Table of contents for 30 July 2025 in MCN

‘This BSB win feels like it was meant to be’ SCOTTREDDING, P68 SPORT Great Scott! Scott Redding gave the packed Brands Hatch stands something to cheer when he took victory in only his second BSB comeback meeting, after being officially drafted in as a replacement rider at PBM Ducati for the injured Glenn Irwin. After a tough few seasons in WSBK, Redding has been rejuvenated by his BSB return and sealed his Race 2 win at Brands GP after bagging second in Race 1 and then rounding the weekend off with a third place to be crowned the King of Brands. But with the fantastic news that Glenn Irwin could be fit for Thruxton, will the PBM squad have to find another Ducati V4 R for Scott? PAGE 66 THE…

KTM’s full 2026 off-road catalogue will begin funnelling into dealers from July 30, starting with the Austrian company’s motocross models, followed by their cross country and enduro line-up in the days following. The firm describes the new year’s range as the ‘most advanced’ yet, with chassis changes and electronics tweaks featuring across the line-up. See future issues for first rides. It’s the Wayne and Roger show Two motorcycling greats, 1987 500cc World Champion Wayne Gardner and 11-time British champion Roger Marshall, will appear live at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, from October 11-12 at Staffordshire County Showground. Attendees over the weekend can also enjoy club displays, trade stands, live music, a stocked bar, and classic bikes running in the GP paddock. Summer Enfield deals available Royal Enfield have launched new…

The world of road racing is gearing up for the return of the Classic TT, which heads back to the Isle of Man next month – with qualifying from August 17 and racing kicking off on Wednesday, August 27. This year marks the first time since 2019 that the event has returned as a standalone competition, after being folded into the Manx GP. It will also play host to a number of off-track activities, designed to celebrate the heritage of the 37.73-mile Mountain course. Among the stars lining up are all-time TT win record holder Michael Dunlop, 2025 TT victors Dean Harrison and Davey Todd, plus other big names including John McGuinness, Conor Cummins, and Nathan Harrison. ‘The event will celebrate Joey Dunlop’s life’ Racing spans multiple eras, with decades…

Two Wheels for Life are running a new August 16 charity ride finishing at Mallory Park’s Festival of Motorcycling. The ‘Big Ride’ begins from any UK location, with the goal of arriving at the circuit after completing a series of challenges set by greats including Randy Mamola and Niall Mackenzie. Entry is £50 and includes festival access, and Saturday camping. Members of MCN’s ride5000miles Facebook group get 15% off at the checkout. Follow the QR code to sign-up.…

Bull-It Ladies Fury V Covec Skinny Jeggings £89.99 Women’s kit with function and style Some kit is the same for us all, regardless of gender. Helmets, satnavs, earplugs, disc locks and rucksacks are all universal in fit and function. But when it comes to jackets, jeans, and, to a lesser extent, boots and gloves, a different cut is often required for female motorcyclists to achieve that all-important comfortable fit. Things have come a long way in recent years. Gone are the days of wearing an ill-fitting gent’s garment just to give yourself a basic level of protection, but there’s still less choice compared with men’s kit. Luckily, although the market is smaller the discounts are just as big. This week, we’re sharing some of the most attractive we’ve seen. Bull-It’s…

‘How about a Dunlop replica?’ Wasn’t it great to see Michael Dunlop take victory in the Supersport TT back in the spring? And to do so on a Ducati. It’s not often you see a Ducati on the top step of a TT podium, in fact the last time one won a race at the main event (last year the Classic Superbike Manx Grand Prix was won by Mike Browne on a 916) was in 1995 when Robert Holden took the Singles race. All of which makes me wonder if there might be a few Micky D replicas popping up – although ironically they won’t be on the latest Panigale V2 model. Michael’s race bike wasn’t one of the new 2025 Panigale V2 S models, it was in fact the…

THE DETAILS Sat-Thurs 8am-10.30pm, Friday 8am-6pm Find out more: london.acecafe.com Ace Corner, North Circular Road, London NW10 7NN It’s not often a biker café becomes known the world over, but the Ace Cafe has done exactly that. The venue which celebrates everything automotive has constant events in its calendar including bike days, rideouts, car meets and, of course, you can grab a bite to eat. “The backbone of Britain is a fry-up! But it’s not just all about coffee and a breakfast, because a pint of Stella is available until 9.30 at night… providing you’re not riding of course!” laughs boss Mark Wilsmore. Happily, the menu is also brimmed with burgers, jacket spuds, sweet treats and specials to cater for every taste. “There’s a specials board and we try to…

