Table of contents for 24 August 2022 in MCN

One year on from the bike’s launch, Royal Enfield have announced colour updates to the Meteor 350 single, with the latest crop starting at £3879. Powered by an air-oil-cooled 349cc lump, the easy-going cruiser is now available in a range of new designs, starting with the cheapest Fireball Blue and Matt Green options – before progressing to the pre-existing £3959 Stellar models and £4039 Supernova Red design. According to Motorcycle Industry Association stats, the Meteor 350 was the best-selling motorcycle from 126cc-650cc in July of this year, with 180 new registrations. That’s 60 more than BMW’s R1250GSA. Royal Enfield’s Executive Director, B. Govindarajan said: “Over the last two years, the Meteor 350 has set new benchmarks in the entry-level cruiser segment across global markets, while picking up awards and accolades…

Award-winning dealership Moto Corsa are back in business with many of the old staff members, after going into surprise liquidation at the end of last month. The multi-franchise dealership suddenly closed its Gillingham showroom on July 20 of this year, and it quickly transpired it had gone into receivership. Founded in 2004 by Mike Russell de Clifford, it specialised in MV Agusta, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield and, more recently, KTM. Along with used bikes, clothing, and accessories, its main premises was a lavish showroom in Gillingham on the Wiltshire border, while its service centre was 10 miles away in Ashmore. It won MCN’s Multi-franchise Dealer of the Year (SW) award in 2018 and Café Corsa was voted ‘Best Independent Café’ in the Dorset Food Awards. Normally, that might have…

Muc-Off Pressure Washer Bonus Bundle £89.99 Good, clean fun No excuses for putting your bike away dirty. This pressure washer from Muc-Off is a firm favourite at MCN and we’ve been using them for years. It’s powerful enough to clean practically anything but is also gentle enough to protect delicate suspension and bearing components so you don’t blast out the grease along with the muck. It’s available from a range of suppliers with similar offers to this, however M&P chuck in a few extras, making this one a particularly appealing bargain. Along with the washer itself – which already includes three different pressure wands to make sure you are able to deploy the correct pressure for each job on the bike – you also get a five-piece deluxe brush kit,…

A French biker has combined over 20 years of Aprilia performance heritage by transforming his RSV4 1100 superbike into a bespoke tribute to two-stroke RS250. Fifty-year-old Gwenael Barthélémy, originally from Brittany, got the inspiration for the bike in the early noughties during a ride along the banks of Lake Como in Italy, when he stumbled across a V-twin Aprilia RSV1000 wearing a white RS250 fairing. “I am very proud of the finished result,” Barthélémy told MCN. “This was not an easy plan to make happen, with different people all working on the same project. You risk losing some consistency, but this build proved really successful.” Despite being an amateur, the now Swiss resident has overseen eight builds since 2016 – coming up with the ideas himself before working with friends…

A day out with a mate was spoilt by a negligent driver spilling diesel onto the roundabout at Uppingham. I approached to go right so the slick could not be seen until I started to turn in… Front washed out and I was down. The road was like ice as I and the other road users (commercials, vans, cars and motorbike and an ambulance that stopped to offer help) moved the bike. I reported the RTA to the police, and requested a road clean up before any other accidents occurred. I was lucky, but the image that comes to my mind is the posters from some years ago Diesel Spills Can Kill. James Griffin, email Write something that spikes our interest, and you could get selected for the Star Letter…

1 Poole Quay Aug 30 Every Tuesday in the summer months, Poole Quay turns into a haven for bikers. Entry is £2 per bike. www.pooletourism.com 2 An Enduring Day Aug 27-28 The Dawn to Dusk Enduro race takes place around the Brecon Beacons. dawntoduskenduro.co.uk 3 Euro rendezvous Aug 28 If you’re a fan of European motorcycles pop along to Sammy Miller’s fantastic museum, for a day of metal appreciation. www.sammymiller.co.uk 4 Whitwell nike night Aug 26 Nestled in deepest Norfolk, this quaint railway station, with trains to view and a cracking café, is home to this great weekly bike night. Free to enter. whitwellstation.com…

