Table of contents for 13 July 2022 in MCN

Triumph have announced the end of their TE-1 electric motorcycle development programme by producing an aggressive 175bhp sports naked capable of hitting 100mph faster than a combustion-engined Speed Triple 1200RS. But, before you go reaching for your credit card, the TE-1 will never go into production – instead serving as an educational tool to allow the Hinckley firm to produce what they believe to be viable electric motorcycles for future production. “We’ve got decades of experience now doing combustion-engined bikes,” Chief Product Officer, Steve Sargent told MCN ahead of the official reveal. “But, quite clearly, the world is moving to electric, and we wanted a vehicle for us to not just build our knowledge, but also show our expertise in being able to develop something completely fresh.” The previous update…

A rare starting-up of Mike Hailwood’s 1961 Honda RC162 250/4 is the star attraction of the ‘Classic Grille Evening’ to be held at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, on July 20. As part of the museum’s 50th celebrations this year, Beaul ieu is holding monthly meets and inviting classic owners to park on the arena, enjoy a burger and explore the museum. Each evening will be themed with a classic fired into life. Although free, attendees are asked to book in advance as places are limited.…

This partially restored 1920s TT racer is believed to be the ‘first-ever’ Norton ES2 model, and is expected to fetch £30K-£40K as the star lot at an auction of vintage vehicles and collectables at the end of the month. Unregistered, with frame number 1003 and engine number 35580, the 500cc single is known to be the first of four official factory TT spec’ OHV machines raced in the September 1927 Amateur TT. It’s also suspected to have competed in the earlier 1927 TT but records cannot confirm this. It was owned by the late Arthur Skinner of Buntingford, Hertfordshire, a well known Norton specialist, who bought it in the mid-1990s and had begun restoring it. Following Arthur’s death in 2020 the various parts were relocated and loosely assembled into the…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com HOME-MADE SPECIAL Dad made this back around 1973 from plans out of Popular Mechanics. I’ve been riding ever since. Chris Blanchard HONDA SS50 This was back in 1976 and that long and very hot summer was spent riding around on my SS50. Geoff Kemp HONDA XL125 Here I am posing for a snap with my first motorcycle many years ago. Michael Holmes HONDA 50 My first bike when I was 10 was this Honda 50 step-thru, but my properly first road-legal machine was my CB125. Huw Trebble MZ SIMSON S50 My first bike was an MZ50. Bought in 1885 for £324 on the road including a year’s tax. Loved that bike. Duncan Smith YAMAHA RD250E One of my first bikes – for some…

1 Festival of 1000 Bikes July 15-17 Taking place at Mallory Park, there will be on track action all weekend from rare and exotic bikes and big name riders. Top that with club displays, classic trials, and more for £46 for the whole weekend. festivalof1000bikes.co.uk 2 Kempton Autojumble July 16 If you’re looking to bag a bargain this weekend, then it might be worth popping along to Kempton Park. A £10 earlybird ticket means you can start rummaging from 8am. www.kemptonparkautojumble.co.uk 3 Classic & Performance Motor Show July 17 Wentworth Woodhouse in South Yorkshire plays host to classic motorcycles and all manner of motor vehicles. www.greatbritishmotorshows.com 4 Cheshire Classic Car and Motorcycle Show July 17 Capesthorne Hall is playing host to a vintage-packed event this Sunday with classic bikes, cars…

What are they like off-road? If you venture off-road on any of these bikes, invest in the engine/ bodywork protection options. In the case of the KTM, that’s a skid plate (£362.34), crash bungs (£71.64), an engine grille (£62.58) and a radiator protector (£29.40). Ducati offer an offroad package for the DesertX at £1134. Yam’s extras include a skid pan (£271.50), and panel guard (£263). On the dirt the Yamaha feels top heavy when fully juiced. The motor never feels intimidating, the steering’s light and handling is good so it’s novice friendly. The KTM is the most hardcore. It carries its weight well – the ‘saddlebag’ tank ensures perfect balance. There are two dirt modes; ‘off-road’ reduces peak power and softens throttle response – perfect for dirt newbies. ‘Rally’ mode…