1 August 2-3 Festival of Wheels Back at Trinity Park in Ipswich (IP3 8UH), this family friendly event is packed with action including Bolddog FMX, Two Bros Stunt Team, circus, wrestling, and a huge inflatable play area, plus plenty more besides. You can get day or weekend tickets online. www.motorshowevents.com 2 August 2-7 Barbers Ride Join the week-long ride across the country and add to the £183,000 charity total for Make A Wish. Starting in Newmarket and finishing in Southport, you can opt to join the whole ride or just a leg – all for a good cause. barbersride.com 3 August 2 Rufforth Autojumble It’s that time of the month again – a chance to bag a bargain or start a whole new project. Get yourself down to Rufforth Park…

What’s happening? With a whole host of entertainment including live music, comedy and an acoustic marquee, the Yorkshire Pudding Rally is cementing its spot as one of the most popular motorcycle rallies in England. With clubs, great food and drink options along with trade stalls and even a big bonfire in a skip, it’s one not to be missed. The essentials This chilled-out rally is held at Escrick Park (YO19 6EA). Tickets are £35 for the weekend, and with Saturday-only tickets sold out you’d better get your hands on them quickly if you want to go. Kids 15 and under can get in for free but make sure you arrive by bike as there are no car passes available (unless you have a genuine need for one). mapevents.co.uk…

‘Kawasaki’s an easy win’ We knew from previous tests the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ wouldn’t be as polished as its newly updated rivals and it brings up the rear, but even so it’s a lot of fast, dependable and comfy sports-tourer for the money. In third spot, it’s fair to say Yamaha’s Tracer 9GT+ hasn’t wowed us like the latest MT-09 has done. Wind noise continues to be an issue for some, the seat isn’t as plush as it could be and its semi-active suspension is underdamped when you’re pushing on. Although its automatic manual transmission will be a huge plus for those who’d otherwise struggle with gears, its quirkiness dominates the riding experience. It’s also very expensive. If you don’t want or need the GT+’s plethora of toys, the cheaper versions…

‘Finger on the pulse’ Facing low and zero-emission zones, battery scooters like the new CUV e make perfect sense for commuting. It won’t be for everyone, especially those with longer journeys and even Honda aren’t expecting to sell them by the boatload. But for short trips through town and beyond, it’s an attractive proposition. Charging its removable batteries is easy, convenient and cheap with overnight electricity. Performance is lively and it’s fun to scoot through traffic. Ride quality isn’t the best and there’s little carrying space unless you fit a topbox, but the CUV e is smooth, well-equipped, and stylish. Best of all, it’s keenly priced, which, following the storming success of their Hornet 1000 and GB350S, is a pulse Honda well and truly have their finger on right now.…

DT-1 ● Launched 1968 ● Engine 246cc air-cooled two-stroke single ● Power 18.2bhp @ 6000rpm Why significant? The first DT trail bike proved a huge hit, particularly in the US, was based on Yamaha’s first motocrosser and spawned a series of DTs which were big sellers for decades. XS650 ● Launched 1969 ● Engine 654cc air-cooled SOHC parallel twin ● Power 53bhp @ 7000rpm Why significant? Initially called the XS-1, Yamaha’s first big four-stroke was inspired by British twins but with a leak-free horizontally split crankcase. It was also the engine that launched Kenny Roberts to stardom. FS1-E ● Launched 1973 ● Engine 49cc air-cooled two-stroke single ● Power 3bhp @ 5000rpm Why significant? England-only (hence name) version of the FS1 gained moped pedals and had the speed and style…

Dario Marchetti seems omnipresent, a man apparently everywhere, all at once. Energetic and always smiling, the 64-year-old is the Technical Director and driving force behind Ducati’s Riding Experience (DRE) programme, a job which sees him in Misano one day then Donington the next. “This year, I’ve already taken 38 flights,” he chimes as he pulls up a chair. “My work with Ducati and DRE has taken me to many strange places… French Guiana, Spain, Thailand, the US. I enjoy it a lot.” His life is one lived at full gas. From 500GPs to world endurance, Marchetti’s story spans decades of racing, instruction, and an unrelenting love for motorcycles – a passion that’s helped more than 28,000 riders the world over become faster, safer and happier “I’d dreamed of being a…

BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician Set-up for two-up Improve your overall pillion experience in just ten simple steps 1 Consult your manual Ideally, you’ll adjust your suspension for different riding conditions and loads; the standard setup caters for an average-sized rider and a light load, but if you carry a passenger and luggage using these settings you’ll notice the bike’s handling change, for the worse. Adjustments are needed, refer to your owner’s manual to see which settings can be tweaked. 2 Check your tyres Check and adjust your tyre pressures before carrying a passenger. Pressures sit around 36psi for the front and 42psi for the rear as standard, and the higher pressure in the rear is designed to allow for a pillion and luggage. However, if you don’t usually ride with a…