Adip in the road, a downpour of rain and an unexpected hazard. Sunday, May 19, 1935, war hero, author and passionate motorcyclist, T.E Lawrence crashes his Brough Superior SS100 while attempting to avoid two young cyclists. He goes over the ’bars, hits his head on the ground and is knocked unconscious. He never wakes up. Much has been documented about Lawrence’s life full of inspiring, heroic deeds, yet it’s arguably his death that has made the greatest impact. His untimely demise aged 46 provoked international mourning and reflection. It also inspired one man to look more closely at motorcycle accidents and the injuries they cause, paving the way for the birth of the modern motorcycle helmet and the standards that help keep us safe today. Research begins Following his accident,…

Alvaro Bautista is the happy, chirpy Spaniard of World Superbikes, just as he was in MotoGP. The difference now is that he’s on top of the world, beating Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu in his quest for the title. But what about those who say it’s all about the Ducati and its straight-line speed advantage? To Bautista, that’s no more than excuses from rivals. How happy are you with your Ducati return? Very. My superbike journey began with Ducati in 2019 and it was very good. For one reason or another, we went our separate ways. But now we’ve reunited and we’re all very happy. I’ve signed a one-year deal for 2023. I’m old! So, let’s do it year-by-year and see how we do! I feel good, competitive and comfortable.…

Even if he jokingly stated he’s “sick to death of third position,” Jake Dixon is on a roll. The British rider made it three podium finishes on the bounce with an expert recovery ride at the Red Bull Ring, and later stated he was confident of retaining his seat in the Aspar squad for 2023. Unlike his two previous third places at Assen and Silverstone, Dixon doesn’t count the stop-start Austrian track among his favourites. Yet he fought back from hitting a false neutral on lap seven, to nab a valiant third from Pedro Acosta at the race’s final turn. “On the last lap I was like, ‘I’m not finishing fourth.’ I had a go at Pedro at turn six, nearly crashed and saved it on my elbow. Then it…

What is it? Triumph’s new mid capacity all-rounder. It’s basically a Trident 660 with a big tank, top fairing, tall screen and high bars, but during the year it’s proved to be so much than that. Why did it win? It punches way above its weight and appeals to all kinds of riders, regardless of size, age, or experience. There were lots of contenders for the top prize, from last year’s award-winning Ducati Multistrada V4 S to the uber-popular Yamaha Tracer 9 GT and funky new Ducati Desert X. All fine machines, but the Tiger Sport 660 has an ace up its sleeve. Not only is the 660 a very capable motorcycle, it’s welcome value for money, too. You’d be hard pushed to find a new bike this good for…

What is it? A Yamaha R1 with straight bars, minimal styling and buckets of grunt. Japan’s only true super-naked has been around since 2016 and has just been given its first major update. Why did it win? Aprilia’s Tuono V4 Factory is still dynamically the best super-naked around, but it comes at a price. Thanks to its bombastic crossplane crank engine and new upgrades, the Yamaha offers a similarly exciting experience for a whole lot less cash. What’s it like to ride? It always felt like the original MT-10 had somehow slipped through the fun net. Japanese nakeds like the Kawasaki Z1000, Honda CB1000R and Suzuki GSX-S1000 seemed to have spent time in the humour hoover somewhere during production, which is why the Europeans have ruled the class. But the…

In recognition of the millions raised over the last decade, not to mention countless lives saved and enriched, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is the winner of MCN’s inaugural Best of Biking Award. Launched in 2012 by Aussie biker Mark Hawwa, the DGR was conceived as a way of breaking down the stereotypes surrounding motorcyclists, something which Mark and his friends at the Sydney Café Racers group tackled by dressing up in suits and riding through the heart of cities in their native Australia. That year, 3000 riders took part, each one dressed-up dapper and full of manners, helping to change the public perception of bikers. ‘This is our first ever award in 11 years!’ However, it was in year two that DGR started its game-changing work for men’s health charities.…

