Innholdsfortegnelse for 22 November 2023 i MCN

TOP STORY With global political leaders, influential thinkers and populations demanding an ever greener society and less reliance on fossil fuels, the motorcycle industry finds itself at a difficult crossroads. Although some brands are already pouring millions of pounds and development hours into battery power, others have openly come out in favour of e-fuels, with a further group also actively exploring the potential of hydrogen power in fuel cells or combustion engines. All have their advantages, but they also face difficulties including packaging, cost, infrastructure, and energy storage. What's more, governments across the world have differing stipulations and timeframes within which to go green - with the UK proposing the phase out of a number of petrol motorcycle types by 2030. To provide a clearer global picture, MCN met with…

Thousands of enthusiastic bikers from across the UK have flocked to Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre (NEC) for the start of Motorcycle Live 2023. The event showcasing all things two-wheeled began on Saturday, November 18 and will continue until Sunday, November 26 – hosting test rides, live shows, and the opportunity to get up close to the hottest machines for 2024. “We've sold more tickets in advance; we've sold more space, we've got more manufacturers,” Motorcycle Live's Finlay McAllan said. “There's a lot of new products to be looked at, sat on, and ridden.” As well as the new metal, this Saturday will see a roster of racing world champions including Danny Kent, Dougie Lampkin, James Toseland, and more congregating for FIM Champion's Day. “We all come every year,” 59-yearold Ducati…

Leading British electric off-road specialists, OSET, have launched what they claim is the “next generation” in battery powered fun and competition machines. Called the ‘TXP’ range - which stands for ‘Trials, Xplore and Play’ - the two new bikes are claimed to offer a significant advance in battery and motor technology as well as a novel, new ‘convertible’ seat designed to enable them to be altered from trial to trail style in under five minutes. The two TXPs are a complete, ground-up redesign over OSET's existing models. As well as the convertible seat, they are also claimed to have double the power of previous models as well as increased torque from an all-new brushless motor. There is also a new chassis with fully adjustable air suspension. In addition, a new…

THIS WEEK BLACK FRIDAY TICKET OFFER Save ££s by buying discounted tickets online now. Purchase two tickets or more for just £21 per person. Offer ends midnight November 28, 2023 Henry Cole's brilliant Ready to Ride Workshop is making its debut at the Devitt Insurance MCN London Motorcycle Show at ExCel on February 16-18. Fans can expect a petrol-fuelled mix of fascinating talks, live demonstrations, unique bikes, and ear-splitting fire-ups as Henry, Allen Millyard and Guy Willison take to the stage. The Workshop team will be running sessions on everything from designing your dream bike from scratch to restoration tips and tricks. Millyard will also be firing up his six cylinder creations, so make sure you take earplugs! Not only that, but maintenance and customising experts from The Machine Shop…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com My first road bike: a 1974 Fizzy in 1978 which I paid for by doing three paper rounds a day when I was 15. Steve Piper This is my mum-Shirley Davison (who is now 88)-sitting on my dad's BSA B33 back in the mid-1950s. Lawrence Davison My first bike in 1971 was this Honda CD175. Still riding but I now have a T100 Triumph. Anthony Shearman This is the earliest biking picture of me I have- I'm the lad on the number four bike. Kieron Lines My dad made the harness which clipped to his belt loops so I wouldn't fall off if I fell asleep on long rides. Jacques Bernier Celebrating my 16th birthday in double denim. This bike changed my life.…

November 25 FIM Champions Day World champions from World Superbikes, motocross, trials and more will descend on the NEC to celebrate FIM Champions Day with names like Steve Parrish, Carl Fogarty MBE, James Whitham, Jonathan Rea and plenty others. Tickets £23 in advance. www.motorcyclelive.co.uk November 25 Bikes and Banter Shane Byrne is starring in an upcoming Bikes and Banter evening. Hosted by the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury, the six-time BSB champ will be interviewed by Matt Roberts, discussing the highs and the lows of his career – including THAT crash. It's £25 for entry and show, or an extra fiver for a picture with Shakey himself. Doors open 6.15pm. bikesandbanter.co.uk November 26 Sammy's Santa Ride-in In support of Wave 105's Mission Christmas, you're invited to the Hampshire motorcycle museum to…