“I’m sorry to say this, as I’d normally remain politically correct, but Iannone really is an idiot,” a furious Danilo Petrucci commented following the chaos caused by the GoEleven rider in Race One. Just days before, as ‘Petrux’ pointed out, Iannone had been critical of other riders in the Italian press, although he got the blame for what happened in Hungary. Seven riders crashed amid the carnage just seconds into the opener, with four of them ruled out of Sunday: Remy Gardner, Garrett Gerloff, Iannone himself and Iker Lecuona whose broken wrist means he misses Suzuka. ‘I’d normally be politically correct…’ In more positive Petrucci news, MCN has learned his deal with BMW is done. It’s a one-year contract expected to be announced in the next two weeks. At the…

Now recovered after breaking her left arm, Britain’s Chloe Jones achieved two more podiums with a brace of second places in Hungary’s round of the Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship. The GR Motosport rider scored just one less point than Maria Herrera and Bea Neila, although naughty tactics from Herrera saw the Spaniard angrily smack Jones’ helmet with her glove, upset that Jones had followed her. “I’m buzzing!” said the 21-year-old from Daventry in Northamptonshire. “I was so close to my first win. I can’t thank Brent and everyone in the team enough. It’s just amazing.” Team owner Brent Gladwin added: “That nearly had me in tears!” In World Supersport, Stefano Manzi increased his lead with a second double win of the year, while Britain’s Tom Booth-Amos admitted he wasn’t…

Toprak continued to amaze at Balaton. He showed the depth of his talent, professionalism and importantly last weekend the ability to learn quickly. He will need all three of these in MotoGP. His most impressive aspect? He’s doing it all on the wrong bike. Nobody else, and there have been some notable efforts, can get the sort of performance he does, week after week, out of the BMW. On the Yamaha as well, he was something unique. The Ducati-Beater. A title to be proud of. Of course, there is nothing wrong with MotoGP’s dominant Dukes. Nothing not to admire, or to dislike. Quite the opposite. As well as being good-looking (if you’re a fan of wings, scoops, fins etc – forgive me if I prefer the svelte original red Desmosedicis),…

For the Rule Breakers. Reigning British and World Superbike Champions Only two Kawasaki ZX-10RRs remain on the BSB grid this season but Christian Iddon and Max Cook are showing that there’s still performance and potential to be extracted from the aging machine. Iddon was particularly strong from the get-go at Brands Hatch, and was able to put up a fight against the Yamaha duo of Ray and Ryde, as well as Scott Redding’s Ducati for parts of all three races. His reward? Two fourths and a fifth. It was encouraging to see the veteran able to challenge at the front once again, and the progress dates back to the Knockhill test. “We worked really hard on understanding what the most important thing with the front of the bike is, because…

ROUND 5 BRANDS BSB CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1 RAY 222 pts 2 RYDE 188 pts 3 SKINNER 150 pts 16 Jackson 51pts 17 McPhee 29pts 18 Swann 27pts 19 McConnell 15pts 20 Hedger 11pts 21 Hickman 4pts 22 Todd 1pt 23 Sikkelerus 1pt BSB POSITIONS RACE 1 16 McConnell +34.405 17 McPhee +41.847 18 Todd +52.753 19 Kerr +53.372 20 Sikkerlerus +53.512 21 Baker +56.093 22 Davis +1’01.432 23 Rollo +1’02.371 24 Haslam +3 laps DNS Stacey +0 laps BSB POSITIONS RACE 2 16 McPhee +15.211 17 Todd +15.278 18 Sikkelerus +20.975 19 Baker +21.018 20 Davis +24.405 DNF Ray 8 laps, Nesbitt 4 laps, Bridewell 2 laps DNS Kerr 0 laps BSB POSITIONS RACE 3 16 Kerr +45.05 17 Sikkelerus +58.39 18 Baker +1’14.693 DNF Irwin 7 laps, McPhee 7…

The original Bantams were responsible for the start of many thousands of motorcyclists’ riding careers. First produced in 1948, the two-stroke single was available in a 125cc, 148cc, and 175cc capacity and helped get post-war Britain back out on the road. Around 500,000 were built, and continue to be a favourite amongst classic bike enthusiasts. Ahead of building the Bantam, BSA bought Sunbeam in 1943 then Ariel in 1944. By the time BSA took over Triumph in 1951 the combined volume made them the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.…

