Table of contents for 09 August 2023 in MCN

‘We have to hope for the best, and that I get a MotoGP ride’ JAKE DIXON’S ON TENTERHOOKS FOR 2024 THIS WEEK The knock-on impact of ULEZ As ordinary people took to the streets of London last weekend to protest the imminent impact of Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ roll-out across the whole of Greater London, MCN was there to also gauge the impact on the biking businesses that sit within the zone. We speak to the Ace Cafe’s Mark Wilsmore and Bike Shed’s Dutch van Someren about how ULEZ is impacting biking culture in the capital. PAGE 4 THE BIG MCN TEST True dirty adventure on a budget The adventure bike world is littered with myriad options to suit every pocket and every predilection – but one segment that’s exploded recently…

TOP STORY With the High Court legal challenge to ULEZ (the Ultra Low Emission Zone) defeated, the extended scheme is almost certain to be enforced at the end of the month. The rollout will see riders of non compliant bikes charged £12.50 per day to enter the zone. MCN spoke to two of London’s best known biking destinations to learn how it could affect their operations. One venue that will be swallowed up by the ULEZ expansion is the Ace Cafe, run by Mark Wilsmore, which is situated just outside the original ULEZ boundary of the North Circular Road. “Well, the significant effect was when it came in, in fact,” said Wilsmore. “Many of our visitors are from outside London, so as soon as it came in, people assumed we…

Co-founder of Coventry-based Maeving Motorcycles, Seb InglisJones has hinted at more models to come following the success of the £6990 RM1, suggesting they will remain low capacity and adopt swappable battery technology. Maeving’s current retro-inspired urban plug-in first appeared towards the back end of 2021 and features a choice of either one or two removable batteries with a top speed of 45mph. The firm are now expanding their direct-to-consumer approach into Europe – commencing the sale of bikes in France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands last month. From here, there are plans to branch out into Australia and Singapore, with bikes expected to hit America by the end of 2023. ‘Range anxiety isn’t all about actual range’ Inglis-Jones said: “The key thing is that we are very much wedded to…

To celebrate Amazon’s Ready to Ride series, there’s a brilliant bundle of biking tools and goodies to be won. Amazon and our other Ready to Ride series partners – Castrol and Noco – have supplied an array of amazing items to make getting the Z1000SX in great shape and they will feature in the videos’ Kit Corner. To be in with a chance of winning this amazing bundle of tools and parts, simply head to motorcyclenews.com/readytoride for official rules and details on how to enter the free draw. Entries are now open and the prize draw closes at 11.59pm on August 22, 2023. The prize bundles contains: NOCO lithium NLP9, Castrol Coolant, Castrol Chain Lube, Castrol Bike Cleaner, Amazon basics ratchet spanners, Amazon basics 201 socket set, Amazon basics 12…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews ‘Brought tears to my eyes’ Your truly wonderful report on the Yamaha FS1-E owners club brought tears to my eyes (MCN, July 26). My first bike was a new 1976 Baja brown Fizzy bought on apprentice carpenter’s wages. It later went on to cost me a broken leg, and then eventually a car hit and run from behind wrote it off. But who cares? I wouldn’t have missed those times for anything. It’s hard to explain what those bikes meant to our generation; suffice to say everyone wanted one at the age of 16 and they opened up the ability to go anywhere. Our riding group consisted of the FS1-E, Garelli Tiger Cross, Gilera, Fantic Caballero and the reliable but much slower Honda SS50. Gene Plews,…

UK’S TOUGHEST TEST MCN COMPARE GET PROTECTED WITH MCN – AT MCNCOMPARE.COM THE MCN TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK £10,655 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE ● 776cc parallel twin ● 83bhp/57.5lb.ft ● £165.33 per month PCP £10,110 Yamaha Ténéré 700 ● 689cc parallel twin ● 73bhp/50lb.ft ● £164.54 per month PCP £9499 Honda XL750 Transalp ● 755cc parallel twin ● 91bhp/55lb.ft ● £145.52 per month PCP We’ve been spoilt with adventure bikes of all sizes, and indeed prices, for 2023. Yet it’s not all about big, expensive beasts, as two of the most exciting new releases come in at the cheaper end of the middleweight sector: Honda’s XL750 Transalp and Suzuki’s V-Strom 800DE. Where Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 was pretty much the unrivalled king of the middle ground in terms of…

