Table of contents for 14 August 2024 in MCN

'Smaller adventure bikes make real sense' CARL STEVENS, P29 TOP STORY Suzuki's ICE thawed It's interesting how manufacturers now seem willing to commit to future of the internal combustion engine. Suzuki are the latest big name to declare there's still life in the old cylinders yet, after their recent success at Suzuka with a sustainable fuel powered GSX-R1000. Does this news indicate that there could be talk of policy changes inside the corridors of power? PAGE 04 MANX GP PREVIEW Can Dunlop win on Ducati? Roads are getting set to close on the Isle of Man this week as the Manx GP kicks off on Sunday with a week of practice and qualifying before racing gets underway next Friday. The big news is that Michael Dunlop will be lining up…

Devon and Cornwall police are using artificial intelligence to identify dangerous driving offences, making roads in the two counties safer for motorcyclists during the coming weeks as thousands of holidaymakers flood into the region. Three freestanding Acusensus AI cameras are operative across the region's 13,500-mile road network – the first long-term use of the technology outside Australia where it was initially trialled. The system uses two cameras, one to take a front-facing image, the other an overhead view, which are then analysed by AI to ascertain if any offence has taken place. Devon and Cornwall police are particularly keen to catch drivers using mobile phones or driving without seatbelts. During a two-week trial in February and March Acusensus detected 408 seatbelt and 162 mobile phone offences. “The vast majority of…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews STAR LETTER 'All I could say was… WOW!' Just had to put pen to paper after reading your comprehensive report on the new Yamaha XSR900 GP. I had booked a test ride at Alf England in Bedworth, and was concerned about my arthritic hands/wrists/knees. I was out for three hours on all types of road (A5/A444 to Donington Park and back). All I kept saying to myself was: “I've got to have one of these, I MUST have one of these.” On returning with a big smile on my face all I could say was a massive “WOW!” I placed my order there and then, including the Race Pack. By the way, I'll be 78 years young in a couple of months. Peter Tasker, Coventry Ed:…

1 August 18 Revved Up Choppers Day The seaside tea bar in Essex will be surrounded by long-forked motorcycles. If you want to see the metal, or want to showcase your own, head on down to Walton-on-the-Naze. 2 August 17-18 Oliver's Mount hill climb Gates open at 9am on Saturday at Oliver's Mount (YO11 2YW) for a weekend of racing. Tickets for the weekend are £8. oliversmount.com 3 August 18-26 Manx Grand Prix Bikes will be back on the island this weekend. Watch the action for free all over the island, with qualifying from the 18th, and racing from the 23rd (see p38). manxgrandprix.co.uk 4 August 16-18 Two-stoke Festival Apico Factory Racing are teaming up with Red Bull to bring the smell of two-strokes to Sellindge MX, Kent. If you want to camp it's…

GET YOUR FIRST SIX ISSUES FOR JUST £5! Subscribe to MCN now at: greatmagazines.co.uk/mcn-offer 03200 'Park and barb' CHRIS GARNER Ride in-ride out service Namig's Hair Salon in Derby where you can get a haircut and wet shave and never worry about where to park your bike safely. 01000 'Heading for the Highlands' RAPHAEL DAVIS Next stop – the Highlands! I've ridden 450 miles so far and the Panigale is proving to be the perfect tourer. I'm at just over 1000 miles, but it will be 3.5k by this time next week. 05000 'Cumbrian cruise' HARRY HAWKINS Up the west coast of Cumbria to Silloth for a classic show. The plan was to go up to Bowness on Solway but we missed the turn so turned south before Carlisle to…

MCN VERDICT From long days in the saddle, to taking on glorious B-roads and tackling sections of off-road, adventure bikes need to be comfortable, capable, fun and well built – which is something that these four machines offer to varying degrees, but all for a reasonable price. If you're a road rider first and foremost, the KTM is a cracking choice thanks to its tarmac-loving nature, even if it does come up short when it comes to the dirt. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Honda's CRF300 Rally, which is a demon in the dirt but lacks the punch to be a mile-munching road bike. Royal Enfield's new Himalayan sits somewhere in the middle, offering a calmer take on an adventure machine. Most surprisingly of all is just…

