event’s schedule. The first was run over three laps with a mandatory pit stop at the end of the opening circuit. The second two-lap sprint was dubbed a ‘dash for cash’. They were also run in very different conditions with the bright sunshine of Monday being replaced by strong gusts of wind for…

Incredibly, the decline of the superbike in our affections – according to new bike sales, at least – started gathering pace two whole decades ago. And yet, just look at how much of our biking world is still dominated by the pursuit of ultimate speed. BSB and WSB may be the pinnacle of productionbased racing, but the Isle of Man TT is still the place most riders associate with seeing road-going superbikes pushed to the absolute limit of what man and machine can achieve. And we were all glued to the drama for the entire two weeks. But what about the real road bike versions you can buy at your local dealer? We tested the three most extreme to see if BMW’s M1000RR could match Hicky’s TT dominance this week…

Thousands of spectators have flocked to Ramsey’s Mooragh Promenade for two days of high-octane closed road motorcycle sprint racing. Taking place on Sunday, June 5 and Tuesday, June 7 just a few minutes ride from the TT course, The Ramsey Sprint events saw riders compete on everything from modified stretched Hayabusas to Honda Z50R minibikes – all blasting down a 1/8 mile track to cheers from the enthusiastic crowds. “It’s just a nice event, ” organiser Trevor Duckworth told MCN, having helped resurrect the racing in 1978 with the National Sprint Association. He’s been coming back ever since. “We get back from the TT each year and find we get an influx of interest at our normal events from people who have seen this.” MCN attended Sunday’s scorching action, which…

The countdown has begun to World Ducati Week, which takes place at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on Italy’s Adriatic coast from July 22-24. The factory-organised, three-day festival of all things Ducati promises fun for all ages, stars the marque’s MotoGP and WSB riders and promises shows, track sessions, rideouts, classics and more. For the latest updates (and to book tickets) go to ducati.com. Help out new riders A petition has been set up to urge the Government to revert to the pre-2013 system whereby A2 riders qualified for a full A licence after two years without having to re-take the Mod 1 and 2 tests. Currently there are around 4000 signatories with 10,000 needed by mid-August before a Government response is required. For more go to: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/608482 Come &…

An Isle of Man TT start line official responsible for giving riders the tap on the shoulder to set off has retired after 68 years of involvement with the races. Paul Kermode, 79, from Douglas on the Isle of Man, first volunteered with the TT in 1954 as a Scout working on the scoreboard. Kermode bowed out after the first Superbike race of the fortnight, which also happened to be 23-time winner John McGuinness’ hundredth start. “When he came down to the line to start, he shook my hand and said: ‘happy retirement, ’” Kermode told MCN. “I think it’s been great to be able to do it.” Kermode has been giving the famous shoulder tap for the past 15 years, doing every TT race and Manx Grand Prix start…

MCN CONTRIBUTOR Talk about getting off the beaten track… the 2x2 Ultra Bike promises a level of versatility rarely seen on two wheels. Subject of a crowdfunding effort on Indigogo, the machine comes from US-based Robo. Systems and boasts two-wheel drive plus the ability to float on water. Yes, really. It features a pair of small, hub-mounted electric motors powered by a central battery pack. Hub motors mean there’s no need for a complex transmission to enable 2WD, and the bike can also operate in rear-wheel-drive-only mode. Top speed is just 30mph and given the sort of terrain the Ultra Bike is aimed at it’s not even intended to spend much time going that fast. Range is also low on the priority list. It’s more important to keep weight down…

When a friend of a friend asked if I could get a picture of Tarran Mackenzie signed, I managed to get back into the pits just before the circuit reopened. Tarran at this point was about to get back into his leathers and took the time not only to sign the picture but posed for a selfie and had a quick chat. What really struck me was how pleasant and polite this young man was just before he was due to climb aboard a 200mph superbike. The way he conducts himself is a real credit to his parents, they must be very proud and not just because he is a BSB champion. I’m now a huge Tarran Mackenzie fan. Craig Donaldson, email Be our Star Letter writer and win a…

Ride further in 2022 with a little help from our one-stop event guide JUST BREW IT Ride out to Britain’s best biking cafés In the heart of the Yorkshire Dales is a village that looks as though you could step back in time or perhaps are watching a detective drama in the middle of the day. Hawes is a quaint English village surrounded by fantastic riding roads, and the Penny Garth Café is a must-stop location. Owner Christian Westen has been in catering since 1990 and bought the café with his wife Celine 20 years ago. “The bikes have been here the whole time,” says Christian. “But one big change was getting away from greasy food and a bad cup of tea or instant coffee. Over the past 10 years…

