Table of contents for 22 January 2025 in MCN

‘Light and agile, the Tiger is a joy to ride’ USED TEST SPECIAL, P31 FIRST RIDE NC750X's magic formula Honda’s super-commuter, the NC750X has gained quite the following since it was launched (as the NC700X) in 2012. Fun, well-built and seriously frugal, it’s little wonder then that Honda seem loath to mess with its magic formula. Which is why it’s had just a light smattering of updates for 2025, including refinements to the DCT. Neevesy’s been riding it in Portugal to give you his verdict. PAGE 28 BIG READ Miller's marvels The Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum is home to an awe-inspiring collection of over 500 bikes, rounded up from across the globe by the legendary man himself. We recently gave Sammy the task of choosing just 15 of the most…

KTM have lifted the lid on a pair of new small capacity dual sports, introducing the £5699 390 Enduro R and £4899 125 Enduro R, both of which are expected to arrive from March. The reveal follows the earlier announcement of two SMC R supermoto equivalents released just days previously - suggesting that team orange have no intention of slowing down their roll out of fresh metal, despite the brand’s current economic challenges. Thrust comes courtesy of 399cc and 124.9cc LC4c engines from the current Duke range. This translates to 44bhp for the 390 and 14.8bhp for the learner-legal 125. The engines have undergone a few noteworthy changes for their new application, including a new 2kg lighter exhaust, revised cylinder head design, altered airbox, repositioned fuel injectors, and subtle gearbox…

SAVE £4605 £13,594 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R Coming equipped with 8.7 inches of fully-adjustable WP XPLOR suspension travel and combined with 18/21in wheels, the SAR’s off-road attitude is readily apparent. Don’t be fooled though, it’s no one-trick pony. KTM’s adventure flagship is a continent-shrinking, feature-packed missile with a smattering of sophistication woven in. www.fowlers.co.uk SAVE £2249 £6750 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom XT Suzuki’s ever popular ‘Wee’ Strom has been around for over two decades now. This being the XT version adds even more ‘do-it-all’ appeal. www.fowlers.co.uk ● Engine 645cc ● Power 69bhp ● Weight 216kg ● Seat height 835mm SAVE £1000 £4049 Royal Enfield 411 Himalayan Not everybody wants to go haring around the countryside like their pants are on fire. For those content to plod, the 411 should be…

‘Good time to get on the GasGas’ I was chatting to someone from KTM the other day about GasGas and they told me something that looking back was fairly obvious: the brand are stopping making dedicated road bikes. I assume this is why the Tech3 MotoGP team is no longer running GasGas-branded fairings and have instead reverted back to KTM. GasGas were purchased by KTM in 2019 and brought under the Austrian firm’s umbrella alongside Husqvarna and now MV. We all know the issues that KTM are having of late and it seems plans to grow the GasGas brand have fallen victim to cost-cutting. To be honest it’s not much of a surprise and I’m still confused why such a strong off-road brand as KTM bothered to buy the Spanish…

