Table of contents for 17 January 2024 in MCN

THE BIG TEST Key predators go hunting for a Tiger We all know how saturated the important middleweight adventure market is now – and one of the growing niches is the long-legged adventure-sports segment. King of the class is the Triumph Tiger 850 Sport, but with Honda releasing the XL750 Transalp (more roady than off-roady) and Suzuki joining the fray with their new cast-wheelwearing V-Strom 800RE – should the Tiger be bearing its claws, or cowering in the bushes? We took all three on the MCN250 to separate the big cat from the lap cats and see if there’s a new king of the class. PAGE 27 ‘Suzuki have hit the ground running with the V-Strom 800RE’ NEW SUZUKI HAS HONDA & TRIUMPH IN ITS SIGHTS NEW BIKES Are you…

Two rare predecessors of the first production Suzuki and Kawasaki motorcycles are among the stars of a classic motorcycle auction in April. A 1958 Colleda 250 TT, made under the ‘SJK’ name before the Suzuki brand was adopted in 1964, plus a 1963 Meguro, made before the company was absorbed into Kawasaki a year later, will both star at the Shuttleworth Spring Motorcycle Sale on Sunday, April 7. The Colleda is the only known example outside Japan and, as a 247cc two-stroke twin, is a precursor to Suzuki’s T20 and GT250. It’s presented in ‘original and unrestored’ condition and is expected to fetch between £12,000 and £14,000. The Meguro is an S-8 250 Junior, a 250cc OHV single, and the brand’s final model. Meguro were one of the first Japanese…

New bike sales in 2023 concluded with a slight decline on 2022 figures, according to new data released by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA). But despite the downturn, bosses say there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic. “2024 will be an exciting year for the sector which will be built upon another solid performance in 2023,” Tony Campbell, CEO of the MCIA, said. “The scooter and motorcycle market will become an even more important contributor to the transport eco-system.” He said the role of bikes had been recognised by ministers and the Department for Transport, and regardless of who wins the general election the MCIA will continue to press the Government to honour their commitments. Figures reveal that 5236 new bikes were registered in December, taking the full…

‘Triumph’s a bike fit for a king…’ The other day I was writing a bit about classic TT races when I stumbled upon the 2003 Junior TT results. This race saw Bruce Anstey take victory on the ValMoto Triumph Daytona 600, an amazing achievement considering it was Triumph’s first appearance at the TT in 28 years. Oddly enough, this result also inspired Prince William to buy a Daytona and led to ValMoto owner (and total legend…) Jack Valentine having a pee next to him in the toilets at Goodwood after the future king rode the bike on track there at his 21st birthday bash, which was organised by Rowan Atkinson. But that’s another story… I owned a Daytona for a year back in 2003 and loved it. Where the likes…

Police in Wales have issued a warning to motorcycle owners, following thefts in the Gwynedd North area. District Support Sergeant Andy Davies said: “We’re appealing for residents to remain vigilant for suspicious activity in the area, and for motorcycle owners to check the security of their vehicles when not in use. “If possible, park your motorcycle where it can be seen by yourself or your neighbours, and use locks and alarms when possible, to prevent an opportunistic thief from trying to steal it.”…

Suzuki have added a new ‘Plus’ version of the GSX-S1000GX to the range with the bike gaining a pair of 36-litre panniers as standard for high-speed touring. The GX+ retains the same plush-yet-sporty semi-active suspension, all-day comfort, and superbike-derived 150bhp from its 999cc inline four but adds panniers that are capable of swallowing a full-face helmet. Despite the ‘Plus’ name, there’s still no backlit switchgear, and whilst weather protection is up to scratch, adjusting the screen requires breaking out a tool kit. With an OTR of £15,599, Suzuki’s premium tall rounder is hardly an insignificant investment. But for customers seeking the carrying capacity the GX+ offers, it represents a potential saving of £175 versus the cost of spec’ing genuine panniers separately. ‘Each pannier will swallow a full-face lid’ The Suzuki…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews 'Why are bikes so easy to steal?' I’m fairly new to the motorcycling world and have already felt the heartbreak of a stolen bike. I didn’t know it at the time, but I loved that bike and having received the CCTV of it being stolen, I’ve only watched it once. My simple question is – why are the steering locks so easy to snap? The person who took my bike appeared to simply turn the handlebars and they were away (after angle-grinding the locks). Surely the steering lock can be made more sturdy? Steve Withers, email STAR LETTER 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…