What is it? Sitting pretty in Harley-Davidson’s cruiser range, this is the American firm’s take on sports-touring with mid-set pegs, a wrap-around nose fairing and panniers as standard. Why did it win? We’ve seen impressive new cruisers arrive in 2022 in the gargantuan shape of Indian’s new Pursuit and the revised BMW K1600 Bagger and Grand America. All superb, but the Harley mixes comfort and practicality with sprightly performance and surprisingly nimble handling. What’s it like to ride? Inspired by the burgeoning Californian ‘tall bike’ movement and King of the Baggers race series, the Low Rider ST is a jacked-up mid-sized cruiser that sits the rider higher on the bike than the more traditional cruiser stance, while also increasing its sporting side through improved ground clearance. Added to this is…

What is it? It’s the smallest model in Yamaha’s Sport Heritage range, sitting beneath the XSR700 and 900. It’s A1 licence-friendly and costs less than £50/month on a PCP deal. Why did it win? No 125 has emerged in 2022 to threaten the XSR125, which is why it takes the award for the second year running. Zontes’ svelte new ZT125-G1, Honda’s CB125 and Husqvarna’s Svartpilen 125 run it close, but the Yamaha has the best ‘big bike’ feel and performance. What’s it like to ride? The learner-legal retro combines 80s-styled bodywork – reminiscent of the smoking RD250s and 350s generations of hooligans grew up on – with a modern motor and decent dimensions for riders of all sizes. Getting reacquainted with the XSR for a sun-scorched razz across the Northamptonshire…

Destination Triumph have made it their mission to be far more than just a location to buy a bike or get yours serviced. Each of their three dealerships are focal hubs of the local motorcycling community and it is this dedication and passion to enrich the whole twowheeled experience that has won them a coveted MCN Dealer of the Year Award. Having opened their first dealership in Washington, West Sussex, in 2006 the firm expanded in 2013 with a new showroom in Hampshire before last year growing again with a brand new state-of-the-art dealership in Bournemouth, Dorset. All three have become renown in their local areas as welcoming target destinations, irrespective of the model of bike you ride, and bikers head there for a chat, coffee or even pizza. Yep,…

Deciding the winner in group bike tests is usually a relatively simple matter of logic. Even amidst a sea of strong competitors, it’s rarely a bloodbath to pick which is best. But selecting the winners for the annual MCN Awards is a bit more challenging – and one of the most enjoyable fights on the calendar. The shortlists write themselves, with successive winners within each niche of every category automatically rising to vie for pole position. And in some categories, that’s enough in itself. In others, it could result in a much longer list of individual test-winning protagonists. Sometimes there’s still one uncontested winner that stands bars and fuel tank above its nearest rivals – sometimes it’s like trying to split hairs with an axe whilst herding cats. But, by…

Dainese have launched three new gloves as part of their 2022 collection. The Mig 3 and Mig 3 Air are summer gloves with the £99.95 Mig 3 having a leather upper and suede palm, the £89.95 Mig 3 Air being a textile version to the same style. Meanwhile, the Plaza 3 D-Dry is a winter glove in men’s and women’s sizes with a thermal lining, wind-block system and D-Dry membrane to provide protection against the cold, wet and wind. They are yours for just £59.95. Visit dainese.com for more.…

A Triumph Scrambler 1200 from the latest James Bond flick No Time To Die is to star in a special 007 vehicle display at Silverstone this weekend before being auctioned off for charity next month. The bike, which was first ridden by film baddie ‘Primo’ before being commandeered by 007 for an epic wall jump in the opening sequence, joins seven other Bond vehicles from the film in a two-part event to celebrate 60 years of the secret agent on the silver screen. The first is a special preview display at this bank holiday weekend’s Silverstone Classic historic motorsport event from August 26-28. While the second is a special live auction in partnership with Bond filmmakers EON Productions to be held on September 28 when all eight vehicles, along with…

BMW Off Road Skills in Wales are once again opening their doors for a weekend of on-and off-road challenges for fans of the ever-popular GS adventure bike range. Known as the ‘GS Challenge 2022’, the event is run in conjunction with BMW UK and invites everyone from complete novices to vastly experienced adventurers to explore the stunning mountain roads of South Wales, as well as the 4000-acre off-road playground of Walters Arena. The event will start on Friday, 9 September and finish on Sunday, 11 September. Each entry costs £199 and will cover the riding, as well as three nights of camping and entertainment on the Saturday night. Those wanting a little more comfort can pay extra for their motorhome or vehicle tent and entry for female riders is completely…