'Top tech, low price' CFMoto are gathering momentum and the 800NK Advanced is a very impressive product. Far from just a re-badged 790 Duke, the NK is a distinct model with its own styling and a slightly more relaxed character than the KTM. Considering its price, the level of spec is remarkable and while it's a shame they haven't pinched KTM's angle-responsive TC and ABS, that's a fairly small omission. Could it be the bike that springboards CFMoto into the mainstream? If you are comparing like-for-like, and ignoring the name on the tank, it's a very tempting sporty middleweight. THE FACTS £7499* CFMoto 800NK Advanced *0N OFFER FOR £6799…

2000 miles ON TEST LS2 Thunder Carbon £439.99 (Supra) 'Amazing visibility, but a bit noisy' Tested by Dan Sutherland for four months I've been using this LS2 Thunder Carbon since the start of spring, wearing it on my commute, weekend rides, and a couple of trackdays. It's the first LS2 I've used, but it's been a wonderful introduction – providing a versatile, stable, and sporty design that's practical and comfortable over distance, with superb visibility when tucked in behind the screen. Weighing in at 1280g, it's homologated to ECE 22.06 and comes with an ACU gold sticker for on-track duties. Despite being carbon fibre, prices start at just £399.99 for plain black – making it cheaper than the likes of the £669.99 Arai RX-7V, or £699.99 Shoei XSPR-Pro, which are…

BRUCE DUNN MCN's expert technician The chain game… Ten simple steps to fitting a new chain and sprockets to your bike BRUCE'S TIPS You may have to remove the gear lever linkage on some bikes 1 Gain access to the front sprocket The first thing to do is get the bike on a secure stand that raises the back wheel off the ground before undoing the front sprocket cover. Depending on your specific bike, there will be three or more bolts securing the cover to the engine. When you take the bolts out, make a note of where they locate because they are often different lengths. 2 Loosen the front sprocket nut If the sprocket is secured by two bolts and a retaining plate (as on this Monster), undo the bolts, turn…

MICHAEL SCOTT Back to real life for British racing after the euphoria of Silverstone last weekend, with the first British home GP winner in almost a decade. The last one was Danny Kent in Moto3 in 2015, by miles; the latest Jake Dixon, by a length after winning a Moto2 scrap. There is a double BSB link here. Kent – dominant in Moto3 in 2015 but since falling on hard times – is busy rebuilding his reputation there. Dixon went the other way. Finishing BSB runner-up to Leon Haslam in 2018 earned him a Moto2 seat in 2019. He's done the hard yards there: first podium (of 14 and counting) in 2022, first win at Assen last year. Silverstone was his third. And a good one. But good enough? What…

For the second round in a row Glenn Irwin had to fight through the pain barrier in the final race of the weekend after suffering a huge highside in race two. Irwin was in third when he was launched into the air at turn three on the opening lap, landing heavily in the middle of the circuit. Thankfully, all of the other riders managed to avoid him. “I've had some big highsides before but the second or third gear ones definitely hurt more,” Irwin said. “It made the final race 50/50 but I felt OK so gave it a go and although I was annoyed to lose a couple of places towards the end, we got some points. 'The last race was 50/50 but I gave it a go' “We…

Going behind the headlines as riders battle for glory 'I wanted to have fun with Toprak. Unfortunately, I crashed at Turn 5' For Alvaro Bautista to take the lead of the World Superbike Championship, he would need to win the next seven races with Toprak Razgatlioglu pretty much not scoring. It's not mathematically over for the double World Champion but, despite making significant strides at Portimao, it's an uphill struggle. With five rounds and 15 races to run, Bautista sits 142 points behind his Turkish rival before Toprak's favourite track at Magny-Cours. It's not looking at all easy for Bautista to become only the second rider in history (after Jonathan Rea) to win three consecutive titles. There is light at the end of the tunnel, however, as the Spaniard has…