Area key: ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH AND SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST SAVE £££s – BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE mcnmotorcycleshow.com Wednesday January 17 BIKE MEETS ■ The King Billy Rock Bar, Northampton 6.30pm Facebook: The King Billy Rock Bar ■ Huggys Speedshop, Mallory Park Leicestershire. From 10am huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ Amici Coffee Biker Night, Girtford Bridge, Sandy, Bedfordshire amicicoffee.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548 224866 ■ Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, West Yorkshire 01977 684618 or squires-cafe.co.uk ■ Loomies Moto Cafe, West Meon, Hants loomiescafe.co.uk ■ Ryka’s Cafe, Box Hill Surrey 5pm-9pm rykas.co.uk ■ The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey 10.30am-1pm Facebook: Pathfinder Cafe Thursday January 18 BIKE MEETS ■ Vic Bikers’ Pub, Coalville, Leics vicbikerspub.co.uk ■ MAG Bike Night, The Market, Elsecar, South Yorkshire. From 6pm…

Price is a big factor in the success of the middleweight adventure sector. Useful luxuries, therefore, are generally extras. So it’s refreshing to see Suzuki turn up the spec dial a notch for the 800RE, equipping it with an up/down quickshifter, traction control and modes as standard. Better still, a set of three-stage heated grips, worth £357, are currently part of the Suzuki package. Top of our accessories list for the Strom would be a centrestand (£276.65), a DC socket (£46.58), satnav bracket (£49.96) and, of course, luggage – Suzuki offer a choice of both plastic and aluminium top boxes and panniers. Honda offer a huge raft of extras for the Transalp, including many multipacks which equip the bike for specific disciplines, with prices ranging from £290 for the Comfort…

With six back-to-back titles, Jonathan Rea is the most decorated World Superbike champion in the sport’s history, setting all-time highs for race wins (119), points scored (6172.5), podiums (263) and fastest laps (104) during a 16-year world-class career spent wheel-to-wheel with such greats as Bayliss, Haga, Spies, Davies, as well as Razgatlioglu and Bautista. Recent times, however, have been hard for the serial winner, an aging ZX-10RR shouldering the blame for a lull in form which, at its lowest, resulted in a 24-race winless streak for the Larne-born legend – but it wasn’t through lack of trying. Riding the wheels off his Kawasaki to remain competitive, the last few seasons have been edge-of-seat stuff for armchair enthusiasts, as Rea battled Bautista and Razgatlioglu tooth and nail. It begs the question,…

'It punches well above its weight' There’s more to the new Shotgun 650 than meets the eye. On the face of it, it’s a simple retro cruiser dripping with Bike Shed custom cool. It’s laid-back and all-day comfy, but it’s also sporty and fun to ride thanks to neutral handling, lots of grip and an engine packed with torque and a deep, throbbing exhaust note. It’s also solidly finished and nicely detailed. It punches well above its weight – and all for a lot less money than its retrocruiser competition. THE FACTS £6699 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650…

I don’t think there’s a more satisfying job to do in the garage than restoring an alloy part – scrubbing away all those years of muck to make a part look like new again is highly rewarding. The massive dopamine shot the result dumps into your brain means you quickly develop a keen streak of motivation to take on the rest of the bike. But there is a drawback, well at least there is for me… it’s the mess. Yes, in the pursuit of getting things shiny you end up slathering your garage or workshop in debris and horrible black build up, and means that once you’ve spent hours buffing a part (and it can take that long, be warned) there’s an extra half hour or more of tidying up…