WORTH OVER £570 Security experts Abus are giving you the chance to win a full set of ‘Keyed-a-like’ security products, including a Granit Detecto XPlus 8008 alarm disc lock, Granit XPlus 540 U-lock and Granit Xtreme XPlus 59 Chain Lock, worth over £570 – and all operated by a single, identical key. Multiple locks can be ordered as ‘Keyed-a-like’ at point of purchase or even years after – all that matters is that your ABUS locks all have the same style key cylinder. Enter now to be in with a chance of winning. Visit motorcyclenews.com/winabusonekey ENTER FOR FREE – NOW! Visit www.motorcyclenews.com/winabusonekey TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The prize draw closes at midnight on September 13, 2022. This competition is open to UK residents aged 16 and over. There is one prize…

Readers Brett Collins and friends The trip We went from the port at Santander straight down the middle of Spain below Madrid and then across to the east coast. We followed the road up around Barcelona then into Andorra. Next we spent a couple of days in the Pyrenees before dropping into France and heading back up to Cherbourg. Brilliant. How many miles? 2350 How long do you need? A week to ten days or more if you have the time What were the bikes? We took a Kawasaki H2SX, Yamaha R1 and a Suzuki Hayabusa Best time to go We went in summer so all the passes were open but it got warm at times Tell us about the trip… We rode about 2350 miles on some absolutely amazing…

It’s hard to believe a time when riders on track didn’t wear head protection. But back in early 1914 at Brooklands, track medical officer Dr Eric Gardner was seeing motorcyclists with head injuries at least twice a month. Thinking that a protective layer may help, he asked Mr Moss of Bethnal Green to make the first helmet. Made from canvas and shellac it was stiff enough to see off blows and projections. After going to the ACU, who dismissed the idea initially, they were introduced into the 1914 TT. Many riders weren’t happy about it, but in the race it saved one rider and stopped a normal string of concussions.…

MICHAEL NEEVES CHIEF ROAD TESTER Has ridden just about everything in his 20-year MCN road testing career. With the promise of superbike performance and a not-so-extreme riding position, the Speed Triple 1200 RR should have my name written all over it, but it doesn’t. Trying to get to know you I’ve ridden it at its launch, on MCN tests and lived with this one for the past five months and over 7000 miles, including a week-long, 3000-mile trip to the Pyrenees and a trackday at Oulton. It isn’t a bad bike, but we’ve never gelled. It’s a shame because I like just about every other Triumph I’ve ridden and the RR is lovely in the flesh and really neatly done. I love the paint finishes, carbon fibre, colour dash and…

It’s a tough call when it comes to spending more money than you think you should… Doubly so when it’s something boring (although, weirdly, not so painful when it’s something shiny and performance-enhancing…). Buying anything electrical for a bike always gets me sucking in air through my teeth, and an OE reg/rec can easily set you back a couple of hundred quid. It’s no wonder there is a healthy market for pattern parts. But buying one is a huge lottery because in my experience, virtually all pattern electrical stuff will fall short. That’s not to say that it will fail immediately, and I’m not damming all here but… unless you have a trusted dealer that can suggest one, be cautious. A pal of mine recently had a reg/rec fail on…

Fabio Quartararo’s one-man rearguard action denied Ducati a demolition job at the Red Bull Ring. The only resistance to a Bologna bombardment came from the reigning World Champion. Had Quartararo not defied the odds with a spellbinding display of on-the-edge riding on a gutless Yamaha, Ducati would have been celebrating just a second podium lockout in their history. Without a last-lap blunder by Jorge Martin and a damaged front tyre rim for pole man Enea Bastianini, Sunday’s race would have highly likely ended with six Ducatis in the top seven. As it was, Ducati still had four bikes in the top five and six in the top 10, having started the 28-lap race with five machines in the top six places on the grid. Ducati’s dominance of the Red Bull…