SAVE £2000 £9995 Triumph Speed Twin 1200 Pulling together the best elements of Triumph’s retro range, the Speed Twin is all-day comfortable, quick and easy to manage, while still offering enough agility to match a Speed and Street Triple. It’s more powerful than ever, too – which can’t be a bad thing – with extra refinement weaved in for good measure. Plus, it looks glorious. www.lind.co.uk SAVE £1000 £12,823 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ Suzuki’s GSX-S1000GT+ is quick, comfortable, reassuring, and thanks to its GSX-R derived motor, it offers plenty of excitement, too. www.5-ways.co.uk ● Engine 999cc ● Power 150bhp ● Weight 226kg ● Seat height 810mm SAVE £800 £7499 Suzuki GSX-8S Great value from the off, Suzuki’s fun-loving GSX-8S naked is adept at anything you ask of it, from commuting to back…

Hagon sets new world record Breakthrough for brakes Domiracer reigns at Thruxton ALF RULES SANTA POD British racing and racers bossed the world in the 1960s, and not just on short circuits. Speedway and grasstrack star turned drag racer and frame builder, Alf Hagon made the front page of MCN this week in 1968 when he took his home-built 1260cc Hagon-JAP special V-twin sprint machine to record-breaking glory at Santa Pod with a world-beating time of 9.2 seconds to cover the quarter mile. Already a legend in the sport, as the first rider to go sub-10, Hagon came within two tenths of a second of going sub eight! We said at the time: “A cloud of burning rubber, and a thick black line on the tarmac of the Santa Pod…

LS2 Garda Air £119.99 The Garda from LS2 aims to give you the same cool refreshing breeze that its lake namesake is revered for. Alongside generous mesh panels lies its secret weapon RUCO®THERM CMB, a comfort layer that’s meant to react to moisture build-up, giving a long-lasting cooling effect derived from menthol. ls2helmets.com HJC RPHA 12 COTA £499.99 HJC have unveiled a second special paintjob paying tribute to the Austin, Texas round of MotoGP championship at Circuit of the Americas. The donor lid this time is the excellent RPHA 12, adorned with a Red Bull and COTA livery. The new version is available and in stock now. hjchelmets.eu Dainese Technical Pants from £199.99 With a dedicated women’s line alongside the men’s offerings, Dainese have launched a new range of riding…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews ‘Why not sort pressures on the fly?’ In response to Mat Oxley’s column, happily there is an answer. MotoGP could borrow a tyre pressure solution from the world of professional cycling. HubTech GRAVAA KAPS and Scope Atmoz have hub-mounted systems for increasing or decreasing tyre pressure for races such as the Paris-Roubaix where very different surfaces are encountered. Riders can adjust tyre pressures via bar-mounted wireless switches. The system would add unsprung weight of approximately 300 grams. Robert Chaundy, email The Zerofit IceSkin Baselayer was first unveiled on stage at the MCN Show in February, and now we’ve teamed up with the Japanese brand to offer one as our Star Letter prize. Designed in partnership with Glenn Irwin, the most successful superbike rider in the history…

In my last column, I described how the idea for Honda’s RC213V-S came about and how I found myself as Project Leader, and that our first problem was the imminent arrival of Euro4 on January 1, 2017. If we wanted to keep the spec as close to the works bike as we could, we needed to launch the bike as a 16MY, because there was no way that it would meet the new Euro4 regs. I set the production target at 213 units (obviously..!) and so what followed was daily early morning video meetings with Japan, 6am for us in the UK which meant late afternoon for Japan and then sometimes we had 11pm meetings on the same day, which included the factory in Kumamoto which was the start of…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Readers Stephen Coward with Tony Jiggins, Kim Gupta, Mike Bowyer & Nuyen Raju. The ride Mid-sized adventure bikes through the Pyrenees, Andorra & the Bardenas Reales Desert, via TET, ACT and as many small winding roads as possible. Tell us about the trip… After a successful knee replacement, and in my penultimate year prior to turning 70, it was a chance to ride our bikes along the various TET, ACT, Smuggler’s Trails and endless mountain bends that formed our 1300-mile route west to east and back across the Pyrenees. Taking the ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao, we headed off on an interesting selection of motorcycles: Kim and Tony on KTM 890Rs, Mike on his trusty KTM 690, myself on the CFMoto 450MT and Nuyen on…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday July 30 BIKE MEETS ■ Sycamore Cafe, The Causeway, Great Billing, Northamptonshire 4pm-9pm www.facebook.com/SycamoreForestCatering ■ Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, West Yorks 01977-684618 or www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 ■ Seaways - Bike Night, Fridaythorpe, East Yorks 4pm-8pm mike@seawayscafe.co.uk ■ Wheels Cafe, The Old George Inn, Sykehouse, South Yorkshire 5.30pm-8.30pm 01405-5785635 ■ English Riviera Bike Night - Paignton Seafront, Eastern Esplanade, Paignton, Devon £2 cash only 6pm Facebook: English Riviera Bike Night ■ Chequered Flag Bike Night, Liskeard, Cornwall 7pm. Facebook: Chequered Flag SW ■ Loomies, West Meon, Hants. Until 9pm www.loomiescafe.co.uk ■ The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey From 10.30am-1pm Facebook: Pathfinder Cafe RIDEOUTS ■ Burgess Hill & DMCC, Morrisons Daily,…