MotoGP tech expert and former Isle of Man TT winner TOP STORY A couple of decades ago no one would’ve believed you if you told them Honda would finish bottom of MotoGP’s constructors championship two years in a row. And yet that’s exactly what happened. In 2022 and 2023 Honda were humbled by all the other factories and last season was particularly gruesome: their two factory riders suffered more than 50 crashes between them and their number-one superstar ran away to ride a second-hand Ducati. When Ducati fell into their post-Casey Stoner hole in 2011 they didn’t win another GP until 2016, so might Honda still be chasing glory half a decade from now? Honda’s first 2024 RC213V prototype certainly suggested so. When Marc Marquez rode the bike at Misano,…

New e-bike firm, Stark Future, made their electrifying debut in the second round of the British Arenacross Championship in Manchester on January 6. With Brit rider Jack Brunell at the helm of the factory-spec Varg, the crosser stormed to victory, securing the team’s first win and sending waves through the sport. Glaring issue The RAC are calling on the Government to commission a study into headlight glare. Of 2000 people surveyed, 91% said they get dazzled when driving, with some avoiding driving after dark altogether. Six fatal collisions have been attributed to dazzling every year since 2013 and with increasingly bright LED lights fitted to modern vehicles, the problem could be worsening. Yamaha's new electric focus In a bid to commit to local European manufacturing, Yamaha have announced their French…

Official MotoGP charity partner, Two Wheels for Life, have launched a series of experience days across the 2024 season – allowing you to rub shoulders with racing stars. Last year saw the Two Wheels for Life team celebrate their most successful period since the Covid pandemic – delivering 32 Yamaha motorcycles to assist with health work in The Gambia, train 46 health workers in Nigeria, and more. Now, the charity (twowheelsforlife.org) want to raise further funds by helping you get closer to the MotoGP riders you love, offering access to the MotoGP paddock between 2pm and 7pm on the Thursday race weekends. Available at 11 of the 22 Grand Prix events, including Assen, Catalunya, Portimao, Jerez, Austria, Aragon, Misano and the season finale at Valencia, adult tickets are priced at…

RST Pro Adventure-X Airbag £280.37 Get set for a year of adventures If you’ve been considering a new textile jacket, be it for your main kit, as a rainy day alternative to leathers, or a spare for when you take a pillion, now is the time to snap one up. We’ve been trawling the net for the best offers and have found an abundance of brilliant deals on highly rated all-weather jackets. The RST Adventure-X is a great jacket to begin with, being certified to AA standard for abrasion resistance and has CE Level 2 shoulder and elbow armour. This version has the added benefit of in&motion’s excellent airbag system (requires subscription, currently £12 per month). It has separate removable waterproof and thermal layers, and masses of ventilation thanks to…

Q ‘The dealer has gone bust’ Last year I bought new bike from a dealer. I was persuaded to proceed because they promised a lengthy extended warranty and a few other bits. But the bike is no longer working properly and I have just learned that the dealer has gone into liquidation. Have I any legal recourse as I would not have committed to the deal but for the promised warranty? Les, email A When companies go into liquidation many innocent customers can end up short-changed. You do, however, have some options to explore. If there is a fault with the motorcycle and you have registered it correctly, then you may be able to use the manufacturer’s guarantee to get a repair or a refund. You can also register a…

1 January 20 Kempton Park autojumble With over 30 years of trading under its belt, you know that the motorcycle autojumble at Kempton Park Racecourse (TW16 5AQ) this weekend is going to be a good one. Although we’ve only just started the year, there are plenty of bargains to be had, treasures to be found and projects to begin. Tickets are £9 for earlybird (£10 on the gate) or £6 for entry from 9.30am (£7 on the gate). kemptonautojumble.co.uk 2 January 5-19 Dakar Rally If you haven’t already caught up on the desert-racing action, be quick – you’ve only got two days left. The arduous Saudi Arabian route has been testing riders and drivers more than ever before, so who knows which riders and bikes will make it to the finish line?…