Warrior Tyre Fitting Package £173.81 Great deals on garage gear Whether you ride every day, lay up your bike until the better weather or have a winter project on the go… having a well kitted shed will ensure you’re armed for maintenance, servicing and restoration jobs as and when needed. Getting hands-on with your motorcycle is the best way to understand how it works, not to mention how satisfying it can be when you add an accessory, fix a problem or just carry out an oil change. We’ve plucked a selection of the best offers on the web for home workshops, so you can get your garage sorted. This comprehensive kit contains everything you need to change your own tyres, and that can save you a packet in the long…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews Kitted up, loving life I took this picture on a recent winter ride. It was on the A83, in Argyle & Bute, and this is just before the climb up to the Rest & Be Thankful viewpoint (the snow-covered mountain is Beinn Ime). I was riding my BMW F800R, the temperature at this point had dropped to 2.5°C. Using a tall screen, heated handlebars on level one, and wearing heated RST gloves on level two plus a baselayer, I was actually pretty comfortable for the duration of the two-hour ride. The scenery, as you can, see was stunning! No other bikes seen that day! Graham Dunsmore, email MCN has teamed up with Zerofit – The World’s Warmest Baselayer® – to award the author of each week’s…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday January 22 BIKE MEETS ■ Huggys Speedshop, Mallory Park, Leicestershire. From 10am www.huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ Amici Coffee Biker Night, Girtford Bridge, Sandy, Bedfordshire www.amicicoffee.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Mold, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 or Facebook: The Old Stores Motorbike cafe ■ Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, West Yorks 01977-684618 or www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ Loomies Moto Cafe, West Meon, Hants. Open till 9pm www.loomiescafe.co.uk ■ Ryka’s Cafe, Box Hill, Surrey 5pm-9pm www.rykas.co.uk ■ The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey. From 10.30am-1pm Facebook: Pathfinder Cafe RIDEOUT ■ Burgess Hill & DMC, Station Road car park, Burgess, Hill Sussex 7pm-7.30pm burgesshillmc.com Thursday January 23 BIKE MEETS ■ Vic Bikers Pub, Coalville, Leics www.vicbikerspub.co.uk ■ Whistlestop Motorcycle Club, Rhyl Rugby & Social Club,…

‘Simple and fun to ride' Honda’s NC750X isn’t a giant step on from the current model, but that’s no bad thing. This is a motorcycle designed to be an affordable-to-run workhorse, or weekend tourer and it still does those things beautifully. It’s simple to ride and comfy, but also surprisingly fun and capable in corners, especially with its beefier front brake set-up and performance that punches well above its weight. The new dash and switchgear are fresher and more functional and its trademark 23-litre cubby hole in the tank space is still pleasingly useful. Those who opt for the DCT version will find gear selection smoother, more natural than before, and perfectly suited to gentle riding. For more spirited jaunts, manual mode offers more control but isn’t as involving as…

‘The perfect companion’ A budget of £8000 gives you access to a broad selection of adventure bikes that are fully ‘modern’ in terms of performance and tech. But you can also opt for more basic and analogue versions that don’t have a few of the bells and whistles, bringing more exotic machines into this price bracket. Or, as in the case of the Tiger 850 Sport, you can buy a nearly new bike instead. For us it boils down to either the BMW or the Triumph, mainly as the Ducati is a touch too focused on performance. The Multi is great if you want a sportsbike but your wrists aren’t so keen yet compared to the effortless BMW and easy-going Tiger, it’s harder work to ride. If you are planning…

What made the Desmosedici RR so impressive and individual, was the fact that it had no direct rival; nothing came close to the Ducati’s genuine MotoGP pedigree and exclusive nature. Sure, there were specials such as the MV Agusta F4 CC, and homologation specials were floating around but these models were based on production machinery, whereas the Desmosedici RR was built as a thoroughbred replica of the genuine GP machine – something that has only been done once since, by Honda with their RC213V-S in 2015.…

RATINGS Exceptional Very good Good Average Poor 10 months ON TEST Alpinestars Tech Air Off-Road £949.99 ‘Good enough for Dakar’ Tested by Michael Guy for 10 months, 2100 miles No one likes falling off, so anything you can do to prevent injury has to be a good thing. While airbags are becoming popular on the road, off-road riders have had to wait a lot longer. I was lucky enough to go on the launch of the Alpinestars TAOR in America at the start of last year and I’ve been using it regularly ever since for my off-road riding – which has included trips to Wales, Dorset, the Peaks and Northern France. The airbag element is an integral part of the Alpinestars armoured under-jacket which means it offers CE Level 1…