When Castiglioni sold Ducati to Texas Pacific Group in 1996 to concentrate on MV Agusta and Cagiva he not only tasked 916 designer Massimo Tamburini to create the rival MV F4 but also Galluzzi to come up with a ‘Cagiva Monster’. The result was the Raptor. Available first in radical V-Raptor 1000 form, then plainer Raptor 1000 and 650 guises, on paper it had it all: liquid-cooled Suzuki V-twin engines (from the TL1000/ SV650), a similar trellis frame, decent cycle parts and funky styling. In reality, it was a failure. Press launch bikes were faulty, availability patchy and the name/styling lacked the Monster's allure. All were binned in 2005.…

RATINGS Exceptional ★★★★★ Very good ★★★★ Good ★★★ Average ★★ Poor ★ 2300 miles ON TEST Sena SRL-03 Shoei Intercom £339.00 Sena have designed the SRL-3 in partnership with Shoei as a custom fit unit for the Neotec 3 and GT-Air 3. It blends perfectly with the shell for a neatly integrated look. Cycling through the various modes to connect my phone and satnav was a simple case of following the instructions, and once set up the SRL-3 automatically connects hassle free every time I switch it on. Although the push buttons are easy to find, just saying ‘music’ is all it needs to get a selected playlist streaming through the class-leading Harmon Kardon speakers. I always ride with filtered earplugs and whether I'm listening to Mahler or Motorhead, the…

Quad Lock vibration dampener (and handlebar pro) £15.99 + £27.99 A handy bit of kit, particularly if you're reliant on your phone for navigation. It cancels out high-frequency vibration, preventing damage to the image stabilisation sensors on some smartphone cameras. It's a bit fiddly to set up, but once it's on the bike it's durable, weatherproof and even after 8000 miles it still looks as good as new – despite being out in all conditions. Combined with the phone case, it's a really useful system, which is why I ended up with a couple of other Quad Lock mounts in the car and at home. The initial outlay on the case, mounts and damper can be quite costly, but that's true of a lot of phone mounts on the market.…

WIN A Suzuki GSX-8S simply by taking a quote with MCN COMPARE www.mcncompare.com Tours for fun and has garage full of eclectic motorcycles I'm a huge fan of The Archers, there I've admitted it, every night I tune in to find out what's occurring in Ambridge. What on earth has this got to do with riding the Zero DSR/X? Actually, quite a lot. There's plans in place for an Electric Forecourt in the fictitious enclave of middle England, exactly like the one in the not so picturesque Braintree. Gridserve have created a few of these forecourts and more are planned around the UK. They are exactly what's needed if electric travel is going to be a viable alternative to fossil fuels. It's an excuse to take the Zero for a…

SPORT Peter Hickman avoided the drama of a chaotic 2023 Macau GP start to claim his fourth victory in the Chinese street race last weekend. With the lifting of coronavirus restrictions, many of road racing's biggest names were returning to the Armco-lined 3.8-mile Guia course for the first time since 2019. After completing a new and reduced qualifying schedule, a field of 23 riders set off on the sighting lap for Saturday morning's 12-lapper with the 2023 Senior TT winner in pole position on his FHO Racing BMW superbike. As the bikes left the line, Hickman noticed smoke emitting from the BMW M1000RR of Davey Todd, who was competing in Macau with the Burrows/RK Racing squad he last rode for in 2018. Todd had been only half a second slower…

Having raced in the World Supersport and WSB, won two BSB titles and claimed podium finishes at the NW200 and Isle of Man TT, Josh Brookes added a Macau GP debut with the FHO Racing BMW squad to his impressive tally. But the Australian admitted to finding the street race ‘challenging’. “Compared to say the TT, where it is mostly flowing 4th, 5th or 6th gear corners, Macau is all aggressive 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear turns which isn't enjoyable to ride,” he reflected. “The group start was intimidating in those circumstances and the streets were very bumpy. “You have to take it corner by corner. It is very intense and I struggled to get into a rhythm.” Despite his Macau misgivings, the 40-year-old finished a brilliant fourth in Saturday's…

Paddock veteran delivers his verdict on the Qatar MotoGP ‘For the rest of my life I will always be a GP winner’ R ejection-fuelled anger inspired Fabio Di Giannantonio to an emotional and lifeenhancing moment in Qatar with his first MotoGP win. But will it be career changing? Unfortunately, for the moment at least, it appears not. That is because the engaging, laid-back 25-year-old Italian is unemployed for 2024. After sublimely outfoxing world champion and Ducati guru Pecco Bagnaia for the Doha win, Diggia is heading back to the dole queue. This Sunday in Valencia, Bagnaia is on target to be a two-time champ while Diggia will lose his ride. A stark contrast to the euphoria of his forceful Qatar win in his 39th GP with the Gresini Ducati squad.…