‘The Ténéré is still the king on dirt’ Although each of these machines class themselves as adventure bikes, how good they are depends on how you define an ‘adventure’. For some, it’s about munching as many miles as possible, whereas for others it’s about getting down and dirty and utilising that long-travel suspension; the beauty is that all three of these bikes will look after you, both on road and trail. But this test focused on the latter, with the aim of finding the best middleweight adventure bike for off-roading abilities. There is only one winner, and the Ténéré 700 is still the king on the dirt. Not only does it look like a proper off-road beast but it feels like one too, with a riding position that begs for…

1000 miles ON TEST MotoJean are a pretty new player in what’s becoming a crowded market for riding denims and they are all about providing a decent level of protection without causing too much damage to your bank account. They cost a penny shy of £100 but don’t feel like they’ve been built to a budget. Far from it, in fact, because they are rated to the AA CE-level rather than the single A, which is for kit better suited to round-town speeds. Further protection comes from armour at the knee and hip. Again, the armour is Level 2, which is encouraging and the fit of the jeans means it stays in position. I have worn them on rideouts but most of their use has been on the days when…

It was a typically busy day at the Two Wheel Centre in Harpenden when they took a call from a rider with a puncture in the rear tyre of his Yamaha Bulldog 1100. Nick Nomikos, the workshop owner, told us: “We were the nearest place and we had the right ZR-rated 17in tyre he needed, but we couldn’t spare the time to go and get him. Although we will pick and deliver bikes for servicing etc, we don’t have the resources to offer immediate recovery. The next thing, he’s in our reception with the bike outside.” They thought he’d got his own recovery sorted pretty quickly, then Nick tried to push the bike into the workshop. “The rear tyre had come off the wheel completely on one side so the…

OMG Racing will become the factory Yamaha team in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship next season following Steve Rodgers’ decision to step back from racing. The McAMS/Raceways boss’ decision to retire from the paddock was confirmed last week, meaning that the domestic series loses one of its most successful squads. “All good things must come to an end and together, we feel now is the right time,” Rodgers said. “I have been involved in motorcycle racing for over 30 years and some of the best and most cherished memories of that time have been formed in the last seven years with the McAMS Yamaha team, including the highlight of our time racing, winning the title with Tarran Mackenzie.” ‘Hard work and dedication make OMG who we are’ OMG joined the…

BRIT WATCH Jake Dixon’s British Grand Prix ended in heartache as a first lap crash dashed his hopes of repeating the home podium from a year ago. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom in the Englishman’s camp at close of play on Sunday as it emerged he is in the running for shot at MotoGP next year. MCN understands Dixon is being considered for the second seat in the Gresini Ducati squad for 2024 alongside Alex Marquez, with his recent form and Dorna’s desire to have a Brit in the premier class among the factors behind the potential step up. The 27-year old had several options on the table to remain in Moto2. But Dixon has never hidden his desire to compete in the premier class next year, telling…

‘The weekend was solid and stable, I stayed calm’ MARC MARQUEZ Marc Marquez’s weekend at Silverstone was a strange one. Not because Honda’s problems persisted, that was pretty much expected, but more because he looked resigned to the fact the RC213V project is broken. Unlike previous weekends, this was, for the most part, an uneventfully difficult weekend. Uncompetitive, but in a calm, quiet way. Marquez and Joan Mir only crashed in the GP. None of the four Hondas finished higher than 17th in the damp sprint race after being poor in wet qualifying. Normally you’d stake your house on Marquez creating magic in such conditions, but not this time. Rain generally levels the playing field and allows the rider to make the difference. You only need look back at Tarran…

