Table of contents for 31 August 2022 in MCN

Super Soco have two new 125cc-equivalent electric motorcycles hitting the market – the TS Street Hunter roadster and the more retro-looking, scrambler-style TC Wanderer. The brand came to prominence with the Chinese-built TC Max in 2019, which, with its 17in wheels, inverted forks and circa 7bhp performance, delivers 60mph and a 60-mile range for around £4400. The new Street Hunter and Wanderer are built on a similar platform but with different styling features, lower performance (2.5kW, giving 45mph and 35 miles), but just as much – if not more – style at a more affordable price. They cost £3799 and can be ridden on an A1 licence or CBT. The Street Hunter is an urban-targeted roadster featuring smart, angular styling and available in Storm Grey, Black, Platinum White or Charcoal…

Henry Cole of TV’s Shed & Buried will star alongside engineering master Allen Millyard, plus racers Steve Parrish and Peter Hickman at this year’s National Motorcycle Museum Live in late October. Held as a free weekend event for the first time last year at the museum in Solihull in the West Midlands, its huge success has prompted the return of a two-day live show for 2022. Along with Henry Cole and Friends on stage in four shows hosted by Steve Plater, there will be appearances by Parrish and Hickman with signing sessions on both days. The ‘Start Up’ feature also returns where some of the world’s most famous bikes are fired into life on stage. These will include former-MotoGP bikes, Millyard’s own Viper V10 and others from the museum’s extensive…

It was only in early 2020 that the first spy pictures of some surprisingly well-designed, mid-capacity bikes with western-style design started to emerge from China. At the time, it was suggested that they’d become new Benelli models, but they turned out to be destined for a completely new brand called QJMotor, launched by Chinese firm Qianjiang Group in May of that year. Initially sharing Benelli engines and chassis parts, just two years on there are now an astounding 37 models in the range – including singles, twins, fours, electric bikes, and more. Engines range from 50cc mopeds to 800cc adventure bikes, and QJMotor have now confirmed the first bikes will be reaching the European market before the end of 2022. Several models have just been awarded European type-approval, meaning they…

A 1970s Husqvarna motocross bike owned by Steve McQueen has sold at auction in California for $186,500 (£157,919). The 1971 Husqvarna 400 Cross is said to still be in the condition it was when ridden by McQueen. It has not been started since being sold in the 1984 Steve McQueen Estate Auction after his death, and still has all the dents and scratches from his use. Powered by a 396cc two-stroke single, the Husky was sold with a certificate of authenticity, plus the bill of sale given to the buyer back in 1984. Since that time it’s had three owners, with the most recent enjoying it for the past 11 years. The 400 Cross formed part of the Quail Auction on August 19, which took place at the Quail Lodge…

Readers Ralph and Ben Davey The trip Ride around the coast of the Great Britain How many miles? 3999 How long do you need? 19 days Best time to goJune/July Tell us about the trip… We decided to ride around the UK as a father and son trip, creating some great memories along the way. We had no real plan – just keep the sea on our left and ride until we get tired, find a campsite and start again in the morning… Then repeat. The plan was to camp for the whole trip but rain meant a few nights in hotels to try and dry off. We did the furthest South, West, North and East points. Also the two points where the Prime Meridian line crosses the UK. Highlights……

What’s happening? A three-night celebration of all things bike travel, The Overland Event sees global adventure riders unite at Oxfordshire’s beautiful Hill End Centre for a weekend of inspiration, enjoyment, relaxation and fun. Park your bike, pitch your tent and then wander around the event, listening to awe-inspiring tales from guest speakers, which this year include Ted Simon, Mary Sievier, Jack Groves, and many, many more. There’s also loads of food and drink to enjoy – not to mention free tea and coffee – as well as demo rides, useful workshops on all manner of overlanding skills, a bike show, hot showers and a campfire. The essentials You’ll need to buy yourself an Event Passport (that’s a ticket to you and me) in advance, these cost £90 and include full…

★★★★☆ £11,051 Ducati Monster* *PLUS £300 FOR THE PLUS MODEL FUNCTIONALITY AND FEATURES ★★★★☆ £11,049 KTM 890 Duke R ★★★★☆ £10,000 Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory…

It’s 20 years since Forcada last worked on a two-stroke GP bike, but he still looks back on that time fondly. While many pit-lane gurus won’t tell you if they prefer two-strokes or four-strokes – ‘I’m a race engineer, it doesn’t matter if the bikes are two-stroke or four,’ they say – Forcada has no such reservations. “For me it’s definitely two-strokes, because for a mechanic it’s a different world,” he says. “You had many more variables – nobody used an engine that wasn’t modified. “Everyone made changes. Sometimes you gained power and sometimes you lost it, but you always worked on it. “When we worked with two-stroke 500s we took off the top end after every practice session and we removed the cylinders at the end of every day.…