THE MCN TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK It’s impossible for a normal rider to find the limit with the any of these here on Sicily’s Racalmuto and Pergusa tracks. They can’t be separated by power because they all have so much it’s hard to even hang on at full throttle. Their speed through corners is only limited by the bravery of the rider. They all have slick quickshifters, perfectly judged riding modes, useful anti-wheelie and slide/traction control systems you’ll only feel if you’re talented enough to unstick a tyre on purpose. As on the road the BMW is the easiest to get the best out of straight away. It’s stable at high speed and under hard acceleration, has the most confidence-inspiring brakes and goes like absolute stink…

Guintoli’s test work at Suzuki cannot be ignored. In 2017 he joined their all-new European test team after providing useful feedback during a three-race stint in-place of the injured Alex Rins. In the years that followed, Rins and Joan Mir reaped the benefits of Guintoli’s work and the changes that were made to the GSX-RR. Both riders became podium finishers and race winners, with Mir winning the title in 2020. “I know there was good praise, which is nice, but it’s a global project. You have people working really hard in Japan, you have the two official riders, the test team and both sides of the garage. It’s teamwork. “I’m glad I was able to be one of the links in the chain. Being part of that project has been…

1972 Z1 903cc, 82bhp, 245kg Kawasaki’s first inline-four, and the original litre-class superbike. Designed as a 750 until Honda’s CB750 changed the project’s course. 1976 Z650 652cc, 64bhp, 211kg Son of Z1. Hugely important middleweight with a seven-year run. Formed the base numerous models, including the Z750 T. 1977 Z1000A 1015cc, 85bhp, 245kg First major overhaul. Larger capacity, more power, better brakes but less style due to more conservative four-into-two pipes. 1980 Z1000H 1015cc, 96bhp, 232kg First fuel-injected Japanese production bike. Only lasted one year in the range – the public weren’t quite ready to ditch carbs. 1981 Z1000J 998cc, 102bhp, 233kg All-new Z1000 with reduced capacity, to suit racing regulations. Led to the Z1000R and Z1100R Eddie Lawson replicas. 1981 Z1100GP 1089cc, 108bhp, 238kg The first GPz. Essentially an…

REPORTER Owns a Harley-Davidson and loves to tour in the UK and beyond… Even with my limited off-road knowledge, I know the Tuareg craves to be in grassy lanes and gullies rather than sitting on the M1 where it whines if you rev too much. So, I thought it only fair to take it where it belongs. Doing it the right way Since I’ve only been off-road on a motorcycle once, I’ve been hesitant to tackle the byways near me. But after hearing that the Sweet Lamb Adventure Bike Academy had begun some couples’ off-road training, I couldn’t think of a better excuse to get a little more tuition. I should mention that I was unable to change the Tuareg’s tyres to something more catered for harsh off roading before…

Honda were all smiles for most of the weekend as Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge continued to fight towards the front of the field. For the first time, Barcelona’s Vierge out-qualified Valencia’s Lecuona. They finished Race 1 in the same order, seventh and ninth. In the Sprint Race, the hotter conditions of previous rounds convinced Honda to try the new SCQ tyre; it paid off, with Lecuona fifth while Vierge was fourth and piled the pressure on Jonathan Rea for a podium, finishing ahead of riders as quality as Locatelli, Bassani and Lowes. Lecuona was fifth in Race 2 while Vierge was involved in a huge crash at the Curvone whilst in fourth. The stewards decided ‘racing incident’. “Bassani passed Xavi down the straight, ” HRC Team Principal Leon Camier…

WSB REPORTER A crowd of over 65,000 spectators watched World Superbikes make a massive impression on Misano. That was even before Alvaro Bautista destroyed the opposition in both long races to extend his championship lead over Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu. With two thirds of the season to go, a lot could still change, but the 2022 threat from Ducati is a mighty strong one. As heat mixed with humidity on the Adriatic coast, track temperatures nudged 60°C in what was a true test of rider fitness and stamina. Not only that, but the fact Pirelli took three SCX tyres to Misano (two of them all-new development versions) added to a packed workload, causing confusion and frustration alike for riders as they rushed to try them in practice. Ever since…