WELCOME There aren't many times in the history of working at a show that I've genuinely felt disappointed to hear the announcement over the tannoy that it's time to pack up and go home for the day. But that's how I felt on Saturday. Despite aching feet and a complaining lower back, a slightly hoarse set of vocal cords and a strong desire to stop for long enough to find something to eat – I was loving every minute of Motorcycle Live at the NEC. For the first time in a few years (perhaps understandably), it felt like a joyous explosion of motorcycling – and a real return to the very best the show has ever delivered. The depth and range of new metal on display is superb; the features…

A female riding group, Bristol Biking Girls, have created a charity calendar for 2024, raising money for Air Ambulances UK and commemorating their founder, who tragically passed away following a motorcycle accident last year. Bristol Biking Girls was founded by Steph Robertson in 2016, initially to find others to ride with locally. By 2020 it had grown to more than 300 members, with activities ranging from rideouts and maintenance classes to trackdays. That year also saw the group produce their first charity calendar to raise money for ovarian cancer support group, Ovacome. This was in memory of former member, Chilie Davies, who sadly died from cancer two years earlier. “We wanted to continue Steph's legacy of basically getting more women into riding,” group member Hiba Hamid told MCN. “With the…

Ducati used Motorcycle Live to announce that they will expanding their off-road DRE Adventure Academy to include dates at the Sweet Lamb adventure centre in Wales. Riders will get the chance to sample the new £18,995 DesertX Rally and £14,995 standard model. Also on offer will be the £23,590 Multistrada V4 Rally. Using these machines, customers will enjoy the chance to learn skills surrounding on- and off-road adventure riding, using both theory and practical tuition. Slots are available to book now at dre-adventure.co.uk with prices ranging from £299 to £599.…

THIS WEEK Leading southwest multi-outlet dealer chain Destination Motorcycles have unveiled plans for a new multi-franchise dealership. With the introduction of five new franchises which include KTM, GasGas, Husqvarna, MV Agusta and CFMoto, the firm say it will make Destination Dorset “the destination for motorcycle enthusiasts far and wide.” The new venture is planned to open its doors early in 2024. New Enfield watch Royal Enfield have teamed up with UNIMATIC to create a €550 Royal Enfield-branded watch. Limited to 122 pieces, the Royal Enfield x UNIMATIC Modello Quattro is a military watch made in Italy, “to reflect the spirit of adventure and craftsmanship both brands stand for.” It has a glossy black dive dial, red Royal Enfield logo and Seiko NH35A automatic movement. Visit launches.unimaticwatches.com. Helmet with flaps Shark's…

Moto Morini had one of the most popular stands at this year's EICMA trade show in Milan, throwing their hat into the growing middleweight sportsbike sector with a new 749cc Corsaro Sport V-twin. It joined a Corsaro 750 roadster sharing the same engine, as well as a new X-Cape 1200 adventure bike and similarly powered Milano roadster. All four signify a huge step up in Moto Morini's offerings and ambitions, with the striking Corsaro Sport featuring Euro5+ homologation, a MotoGP-style counter-rotating crankshaft for greater stability through reduced inertia, plus a top speed said to be north of 130mph. Bought by Chinese scooter giant Zhongneng in 2018, the firm's current production range includes the 650 ‘Seiemmezzo’ threesome of the STR, SCR, and X-Cape – with a Calibro cruiser recently joining the…

OUT AND ABOUT Ride further in 2023 with a little help from our one-stop event guide JUST BREW IT Ride out to Britain's best biking cafes THE DETAILS ● Tues-Sat, 8am-6pm ● projecteightythree.com ● 2 Wesley Yard, Newquay, Cornwall TR7 1LB You can imagine what Newquay is like during tourist season: streets rammed with caravantowing holidaymakers looking to get some sun, and motorcyclists aren't immune from the Cornish hotspot's charms either. But when former landscape gardener Gillian Pope hung up his trowel and moved down to the coastal town, he and partner Krista Barden realised that there wasn't a strong motorcycle café scene locally and wanted to change that. “We wanted to create somewhere people could come and meet up, plan their routes or just come and hang out and have a…