TRAVIS PASTRANA 38, American, Extreme stunt rider Former AMA motocross and supercross champion turned epic stunt rider. Now the world’s most daring two-wheeled performer. Travis Pastrana was crowned world freestyle motorcycle champion at the age of just 14, which should tell you all you need to know about his skills on two wheels. Coming from a background in motocross and supercross – where he won many titles in his native America – Pastrana has since gone on to become a freestyle legend, taking 11 gold medals in the X Games and five golds from the Gravity Games. In 2006 he became the first rider ever to pull off a double back flip, and in 2018 successfully completed not one, but three of Evel Knievel’s most famous jumps – all in…

EMMA FRANKLIN DEPUTY EDITOR Sportsbike lover, enjoys trackdays, Sunday blasts and the occasional club race A trackday or two has been on the cards for the GSX-S1000GT ever since I picked up the keys back in April. And today was the day – Suzuki Live at Cadwell Park, a day for all Suzuki owners (and others) to enjoy the current range, ogle classics and chat with racing stars. The sun’s shining and I’m feeling chipper – the GT is so effortlessly fun on the road that surely it’s going to translate to effortless fun on the track. Arriving at the circuit, I sign on before being promptly hustled out on track, where I’m in for something of a shock… I can’t hit an apex if I try! OK, yes, I’m…

Downsizing can have many benefits and in the motorcycle world they include cheaper running costs, reduced insurance and a lower price. That’s why this week we have searched out the best smaller do-it-all siblings in the used market. Each has a more expensive bigger-capacity stablemate that looks the same, but if you make the small sacrifice in performance, you will gain big in terms of value. £2500-£4500 Yamaha Fazer 8 Yamaha’s overlooked middleweight has a lot to offer Launched in 2010, the Fazer 8 and its naked FZ8 sibling have much in common with the bigger-capacity FZ1 models. Sharing the same (or very similar) chassis, brakes and suspension, the FZ8 models feel and look like quality products and are physically big to ride with a smooth and fairly gutsy motor.…

Francesco Bagnaia has issued an apology after he was involved in a car crash in Ibiza where he failed a breathalyser test. The factory Ducati MotoGP rider crashed a Citroën into a ditch on the side of the road in the early hours of Tuesday morning (6 July). The Guardia Civil and local police arrived on the scene and performed a breathalyser test on Bagnaia. The Italian’s reading came out a 0.78mg/l, which is three times the Spanish legal drink-drive limit of 0.25mg/l. Bagnaia was not injured in the crash and no other vehicles or people were involved. The former Moto2 world champion issued a statement late on Tuesday evening to explain what happened and to apologise for his actions. It read: “Last night I was in Ibiza with my…

IN BIG TROUBLE HONDA 169pts combined (5 riders) 0 Wins – 1 Podium – 8 DNFs Honda are living a nightmare. In Germany they didn’t score a single point for the first time in 40 years. Marc Marquez is out of action again following arm surgery, Pol Espargaro missed the last race with rib injuries, and Alex Marquez and Taka Nakagami have five retirements between them. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. In testing and at Qatar, the all-new RC213V looked like HRC’s savour, but it’s been all downhill ever since. THE OTHER YAMAHAS 45pts combined (3 riders) 0 wins – 0 podiums – 7 DNFs Without Quartararo, Yamaha would be completely lost. Franco Morbidelli hasn’t been back to his glorious best since knee surgery and is struggling to…

Alvaro Bautista took the seat vacated by Redding at Ducati and tops the standings after four rounds: taking six wins and finishing on the podium in every race. He’s particularly strong in the final third of races, but why? “It’s obvious. Jonathan and Toprak have to ride much harder through corners and on the brakes. They stress the tyre to get momentum out of the corner, just to stay with him. Then they need to keep overtaking. They make mistakes because they’re on the limit, then the tyre drops and they’re out of ammunition. “Alvaro knows that. He sits there, waiting. When his time comes, he goes. It’s not great for the championship. “When I was on the Ducati, I didn’t have a massive advantage because I’m bigger and heavier…