SPORTS REPORTER MotoGP heads to the Sachsenring this weekend for the German Grand Prix and for the first time in a decade it’s impossible to pick a winner. Marc Marquez has won the last eight premier class races at the Sachsenring (2012-2021), adding to his 125cc win in 2010 and his Moto2 successes in 2011 and 2012. Last year’s victory was particularly disheartening for the rest of the grid because the injured Marquez was nowhere near 100%, yet was untouchable once more. But Marquez will not be competing this year. He’s back home in Spain recovering from his fourth arm operation in three years, leaving the top step of the podium vacant. So, who will take advantage? It’s hard to look past Fabio Quartararo. The reigning champion, and current championship…

SPORTS EDITOR ‘It’s nice, I don’t know how many have done that’PETER HICKMAN Peter Hickman gained membership into an exclusive club of just two riders who have won in every current class (excluding sidecars) with victory in the Supertwins race. The only other man to have won on a Superbike, Superstock, Supersport, Senior and Supertwin is the man he battled with for the win – Michael Dunlop. In what will go down as one of the closest races in history, the pair were separated by under a second with constant changes of the lead. Speaking to MCN immediately after the race about joining the exclusive club of all-class winners, Hickman said: “It’s nice because I’m not sure how many people have actually done that. The race was really close and…

Davey Todd showed that he has what it takes with a brilliant podium in the Superstock TT. A result which he backed up with fourths in both the second Supersport and Senior. Riding in his third TT, his results were made all the more special after bouncing back from losing his confidence at the start of the week when he had a tyre issue in the Superbike race. Team boss Clive Padgett said: “We had a cuddle at dinner, the lad didn’t have a lot of confidence, McGuinness gave him a cuddle too, we all need a cuddle!”…

MCN CONTRIBUTOR Love it or hate it, we’re seeing major developments in electric motorcycles. But the latest research shows that their environmental advantage over more traditional petrol-powered machines is far from cut and dried. While it’s true battery vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions, they rely on the electricity grid – using power that might be clean wind or solar energy but could just as easily be from a dirty, coal-fired power station. The manufacturing process of any vehicle, from mining raw materials to delivering them to showrooms, also contributes a hefty chunk of the total lifetime emissions figures. For battery electric vehicles (BEVs) those manufacturing emissions are higher than for internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) and it takes thousands of miles of use for a BEV’s carbon footprint to become…

Meet Dave: the four-and-a-half year-old sidecar-riding collie, who has embarked on a new life of motorcycling adventure after being rescued two-years-ago. A failed sheepdog originally from Ireland, Dave now lives with his biking-mad owner, 53-year-old Dave Sargent from Northamptonshire, who purchased his BMW RT and Watsonian sidecar outfit specifically for canine adventures. “I like my bike holidays and we basically spend all day together, ” Sargent told MCN. “I thought ‘I don’t want to leave him in kennels, I’d miss him too much, so l’ll buy a motorbike and sidecar.’ “It didn’t have to come with that particular bike, ” he continued. “We’ve got to the point now where I don’t actually have a car. This is our everyday transport.” Since human Dave purchased the outfit, the pair have covered…

Kawasaki’s A2-licence compliant Ninja and Z400 are making a surprise return to the company’s UK line-up this summer. The popular Ninja won the highly competitive WorldSSP300 series in 300 guise, before being dropped in 2021. The naked roadster Zed is also back, having been introduced in 2019. Both are powered by a liquid-cooled, parallel-twin producing 44bhp and 28lb.ft of torque, which has now been tweaked to make it Euro5-compliant. As before, the sporty Ninja 400 has styling inspired by the ZX-10R superbike, but with a more relaxed, novice-friendly riding position. You also get a Z H2 style tubular steel trellis frame, assist and slipper clutch and powerful 286mm front disc brake. The Z400 is based on the same engine and chassis but wears less plastic and offers a more relaxed,…

Reader Edward French The trip West Sussex to the Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and back (all on my Sinnis Terrain 125) How many miles? 1088 How long do you need? Four days Best time to go Spring to Autumn Tell us about the trip… I’m on a CBT so no motorways but the bike tops out at about 60mph so that’s no bad thing. The Sinnis 125 coped very well despite being at 9000rpm almost all day and carrying me and all the gear. It didn’t miss a beat. The Metzeler Roadtecs were great, as were the Gerbing heated jacket and gloves. We are blessed with some spectacular scenery and a bike is a wonderful way to explore. As a new member of this community it was…