Back in February we decided to head off on a five day, 1000-mile mini tour of England and Wales to show off the Tiger’s talents. It would take in the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience in Hinckley, a ride through the magnificence of Wales, a burger at the Bike Shed in London and an ice cream along the seafront at Margate. Unfortunately, our trip coincided with three storms, including the particularly savage Eunice on the day I travelled the 315 miles from Bewts-y-Coed to the southeast coast. It was a day that began with empty, windless Welsh roads in the calm before the storm, followed by Marquez-angles of lean in a straight line on the M1 in 60mph sidewinds. The biggest, most orange moon I’ve ever seen topped off the surreal…

What is it? Launched in 2017, this is Kawasaki’s homage to the 1972 ‘900 Super 4’ Z1 and is based on the excellent Z900. New for this year, the SE has an Öhlins rear shock, Brembos and uprated forks. Why did it win? Kawasaki haven’t changed the Zed since it won our best retro award in 2018, but they haven’t needed to. Others have taken the limelight along the way, but the quality and attention to detail have always shone through and in SE spec it’s better than ever. What’s it like to ride? It goes as well as it looks, which is about the biggest complement you can give the Z900RS SE. It’s a retro in more ways than one. Not only does it look like the real thing,…

What is it? Ducati’s Dakar-inspired dual trailie, based on the Multistrada V2. Aimed squarely at off-road riders of all levels, it’s also a go-anywhere adventure bike. Why did it win? BMW’s R1250GS is still the most well-rounded option and the new Triumph Tiger 1200 runs it close, but Ducati have produced something truly unique that isn’t just hugely capable wherever it puts its wheels, it looks refreshingly different, too. What’s it like to ride? From the moment Ducati revealed that they were going to build what they described as a ‘bike with intense off-road attitude’ we could hardly contain our excitement. Looking every inch an escapee from the Dakar paddock, the DesertX instantly conjured memories of the Ducati-powered Lucky Strike Cagivas that took on, and conquered, the toughest rally in…

…MBE, Gold lady for my 100th TT and now an MCN Lifetime Achievement award. What’s next? Probably a bus pass!’ From wanting to do an Evel Knievel jump aged three on his Italjet 50, to jumping Ballaugh Bridge at the TT, 47 years later at the ripe old age of 50, it’s fair to say John McGuinness has done a bit in racing. He remains the most successful TT racer on the planet with 23 victories to his name and the last two years have seen him recognised outside of the racing world when he was awarded an MBE for services to motorcycling. Not only that but the past couple of months have seen him make his 100th TT start and finish fifth in the 2022 Superbike race. And he’s…

What is it? Honda’s new mid-capacity, adventure-style twist and go scooter. The little sibling to the X-ADV, it’s powered by the same engine as Honda’s popular Forza 350 and SH350i. Why did it win? Sales of maxi scooters are growing across the UK and ADV350 rides that wave perfectly. It’s easy to control, well built, dependable, swift and generously equipped. Yamaha’s TMAX Tech Max is much improved for 2022, but costs almost seven grand more than the cool little Honda. What’s it like to ride? Everything from the way the ADV350 is built to how it rides belies its affordable price, especially if you go down the PCP finance route. Bold styling gives it massive road presence and, like the best maxi scooters, the Honda is more than just a…

What is it? Zero’s top-of-the range, fully-faired electric sportsbike. It was launched in 2020 and updated for 2022 with a new operating system and options such as a reverse gear. Why did it win? It was always going to be a battle between the big three when it came to choosing the best electric: Energica, LiveWire and Zero. They’re plug-in equivalents to the big petrol powered bikes we know and love, but Zero have made the biggest strides with tech. What’s it like to ride? While ‘small capacity’ electric motorcycle sales are thriving in urban areas, ‘big capacity’ models face an uphill battle due to a number of factors largely out of their control. Despite the challenging market, Zero are refusing to stand still and instead are continuing to invest…

A family-run dealership based in Aberdeen, Shirlaws Motorcycles first opened their doors in 1928 but are now franchised main dealers for Kawasaki, KTM and Triumph. With over 94 years of experience in the motorcycle business, (they are Scotland’s longest-established family-run dealership) it comes as no surprise that Shirlaws know exactly what it takes to keep their customers happy and that’s why they have won the MCN Dealer of the Year Award. And they don’t just focus on existing riders, they are also very active in helping riders take to two wheels for the first time through their links to local training schools. This year Shirlaws not only moved to a bigger, purpose-built showroom, they also took on the KTM franchise, plus their new location includes dedicated Triumph and Kawasaki showrooms…