In perfect harmony Hardly needing an introduction, serial TT champion Michael Rutter lands the perfect jump over Ballaugh Bridge onboard his own Bathams team Suzuki XR69. During a stellar career he has collected seven TT wins, the same number as his late father Tony before him. Who is Fabio Affuso? A portrait, fashion and lifestyle photographer since 2005, Fabio got into motorcycle and racing photography after taking portraits of the London motorcycle community back in 2015. Since then he’s shot some of the most important motorcycle events, personalities and brands around Europe for Built, Classic Bike, MCN, Café Racer, Gazzetta Dello Sport, Moto Heroes, Giacomo Agostini, Airoh helmets and more. He is a devotee of classic bikes and loves to ride his 1973 Guzzi Eldorado and 1987 Honda XR600. A…

● Fit and comfort rated ● Design, construction and CE scores rated ● Waterproofing tested with all-weather riding RATINGS Exceptional ★★★★★ Very good ★★★★ Good ★★★ Average ★★ Poor ★ Richa Blade boots £129.99 ‘Faultless footwear for road and track’ Tested by Gareth Evans over 3000 miles and four trackdays These boots have served me will so far this year. Together we’ve weathered some impressive weather; most notably massive thunderstorms, both on road and on track. I can confirm Richa’s claim that they’re 100% waterproof. At one point I found myself standing in the pitlane at Brands Hatch with water sloshing over my feet as it ran down the pitlane. Not a drop made it inside. But more than that, I love how comfy they are considering their rigidity, which…

In late 2005, BMW revealed a new range of HP models. The HP bikes (High Performance) were to be a limited-run that were a cut above the rest. The first was the HP2 Enduro (with the two signifying twin cylinder) followed quickly by the HP2 Megamoto and HP2 Sport, and a little while later the HP4 and track-only HP4 Race. If you fancy a slice of German exotica, the HP range is rare, beautifully built and very special. YOUR EXPERT Jon Urry is MCN used bike guru. One of the few people to have ridden all of BMW’s HP road bikes, he is obsessed by the HP2 Sport but can’t afford one, sadly… £14,000-£25,000 2008–2012 HP2 Sport Simply glorious, it’s the ultimate boxer sportsbike A bike that sends any boxer-nut…

The actual task of removing and fitting the plugs themselves takes relatively little time. Things can get difficult when access is limited and it becomes necessary to remove loads of other parts too: petrol tank, panels, airboxes… even injectors! In fact, if you have ever done this service on a more complex bike then you’ll know only too well that some of the key steps will be remembering which fasteners go where, and being extra diligent when reconnecting the airbox and injector connectors/sensors. You will also need to pay close attention to how the fuel lines and breather pipes are routed. If all this sounds a bit daunting, you’re right to feel a little apprehensive because you need to be honest regarding your spannering skills. It’s also a (somewhat sad)…

Rob Hodson claimed victory in the Classic Superbike race at this year’s Manx Grand Prix, leading home Greenall Kawasaki ZXR750 teammate, Nathan Harrison. David Johnson was third on a similar Alasdair Cowan backed machine to give Kawasaki a clean sweep of the podium. During the opening laps Hodson was locked in battle with Craig Neve on a second Cowan Kawasaki for the lead as pole setter Michael Dunlop retired his Team Classic Suzuki in the pits. A quicker pit stop enabled Neve to reduce Hodson’s lead to 0.664s by the time they reached Glen Helen third time around but the pair’s battle ended on the final lap when Neve ground to a halt at Greeba Bridge. Hodson won by over 15s as Nathan Harrison edged out Johnson by just 0.6s…

Rory Skinner’s year continues to get better and better following the confirmation that he will be in this year’s Showdown. It’s only Skinner’s second season in BSB but he has now cemented himself as a consistent frontrunner. Returning to the series after his Moto2 wildcard in Austria, the Scot was best of the rest in the opening race behind Bradley Ray, securing his fifth podium of 2022 in the process. Two fifths on Monday promoted Skinner up into third in the championship, with a total of nine podium credits to his name. All of this despite suffering with a niggling muscle problem in his arm all weekend long, which caused him some discomfort. “It’s nice to come back from Moto2 and be back at the sharp end, especially at a…