FUNCTIONALITY AND FEATURES…

BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician It's time to shine Bike looking a bit sad? Here’s how to restore tarnished alloy 1 Identify sad alloy Tarnished alloy parts really drag down the look of your bike. Over time, components like footrest hangers, top yokes and fork stanchions can lose their lustre and look grey and scabby thanks to the oxidising effects of time and use. Fortunately, they can be brought back to their best with a large dose of elbow grease. Here’s how… 2 Get stripping The first task is to remove the component from the bike to allow you to access all sides. In the case of a compound component such as this footrest hanger, it’s best to strip it down further into its individual pieces. To do this, place the part…

Riders looking to bag a bargain on the latest biking bling can enjoy a 10% discount on selected R&G items this January. The limited time offer includes the entirety of the Pro range, featuring radiator guards, engine covers to fit a range of models and a host of different paddock stands. All items can be found at rg-racing.com, with prices starting from £45.83. Airoh's new face Italian helmet manufacturer Airoh have teamed up with MotoGP race winner and Dakar rally finisher (and stage winner) Danilo Petrucci. Following a decade-long career in MotoGP, Petrucci moves into his second year on the World Superbike grid for the Barni Racing Team. For the 2024 season he will don Airoh’s recently unveiled, FIM approved GP 800 lid as part of a two-year contract. Visit…

Triumph have been awarded the Torrens Trophy for 2023, receiving the accolade for their supply of engines to the Moto2 world championship. Entering their sixth season powering the class, and already signed up until 2029, Triumph’s Street Triple-derived 765 motor has completed around 1.3m kilometres of combined competition – with 21 different riders taking victory in that time at speeds of up to 190mph. “It’s absolutely fantastic that we have been recognised for our contribution to what is one of the best global motorcycle sporting events – Moto2,” Triumph’s Chief Commercial Officer, Paul Stroud told MCN. “We’ve been a partner for five seasons, we’re coming into our sixth season, and we’ve extended our contract with Dorna, which is absolutely fantastic.” He continued: “There’s so many unsung heroes that have helped…

SAVE £1600 £21,995 Triumph Rocket III GT Chrome This laid-back behemoth has bags of torque, allday comfort and surprisingly capable handling. The latest generation Rocket III retains the same immense road presence but offers greatly improved performance. The GT model features a lower seat and more relaxed controls, providing an even more enjoyable cruising experience. www.pidcock.com SAVE £1000 £6999 KTM 790 Duke The 790 offers razor-sharp handling and a hard-punching twin. With superbike-spec electronics it perfectly blends practicality and performance. www.juddracing.com •Engine 799cc ●Power 94bhp ●Weight 174kg ●Seat height 835mm SAVE £683 £8400 Honda CBR650R The middleweight Honda makes for a dependable commuter or weekend weapon. The buttery smooth inline four could well be all the bike you’ll ever need. www.phmotorcycle.co.uk •Engine 649cc ●Power 94bhp ●Weight 204kg ●Seat height 810mm…

SAVE £££s – BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE mcnmotorcycleshow.com A Lincolnshire road leading to popular biker meeting spot, Willingham Woods, has been hit with the installation of fixed average speed cameras and a limit reduction from 60mph to 50mph, with some saying they’ll no longer visit the area and others dubbing it a ‘waste of money’. Located just outside Market Rasen, the woodland car park has been a popular haunt for many years, with a regular bike night on Wednesdays attracting hundreds of riders during peak season. Accessed via a layby just off the A631 between Market Rasen and Louth, it features a long stretch of tarmac often filled to the brim with bikes, with a kiosk serving hot and cold drinks and snacks to visitors. However, at the…