This year’s MCN Young Racer of the Year Award goes to British Moto3 star, Scott Ogden. The 2019 British Talent Cup (BTS) champion joined the Grand Prix paddock as part of Michael Laverty’s all-new VisionTrack Racing Team, alongside Josh Whatley. Moto3 is a competitive class, therefore expectations were kept at a realistic level heading into the season. Afterall, this was a brand-new project for absolutely everybody involved, with the squad taking the Honda machinery previously used by the now defunct Petronas Sprint Racing outfit. Ogden had other ideas, scoring points in only his second race with 13th in Indonesia. He’s gone on to record multiple points-scoring results, with a best finish (as this supplement went to press) of 12th at the Circuit of the Americas, Jerez and Silverstone. Ogden has…

These are the first images of Hesketh’s all-new, 450cc single-cylinder roadster, which is set for its official unveiling next month. Called the Heresy, it’s the British marque’s first all-new bike since the brand was revived in 2014 with the £35,000, 2000cc V-twin ‘24’. With that bike now consigned to history as it no longer meets emissions regs, Hesketh owner Paul Sleeman has changed direction to create a more accessible machine – although there are still plans for a 200bhp supercharged triple. Sleeman, who has owned the brand since 2010, told MCN the Heresy was conceived during Covid-19 lockdown as a more affordable but still fun, lightweight. Going up against other British built, small-volume concerns such as the Langen Two Stroke and single-cylinder CCM Spitfire range, it could see Hesketh return…

Organisers of the currently-running Manx GP road racing festival on the Isle of Man have said it’s not too late to be a volunteer marshal at this year’s event. “Whether it’s your first time visiting the Manx Grand Prix, or you’ve been following the racing for decades, you’ll be made very welcome,” TT Marshals Association Chairman, Jane Corlett said. “You can rest assured you’ll be looked after by the Chief Sector Marshal and teamed up with an experienced marshal to learn the ropes. There are opportunities around the course to suit all interests, backgrounds and levels of experience.” Although qualifying started on Sunday, August 21 – and racing is due to to take place on Friday, Saturday and Bank Holiday Monday – there’s still time to register as a volunteer…

SEAT are offering £800 off their Mó electric scooter between now and the end of August, with the discount offered to both personal and fleet buyers for business. Available until August 31, the discount sees the bike now priced at £4999 OTR and represents a 14% saving on the previous price of £5800. The SEAT scoot arrived back in 2020 and is capable of a claimed 59mph and a range of 85 miles. Once you’re home, the battery is removable and can be topped up indoors. A 9kW motor is integrated into the rear wheel and gives performance equivalent to a conventional 125 petrol machine. You get three riding modes; City, Sport, Eco – plus a reverse gear to make moving the bike that little bit easier. For more, visit…

Tickets for this year’s Motorcycle Live show have gone on sale, with adult entry available for £22 each and kids aged 6-18 going for just £1. As always, the show will take place at Birmingham’s NEC, with doors opening at 10am on Saturday, November 19 and running daily until November 27. “We can’t wait to open the doors,” Managing Director of Motorcycle Live, Finlay McAllan, said. “It’s shaping up to be brimming with manufacturers, retailers, interaction, and wall-to-wall bikes.” Book at motorcyclelive.co.uk.…

A Welsh former ambulance service paramedic and retired Police advanced motorcyclist has begun offering courses teaching skills on what to do if you’re first on the scene at a traffic collision. Known as First Bike on Scene, the courses cost just £10 per day from the Outreach Rescue Medic Skills training facility located near Bethesda, Wales. Founder Rich Birkby has received backing from the Welsh Government to keep the one-day courses going and teaches skills including scene safety and management, plus evidence preservation. It also covers first aid such as CPR and using a defibrillator, plus safe helmet removal techniques. The day ends with a practical accident scenario, to help put what you’ve learned into practice. The knowledge could help you save a life. Book on now by emailing enquiries@orms247.co.uk…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com HOME-BUILT SPECIAL Me in 1981 on the best bike ever. My Raleigh Grifter with parts from my uncle’s Scrambler, fitted by my dad. Tim Morson YAMAHA XJ650 This was my first four-stroke bike, my Yamaha XJ650 with custom paint. The picture was taken in 1985. Robert Cowley SUZUKI TS125ER Me with my first bike, a TS125ER – really wished I’d kept it, although I’m sure it’d be awful by modern standards. Chris Benham HONDA CB125 My first road legal bike was a Honda CB125 when I was 17 – loved the fairing and panniers as it made it feel like a ‘proper’ bike. Helped look after it when I dropped it too. Huw Trebble NORTON DOMINATOR 99 My dad Brian Relph got this…