Twenty years ago, you’d have been laughed out the pub and branded a fantasist if you’d proclaimed that in 2022 Triumph would create an electric Speed Triple that you’d sell your grandma to own; BSA would launch a new Gold Star; Norton would be on the road to recovery after an already-failed comeback and that Royal Enfield would – manufacturing aside – essentially be British again. But it’s all happened. But how, and why? It’s all a matter of heritage. Launching a new brand is a very tough gig. Just ask Polaris, who killed off Victory after 18 years of building superb bikes, because buying Indian was the solution they needed. Of course, heritage isn’t enough on its own – you do have to get the product right. Triumph have;…

The new BSA Gold Star caused a stir when it was unveiled last year, but has had a rocky route to market through the Covid-19 pandemic. MCN took the opportunity to sit down with Classic Legends Co-Founder, Anupam Thareja and Ashish Joshi, CEO of Classic Legends and Director of BSA, ahead of the official press launch (see next week’s MCN for the eagerly anticipated first test). “We were so clear that we were not going to do a badging exercise,” explains Thareja, whose Classic Legends brand is behind BSA’s return. “It’s very normal for classic bikes to be revived in various parts of the world. You can do that because you have the money to buy the brand and you have a factory in a cheaper location to put it…

The new ‘Explorer’ version of Fantic’s Caballero 500 scrambler is now on sale in the UK priced at £7649. The Explorer is a higher-spec, more rugged version of the ‘retro-mod’ Caballero launched in 2019. The new variant has the same punchy 39bhp liquid-cooled singlecylinder engine, nimble scrambler chassis with modern suspension and radial brakes plus ‘70s-inspired styling, but adds luggage rack and trendy left-side pannier carrier, highmounted front mudguard, new crossbraced handlebars, small flyscreen with headlamp grille, more off-road Michelin Anakee Wild tyres and bespoke bronze/white paint.…

Vespa have announced a new version of their Primavera scooter called the Pic Nic, which comes fitted with everything you need for – you guessed it – a picnic. Building on the standard Primavera scooter, which is a name that’s been with us since the 1960s, the new model features a wooden picnic basket to the rear, which is intertwined with rattan weave. To help make your picnic that little more special, the basket also includes a removable cooler bag and waterproof blanket – perfect for those five days of sunshine we get in the UK every year. Available in two colours (grey or pastel green), the city scoot also features front and rear chromeplated luggage racks, with a leather belt in place to stop your tea and cakes escaping…

This bike, sneakily shown at the recent Adventure Bike Rider Festival, shows that CCM are planning to continue spinning-off impressively spec’d versions of their popular, hand-crafted, retro-roadster Spitfire. Hot on the heels of the scrambler-style Maverick and only weeks after the upcoming Street Moto and Classic Tracker were spied undergoing final pre-production testing in the north-west, the latest, retro desert racer-styled prototype was spotted gauging opinion alongside another concept dubbed the Beach Cruiser. Referred to as the ‘Retro Trailie’, the mustard-coloured machine, uses the usual, punchy, enduro-derived, liquid-cooled, 600cc singlecylinder engine producing around 56bhp with 43lb. ft of torque and held in a handcrafted tubular steel frame. It also looks to have fairly conventional, off-road sized 21/19in alloy-rimmed wire wheels wearing dirt knobblies, high-mounted front mudguard and CCM’s usual wavy…

My 2018 Fireblade was secured to a lamppost by an Almax Series 3 with a Squire lock. There were disc locks on both wheels along with a throttle/ brake lock and it had a cover on it. All were angle-grinded off (and they even stole the Almax!). Living in London, I knew it was at risk but hoped it was secure enough to thwart any attempts. Surely the tech exists for manufacturers to be able to fit a lockable deadlock (either physical or electronic) to the gearbox to stop a bike being wheeled away? Until inbuilt security gets better, I simply can’t afford another new bike. Andy Morrison, email Be our Star Letter writer and win a pair of touchscreen-compatible Weise Apex leather gloves worth £59.99 from weiseclothing.com…