SAVE £2300 £15,299 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin ES Honda's Africa Twin is genuinely round-the-world capable out of the box, but it's also a great commuter, weekend tourer, pillion carrier and green lane tool. This one comes dripping with goodies, including a full three-piece aluminium luggage set up, inner bags, crash bars, fog lights, heated grips and more. www.suttonmotorcycles.com SAVE £1904 £13,995 Suzuki GSX-S1000GX Suzuki's 'tall rounder' is superbly comfortable, practical, offers plenty of tech and has ample power to keep any rider happy too. www.completelymotorbikes.co.uk • Engine 999cc • Power 150bhp • Weight 232kg • Seat height 845mm SAVE £1500 £14,595 Triumph Speed Triple RS Refined, with plenty of poke and handling that's perfect for attacking your favourite B-road, Triumph's Speed Triple is among the best super nakeds out there.…

Oxford Products have celebrated their best ever start to a year, achieving record sales in the first half of 2024. Managing Director, Henry Rivers Fletcher, told MCN: “The story of 2024 is one of stability. Gone are the ups and downs of recent years. Our sales this year have been much more consistent, our stock management much more accurate, our business practises more disciplined – all enabling us to run the business more efficiently.” Founded in 1973 by Alec Hammond, the British brand had humble beginnings, with Hammond selling fibreglass boxes from the back of his van. From there, it has grown to offer thousands of products, boasting an annual turnover over £50m. 'The right people with the right ideas' Hammond said: “Like most businesses in the UK, if not…

British MXGP champion, Lauren Collingwood has established the UK's first all-female motocross training academy, with the goal of encouraging more women and girls into the sport. Offering training days dotted around various UK locations, the Girls That Moto project (www.girlsthatmoto.uk) is open to all ages and experience levels. Collingwood told MCN: “I started racing aged six, back then there were only a handful of girls racing. As I started to get older, the opportunities for women in the sport were, and still are, a lot less than those available to men. Even at the same level there is just not the same amount of support.” 'Motivate girls to be the best they can be' Despite competing in a male dominated field, Collingwood has gone on to become five-time British MXGP…

Q 'When is it legal to filter' In your MCN column of July 24 you suggest that filtering is OK as long as you are not approaching a junction. Could you clarify exactly what is legal and what is not? Tom Mallows, email A In the column mentioned I said: “As long as you were not filtering on the approach to a junction I see no reason for you to accept any blame.” Despite filtering being perfectly legal, filtering past junctions or even open entrances is considered by the courts as an inherently dangerous manoeuvre. As such, when approaching any gap in the traffic which a vehicle could conceivably pass through you should stop or slow down to the point that you can confirm that nothing is going to emerge…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Reader Rob Scott The ride France, Spain, Andorra and Switzerland How many miles? 2942 How long do you need? Two weeks Tell us about the trip… I took two weeks off work, packed my tent, and bought a ticket for the ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo. I had nothing else booked, not even a return ferry, just a vague plan to visit the Pyrenees and the Alps. Each evening I chose a rough destination. As for my bike, 'Tango' the KTM 390 Adventure didn't miss a beat although overtakes took some planning. Highlights of the trip were riding the rocky roads in the Bardenas Reales 'badlands' in northern Spain, the Col de la Machine and other 'balcony' roads in the French Alps, and the…

UK'S TOUGHEST TEST We love adventure bikes of all shapes and sizes, but sometimes, less can be more. Sure, a fully laden monster comes with all the gadgets and gizmos anyone could ask for (and more, usually), but it comes at a hefty price – not only in terms of the impact on your wallet, but in terms of its outright size, too. That's why smaller-capacity adventure bikes can make real sense; not only are they easier to manage power-wise, but they're also a little lower and lighter too (and less expensive), which makes the whole journey of exploring off-road and suffering the odd spill that bit less painful. And with a couple of affordable new hotshots arriving this year from CFMoto and Royal Enfield, the sector has never been…

'We wanted the new bike's frame to be simple and direct' THE FACTS GET YOUR FIRST SIX ISSUES FOR JUST £5! Subscribe to MCN now at: greatmagazines.co.uk/mcn-offer Harley-Davidson may be morphing into a new era of liquid-cooled V-twins exemplified by the Pan America and Sportster S, but in truth the brand has been there before, far more ambitiously, with the 2002 VRSCA V-Rod. Inspired by H-D's then superbike, created in cooperation with Porsche and introducing not just liquid-cooling, DOHC, four-valve heads and an underseat tank to street Harleys, but also hydroformed frames and aluminium bodywork. The V-Rod was not just the most ambitious and innovative Harley ever – but also the most powerful and fastest. And yet, after 15 years in production, a variety of models and drag race success,…