Cadwell Park’s flagship event returns to its traditional August Bank Holiday slot, and sees a triple-header of BSB action, culminating in two races on Monday. So much more than just a race meeting, Cadwell BSB truly is a festival of motorcycling boasting a fairground, live, music, trade stands and the rest. But turning attention back to the track and there are two reasons to smile: first is the return of traditional Superpole qualifying, which sees riders try to set the fastest lap possible in just one single lap. Cadwell is the only place this will happen this season. And secondly, World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlıoglu will be in attendance, treating spectators to a demonstration lap or two. What will the stunt-loving Turk make of the Mountain? The essentials If you…

Aprilia under Beggio re-engerised lightweights and did many great things but one of the biggest – and least celebrated – was teaming up with BMW in the 1990s. “In collaboration with BMW we built the F650,” recalled Beggio. “At that time we still didn’t build our own engines and I didn’t like the looks and geometry of BMW motorcycles but their engines had great history, those fantastic twins. “So, one day I decided to go to BMW in Munich and asked their CEO if they could supply engines. He replied: ‘Let’s meet in a couple of months at the Milan Show and we’ll have a chat.’ “So, we met at the end of the show and the CEO said: ‘Look Mr Beggio, forget about us supplying engines because it’s not…

MIPS offers a system inside a helmet which is designed to act like a secondary layer of cerebral spinal fluid. This system is designed to help redirect rotational forces from certain impacts by helping to convert the energy from the impact to translational velocity rather than rotational velocity. MIPS tries to do this because the brain consists mostly of water, it is incompressible but sensitive to shear deformations. ‘Shear’ refers to unaligned forces pushing the brain in two different directions. All of this means the brain is very sensitive to rotational forces.…

SAFFRON WILSON REPORTER Year-round rider with a thirst for rock music and motorcycle adventure. It’s great to be back in the saddle of the Tuareg. As you may or may not remember, after riding back from Kent I found myself with a black boot after I’d hopped off the bike and popped it in the garage. This could mean only one thing – an oil leak. Luckily, I’d already booked the bike in to get some panniers and topbox fitted in preparation for an upcoming road trip. So, I let the team at Spyder Motorcycles know, then tentatively rode the Tuareg on brand new road tyres to Silverstone in the hope that it was a quick fix and everything would align for the tour. But things don’t always work out…

‘He attacked it, kerb-to-kerb. Impressive’ ‘This has given me a big boost for the future!” That was Fabio Quartararo’s attention-grabbing declaration after his inspirational performance to increase his series lead in Austria. This second place and an invaluable 20 points will likely be one of the more significant races of the Frenchman’s career. And his spellbinding Spielberg surge reinforced his reputation as MotoGP’s most complete racer and sublime risk taker. Yamaha’s No1 was “in qualifying mode every lap” for 28 laps with an overtaking masterclass against a squadron of high horsepower Ducatis. It was a timely response to those who had written-off Quartararo’s capacity to cope with the pressure of key title rivals Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia). A string of clearly sub-par results at Assen and Silverstone…

“If you don’t go forward, you take a step backwards.” Articulated by IRTA president Herve Poncharal, this was the mantra from the stage, as Dorna, the FIM and IRTA joined forces to announce a sea change in the Grand Prix World Championship. The step forward? An extra race on Saturday afternoons at each GP from 2023. Actually, an extra half-a-race, a ‘Sprint Race’, run over half distance, and carrying half points. Will it be half as popular? Reactions were mixed. But some initial hostility softened overnight, with Fabio Quartararo one who said he changed his mind when he learned more details. Those in favour, and there were more than just the three bosses at the conference table, were confident that it would increase MotoGP’s appeal. A step closer, said Dorna…