KEY TO THE AREA■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday November 22 BIKE MEETS ■ Amici Coffee Biker Night, Girtford Bridge, Sandy, Bedfordshire. 6pm-9pm www.amicicoffee.co.uk ■ Huggys Speedshop, Mallory Park, Leicestershire. From 10am www.huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ The King Billy Rock Bar, Bike & Burger Night, Northampton, 6.30pm Facebook: The King Billy Rock Bar ■ Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, near Sherburn in Elmet, West Yorks, 01977-684618 or www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Mold, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 or Facebook: The Old Stores Motorbike cafe ■ Loomies Moto Cafe, West Meon, Hants. Open till 9pm www.loomiescafe.co.uk ■ The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey. From 10.30am-1pm. Facebook: Pathfinder Cafe ■ Ryka's Cafe, Box Hill, Surrey 5pm-9pm www.rykas.co.uk SHOW ■ Motorcycle Live, National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham, West Midlands www.motorcyclelive.co.uk Thursday…

‘30-year Monster sales success’ The 1993 Ducati 900 Monster was an immediate sales hit just when the company needed it most. More importantly, due to the bike spinning off a whole family of variants, it was a sustained sales success too. The M900's popularity triggered the launch 12 months later of a smaller, even more affordable stablemate – the M600 Monster using the 53bhp engine from the 600SS and a more basic spec (single front disc, no oil cooler). Cheaper suspension components enabled a price of just £5000, making it a bigger hit still. Suddenly a stylish Ducati was not only affordable it was unintimidating to ride as well, so much so the 600 remained a best seller for years. Further spin-offs including Dark and 750 versions well and truly…

‘It's one of the last British-built REs ever to leave the factory’ As seen on TV! The Interceptor 750 episode of ‘Richard Hammond's Workshop’ (S3 Ep6) is available to stream from this Monday, November 27 on Discovery+, along with all previous episodes! What on earth is Richard Hammond doing with that beautiful Interceptor? It's a fair question, if all you know about him is that he has two other famous friends and does a lot of silly things in cars. But bikes came first in his life, and they're an enduring obsession. He restored a barn at home just to house his collection, and formed his own local biker gang as an excuse to ride more often. Cars are work, bikes are his soul food. And now he's doing exactly…

TWO years ON TEST Optimate Solar Duo £134.90 Power points are not always available where you want them, so the Optimate Solar Duo is a great way to plug in Smart chargers. I have an old Royal Enfield sidecar outfit which is too big to fit in my garage, so it lives outside under one of those bike covers with a clear window designed for solar panels. The beauty of this is that when I am not using the outfit, I can connect up the Optimate Solar to the supplied lead which is permanently attached to the battery, making it very easy to connect/disconnect. The battery is then charged through the hours of daylight, with a smart charger-monitor adjusting the output to meet its needs. The solar panel itself produces…

BUYING USED EXPERT GUIDE TO Buying your first big bike can be a daunting experience. These five machines make for handy ‘first big bikes’ that have enough power to ensure you won't be left lacking should you wish to embark on a long-distance trip but won't be intimidating either. Armed with a budget of just £2000 you can find some really great used bikes but, as you will probably be being from a private seller and not a dealer, you need to be extra vigilant when making the purchase. Here's what to look for on our five sub-£2k bikes… £1200-£2800 Kawasaki ER-6n (2006-'11) Oddball looks but peppy and fun parallel-twin performance Way back in 2006, Kawasaki released the parallel-twin ER-6n. Light, cheap and huge amounts of fun, the quirky-looking ER was…

After being the sole Honda on the podium of the Malaysian GP, behind title rival Ayumu Sasaki and his teammate, Jaume Masia spoke of feeling “alone.” But the 23-year old could count on the controversial support of other Honda-mounted riders as he won a dramatic Qatar GP, becoming the 2023 Moto3 World Championship along the way. While Sasaki could count on little support from fellow Pierer Mobility Group bikes (KTM, GasGas and Husqvarna), Masia would soon be thanking his teammate Adrian Fernandez, who lifted Sasaki up again at Turn 6 three laps from the flag, dropping the Japanese rider back to eighth, while Masia was leading a gaggle up front. Leopard's tactics garnered criticism from fans worldwide, with even five-time 500cc champ Mick Doohan expressing his distaste. Sasaki couldn't hide…

It looks like Luca Marini will make the big leap in the dark… from a comfortable home with Ducati to the uncertain world of Honda. The timing is surprising. He's just claimed a career-best double podium at Qatar, from a recordspeed second pole of the year, and had sealed the deal to stay put in half-brother Valentino Rossi's team, to profit from his growing maturity, on the best MotoGP bike available. Meanwhile the Honda RC2132V is currently so feeble that not even Marc Marquez can make it competitive, while the team are struggling even to remember their former confidence and ability. He'll be well paid, with the deal made possible (and Valentino's approval secured) after team manager Alberto Puig talked HRC into two-year contract rather than the single-year arrangement that…