Ride further in 2022 with a little help from our one-stop event guide SILVERSTONE • Mon-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm • www.silverstonemuseum.co.uk • Silverstone, Towcester NN12 8TN JUST BREW IT Ride out to Britain’s best biking cafés Silverstone is known the world over for its high-speed action, and MotoGP addicts will no doubt know its super-fast twists and turns like the back of their hands. And now there is another great reason to stop off there… a new museum and café. “We recognised we needed something here, and we also wanted to tell the stories of Silverstone and the rich heritage we’ve got here,” says Katie Tyler at the museum. “Silverstone had its first race in 1948, so that makes us 74 years old. And as you walk through the museum…

★★★★★ £14,095 Ducati DesertX FUNCTIONALITY AND FEATURES ★★★✰✰ £12,499 KTM 890 Adventure R ★★★★✰ £11,800 Yamaha Ténéré World Raid…

In 2018 Travis Pastrana jumped further than Evel Knievel ever did – and on a similar motorcycle too – when he cleared 16 Greyhound buses, and a distance of 192 feet, compared to Knievel’s best of 133 feet. That jump was only one of three that Pastrana completed during a live, five-hour, international TV broadcast as a tribute to his daredevil hero. Using a heavy, 340lb Indian Scout FTR750 –very similar to the Harley-Davidson XR750 favoured by Knievel – Pastrana also had to contend with very limited suspension travel, just like Evel. And, also just like Knievel, Pastrana relies more on feel than science to calculate his jumps. “For me, it’s mostly about feel, experience, and gut instinct,” he explains. “After so many years of doing this my gut instinct…

The sun warms your back as the bike purrs beneath you and the motorway stretches to the horizon. You can’t help grinning – finally, you’re off on the summer trip you promised yourself. Ahead lies a weekend, a week, or maybe even a month of freedom, excitement and exploration. Motorcycles produce highs galore, but for many of us the summer trip is the pinnacle, the time when you feel happier, calmer and more alive than ever. It could be a long weekend in the Scottish Highlands on your own, finding gorgeous new roads and chatting to locals at pubs serving unpronounceable whisky. Or 10 days with a few mates blasting to a foreign GP with camping kit strapped to your sportsbikes. Or a fortnight with your other half meandering through…

Piaggio have revamped their flagship MP3 for 2022. The new £11,500 530 hpe Exclusive is lighter, has more grunt, a heap more tech and a new look. If you’re not familiar with the quirky Italian, think of it as the three-wheel, singlecylinder equivalent to the king of the luxury performance scoots: the Yamaha TMAX. Three wheels better? MP3s might still be a little unusual here in the UK but Piaggio have built 230,000 since 2006. It leans like a normal bike, but you can lock it upright at a standstill, to save putting your feet down. And it’s classed as a trike, so you can ride it on a car licence. That said, it acts and feels like a motorcycle (Piaggio claim a top speed of 90mph), so you’d be…

DAN SUTHERLAND NEWS EDITOR Year-round rider, weekend blaster and racetrack dweller After a three-year absence, the TT was the number one touring destination I wanted to visit on the KTM 1290 Super Duke R Evo this year. I love the event, the people, and the island and when the opportunity to visit arose, I hastily packed up my KTM tank bag (£180.36) and hard panniers (£452.16) and headed off. Doing the distance I’d never ridden to the TT before and had to catch a ferry midway through practice week. A dull as dishwater Wednesday morning motorway slog up and across the country, it was the perfect test to see how the Evo copes with long stints at high speed. Given the inclusion of semiactive springs and a surprisingly friendly V–twin,…