MATTHEW BIRT INSIGHT Getting the inside line on grand prix racing since 1996 You know you’re on a roll when you start matching long-standing records held by MotoGP legends Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner. Pecco Bagnaia was a wide-eyed and ambitious 11-year-old when Stoner won three races in a row for Ducati in 2008 at Donington Park, Assen and Sachsenring. That’s a feat now equalled by Bagnaia after he led at the Red Bull Ring for all but one corner in a 28-lap exhibition of how to manage a race from the front. Bagnaia’s blitz of winning form is why Ducati see him as their present-day Stoner and why he came into 2022 as pre-season title favourite. Only five riders in the modern four-stroke era have put together a sequence…

What is it? Ducati have taken the Panigale V2 sportsbike and given it the streetfighter treatment. It’s their first ‘baby’ super naked since the fantastic old 848 Streetfighter. Why did it win? It had to fend off challenges from the KTM 890 Duke R, Yamaha MT-09, Triumph Street Triple and Ducati’s own Monster, but the Streetfighter V2 shone brighter. It mixes style, speed, drama and tech with a lust for corners equal to the race rep it’s based on. What’s it like to ride? Anyone who’s spent quality time on a middleweight sportsbike will happily tell you that you don’t need big power to have fun on the road, or the track for that matter. It’s why Suzuki’s GSX-R750 is universally loved by cornering connoisseurs and for those in the…

Sometimes this award is made easy by a manufacturer’s volume or significance of wins. Sometimes it’s given for a single moment of genius, a market-defining bike, sales results or innovation, racing domination or for significantly contributing to the future of motorcycling. It was tight battle between two firms, but one had to emerge victorious. This year it’s given in recognition of a mix of award wins, a record-breaking year of global sales despite the trading conditions and innovation in moving key segments of the market forward with bold and emotionally engaging motorcycles, while also relentlessly refining and honing core offerings. This brand continues to build some of the most visceral but also intelligent bikes on the market, while managing to be both tantalisingly aspirational and affordably accessible though their diverse…

What is it? Honda’s new big-cube allrounder, based heavily on the Africa Twin and in the spirit of the firm’s dependable, no-nonsense tourers of the past such as the original Pan Europeans and the much-loved Deauville. Why did it win? It hasn’t been short of challengers this year. Suzuki’s GSX-S1000GT stole the early headlines but couldn’t quite match the Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX in a shootout. BMW’s R1250RT is still the money-no-object best but the NT trumps it on value. What’s it like to ride? At the moment, the backbone of Honda’s range consists of bikes that appeal to those who want simple, hassle-free, biking delivered with a keen eye on price. Machines such as the NC750 and CB500 range – ones that will perform day-in, day-out, irrespective of the weather…

What is it? Honda’s A2 licence friendly tall-rounder. It’s a member of the CB500 family that includes the naked CB500F and CBR500R sportsbike – all updated for 2022. Why did it win? Honda’s CB500X has now won this award for a fourth year. Not only is it the best in class, it stands up as a superb all-rounder for any rider, especially with its chassis upgrades. Think of it as the BMW GS of the A2 licence world – it’ll do everything. What’s it like to ride? No word of a lie, the CB500X is bloody brilliant. Some will criticise the fact that it only makes 47bhp, has no fancy rider aids, and hasn’t had a proper big-time overhaul since 2019, but I reckon the X is one of the…

What is it? BMW’s new futuristic-looking electric maxi scooter, replacing the old C-Evolution. It’s A2 licence-friendly, but there’s also a more fruity derestricted version for A1 licence holders. Why did it win? Small 125cc-equivalent electrics like the Sunra Robo-S and Super Soco CPX shine around town, but the BMW has the speed, flexibility and practicality of a maxi scooter. What’s it like to ride? You’ve got to hand it to BMW, the CE 04 looks like no other electric bike on the market. A futuristic interpretation of motorcycling of the future, it bridges the gap between the maxi scooter and electric motorcycle class and is a worthy winner of this award. If Marty McFly was destined to come to 2022, I’m fairly certain he’d have ridden a CE 04. It…