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 plenty more. 2010-2016 Suzuki GSX1250F Owners' rating The big-capacity GSX-F model scores a decent 4.4 out of 5. Its lack of equipment sees it drop marks but the inline four engine scores a very impressive 4.8 out of 5. It's a cracking motor. 2000-2006 Kawasaki ZX-12R Owners' rating As you would imagine, the monster inline four engine gets a near perfect 4.9 out of 5 and it is also praised for its reliability with lots of bikes recording fault-free high mileages. 2014-2016 Kawasaki Z1000SX Owners' rating It scores well but the first-gen machine does have a few issues too. Owners report that…

Servicing your bike at home is a great way to get to know your machine and save a few quid, but it can all go horribly wrong and lead to a costly fix. When one Ducati owner was wrenching away on his 1098, treating the Italian exotica to a simple service, he accidentally set his torque wrench incorrectly – leading to dire consequences. “He'd dropped his oil, put in a new filter and nipped the sump plug up – all fine so far,” said Martin Largan, owner of Middlesbrough based Titanium Motorsport. “But when he went to tighten it up fully, he had set his torque wrench wrong and ended up snapping the casing. “He was unlucky, it didn't even strip the threads, he just ended up shearing a big…

Going behind the headlines in the BSB race paddock Ryan Vickers remains in the form of his life in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship after claiming another two victories at Thruxton. That takes him to five wins in the last six races and seven in total for the 2024 season. The GRILLA OMG Racing Yamaha rider has moved to within 50 points of Tommy Bridewell… just imagine where he would be if not for his injury woes. Vickers spent Friday getting to grips with both the SC1, the only tyre available for the feature races, and the softer SC0, available for the sprint race, and it paid off. His race pace was incredible, as was his tyre conservation ability. If not for teammate Kyle Ryde, who is now second in…

Going behind the headlines in the BSB race paddock Balancing the suspension James Harpham, K-tech Suspension technician “We need to get the most out of the bike without using too much tyre. To do that you must run the lowest 'wheel rate' you can get away with, so the least rate of change as the wheel compresses when the suspension moves, so that the tyre doesn't get pushed too hard into the road. You need to try and achieve this, but maintain the position of the bike to keep it turning and allow it to maintain a line. “If you ran a really stiff spring here, that wouldn't be a wise move. Obviously, that comes at a trade-off for controlling it over the bumps, and over the really loose sections.…

JOHN McGUINNESS Nobody has an answer for Toprak right now. He's just clicked with the BMW – it's like when Jonathan clicked with the Kawasaki, once he did that, he was gone. He must have just come with a different attitude. Whether it's him just being able to ride through problems. He just wanted power, didn't he? Give me a load of power and I'll sort the rest out… Honestly, I don't know how you beat him but the rest of them have to keep going and try to get at him and force him into some mistakes. Bautista and the rest need to keep strong and keep fighting because if they're psychologically beaten before they even get there, it's going to be even harder. Toprak is in that sweet…

Peugeot-owned Dab Motorcycles have showcased a batch of five special edition bikes to celebrate the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Based on the electric 1a, of which there are only 400 in existence, the French brand have a bike for each of the five rings. They consist of a knobbly tyred, surf-inspired beach build, a boxing bike, a tennis bike, skate build and finally a basketball themed model. Travel protected Royal Enfield have launched a 'Borderless Warranty Programme', allowing riders to enjoy peace of mind in more than 70 countries. Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Chief Commercial Officer, Royal Enfield, said: “We are dedicated to fostering a vibrant global community of riders who share our passion for exploration and adventure.” The scheme covers all bikes currently within their standard warranty and all new…