Reporting direct from the penultimate MotoGP round TOP STORY A resurfaced Lusail International Circuit in Qatar was always likely to throw up something unexpected, not least with the race moving from March to November. And while Fabio Di Giannantonio's first win was chief among the surprises, the contrasting fortunes of title challengers Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin on Saturday then Sunday sparked the real drama. On the verge Reigning World Champion Bagnaia may have been annoyed that a mistake three laps from the flag deprived him of victory in the main race. But the Italian can now reflect on the most important second place of his career, which extended his lead from seven points before Sunday's encounter to 21. Keep his head this weekend, and he'll be a three-time champion.…

THIS WEEK Two Wheels for Life have launched new online charity auctions. The British organisation is the official charity of MotoGP, and partners Riders for Health on the ground in Africa. Bid for a signed Dainese boot from 2021 WSB champ Toprak Razgatlioglu, a signed cap from WSB star Bradley Ray, and - in later auctions – a signed Casey Stoner replica Nolan helmet, and a Yamaha T-shirt signed by Fabio Quartararo. Visit charitystars.com/foundation/two-wheels-for-life GSX-8R pricing now announced Suzuki have revealed the pricing for their incoming GSX-8R soft sportsbike, which will join the party for 2024 alongside the likes of Honda's CBR650R and Aprilia's RS660. The 776cc parallel twin 8R will be available for £8899 on the road, with the first bikes arriving in dealerships in February. The bike borrows…

BEATING BIKE CRIME SAVE OUR BIKES! Officers from Avon and Somerset Police have come down hard on anti-social behaviour (ASB) on motorcycles, mopeds, and e-bikes – making arrests and reducing the number of incidents reported in the area. Following accounts of increasing vehicle theft, dangerous and anti-social riding, plus robbery and threatening behaviour, the force began a patch-wide operation – identifying crime hotspots in Bristol, Bath, and neighbouring areas of South Gloucestershire. Across their area, the Avon and Somerset team identified hotspots and offenders and targeted them with officers from CID, roads policing, intelligence, drones, and more – with additional support from the National Police Air Service (NPAS) when needed. In total, the operation netted 28 arrests or voluntary interviews, plus the recovery of 27 stolen motorbikes. The force also…

THIS WEEK Yamaha have launched a series of performance kits for their popular Ténéré 700 – and they've been drawn directly from the factory rally racing programme. The GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) Ténéré 700 World Raid Performance Kits follow similar GYTR performance kits for bikes ranging from the R7 and R1, to the YZ125 motocrosser. Three kits are available, each designed to turn the twin into ‘a true competition motorcycle with higher engine performance and a chassis tuned to deliver true rally capabilities’. Or, you can combine all three ‘to create the ultimate Ténéré 700 World Raid’. ‘Turn it into a competition motorcycle’ The Performance kit comprises a GYTR rally seat and footrest set, high performance GYTR ECU, billet clutch cover, Akrapovic full titanium exhaust and air filter kit.…

Fantic may be celebrated for their off-road history, but a surprise reveal of two road-focused 125 concept machines could hint at a new direction for the future. Already producing a range of scrambler-style Caballero models for the tarmac, the Italian brand used their stand at the Milan show to debut a new Imola 125 sports machine, plus a naked Stealth 125. Both are powered by a liquid-cooled, single with the most production-ready being the Stealth 125, which Fantic say will go on sale mid-2024. Of arguably even more interest is Fantic's new concept sports version, which is built on the same platform and called the Imola 125. Largely based on the new road-targeted Stealth, the Imola follows Fantic's successful debut in Moto2 road racing this year which saw Celestino Vietti's…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Readers John Allen and Alan Burk The ride Isle of Man tour When to do it Anytime outside the peak times of the TT and Manx GP How long do you need? We went for four days How many miles? The mileage from our meeting point (Brentwood, M25 jct 28) to Liverpool and back was 430 miles. Journey round the Island and places of interest, 200 miles. Tell us about the trip Riding round the TT course, we visited the impressive car and motorbike Isle of Man museum, then the amazing Laxey Wheel. On the ride round we found Murray's Motor Cycle Museum in what looked like a small bike shed, or so we thought, until we went inside. It went a long way back…