I always try to advise riders on what may or may not suit their needs. You want to form a relationship with a customer and for them to leave the showroom happy. Trouble is, people don’t always listen. I’ve lost count of the number of sportsbike riders who’ve ignored my advice and gone for a bike whose performance is above their level of experience, only to return a few years later and trade it in with minimal miles showing. But you also get it with middleweights. I remember a rider coming in asking about a Tiger 1200. He was fairly short in the leg and not the youngest so I asked him his plans for the bike. After our chat I advised him to consider the Tiger 800 instead as…

BMW UK has just unveiled this new, special, limited-edition version of its impressive 1800cc boxer twinpowered R18 cruiser. It comes in a choice of four bright new colours – presumably in a bid to tempt buyers who were unconvinced by the 2020 original’s retro all-black livery. Only 40 of the new R18 First Edition Limited will be produced, with just 10 in each of the four new colours – Sunset Orange, Verde Ermes (green), Marina Bay Blue, and Purple Silk. The new variants are available from BMW dealers throughout the UK and can be bought with any existing R18 promotional offer. They also come with BMW’s three-year warranty. Prices are yet to be announced, although you can expect to pay a premium over the base bike’s already steamy £19,960. At…

Although delayed by Covid-19 and other issues, this radical, all-new V6, which will also revive the historic British Levis brand, will be launched next year. First seen in MCN as this prototype four years ago, it’s called the Levis Café Racer and is being developed by automotive company Bevan Davidson International in Swaffham, Norfolk, and is just one of four proposed new bikes they now hope to launch in 2023 under the resurrected brands of Levis and ABC, with another, Connaught, also on the horizon. As well as the V6 Café Racer, which originally had a projected price of £102,000, there are plans for a £78k Levis Urban Roadster, a V10 Cruiser and an ABC 900cc two-stroke triple. And, although some technical issues, supplier problems and the pandemic meant they’re…

Readers Paul Yarrow together with 20 members of the UK-based motorcycle club, the PEMC The trip We travelled from the UK to base ourselves in Annecy, France for five days. How many miles? 1840 in total Best time to go Our trip began on June 5, although the temp was usually 20°C, some days started with a downpour. Don’t miss… Once in Annecy, try a short three-hour loop around the northern tip of Lake Annecy (it’s better this way) and head to the viewpoint overlooking the lake and town at the top of Col de la Forclaz. Grab an ice-cream and watch the para-gliders launch themselves into the void below! Then enjoy the many bends beyond on the remaining route. I tried riding south to some of the better known…

FRIDAY July 15 9am, EUR2, World Superbikes – 2003 Brands Hatch 10.20am, EUR2, Live World Superbikes from Donington Park: Free Practice 1. Free Practice 2 at 2.50pm SATURDAY July 16 10.15am, EUR2, Live World Superbikes from Donington Park: Day 1. Also at 1.30pm. Highlgihts at 7.35pm and 10pm 11am, EUR2, Bennetts British Superbikes from Knockhill: Weekend highlights SUNDAY July 17 10.30am, EUR2, Live WSB from Donington Park: Day 2. Also at 12.15pm. Highlights 7.35pm & 10pm 3pm, EUR2, Live Motocross World Championship from Czech Republic: MX2 Race 2. MXGP Race 2 at 4pm KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT – DISCOVERY REAL TIME DSC – DISCOVERY CHANNEL DHD – DISCOVERY CHANNEL HD EXS – EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL EUR1 (2, HD) – EUROSPORT 1 (2, HD) MOT – MOTORSPORT. TV CH4 – CHANNEL…

MV Agusta are set to stir things up in the booming adventure bike market with the Cagiva Elefant-inspired Lucky Explorer 9.5. The all-new bike features a 931cc triple, pushing out a claimed 121.4 bhp and 75lb. ft of torque, fully adjustable Sachs suspension and an off-road-focused 21/18-inch wheel combination. It’s not ready yet – but MCN grabbed a ride on a prototype bike in northern Italy. While our test mule is only an early prototype, it’s clear that when the twin-headlight Lucky Explorer 9.5 goes on sale next year its evocative styling will pay homage to the famous Cagiva Elefant Lucky Explorer that took victories in the Paris-Dakar rally in 1990 and 1994 – but this is much more than a tribute act. The engine is derived from the 800cc…