The world has bigger battles to fight right now than speed limits, but we can’t ignore the subject (p4). Should we all do 20mph past schools and in tightly populated residential areas? I’ve got no problem with that, personally. But speed limit reductions will not solve the gaping chasm we’re facing in the standards of driving on faster roads. Bikers aren’t exempt from this criticism, but the standard of car driving is now appalling. In the 850 miles I’ve ridden this week I’ve seen three major car crashes; witnessed the closest near-miss I’ve ever seen (30mph limit, Fiesta overtakes an artic’ on a blind left in a village and is just millimetres from causing a head-on); seen a BMW go the wrong way around a major A-road roundabout; dodged a…

Two biking friends, who spent 22 months riding round the world together in the 1980s, are joining forces for a trip from Vegas to LA in aid of charity War Child. Max Wiseberg and Mark Galer previously raised £20,000 for Save the Children and The Downs Syndrome Association between 1986 and 1988 – riding across Europe, Asia, and Australia, before hitching a ride on a container ship to America to continue their adventure. “This ride is much shorter,” Bedfordshire-based Wiseberg told MCN. “It’s one of those things on the bucket list and we’re going from Vegas to Los Angeles via Death Valley, San Francisco, and Route One on the Pacific Coast Highway to LA. “It was kind of motivated by Ukraine,” the 64-year-old business owner said. “But then we thought…

American performance firm S&S have released their biggest-ever Harley-Davidson big-bore kits which aim to turn an 1868cc, 93bhp cruiser into a monstrous 2163cc, 135.5bhp bruiser. “This one is huge, like literally huge,” said S&S Vice-President of Marketing, David Zemla. “The S&S R&D team has been working on this project for the better part of 18 months and has done an intensive level of durability testing to develop the perfect combination of materials and piston shape.” Wisconsin-based S&S were founded in 1958 and have a long and successful history in producing performance parts and accessories, primarily for Harley V-twins, as well as supplying complete engines for custom and specials builders. But this latest kit is one of their boldest yet. Designed to be compatible with Harley’s four-valve Milwaukee Eight engine, which…

Dainese Air Fast Tex jacket £399.95 The Air Fast Tex is part of a new range of vented summer jackets from Dainese. Cut from QuickDry fabric and featuring large mesh inserts, it allows for maximum airflow and has CE approved shoulder and elbow armour. It can be zipped to trousers. www.nevis.co.uk LS2 Vector II helmet from £179.99 A complete redesign of this popular sport/touring helmet has earned it the latest ECE 22.06 approval. With the lid weighing just 1350g, its fibreglass composite shell comes in six sizes and is aerodynamically designed for high-speed stability. A flip-down sun shade adds convenience and a Pinlock anti-fog insert is included for the main visor. www.ls2helmets.com Lone Rider MotoPegs £179 Overland equipment specialists Lone Rider have developed these revolutionary adjustable footpegs for a whole…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com ROYAL ENFIELD METEOR Just bought my first bike! Would love to see more girls enjoying the amazing sense of freedom of two wheels. Karina Mottley BSA C12 This was 1964. My enthusiasm has not diminished and I am now off to the continent on my Suzuki. William Hockley ELECTRIC ‘HONDA’ Me aboard a ‘Honda’ trike in Dorset around 1984. Gold flake aside it doesn’t look like much, and I’m not sure how much power it had, but it was 100% electric so clearly way ahead of its time. Mike Halliwell TRIUMPH TRAIL BLAZER 250 Here’s me on the first bike I bought brand-new, back in 1972, a Triumph Trail Blazer 250. Brian Summers YAMAHA RD350LC My beloved RD350LC in the best Mars bar…

FRIDAY September 2 8am, BTS2 Live MotoGP San Marino, Italy: Opening Day 1.35pm, ITV4 Motorbike Show SATURDAY September 3 7am, QUEST BSB highlights 8am, BTS2 Live MotoGP San Marino, Italy: FP3. Qualifying at 11am SUNDAY September 4 8am, BTS2 MotoGP: Warm Ups. Moto3 9.15am, Moto2 11am, MotoGP 12.30pm. Chequered Flag 2pm MONDAY September 5 7.30am, EUR2 Live Motocross World Championship, Turkey: MX2 Race 1. MXGP Race 1 at 8am. MX2 Race 2 at 8.30am. MXGP Race 2 at 9am 7.30pm, EUR2 Live Speedway 8pm, ITV4 MotoGP Highlights from San Marino, Italy 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 4 CH5 - CHANNEL…