FIRST RIDE Paton may only be a small, Italian manufacturer but they have some serious history, which they've celebrated with their S1-R 60th Anniversary. It's a special edition of the S1-R Lightweight, the road-going version of their Supertwin TT machine that not only holds the current lap record but has been near enough dominant since 2017, winning an incredible five out of the last six races held. Equipped with some additional bling compared to the standard model, the S1-R 60thAnniversary is a costly yet worthy celebration of Paton's story, from their first taste of the Isle of Man with the legendary Mike Hailwood in the late 1950s, to the likes of Michael Dunlop's success in the modern era. 1 Agility is the key The SR-1 is built to be a…

‘Made to be ridden, not hidden’ This beautiful Interceptor 750 Series II is owned by Royal Enfield's EMEA marketing man, Steve Cain. In a world of cynical PR and corporate fluffery, it's refreshing to know that Steve bought this bike – with his own money – because he fell in love with it. And even more refreshingly, it won't just be sat on a plinth in an office somewhere as a visual distraction for coffeeswilling corporate guests, Steve rides it – hard. It's already been sprinted at Wheels & Waves and Steve uses it like most riders would use any modern naked. “It's a practical, useable, classic bike. I can jump on it, kick start it and take it out for a blast,” says Steve. “I love the brutish, linear…

THE MCN SHOWCASE LATEST BIKING TECH From cameras to comms, we're on the hunt for the cleverest gear 5000 miles ON TEST ● Function and design rated ● Gear tested in realworld conditions ● Price and value assessed As society has become more connected, acceptance of smart technology in and outside of motorcycle crash helmets has grown, with new tech flooding onto the market every year. The £929 Forcite MK-1S takes this up a notch, providing integrated 40mm Harman Kardon speakers, a 1080p @ 60fps built-in camera in the chin, plus a patented LED strip display in the nose-piece to provide rider warnings and navigation instructions. With the lid connecting to your smartphone via Forcite's app, additional control is provided by a bar-mounted triangular remote. This allows you to start…

Quad Lock accessories £142.97 I've been testing some of Quad Lock's ‘lifestyle’ products to see how they cope with the daily grind. The most useful for me is the magnetic card holder (£40.99), with which I carry my work pass to open security doors in the office. I've also made use of the battery (£54.99) during several events – it's good for a couple of decent charges, but beware: the sticker on the back saying it gets hot isn't exaggerating. And finally there's the tripod (£42.99), which is also a selfie stick. This has been helpful for me to video myself riding, leaving my phone by the roadside as I ride past. Plus, act quick and you'll get 30% off all Quad Lock gear during November. Quality Value www.quadlockcase.co.uk 2000…

Despite the machine and tyre problems that made life difficult at the Macau GP, Davey Todd proved once again that he has the potential to threaten the current dominance of Peter Hickman and Michael Dunlop on the roads. A North West 200 race winner and TT podium finisher in 2022 in the Supertsock race, the 28-year-old switched from Padgett's Honda power to BMW with Hector and Phillip Neill's TAS Racing team after struggling at this year's TT. Confirming he will race Milwaukee backed TAS Racing M1000RRs at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT during 2024, Todd says he believes that he has found his groove with the German superbike. “TAS gave us some support for Macau and I feel comfortable on the BMW now and am looking…

The unflagging optimism of Maverick Viñales was not dented by being best of the rest in Qatar. No disgrace in this era of Ducati dominance but still unsatisfying. In both the Sprint (6th) and the GP (4th) Viñales and the Aprilia RS-GP were the first non-Ducati. A last lap, final corner dash took him to within 0.08s of snatching a podium third from Luca Marini in the GP. “If I can exploit my potential, I can win races,” Viñales said. “The Ducati is sometimes on another level. But that's life, we have to improve.” Viñales says the big step Aprilia needs for 2024 is a “rocket clutch” for fast starts to avoid the crippling time penalty of pack racing and soaring front tyre pressure in the aero wash. After both…

Brad Binder and KTM have secured fourth place in the MotoGP championship but are still missing an increasingly elusive grand prix race win this season ahead of the grand finale in Valencia. Binder briefly teased his chances in Qatar, running third behind eventual race winner Fabio Di Giannantonio before fading to a distant fifth. A Ducati GP22 outrunning the 2023 KTM RC 16. A lack of fast corner rolling speed combined with front tyre issues in the GP: “The front tyre was basically broken ten laps before the end. That surprised me, I thought the tyre would survive the race quite well.” ‘The front tyre was broken ten laps in’…