Before you get started, this is a small caution if you want to fit fresh brake lines to anything that is relatively new. This is because pretty much all new bikes these days have ABS as standard, and if your machine is equipped with ABS make sure you are confident in what you’re doing. The steps we have in this guide are for a nonABS equipped bike, and you’ll need to check with a workshop manual if you intend to replace lines on an ABS layout. There will be very specific steps relating to fitting and bleeding the system, some will be straightforward while other ABS systems can be a lot more involved with added risk. On the subject of which (a risk to the wallet, anyway), one of the…

Having lapped the TT course at over 132mph, Hillier knows what fast is, but he was blown away by the speed of Dakar’s top men. “I knew from before that the top boys don’t mess about and I saw that again this year. There was one stage where some of the factory riders had an issue with their road book and they started part of the stage behind me. It was on a fairly flat off-road sandy section and I was probably doing about 75-80mph and I just rolled the throttle a little bit because I couldn’t quite tell how rough the next section was. At that point Edgar Canet (Red Bull KTM) came past me and I can only describe it as like his throttle was stuck wide open.…

Looking ahead to the start of the 2025 WSBK season TEAM NEWS They say defending a title is harder than first winning it. And in a bid to achieve that goal BMW unveiled the new M1000RR that they hope will take Toprak Razgatlioglu to a second consecutive World Superbike crown. The machine seems a marked improvement but, with their star performer injured and much wrangling behind the scenes over concessions and technical spec of the bike, there’s drama already. With the number one plate unveiled on the German machine, it’s a single digit of another kind that’s worrying the crown-wearer. As MCN hit the shelves on Wednesday, the teams and riders were getting to work with a two-day test at Jerez in the south of Spain. However, Toprak will not…

MCN RIDER OF THE YEAR Who will get your vote for 2024? With the deadline looming, don’t miss your chance to vote for your MCN Rider of the Year 2024. Will you go for new MotoGP king Jorge Martin for winning the sport’s biggest prize in an unofficial team? Or Toprak Razgatlioglu for doing the impossible and dominating WSBK on the BMW? Maybe your allegiances will stay closer to home and the breathtaking British Superbike title fight between Tommy Bridewell and Kyle Ryde. And who can forget last year’s Isle of Man TT where Michael Dunlop became the greatest ever TT racer and Davey Todd won big with victory in both Superstock and the blue riband Senior TT race? Here is the 2024 shortlist chosen by the MCN sport team:…

2025 is a huge season for Bezzecchi. The Italian rarely got his head around the different characteristics of Ducati’s GP23, the bike he rode last year, as well as Michelin’s new rear tyre compound. But the 26-year old is already feeling comfortable in his new status as a factory rider. He said: “The first experiences in a factory team were very cool. At the end you’re the face of a full brand. You have hundreds of people working for you. The biggest difference is inside the box. When I sat on my chair during the Barcelona test and saw all the people I said, ‘If I say bullsh*t, it’s a problem! It’s a bit too early for expectations but it’s important to adapt to the bike and team quickly.”…

None of the new parts that will be debuted at next month’s Sepang test were on display as the 2025 colours were showed off at the launch. And having won 19 races from 20 in 2024 (as well as 17 Sprints), Ducati know there is no need to revolutionise their Desmosedici machine for 2025. But new parts will find themselves on the factory bike “The objective isn’t to have a completely new bike; it’s to have a better bike than we had,” said General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna of this year’s aims. “The base (from 2024) was very sound and gave us many gratifications. But there will be some new developments.” Such was the level of Ducati’s GP24, the Italian technical guru underlined the factory’s strict policy for adopting new parts.…

When you first look at Ducati’s new line-up you think they’ve got the old guy in Marc and the young guy in Bagnaia, but that isn’t actually the case because Marquez is still only 31 years-old and Pecco himself is 28. But somehow although Bagnaia is the younger one with less experience, he’s the more calculated out of the two. And Marquez is going to be the one stuffing it up the inside and extracting wings off the side of other bikes. The bottom line is that Marquez is pure box office. If you’re going to go and watch a GP, it’s Marquez who you’re paying to see. In some ways he’s still the bad guy which stems back to what happened with Rossi all those years ago. It’s fascinating…