JOIN THE MCN PIT STOP BREW CREW www.motorcyclenews.com/pit-stop ‘Rain? What rain?’ PAUL WRIGHT Final breakfast at the Rocky Road Café after spending the last four days touring Northumberland through some ‘character building’ weather conditions… ‘Newcastle loop’ LEN POTTS Nice little Sunday hop. We rode a 150-mile round trip from Newcastle to Kelso back via Carter Bar. This is at The Cream Chimneys. ‘Meet at Mollies’ GEORGE STEVENS My good pal and I had an early supper at Mollies Diner on the A420 in Oxfordshire this evening to celebrate his 60th. Fantastic place to stop, great food and quality surroundings. ‘MV meeting’ BRUCE TAYLOR This is a quality café/restaurant in Benson by the side of the River Thames – The Waterfront Café, OX20 6SJ. It was the ideal spot for the…

BMW Our bike features a radar for active cruise, cornering lights and an electric screen. Oil flows to the canister at the bottom of the fork in ‘soft’ mode and is sent back up in ‘hard’ to push a piston against the spring, mimicking a stronger spring. KAWASAKI The screen is quiet and adjustable via a lever under the dash. Stylish multi-function dash has light and dark modes and provides the interface to adjust rider modes. The SX is available in SE spec for the first time with an Öhlins shock. SUZUKI Non-cornering LEDs, with an inadequate ‘top hat’ shaped beam at night. The screen is non-adjustable. Colour TFT gives you all the information you need and is easy to read. GSX-R K5-derived motor has been refined but it’s still…

Throughout the last 70 years Yamaha have come up with more technical advances than most. In 1963 they developed Autolube, a separate oil injection system for two-strokes which eliminated the inconvenience of pre-mix. In 1973 they were a monoshock pioneer with ‘Monocross’ and in 1983 introduced YPVS (Yamaha Power Valve System) to give their two-strokes a last hurrah. Yamaha have been even more pioneering with four-strokes. The 1976 XT500 was the first big trail bike; the 1983 XT600Z Ténéré the first ‘rally replica’; the 1985 FZ750 introduced five-valve heads and the Genesis chassis concept and the 1987 FZR1000 pioneered lightweight aluminium frames. The 1993 GTS1000 was the first mass-production hub-centre machine; the 1998 R1 ‘rewrote superbike rules’ and introduced stacked gearboxes and LCD displays, while the 2006 R6 with its…

CATCH UP WITH OUR LONGTERM TESTS Go online now: www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn-fleet @neevesy MCN’s Chief Road Tester for the past 23 years. Getting creakier by the day. In my last update I asked whether this was a real Streetfighter, given its relative lack of power compared to its predecessor. On the road it’s a resounding ‘yes’, because a revvy engine and 120bhp to play with are more than enough to have fun. But how does it cut it on track? I went along to a Cadwell track evening with MSVT to find out. Spinning laps on an empty circuit is glorious. The Ducati fires urgently out of corners and its chassis is stable and composed. It encourages you to let go of the brakes to tip into corners ever faster, where the…

MCN’s website has expert opinion and buying advice on hundreds of used bikes, regularly updated and packed with insight. Here are three of the latest – visit motorcyclenews.com for dozens more. 2011-2012 KAWASAKI Z750R Owners’ rating Slightly sportier R model upped the Zed’s game but not by much. Overall, owners seem happy if not blown-away by the Zed. It’s not a bad machine but isn’t outstanding. 2016-2019 KTM 690 DUKE Owners’ rating There is lots to love about the single-cylinder Duke. A total of 16 owners have left reviews and they all praise the thumping engine and handling. Reliability also seems good. 2015-CURRENT SUZUKI SV650 Owners’ rating Never underestimate Suzuki’s V-twin. While it is decidedly old-school when compared to modern nakeds, it’s still great fun. The 16 owners who have…

What should’ve been a simple belt service turned into a ticking timebomb for mechanic Stephen Fryatt, after a regular customer brought in his Ducati Monster 696 with no signs of trouble. “He’d just booked it in for a routine belt change, which is normally quite straightforward,” Fryatt explained. “He hadn’t heard any strange noises or anything to suggest there was a problem, and it was only 6000 miles since the last time the belt and bearings had all been changed.” But the moment the covers came off, things took a turn. “There were ball bearings everywhere. The rear guide bearing had completely collapsed, and the tensioner bearing was failing too. “The belts had little fluffy bits on the tops of them too, showing that they were starting to fail.” With…