Italjet’s Dragster broke the scooter mould in the mid-90s. In fact it did far more than that, it smashed it into a million little pieces. Crazy to look at, the Dragster used unconventional scooter technology, such as an exposed steel trellis chassis and hub-centre steering, to create an avant-garde scoot that gained an instant cult following and sold 70,000 units worldwide from its launch in 1998 until its demise in 2003. Apart from being just mad-looking, the Dragster was also fairly radical to ride thanks to a 180cc two-stroke motor that had sporting performance at its core (50cc and 125cc options were available as well as a later four-stroke). This turn of pace set the Dragster apart from its competition (except for the Gilera Runner, which used the same 180cc…

Energica aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo. Having been in the electric game for 10 years, the Italians not only produce a range of high-end motorcycles but were the driving force behind the MotoE World Cup. And with their new bike they are once again pushing boundaries. Billed as a ‘green tourer’, the Experia is an adventure-styled bike packing all of the latest tech. Is it time for adventurers to switch? Torque about power The Experia uses a new Permanent Magnet Assisted Synchronous Reluctance Motor which makes a claimed peak power of 100.6bhp with a continuous rating of 78.9bhp. However, with electric, horsepower isn’t the selling point, it’s torque and the Experia makes a monumental 664lb.ft of grunt at its maximum. With the bike packing an incredibly impressive motor,…

Marc Marquez’s first press appearance at a GP since he left for complex surgery 12 weeks before was cut short by hurricane force winds that threatened to blow the roof off the Repsol Honda unit. The symbolism was appropriate. Probably. MotoGP, and more especially Honda are missing Marc badly. And they’re relying on him to blow the roof off when he returns to battle. When will that be? Maybe as soon as the two-day test at Misano after next weekend’s race. Nobody could expect him to be at full speed from the start. Then again… never underestimate Marc. After all he has run only six out of 13 races this year, and is still Honda’s top points scorer. This possible return follows a Spanish medical assessment last week, after which…

On paper it looks like Tommy Bridewell had a fantastic weekend. He secured a pair of podiums and a fifth to edge closer to Showdown confirmation, but things aren’t always as simple as they appear. Bridewell is pushing hard in order to stay with the riders battling for podiums and race wins, and is not where he wants to be with the V4 R. He’s struggling with edge grip, drive grip and getting the thing stopped. He and the team are working hard to find a resolution, although Bridewell admits he doesn’t see how they’re going to find it just yet, including the introduction of the ‘Bautista swingarm’ – designed to have a bit more flex to aid rear grip – and new K-tech fork internals to help under braking.…

‘We will show a minimum of three electrics’ New images of Kawasaki’s two imminent, all-new, electric and hybrid bikes undergoing final testing suggest the firm are set to be the first of the Japanese Big Four to put next-generation EV road machines into production. Taken in Japan, they’re the latest evidence of a rapid turnaround and escalation in ambitions which has seen Kawasaki go from saying in 2019 they had no plans for a production electric bike to recently announcing plans for over 10 battery-electric and hybrid-electric models by 2025. Although not expected to be officially unveiled before the EICMA show in Milan in November, they follow the US-only Elektrode launched in June and fulfil a pledge made by Kawasaki CEO Hiroshi Ito late last year, stating that: “In 2022,…

Next year electric bike giants Niu plan to launch a scooter powered by a sodium-ion battery rather than the lithiumion cells which have become ubiquitous across the burgeoning electric bike market. And despite suggestions that it’s a backward step in terms of performance, sodium-ion technology could become dominant in the future as a cheaper, safer and greener alternative to lithium. UK-based Faradion are leading lights in the effort to take sodiumion batteries to mass production, and this year were bought by Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd, themselves a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, India’s largest private sector company, for an astonishing £100 million. As well as being deployed directly in electric vehicle batteries, the technology is intended to be used as storage for fast-chargers – essentially acting as the equivalent of…

These spy shots give the first view of Husqvarna’s replacement for the Svartpilen 125, with some photos also showing a bike dressed in 17in cast rims and road tyres – suggesting a Vitpilen model may be joining the line-up, too. Based on parent company KTM’s upcoming 125 Duke, the new machines feature updated engines, new frames, styling tweaks, and TFT instruments. Power comes from a liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine. The current Svartpilen is a scrambler with chunky dual purpose tyres and upright bars. Like the 401 already in production, a Vitpilen would be more of a roadster/café racer, with a shared, stylised one-piece tank/seat unit. At their heart is a new 125cc, liquid-cooled, four-valve single, which is differentiated from that of the current bike by its new engine covers. As an…