A fundraiser has been set up for a Southport biker who was injured trying to fend off three motorcycle thieves after reportedly catching them in the act. Cole, who is a keen motorcyclist in his early 20s, came across the group on July 19, discovering that they were attempting to steal bikes from Southport Promenade. A physical altercation occurred, and Cole (whose surname has been withheld at the request of his family) was left with life threatening injuries according to family friend Kara Gardner, who started the fundraiser, after he fell from a moving van. 'It appears the victim fell from a moving van' He remains in a “serious but stable condition” according to Merseyside Police. Gardner said: “Cole's actions were a reflection of his character: selfless, kind, brave, and…

A Scottish Motorcycle Club that has helped reduce anti-social behaviour and illegal riding in its local area has been awarded £90,000 to further its good work. Kingdom Off Road Motorcycle Club in Fife was gifted the money from Foundation Scotland's 'Tackling Inequalities' fund in recognition of its work in making motorcycling accessible to people of all ages, which has led to a notable reduction in the illegal use of off-road motorcycles. The club will use the money to grow its programme of bike-related projects for young people at new sites in Glenrothes, Kirkaldy, and Cowdenbeath. “We're very grateful to Foundation Scotland for this incredible funding award,” said David Paton, founder of Kingdom Off Road Motorcycle Club. “There seem to be fewer opportunities to engage local young people in a positive…

Dainese Racing 4 £399 Style, protection and great value A leather jacket has been synonymous with motorcycling since day one, and even though many of us prefer the practicality of textiles for day-to-day rides, it still feels so right to zip into one with riding jeans and race boots when the situation calls for it. This week we've trawled the net for offers on a range of styles, from traditional old-school to cutting-edge race technology. Aimed squarely at the sports rider, Dainese's Racing 4 is crafted from top quality Tutu cowhide, a leather that offers superior resistance to abrasion, cut and tear, as well as being repellent to water and oil. Protection includes certification to CE AA standard, Level 1 shoulder and elbow armour, external sliders and a pocket for…

'Great… but not in yellow please' The other day I drove past my local bike haunt, the Two Flags Café in Rutland (bacon buttie, crispy bacon with a few rostis on top if you ever want to treat me), when a bike caught my eye. To be fair it was hard to miss it, mainly down to its dreadful colour scheme. There is something that just turns me off about the Ducati Streetfighter 848's yellow paint option. I did try to find out what they actually called it back in the day but all the press information said was 'yellow makes a welcome return' – a statement I'd certainly argue against. I just can't get onboard with it and that's a real shame because the middleweight Streetfighter model is a…

Donington Park Want to get the adrenaline pumping? There's still plenty to see at Donington Park. August • Tunerfest, £23, Aug 18 • British Touring Cars, £35 for Sunday, Aug 14-25 September • NG Road Racing Club bike championships, £15 per day, Aug 31 – Sep 1 • British GT and GB3 championships, £37 for the weekend • Vaux Valves, £23, Sep 14 • GT Cup, £17, Sep 15 • BRSCC Club car championships, £25 for the weekend, Sep 21-22 • British Superbikes, £47 for the weekend, Sep 27-29 October • No Limits Racing season finale, £25 for the weekend, Oct 5-6 • 750 Motor Club car championships, £25 for the weekend, Oct 12-13 • Caterham race weekend, £25 for the weekend, Oct 19-20 December • Donington stage rally, £18,…

HONDA Honda's 286cc single is the smallest unit on test, producing the lowest power. The bike has with a fuel gauge, gear indicator and switchable ABS. KTM The KTM allows for a host of extras such as an up and down quickshifter. The classy WP APEX suspension has a degree of adjustability too. ROYAL ENFIELD In a first for Royal Enfield, the new 452cc single-cylinder motor is water cooled. It has a 4in TFT with connectivity, ride-by-wire and switchable ABS. CFMOTO KYB suspension has a huge range of adjustablity. TFT dash allows for connectivity, a tracker and two charging ports. Screen is easily adjustable.…

Harley and Porsche first got together in the 1980s for Project Nova, in which a potentially game-changing liquid-cooled V4 reached the prototype stage before being canned in favour of the new Softail. The two then worked together again in the early 1990s on the 999cc VR1000 superbike racer. With the 1130cc V-Rod motor developed from that engine it was only natural that the two would work together. Indeed, a small team of H-D engineers based themselves at Porsche Engineering's facility in Germany for much of the development period.…