Going behind the headlines from Balaton Park WSBK TOP STORY Sam Lowes was a real star at Balaton Park, having now firmly established himself as a front-runner in World Superbikes. Nowadays it would be a surprise not to see the Englishman fighting at the front of the field, as opposed to the other way around. It’s easy to forget that the Marc VDS team is in only its second season of WSBK, with Lowes having come across with the Belgian outfit as a 10-time Grand Prix winner and 26-time podium finisher in Moto2. It was a return to the production-based paddock for the Lincoln rider, World Supersport Champion of 2013. What happened in Hungary was a case study of his season so far, both for better and for worse. Lowes…

ROUND 8 HUNGARY WSB CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1 RAZGATLIOGLU 407pts 2 BULEGA 381pts 3 PETRUCCI 233pts 16 Gerloff 67pts 17 Montella 64pts 18 Rea 37pts 19 Vickers 27pts 20 Mackenzie 18pts 21 Sofuoglu 17pts 22 Rinaldi 6pts 23 Rabat 4pts 24 Nagashima 2pts WSB POSITIONS RACE 1 16 Rinaldi +45.308 17 Rabat +46.406 18 Zaidi +1’05.480 DNF Rea +15 laps, Lowes S 6 laps, Lecuona 0 laps, Vickers 0 laps DNS Gardner 0 laps WSB POSITIONS SP RACE 11 Aegerter +24.264 12 Lowes A +25.144 13 Bulega +26.92 14 Sofuoglu +27.193 15 van der Mark +30.4338 16 Rinaldi +44.776 17 Zaidi +56.587 DNF Rabat 5 laps, Montella 2 laps WSB POSITIONS RACE 2 16 van der Mark +1’17.954 17 Zaidi +1’26.535 DNF Vickers 19 laps, Bautista 5 laps CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1…

Our insurance comparison partners MCN Compare are giving you the chance to win a Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS worth more than £17,000 by simply getting a quote online. To be in with a chance, head to mcncompare.com to get a quote for your bike and tick the box to enter the competition. The competition is live now and closes on January 26 next year. Charley and Ewan chat Adventure heroes Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are hitting the road again – this time for a live UK stage show called Long Way Chat, coming to Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on August 30. The one-off event promises unseen footage, road stories, and a live chat delving into their recent Long Way Home series. Tickets are on sale now. Is your kid…

Triumph have taken on one of the most gruelling races – tackling the notorious Red Bull Romaniacs event with a pair of near-stock Tiger 900 Rally Pro adventure bikes. Running from July 22-26, the five-day hard enduro saw factory rider Jonny Walker and Dakar legend Sam Sunderland trade their usual purpose-built off-road hardware for triple-cylinder tourers to sample the event’s new-for-2025 Adventure Rallye classes. Walker – already a Gold Class veteran and two-time Romaniacs champion – competed in the top-tier Adventure Ultimate category while Sunderland, making his first competitive outing with Triumph, took on the slightly less punishing Adventure Lite division. After the dust had settled, Walker finished second, behind Pol Tarrés, while Sunderland bagged first in his class. The bikes used remained close to showroom, with the only significant…

CHOOSE YOUR WELCOME GIFT Subscribe to MCN now at: greatmagazines.co.uk/mcn-offer Kawasaki have announced light updates to their dependable, long-legged Versys 650 tourer, with bikes set to arrive from the middle of August with a slight price rise. Using the firm’s 649cc parallel twin cylinder engine – also shared within the Ninja 650, Z650, Vulcan, and Z650RS – it achieves the latest in Euro5+ regs and will be available from £8049 in its base spec. An increase of £150 over the current iteration, it continues to produce a claimed 66.1bhp at 8500rpm (meaning it can be restricted for an A2 licence) and makes use of a full-colour 4.3in TFT dash, that can be connected to your mobile phone. As before, you’ll also get the option to spec the bike in either…

‘Classic baitand-switch’ In recent weeks, I’ve twice reported on a rogue vendor operating through social media who is claiming on Facebook to be based in Paris, while listing New Mexico as their location on their website. The seller also claimed to have sold out of their allegedly EN 17092-3:2020, AA-rated ‘tactical pants’ seven times over. When I asked for proof of their certification, I was promptly blocked from the page. Shortly after, a new Facebook profile appeared, clearly fake and using a stolen photo – easily traced via reverse-image search to a men’s hairstyle site. On top of my concerns, one customer recently shared his experience online after ordering a pair of these trousers, and the results are not good. “I’m not normally one to complain, but seriously – do…