We plucked out the most indulgent of all the roadgoing superbike exotica. We could have gone for lower-spec versions, or included the Japanese rivals, but that would’ve been a test you’ve seen a thousand times with results we’d know before even turning a wheel. Any current superbike could lead a fast group trackday, but the Suzuki GSX-R1000R and BMW S1000RR would be our ‘real world’ pick for the road.…

After 35 faults were found with Norton’s original V4, things had to change. New owners, a new factory and ostensibly a new bike have preceded this much-awaited second coming. This ‘new’ V4SV shares only basic design with the V4 SS/RR briefly sold by previous owner Stuart Garner’s failed Norton. And 428 of the bike’s 900 components have been redesigned. The cooling system is new, lubrication is heavily revised, and the valvetrain has received a great deal of attention. Detail changes to the gearbox should ensure reliable shifting and longevity. The electronic side has been on the receiving end of more reliable firmware, as well as changes to the settings. The 1200cc motor makes a claimed 185bhp and 91lb.ft of torque. That’s 30bhp down on rivals – and what was claimed…

Kawasaki understand heritage better than any other Japanese manufacturer. For half a century the marque’s model range and engineering ethos has been underpinned by one model, the legendary Z1, and the influence of that seminal inline-four is still visible in many of the brand’s current machines. Obviously, Kawasaki weren’t going to miss the opportunity to celebrate 50 years since the launch of their original 900, so the company have unveiled several special editions of the popular Z900RS/SE and Z650RS models to mark the occasion (see sidebar). Quite right too, because the Z1 not only signified a seismic shift in the fortunes of Kawasaki, it also redefined the parameters of modern motorcycle design and performance for decades. Kawasaki’s European Marketing Manager Martin Lambert put it even more succinctly: “Without the Zed,…

CHIEF ROAD TESTER Gets off on touring, trackdays and modern and classic superbike racing. Oulton Park is one of my favourite circuits. A frenzied strip of tarmac threading through undulating Cheshire woodland, it’s every inch the mini-Nürburgring. It’s probably why I like it so much… on a small bike, anyway. Riding a superbike around here can be so tricky you’ll sometimes forget to take in the majesty of the track. My Speed Triple RR is different. It performs like a superbike, so you’ll have no trouble mixing it with the fast group crowd, but it’s not an out-and-out race rep – this gives you permission not to try and break the lap record every time, but just enjoy the ride instead. It takes seconds to transform the Triumph from mild-mannered…

Despite additional testing this season to serve as a leg-up, the BMW failed to make an impression and their riders were lapping some two seconds off the pace of rivals. BMW are known for wanting to run their own components, such as an in-house ECU, but there is no data to share with other teams. Not only that, but regular rider Michael van der Mark remains injured. “We need to understand how to make the clutch work, ” said Scott Redding, who made poor starts in all races and whose finishes were 10th, 11th, and 9th. “We’re capable of sixth or seventh.” After crashing in the sprint race, Loris Baz took a personal weekend best of 10th, with Bonovo Action BMW teammate Eugene Laverty’s best coming in the sprint race…

SPORTS EDITOR He may not have taken the six race wins he wanted, but Peter Hickman left TT2022 as the undisputed benchmark having secured four brilliant wins. By taking four in a week (Superbike, Superstock, Super Twins and Senior) he enters an illustrious club of just three other riders – Phillip McCallen from his 1996 four race win domination, Michael Dunlop’s four-in-a-week in 2013 and 2014 and, of course, Ian Hutchinson’s historic five-in-a-week in 2010. Acknowledging the achievement that saw his TT career win tally soar from five at the start of the week to nine by the end, Hickman told MCN: “Four out of six ain’t bad is it? And I join a pretty elite group. I’m really happy with the week, the Gas Monkey BMW by FHO Racing…

Peter Hickman is doing exactly the same as what John McGuinness did in the 2006, 7, 8, 9, 10 era when he won everything apart from when he had a mechanical problem. I think the introduction of the warm-up lap has made a huge difference to Pete, I know it would have for me. Historically Hicky hasn’t been that quick on his first lap, but the warm-up lap and an extra year of experience has helped him. He’s also doing really, really well in BSB, running top five, top six plus he’s in a really good team. The level in BSB is so high now and we’ve seen that with Tom Sykes and Leon Haslam coming back from WSB and not being able to get in the top ten. He’s…