So we are to have Sprint Races from next year, will it attract more viewers on a Saturday? Yes. Will it dilute the Grand Prix brand? Yes. Will more riders get injured? Most probably, yes. But most importantly at a time when series bosses Dorna are trying to curb costs, isn’t it inevitable that one of the two bikes each rider has will be turned into a Sprint Race Special, increasing costs considerably? Yes. Do I look forward to next year with interest? Also yes. John Barker, email Ed: See this week’s poll on the new Sprint race (below) Write something that spikes our interest, and you could get selected for the Star Letter slot. Each week one lucky reader will receive an MCN T-shirt in a variety of different…

1 Brighton Speed Trials Sep 3 Brighton comes alive to the sound of bikes from yesteryear, as Madeira Drive becomes the venue for sprint races for the day. Spectator tickets £15 on the day. bhmc.club 2 Stratford Autojumble Sep 4 There’s bargains galore at this huge autojumble, it’s the perfect place if you’re working on a restoration project, with a vast array of parts for sale. Entry £6 on the gate. www.stratfordautojumble.co.uk 3 Two-wheel Tuesday at the Ox and Plough Sep 6 Every Tuesday sees literally hundreds of descend on village green in front of the Ox and Plough pub in Old Buckenham, Norfolk. www.facebook.com/TWTLtdTheOxAndPlough/ 4 Cadwell trackday Sep 5 A full day of fun, at this iconic Lincolnshire circuit. With riders split into three groups, there’s chance for all…

Few people have been around the MotoGP paddock as long as Ramon Forcada. The Spanish engineer won a world championship in his first Grand Prix season in 1989 and since then has worked with a who’s who of racing talent, from Casey Stoner and John Kocinski to Jorge Lorenzo and Maverick Viñales. Last year Forcada recorded a unique achievement – he was crew chief at Petronas Yamaha to five different riders, as Yamaha sacked and swapped riders. He started the season with Franky Morbidelli, who was moved into the factory team after Viñales’ departure, then he looked after Cal Crutchlow, Garrett Gerloff, Jake Dixon and finally Andrea Dovizioso! The story began when chassis guru Antonio Cobas hired him to work in the dyno room to squeeze more horsepower out of…

Love to build bikes as much as I love to ride them, old or new. A while back I lent the Kawasaki to Michael Neeves for a run around the MCN250 and when he returned it, he made a comment about the tyres. “It would really benefit from some better rubber,” he reckoned. “It would be a much plusher ride.” Grippier maybe, but more plush? Time to experiment. The originals were due for a change because they had started to square off so I opted for a set of Metzeler Sportec M9 RRs. I mentioned them in my last report, but as I was chugging round the Lakes two-up with my dad, I didn’t really get a chance to put them through their paces (plus my dad does not need…

MATTHEW BIRT INSIGHT Getting the inside line on grand prix racing since 1996 This weekend’s Misano MotoGP round could not have come at a better time for Ducati and their star rider, Pecco Bagnaia. Both are enjoying impressive winning streaks, having won the last three races in Assen, Silverstone and at the Red Bull Ring. That’s the most dominant sequence of wins since Honda maestro Marc Marquez went on a five-race winning rampage at the back end of 2019. Only the colossal talents of Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi have won more successive races for Italy than Bagnaia. But at this stage, the key target is to finish ahead of title rivals Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro. Bagnaia has outscored series leader Quartararo by 47 points during his purple patch…

Leon Haslam still has a chance of making the Showdown after racking up his best overall weekend points haul of the year. Haslam was back in the mix at the sharp end, running with the likes of Rory Skinner, Peter Hickman and Jason O’Halloran. It was a veteran’s ride, especially when it came to the duel with young star Skinner on equal Kawasaki machinery. Haslam did not allow for the same move to be put on him twice through the run between Park and Chris Curve, changing his line to prevent the Scot from diving down the inside line again. Haslam is 35 points adrift of the top eight.…

The streak is over. Yamaha’s run of 13 consecutive Bennetts British Superbike Championship victories was brought to an end by Danny Buchan and BMW at Cadwell Park on Bank Holiday Monday. Buchan’s victory in race two was the first non-R1 success since Lee Jackson’s victory at Oulton Park on May 2. Perhaps this is what the championship needed; while the Yamaha duels are thoroughly entertaining, there are six manufacturers in BSB, and fans want each to be competitive and able to win races. Nobody needed it more than Buchan and BMW. It’s been a long and difficult road for him, SYNETIQ BMW, and the German manufacturer as a whole. BMW hadn’t won a race since Peter Hickman’s double at Cadwell last year. Buchan and SYNETIQ BMW hadn’t won since his…