Q ‘Should I take the loan bike?’ I have recently been discharged from hospital after I was T-boned by a car. I had a call from a bike hire operation offering to lend me a replacement while mine is at the garage for repairs. I’m not up for riding yet as I am still sore but will do at some stage. Should I accept this hire bike? James Williams, email A You should confirm if the bike is on a ’courtesy’ or ’credit hire’ basis. If it is courtesy then it is straightforward as it will likely be paid through your insurance and not arranged through a separate company. If it is credit hire, you need to be careful. Credit hire is the supply of a like-for-like vehicle on a…

At one of our events, I got chatting to a fellow named Andy Barrett who told me about his late grandfather, Ralph Seymour. Now, Ralph was a world-renowned tuner and restorer of Velocettes and rode them himself at the TT from 1946 until 1952. In 1960 he opened his own motorcycle business in Thame, R F Seymour’s, where he was official agent for Velocette, Norton, BSA, Honda, Suzuki and Lambretta. People would travel from all over the world to have their Velocettes repaired there, with one bloke flying his engine over in the seat next to him from San Francisco! Now, the museum of Thame are holding an exhibition until September 27 in celebration of Ralph and the business, where there will be some of the bikes he prepared including…

THE UK’S HOTTEST RIDES MCN staffers share their favourite short routes Almeria in southern Spain is biking nirvana. Not only do they say it’s one of the driest places in Europe, but it has two racetracks and some of the best roads on the planet. As such it’s a popular haunt for car and bike manufacturers to test their prototypes and a magnet for two-wheeled press launches. MCN has ridden on lots of incredible roads in the area, including the magical five-mile stretch on the A-1102 from Sorbas to the coast, but never this epic stretch that we rode for the first time during a KTM launch. It’s a seemingly endless collection of tight, twisty, perfectly surfaced corners that burrows its way through rocky, sun-bleached terrain. A punchy naked is…

Bike Shed A hipster’s dream, ride through the tables to park your bike at this Chesterfield-stuffed venue with amazing food. 384 Old St, London EC1V 9LT bikeshedmoto.co.uk Original Tea Hut The cosy café located near High Beech used to be a staple back when Speedway was born, and now, it’s a biking must-do. Cross Roads, High Beech, Waltham Abbey, Loughton IG10 4HR www.visiteppingforest.org Rykas A popular place with bikers for over 100 years, Rykas has events, a great menu and most importantly, an awesome atmosphere. Old London Rd, Dorking RH5 6BY www.rykas.co.uk…

‘Fun but too expensive’ In a world where we need to get more young riders into motorcycling, the idea of an A2-compliant supermoto is the ideal stimulant for excitement. And as a fun, soft and easy-to-ride supermoto, Suzuki’s DR-Z4SM does tick all the right boxes, and as a city-conquering machine it would be the ideal tool for cutting through traffic. However, it’s far from perfect; not only is the £7999 asking price just too steep for the package it delivers, it’s also a bit too much of a one-trick pony where comfort and practicality is concerned. The new Suzuki is good fun, yes, but it’s uncomfortable even for short stints, the engine is frustrating on the road at any speed over 60mph and at £7999, the price is just too…

Going large All four are available as entry-level base models, but our test machines are the all-singing versions. Yamaha’s Tracer GT+ wins the ‘number of standard goodies you can cram on one bike’ award hands down. It may have the highest list price here, but you get a lot for your money, including automated transmission, adaptive matrix LED headlights, radar cruise and blind spot indicators, a 7in colour TFT dash, semi-active suspension damping, linked brakes, hill hold, electronically adjustable screen, panniers with central locking, keyless ignition, a BMW ‘M’ style low-maintenance gold endurance chain, rider modes, cornering ABS and traction control, tyre pressure monitors and 10-stage heated grips. That’s quite a haul. BMW’s R1300RS SE ASA undercuts the Yamaha on price, just and comes close to the same comfort and…

Racing has been at Yamaha’s core since the very first model and although Honda may have more grand prix world titles, Yamaha are second while their participation is unbroken (Honda pulled out from 1968 to 1979). In addition, Yamaha’s rider roster, from Read to Rossi with Saarinen, Ago, Roberts, Sheene, Lawson and more inbetween, is arguably more special. Posters of their bikes, from tiddlers and TZs, to V4s and M1s and, off-road, from ground-breaking MX-ers, to Dakar domination and even trials probably graced more walls, too. In ’60s GP road racing, following Read’s first 250 title in 1965, came more in both 250s and 125s with the likes of Bill Ivy before, into the ’70s, Yamaha’s production TD-1 then TZ became the privateers’ dream. 1975 saw Yamaha and Agostini claim…