You never stop learning We’re firm believers in learning from the best at MCN – and all of the team regularly do advanced training. So we’ve teamed up with Rapid Training to give you the chance to win the perfect summer trip preparation: a full day of free one-to-one training with an expert riding coach, worth £395! Rapid are one of Britain’s most respected advanced riding companies and every one of their coaches is trained to Police Class 1 standard. Enter the competition at www.rapidtraining.co.uk/MCNsummertrip-competition now!…

★★★★★ Bull-it Tactical Icon II jeans, £139.99 ‘The comfort of protection’ Tester Richard Newland Time tested 3 months/1200 miles The trade-off between protection, comfort, style and versatility is one that rages almost every time we get on a bike. I’ve tried to get the options down to two set choices over the years: Jacket and jeans, or a textile suit. Even I can usually make a fast decision between only two options. My absolute default – even in winter when it’s dry – is riding jeans and a jacket, so having highly protective but comfortable jeans is crucial, especially as I often spend all day in them, either in the saddle or while wandering about having ridden to a destination. I’ve tested a large number over the years, and these…

‘In Germany, not one Honda scored a single point’MICHAEL SCOTT This has been a particularly historic season. Not all the landmarks have been positive, however. Two of motorcycle racing’s icons have been stricken with historic failures that break the high achievements of many decades. Honda first… and it happened at Germany’s pocket-sized Sachsenring, a track where even before Marc Marquez embarked on eight years of serial domination the Big H had staked a claim for ownership. Dani Pedrosa won it the previous three years, and Honda had taken most of the preceding wins there. Until 2022. Now, on an afternoon when traditional rivals Yamaha celebrated a Quartararo victory as controlling as any by Marquez, Honda were left seriously dismayed. Not one of their four bikes had scored a single, solitary…

TOP OF THE CLASS 1st Fabio Quartararo 3 Wins – 6 Podiums – 1 Pole 4 Fastest Laps – 1 DNF For all the concerns that Fabio Quartararo had about Yamaha and their commitment to improve the M1, things have turned out rather well. Putting Assen to one side, he’s proven why Yamaha had to throw everything at him when it came to a new contract. Quartararo is to them what Marquez is to Honda: an unbelievable talent who can extract the absolute maximum, and then some, out of a bike which isn’t the best on the grid. He weathered the storm in Qatar, Argentina and COTA, taking decent points, before hitting his stride in Europe. If Quartararo gets away early, there’s no catching him. His race craft is better…

GREG HAINES INSIGHT Bringing you the inside line from the WSB paddock The World Superbike Championship and Donington Park remain synonymous with one another 34 years after the series’ first ever race at the circuit. Over the years the battles have been intense, with 2022 set to continue in the same vain with the current top three (Bautista, Rea and Razgatlioglu) desperate to get the upper hand. The fact a couple of British wildcards prop up the entry list will only add to the intrigue. ‘The fact that British wildcards prop up the entry list will only add to the intrigue’ DID YOU KNOW? Heading into Donington Park, Kawasaki sit on 499 WSB podiums while Ducati are on 998. DID YOU KNOW? Legends Carl Fogarty (WSB) and Valentino Rossi (MotoGP)…

GREG HAINES INSIGHT Bringing you the inside line from the WSB paddock Scott Redding is the darling of the World Superbike crowd. Whichever position he’s in, when he zooms down Donington Park’s Hollywood section this weekend, you can guarantee the Brit will receive the biggest cheers of all. The same spectators remember his history-making 125cc Grand Prix success of 2008, as well as his glorious 2019 BSB season. It’s been hard to see him struggle with BMW so far – but he’s confident there’s light at the end of the tunnel and insists victories are possible. You’ve gone from winning races and challenging for titles with Ducati, to struggling in the midfield with BMW. What’s that like? The start of the season was really hard. I was struggling a lot.…