The Junior and Senior races, for Supertwin and Supersport machines respectively, will see up-and-coming riders aim to follow in the footsteps of former MGP winners such as the great Geoff Duke, Phil Read and Carl Fogarty. The Classic Junior race has been re-introduced while the Classic Senior and Lightweight classes are again on the programme. So, what are the highlights? Classic Senior (4 laps) Lap record: 19:58.394, 113.342mph John McGuinness, 2016 Race record: 1:21:10.189, 111.559mph John McGuinness, 2016 Since becoming eligible for the event, the Italian Paton has been the machine to beat in the Classic race with Farquhar, Lougher, Brookes and McGuinness all coming out on top on the four-valve machine. Single cylinders, twin cylinders, triples and four cylinders are all entered but McGuinness remains the lap record holder with…

HONDA CBR600RR 2755 MILES Year-round rider, B-road blaster, and performance bike fan The last 2500 miles with Honda's CBR600RR have been flipping brilliant. It's beautiful to look at, nimble on the lanes, and roomy enough over distance. To find out if it goes as fast as it looks, I booked a hot date at Cadwell Park via the team at msvtrackdays.com. A fabulously run day, split into three ability groups, I found my natural home with the intermediates dropping down from the fast lot after feeling a touch exposed with my lack of tyre warmers. Quiet times Despite clearing its lungs to produce an addictive scream at the top end of the tacho, the CBR breezes the morning noise test, reaching just 94dB at 7500rpm. The tyre pressures needed to…

'An all-in-one chain tool is just the job' One of the tools you need to fit a chain and sprocket kit is a proper chain tool. Now, here is the thing, there are loads and loads of different types out there that you can buy. Some of them are a chain breaker only, some are rivet only, what you need is an all-in-one tool. Over the years I have used many different types, in fact most chain manufacturers actually make their own tool for their chains, but these can be expensive. These days I use an all-in-one tool from Oxford products, it's good quality and makes short work of splitting and riveting chains. It's also versatile enough to be used on most makes and sizes of chains and costs between…

Looks ahead as MotoGP approaches the sharp end WIN A Yamaha MT-09 simply by getting a quote at www.mcncompare.com MotoGP heads to the picturesque Red Bull Ring this weekend as the second half of the 2024 season gets underway. Ducati riders have ruled at this circuit since its return to the calendar in 2016, so given their dominance of recent years it's hard to see that changing. Three-pronged attack It looks like we might have a three-way title fight on our hands. Enea Bastianini was unstoppable as he secured the Silverstone double after overcoming his qualifying and Sprint woes. His success on the Saturday was his first-ever Sprint race podium, and he followed that up with a Sunday performance that we've become accustomed to over the years; slow on a…

Although a quickshifter problem took him out of contention for his targeted top-five result in Race 1, Jonathan Rea enjoyed his most positive Yamaha weekend thus far. The Brit's results improved each race, with the six-time champion concluding his weekend with sixth in race three and fans pleased to see the Northern Irishman back in the mix and fighting. “It's been a positive weekend in some ways but Portimao has highlighted where we need to improve,” declared Rea, whose 13 wins at Portimao the is the second-highest number for any rider on a single track. 'I've gained trust with the electronics' “In Race 2 I got stuck in a fight with Vierge, which dictated my pace. He wasn't as strong over a lap but was stronger down the straight. I…

Reporting direct from the Portuguese round of WSBK TOP STORY As legendary motorsport commentator Murray Walker always so enthusiastically told us, 'Anything can happen and it usually does!' It certainly has happened in World Superbikes this year, with Toprak Razgatlioglu crushing the opposition again last weekend to achieve a fourth consecutive treble. The opposition made him work hard for it at Portimao but that didn't stop the phenomenal Turk from moving two ahead of Jonathan Rea and Alvaro Bautista for a new record of 13 victories in a row. There's an old song that goes like this: 'To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe.' In this case, Ducati definitely looked unbeatable last year whereas calling a BMW title success an 'impossible dream' would have been a triumph…