Honda have decided to lean into the silent, smooth power delivery of electric with the EV Fun Concept, rather than attempting to mimic a combustion engine to attract more traditional customers. Large Project Leader, Masatsugu Tanaka admitted to MCN that sound was considered for the bike, saying: “If you’re thinking about making an engine sound, there are so many choices for what engine sound you could go for. “If we were to add the sound, it would also be natural that people would want the vibrations, then it would become very similar to a combustion engine for the senses. “We wanted to take advantage of the uniqueness for the EV, which is why we prioritised the quietness as number one.”…

Yamaha have announced a range of technical changes to their sporty urban XMAX 125 and XMAX 300 scooters for 2025, including a shift to Euro5+ compliant engines. The A2 licence-friendly 300s now produce a claimed 27.6bhp, with the 125s kicking out 12.1bhp – making the smaller option compatible with a CBT certificate, plus there is the added bonus of stop/start technology to save fuel around town. The most advanced variants are the Tech Max and Tech Max + models, which are available in both engine sizes and have been peppered with uprated tech for the new year. For starters, all four models have been treated to an up/down electric screen with 95mm of movement – adjusted via a switch on the left switchgear. This is complemented by additional wind protection…

Aprilia have taken victory at the Africa Eco Race for the second year on the trot with their Tuareg 660 adventure bike. Italian born Jacopo Cerutti was once again the man of the moment, securing a hard-fought victory against second place Yamaha Ténéré 700 riding rival, Alessandro Botturi who was nipping at Cerutti’s heels, just 26 seconds off the winning pace after more than 36 hours of racing. The pair traded places for top spot throughout the raid, which covers 3668 miles across Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, but it was the Aprilia pilot who emerged victorious, despite facing navigation equipment failure and rear tyre mousse problems. “[This race] ended in the best possible way, in spite of the difficulties we faced and overcame,” said Cerutti. Elsewhere in the pack, fellow…

Q ‘My insurer won’t pay out’ Back in September I was riding to work when a car I was overtaking knocked me off. I agreed to accept half the blame due to my speed perhaps being a bit excessive. My insurer is refusing to pay the other driver for repairs to her car. They say that my insurance policy was third party and social only, so it did not cover commuting. My insurer is telling me that I have to pay the other driver’s vehicle repairs as I misled them. Is this correct? Jean, London, email A Motor insurance policies are agreements made in good faith, meaning both parties to the contract have to disclose the correct information. Even though you were commuting on a non-commuting policy your insurer should…

I raced in World Superbikes in 1998 and then in 1999 I got a load of offers to come back to BSB, but I didn’t want to because I knew that would be it in terms of ever getting back into the world championship. I ended up taking a one-off ride on the Belgarda Yamaha R6 in World Supersport. I spoke to Rob Mac about it who told me that if I didn’t win it, I’d be finished because he’d been telling everyone I should be in the world championship. Rob always was a straight talker! I took the ride and it worked out because I won the race and Yamaha straight away offered me the chance to race a third bike. But I decided to sit tight and see…

GET SIX MONTHS FOR JUST £6! Subscribe to MCN now at: greatmagazines.co.uk/mcn-offer ‘Training day' NIK NUKEM This was taken while waiting to board the mountain train in Switzerland. This year the weather has been so mild! It’s been a great season. ‘Ecua-done it!' DUNCAN COSTIN This was taken in Ecuador with Anna. We rode a 1400 mile loop from Quito through the Andes, the Amazon Basin, up the Pacific Coast and back to Quito on Royal Enfields. ‘Dolo-mighty' SIMON CARPENTER My wife, Lynn, and I rode 3028 miles through the French Alps and Apennines to World Ducati Week. Then we came back through the Dolomites, Austria and Switzerland. ‘Happy Kappy' IAN MANSON This was my highlight of my trip to Norway. I did 10 days in Norway and covered 7500…