RATINGS Exceptional Very good Good Average Poor Fit and comfort rated Design, construction and CE scores rated Each pair used for hundreds of road miles 2 years ON TEST LS2 Feng £69.99 ‘Tempting but not tough’ Tested by Emma Franklin for 5000 miles Summer’s here, that means vented race gloves go on! The 1KP-rated Feng are into their second summer of use and during the time I’ve owned them the RRP has been discounted down by £20 to just £69.99, making them extremely temptingly priced given their style and features. With a chassis made from a mix of full-grain cowhide with a goat leather palm, long-line cuff with additional wrist strap, plus carbon knuckle protectors, finger-bridge and scaphoid protection, the Feng tick most of the boxes when it comes to…

Adding a passenger and luggage causes your bike to sag on its suspension. This means it will be using up more of the available range of travel on the forks and shock. The consequence is that the chassis’ geometry changes and the handling will be compromised. So the idea of adjusting the suspension when loaded is to bring your bike’s ride heights back to a range where they support the bike correctly, improving the stability and steering response. Usually when taking a pillion, the rear shock will need more attention than the forks, this is because the centre of mass will be directed more towards the rear. Don’t be shy when using the adjusters – as long as you make a note of the standard settings prior to starting you…

Looking ahead to Japan’s most exotic endurance race Motorcycle racing is poised for its biggest standalone event of the year as MotoGP and Superbike stars join Japanese specialists for the 46th running of the Suzuka 8 Hours. It’s a gruelling and highly competitive event where speed, fitness, reliability and strategy are rewarded. Honda are the reigning champions, but the competition for this year’s crown will be intense. So what should we look out for at the track not far from Osaka? Enjoy every lap… You can watch all the action live on TNT Sports 4 and Discovery + on Sunday August 3 from 03.00 to 12.00 BST. Greg Haines is MCN’s man on the ground and will bring you a full round up of all the Suzuka action the following…

Going behind the headlines at the new Balaton Park TOP STORY Heading into a summer break of five weeks with no racing, World Superbike has just witnessed an eventful first visit to Balaton Park in Hungary. There was the ever-constant threat of heavy rain which finally came on Sunday morning plus the small matter of WSBK celebrating an action-packed 1000th race. So many variables, so much uncertainty but one constant: Toprak Razgatlioglu. It was a weekend during which we asked ourselves, ‘Is this where Toprak has finally got the better of Bulega for psychological supremacy?’ Despite the BMW rider, who is desperate to go to MotoGP next year on a high, dramatically flailing his arms as he tried to get to grips with his bike during Friday practice, he and…

Glenn Irwin has pencilled in Thruxton on August 8-10 as a return date after experiencing a positive recovery to the injuries he sustained at Snetterton. Irwin was ruled out after a highside during at FP3, suffering injuries to his hip and sacrum. Five weeks later and Irwin is cycling, swimming and doing light weights at the gym, and managed a weekend of walking around Brands Hatch for TNT Sports as well. “It’s been a recovery where I’ve listened to doctors, which is important,” Irwin told MCN. “Usually they try to rein you in, but at my first appointment three weeks after the crash, they said I could cycle and swim etc, whereas I thought it would be six weeks of doing nothing. ‘I thought it’d be six weeks of doing…

I had a great weekend racing in Superstock at Brands. I didn’t know what to expect as it was my first weekend, so to be six rounds in and to qualify P12 and get some points (14th and 17th) was pretty good. My race time compared to last year was 20 seconds faster in a 14-lap race, which isn’t too bad since it was the same bike. I was on my 2024-spec Superstock bike from the TT. Honda dropped the bike off and then it was down to team McGuinness to do the rest. My son Ewan was on the spanners, my daughter Maisey did my pitboard and I was poncing about. Thanks to Steve Hicken too for letting me run out of his garage. As to why I’m going…

Reporting direct from the iconic Kent track TOP STORY Could we have a Bennetts British Superbike Championship title fight on our hands after all? Brands Hatch felt like a turning point in a season which has been dominated by an unstoppable Bradley Ray. Suddenly he wasn’t invincible. Suddenly we were reminded that despite his greatness, he’s still human as he crashed out in Race Two while being hunted by Scott Redding and Kyle Ryde. After a bike rebuild, Ray didn’t have the pace to challenge for victory in Race Three. Unlike Ryde, who showcased finesse and aggression to get by Ray and Kent to take his first victory of 2025. Ryde was 52 points behind Ray heading into the weekend. He leaves Brands 34 points behind his former teammate. Given…