Oxford Byron Gloves £34.99 Short gloves are ideal in the summer, and this new ventilated pair from kit gurus Oxford will no doubt prove a winner. With discreet PU knuckle protection beneath the mesh outer shell and a goat leather palm, they’re CE certified to Level 1 KP for abrasion and impact resistance. Available in Blue and Red or Grey Camo. oxfordproducts.com Venhill Cable Kits for Honda CB500 from £25.32 Owners of Honda’s CB500 F, R and X models can now upgrade their clutch and throttle with Venhill’s featherlight control cable kits. Developed and manufactured in the UK, they’re available in a range of colours and provide a smoother and more durable operation. Additional lengths can be ordered for bikes fitted with bar risers. Venhill.co.uk Weise Axel Softshell Jacket £179.99…

The latest new models from the biggest brands See BMW’s R1300GS and F900GS adventure bikes alongside their Sport, Roadster, and Heritage ranges. Triumph will unveil their entire 2024 lineup, including the rejuvenated Tiger 900, a middleweight adventure beast pushing the boundaries. Suzuki will ignite the show with their dynamic GSX-S1000GX sports crossover and the GSX 8R middleweight. Harley-Davidson will bring their signature rumble and rebellious spirit with their all-new CVO Street and Road Glide models. Kawasaki, meanwhile, will steal the show with their innovative Ninja 7 Hybrid and the return of the screaming fours with the 2024 ZX-6R and ZX-4RR. More of the world’s biggest brands and new models will be revealed in the lead up to the show. Motorcycling legends Road race royalty John McGuinness and Peter Hickman will…

'Bangers and dash' DAVID NEALE Super Sausage Cafe on New Year’s Day – a 168-mile round trip. Enjoyed breakfast, but the ride was a tad chilly! 'Short but sweet' IAN SPEIGHT First ride of the year, although flooded and closed roads made for a shortish ride. But the mileage count is under way! 'That's the first 1k clocked!' SHAUN NAPIER Started the year off with a ride down to Cornwall. It was a really good ride – very cold but I was well layered up. 'Back in the saddle' GARETH EVANS Good to be back riding the Transalp after an op on my arm. Still struggle a bit going to full throttle, but it’s wonderful. 'Cafe cruise' MARTIN PRENDERGAST Rode out to wish Dave at Ma Baker’s a happy new…

MCN 250 MILE ROAD TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK £10,095 Triumph Tiger 850 Sport ● 888cc 12v inline-triple ● 84bhp/60.4lb.ft ● £116.51 per month PCP £9699 Suzuki V-Strom 800RE ● 776cc 8v parallel-twin ● 83bhp/57.5lb.ft ● £144.30 per month PCP £9699 Honda XL750 Transalp ● 776cc 8v parallel-twin ● 90.5bhp/55.3lb.ft ● £109 per month on PCP Of all the adventure bike sub-classes – and there are many – the middleweight sector is perhaps the most important. With machines ranging in capacity from 700 to 900cc and prices starting at under £10k, and A2 licence restriction possible on most models, these mid-sized all-rounders appeal to a huge pool of potential buyers – from new riders and experienced hands, to those on a budget, or people stepping down from…

'Some stiff competition' The Transalp’s got a lot going for it. Handsome styling, fine handling, effective weather protection, clever electronics, tempting price and a lightness of touch to its ride that could propel it to the top of this class. But the awkward juxtaposition between all that and a peaky power delivery spoils what should be a great middleweight adventure bike. I just hope the V-Strom’s arrival jolts Honda into corrective action. Suzuki have hit the ground running with the V-Strom 800RE. Like the Honda, it’s attractively priced and comes with a few tempting luxuries like an OE quickshifter and, for a limited time, heated grips. With its cast alloy wheels, road tyres and tarmac pretentions the RE’s lost a bit of the DE’s rugged appeal, but if you’re never…