MCN USED BUYS THE BIKES WE’D SPEND OUR MONEY ON £5000-£9000 BMW R1200GS ● 2013-2018 ● 123.3bhp/92.3lb.ft ● 238kg (wet) £6000-£9999 Ducati Multistrada 1200 ● 2015-2017 ● 157.8bhp/100.3lb.ft ● 232kg (kerb) £6500-£9999 Triumph Tiger 850 Sport ● 2021-current ● 84bhp/60.5lb.ft ● 212kg (kerb) If you’re looking at buying a 2025-model big-capacity adventurer, you’ll be lucky to walk away with any change from £18,000 once you tick a few optional extra boxes. And if you want panniers, well that’s at least another £1000. Own it for three years, which is the usual period if bought on PCP finance, and the chances are that you will have burnt a fair amount of cash in depreciation. And given the current climate? Well, it does show why the used adventure bike market is so…

‘The Ducati is quick to tell you that you’re not good enough to ride it’ When Ducati entered into the modern MotoGP championship with their Desmosedici in 2003, it caused quite a stir; not only did Loris Capirossi take a victory at just the sixth round, but he piloted the Desmosedici to fourth overall in the world championship. With Troy Bayliss completing the team, Ducati clinched the runner-up spot in the Constructors’ championship, and the Ducati was instantly renowned as a serious weapon in terms of its power, aggression and its noise. Better still, the following year, Ducati shocked the world by announcing that they would be building a road-going version of their race-winning GP machine. Enter, the Desmosedici RR; not only the first, genuine MotoGP machine for the road,…

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. 2022-2024 Triumph Tiger 660 Sport Owners’ rating Considering the Sport has only been around for a few years, it’s been pretty popular. A great bike, its only fault is a lack of tech (mainly cruise control), which has been added for 2025. 2014-2021 Honda NC750X Owners’ rating A brilliant do-it-all. Owners all rate it very highly, although the single front brake disc does come in for criticism as it lacks braking performance. The latest model benefits from twin discs. 2020-CURRENT Kawasaki Ninja 650 Owners’ rating If you like the idea of a Versys but want something a bit sportier,…

Seeing your daily ride go up in smoke – literally – is never likely to spark up a good mood, especially when it’s not even three years-old. But to add insult to injury, the young rider here not only had to deal with the fire damage caused to their Lexmoto LXR125 by a faulty reg/rec, they also had to stomach a sevenmonth wait before their 125 was back on the road. On the job was Adam Gittings, of AG Motorcycles – a Manchester-based mobile technician service. “We got a call from an existing customer saying that they thought their bike had caught fire,” said Gittings. “We went out to it and diagnosed that the regulator rectifier had failed. When it did, it got so hot that it took out the…

Looking ahead as Aprilia launch their 2025 MotoGP team TOP STORY ‘Maybe yes. Maybe no…” Jorge Martin refused to be drawn on whether Aprilia can challenge for the crown in 2025. But spirits were high at the factory’s launch in Milan as it presented its “strongest ever line up,” according to former champion Max Biaggi, with Martin and Marco Bezzecchi ready to do battle once the season starts. The sleek black and silver of Aprilia’s 2025 RS-GP was complemented by an increased number of sponsorship stickers – the consequence of having the world’s number one rider in their ranks. And despite having to absorb two new riders and new Technical Director Fabiano Sterlacchini, there was a feeling that Aprilia had made some important improvements on last year’s machine during November’s…

Looking ahead as Ducati launch their 2025 MotoGP team TOP STORY Former champion Pecco Bagnaia was in no doubt. His biggest rival for the year ahead will be sat on the other side of the official Ducati box as both he and Marc Marquez were presented to the world in their 2025 racing colours in northern Italy. Appearing in Ducati’s official team livery for the first time, Marquez played down expectations for the year ahead, insisting that his aim is “to be in the top three” at the end of the year while getting to know his new surroundings. Yet his new teammate looked at the eight-time champ’s achievements in 2024 as reason to fear him most of all this time around. “From what we saw last year, I think…