HARLEY LOW RIDER ST 10,392 MILES When a staffer at a HarleyDavidson dealership called my bike a ‘mini-tourer’, it got me thinking about how well the Low Rider ST performs in that role. I have done my fair share of miles on it, with many of them on what I’d call ‘tours’, such as up to Scotland and even down to Budapest in Hungary. Yet in standard trim straight out of the showroom I wasn’t sure if the Low Rider ST could live up to that name because of its single seat and the inability to add any more luggage to its pair of standard-issue hard panniers. Putting myself in the position of someone in the market looking for their first touring motorcycle, I decided to find out if the…

‘He’d had a lucky escape – it could’ve have been deadly’ Like many small-capacity bikes, this Honda CB125R was subject to a thankless urban drudge, carrying its young rider on a daily commute. The culmination of mile-upon-mile of mechanical neglect saw the 125’s chain come flying off the rear sprocket, before wrapping itself around the rear wheel and swingarm. Fortunately, veteran mechanic Kevin Hollingsworth, of Doncaster Motorcycles, was on hand to get things running smoothly again, but not before some words of wisdom were offered to the customer to prevent further mishaps. Kevin said: “It could’ve been much worse – a chain coming off could have deadly consequences. He had a lucky escape this time.” In the process, the chain had become twisted, snapping a link and rendering it totally unusable.…

Leading Irish road racing journalist and photographer During the past week Northern Ireland’s Ulster Grand Prix, the fastest road race on the planet, has been cancelled for the fifth year in a row. The Tandragee 100 had already been called off for 2024 and all five of the road races in the Republic of Ireland have followed suit. These Irish events have spawned some of the sport’s most famous names, attracting huge crowds of enthusiastic road racing fans to the hedgerows as they watched riders including Joey, Robert, William and Michael Dunlop, Phillip McCallen, Brian Reid, Ryan Farquhar and Adrian Archibald. Down the decades, the continued existence of these races has been threatened by tragedy and terror, by Foot & Mouth and Coronavirus. Some, like Carrowdore and Temple, have already…

Bringing you the stories behind the sports headlines Ducati will lose one of their key personnel in the MotoGP paddock this season as Paolo Ciabatti moves to spearhead the Italian manufacturer’s all-new off-road project. It will be a big loss to the MotoGP team but highlights just how important the venture into the off-road market is for the brand. Alongside Davide Tardozzi and Gigi Dall’lgna, Ciabatti has overseen Ducati’s rise to the top in short circuit racing, and 2023 was another landmark year as Ducati bagged MotoGP, World Superbike and British Superbike titles, alongside the World, British and American Supersport crowns. MCN caught up with Ciabatti prior to his departure… How did you manage the rivalry between Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin? “If we were worried about this kind of…

You could have been forgiven for giving up on Honda in the second half of last season: every upgrade their engineers brought to MotoGP, every prototype, didn’t seem to fix the RC213V’s problems How could Honda so consistently get the RC213V wrong? All their engineers had to do was copy the dimensions of the Ducati and start from there! Because that’s what you do when you’re in a hole: you do what the fastest people are doing. And finally, hallelujah, it seems like the penny has dropped! The latest 2024 prototype RC213V is longer, so Joan Mir and new Repsol teammate Luca Marin were able to lay down some good lap times without ending up on their backsides during November testing. Of course this doesn’t mean Honda are out of the…

I’ve just got back from the La 100km Campioni race at Rossi’s ranch. I expected it to be unbelievable, but when I got there it just blew me away. The setting and the scenery is stunning. For 99% of the population it would be horrendous because smack bang in the middle of a beautiful valley is a motorbike ranch, but for us it’s absolute heaven! The track was in prime condition and it’s something else, positive cambers, off cambers, fast corners, hairpins and it’s just developing talent. They are rolling them out on a conveyor belt. Everyone in the VR46 academy is in such a great place because you’ve got Valentino as the kingpin who is just the coolest, most down to earth, talented person. All of the top riders…