The latest special edition from Vespa has come to life with the reveal of the 946 Snake. Built to pay homage to the Chinese lunar calendar (this year being that of the Snake), the premium twist-and-go will be made in just 888 units. With an asking price of £12,115, the Snake is pitched firmly towards the collector end of the spectrum, with power coming courtesy of a 125cc three-valve motor. Beaulieu’s pride of motorsport A new exhibition at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in Hampshire has been established to highlight LGBTQ+ history and heritage in motorsport. ‘Racing Pride’ is at the site’s In Focus Gallery from Feb 9-Sept 7, with over nine decades of history covered, including motorcycling. Newsreels, images and text from across the years has been compiled…

Police in Merseyside have kicked off the year by seizing a number of suspected stolen bikes and making multiple arrests. The bikes include an electric Sur-ron and off-road scrambler seized from a property in Fazakerley on January 7. Police were alerted after reports that three men were spotted loading a stolen Audi Q7 car onto a tow truck shortly before midnight the previous day. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of another car key, tools, and a bag of white powder – with police officers then searching the Fazakerley premises and discovering the suspected stolen bikes, as well as two vans, and an air rifle. “This was an excellent piece of police work where a firearm, suspected stolen vehicles and Class A drugs were found and taken…

A Scottish cottage, once belonging to the ancestors of Harley-Davidson’s founders, has been rescued by a local charity. Having faced the threat of demolition, the stone dwelling, in Netherton, Angus, will now be purchased by the Davidson Legacy Preservation Group, after they raised the remaining £70,000 of their required budget – including a donation from Harley-Davidson. “It’s amazing,” project coordinator and Angus local, Nyree Aitken told MCN. “The volunteers know that this is when the hard work begins.” The building was the home of Alexander ‘Sandy’ Davidson and his wife Margaret before the couple and their family emigrated to America in 1857. The couple’s son, William C. Davidson, was father of William A. Davidson who co-founded Harley-Davidson with Bill Harley in 1903. ‘This is when the hard work really begins’…

● The 2025 Devitt Insurance MCN London Show takes place at ExCel on February 14-16. ● Meet Charley Boorman, Henry Cole, and more of motorcycling’s biggest TV stars ● Get an exclusive Alpinestars ‘70 years of MCN’ T-shirt when you purchase your ticket and pick it up at the show! Available for just £24.99 when purchased in advance, saving £5 on RRP. ● See the latest bikes, timeless classics from The Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum, premium bike gear and much more! ● Buy your dream classic from the Iconic Auctioneers on-site auction! ● Tickets are just £26.50 until midnight on February 13, 2025. ● Going by bike? You can park for free. Visit: www.mcnmotorcycleshow.com Save cash by booking advance tickets now www.mcnmotorcycleshow.com…

It’s taken a long time to build the YZR500 GP bike, but it runs! It was a bit of a rush in the end because Lee Johnston was round and he wanted to film the first start before he headed out to Spain to do some riding and training. Anyway if you watch his video on Youtube you’ll see it. I’ve filmed first starts on bikes before and they never actually start and you look like a dick, but honestly that was the first start and it fired up. I knew there was a spark, I’d refurbed all the carbs, it had compression, it had fuel so I was pretty confident. And the good thing about a two-stroke is that it will do something. But it fired up and ran…

1 January 26 ‘Normous Newark autojumble Newark Showground (NG24 2NY) plays host to the ’Normous Newark autojumble this weekend. It’s £10 from 8am and £7 from 9.30am. newarkautojumble.co.uk 2 January 25 Ton Up Winterblot This Saturday is the Ace’s annual Winterblot. Organised by Ton Up London, it starts from 7pm and celebrates the link between rock and bikes. london.acecafe.com 3 January 27 Squires autojumble Squires are hosting their monthly autojumble this weekend. It’s free to browse and it’s a fiver for a pitch, so get down and get involved. www.squires-cafe.co.uk…

It’s not too late to grab your tickets and head down to ExCel for the Devitt Insurance MCN London Motorcycle Show, February 14-16. Along with Sammy’s stunning collection, some of the biggest names in biking will be making an appearance alongside live flat track racing, all the latest metal for 2025, new kit and the Iconic Auctioneers – so you might be able to roll away with your own prestigious bit of biking history. There will also be talks by Charley Boorman, Henry Cole and many more. Turn to page 16 for the latest show news and info. Tickets are on sale now at mcnmotorcycleshow.com and if you book in advance, you’ll save over on the door prices.…

BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician All about the feel Upgrade to braided lines and transform braking performance 1 Check the lines Most bikes are fitted with reinforced rubber brake lines as standard. Over time, the performance of these lines can decay, as they absorb some of the hydraulic energy that's being sent to the calipers. Fitting high quality, aftermarket lines will give improved feel and fix this, but before you get fitting, offer the new lines up against the originals to check the size. 2 Drain the fluid Undo the banjo bolt that connects the bottom of the brake line to the caliper. Then undo the master cylinder reservoir cap and pump the lever – if your front brake is a twin-disc set up, make that you prep the other caliper too.…

Going behind the headlines at world’s toughest race DAKAR 2025 It’s hard to truly understand what a rider has to go through to get to the Dakar finish line, but when a TT race winner tells you it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever done, it gives an indication of just how difficult it really is. James Hillier had to endure severe flu and ride for two weeks with a smashed nose, as well as conducting some serious bushcraft mechanics when a relay for his fuel pump failed. Although Hillier didn’t get a gold medal finishers’ award after being airlifted off stage one, he did earn a Dakar Experience medal having re-joined the race on stage three and completed the event. His best stage finish was 46th, meaning he ended up…

BMW’s rivals are furious with their perceived tactics relating to the specification and development of their new bike during the off-season. BMW wants to continue racing their ‘Super Concession’ from in 2024. BMW were not a front-running manufacturer prior to Toprak’s arrival last season, but they are now the reigning world champions. The 2024 Super Concession was supposedly a modified chassis, relating to how the engine fits into the frame. That also likely means changes to stiffness, geometry and load transfer through the chassis which make for extra grip as well as better turning and braking stability. It is believed organisers Dorna and the FIM informed BMW before Christmas that this would change for 2025. A final verdict is coming shortly. Thinking they would be allowed to continue with their…

Both Martin and Bezzecchi talked up their first taste of the Aprilia at November’s end-of-season testing. “I feel like the bike is really good and competitive,” said Martin, and Aprilia engineers have had their hands full through the winter to ensure an impressive 10 latest-spec RS-GPs are available for the Sepang test (two for each of Aprilia’s four riders, plus two for test rider Lorenzo Savadori) in early February. And there were a number of clear areas to address. Technical Director Fabiano Sterlacchini admitted the amount of movement from the rear of Martin’s bike at the Barcelona test demonstrated work on electronics was needed. “The electronics is an aspect we are working on and we’re preparing some material for the next test.” Yet the Italian engineer, who joined Aprilia after…

“We’ll support both riders and their needs, like in the past, and we have the power to do it,” said Ducati boss Davide Tardozzi. “We have two champions, not only two riders and we’re proud to have them. We’ll support them in the best way, even if one takes a different way. I will not change my approach. It’s much easier to work with champions than young kids. In my opinion there is respect between them. They speak a lot to improve the bike. Whoever is behind the other will take that as a stimulation to be better for the following race. I have no doubt it will be very easy to work with them.”…