If the opportunity is there for Jake Dixon to go to MotoGP with Gresini, then it’s an absolute no-brainer. That Ducati is the best bike for the job. There would be seven other Ducatis on the grid, so whenever they flick the computer on and look at data his style will blend into one of the other riders. It’s not like he’d be on a Yamaha where everyone seems fed up with the job. The Japanese manufacturers seem to be going through the motions while Ducati are a driving force. We 100% need a Brit in MotoGP. Incredibly, some of the stands started emptying out at Silverstone after the MotoGP race despite still having the Moto2 race where we had the best chance of seeing a Brit on the podium.…

Ducati riders Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi missed valuable opportunities to strengthen their campaigns at Silverstone. Martin was in damage-limitation mode after being squeezed wide at the start and made an exhilarating recovery from 19th to finish sixth. While Martin leap-frogged a disconsolate Bezzecchi to second in the standings, it was little consolation for his podium potential. It was while challenging Pecco Bagnaia for the lead that Bezzecchi fell victim to the MotoGP ‘aero wash’ phenomenon. Nudging 200mph to brake for Stowe, Bezzecchi miscued. “I locked the front, released the brake and I went into the slipstream of Pecco. So instead of slowing down, I was accelerating. I braked more but the front was already on the limit and I lost it.” Bezzecchi had started on pole and that bruising…

Like a fine wine, Aleix Espargaro gets better with age. The Spaniard turned 34 last week and is MotoGP’s elder statesman now Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso have quit. It took him 200 premier class races to win for the first time in Argentina 16 months ago. Win number two came in a chaotic British Grand Prix at Silverstone and it came against all the odds. Espargaro was a raw and unproven 16-year-old when he finished 21st in the 2006 Turkish 125cc race. He qualified 30th and finished 56s off the win. Days like Sunday in Silverstone must have seemed an awful long way away at the early stage of his career. On that same day in Istanbul, Marco Melandri won the MotoGP race in a last corner thriller against…

1 Who is PCP best for? Riders who want to change their new bike every two or three years, want low monthly repayments and aren’t bothered about owning the bike outright. 2 Who is it not suited to? Riders who want to keep their bike until it wears out and those who want to actually own their motorcycle. 3 Are there mileage limits to stick to? Yes, usually 4000-5000 per year, though these are often adjustable up to 24,000 miles. 4 Can I ride the bike like I stole it? Yes, provided you maintain the bike like you own it. Usual wear and tear is allowed, but nothing that could constitute abuse or neglect. We have heard no tales of dealers being unreasonable. It’s in their interest to usher you seamlessly into…

No Limits have announced their dates for October. It all kicks off with Mallory Park on October 1, with other venues including Snetterton, Cadwell Park, Brands Hatch and Anglesey International. There are still some spaces in August and September, too. Prices vary depending on the track, with days and evenings available. nolimitstrackdays.com Test ride rewards Kawasaki are offering up to £1000 off a new bike for anyone that books a test ride with an official dealer. The scheme is open to models including the Ninja 1000SX, Z650RS and Z H2. There’s £650 off a Z650, Ninja 650, Vulcan S, and Versys 650, with a £900 saving for the Z900. This climbs to a grand for the ZX-10R, Z H2, Z650RS, and the Ninja 1000SX. The offer runs until September 30.…

Great saving on the Badlands A decent motorcycle jacket should be the cornerstone of your kit. This week we’re taking a look right across the board, from technical fabrics to traditional cowhide, starting with this all-season multi-function jacket from Klim. The Badlands Pro A3 boasts a triple-layer Gore-Tex Pro laminated shell mated to a moisture-wicking liner. Protection includes the use of Vectran, a super-tough multi-filament yarn spun from a liquid crystal polymer, reinforcing key areas and Level 2 D3O armour all round to earn it a CE AAA rating. For summer use there are no fewer than a dozen zipped vents, and a total of 14 pockets for stashing stuff – including space to take a hydration pack. There are plenty of options for tailoring the fit, too. Matching pants…

This week’s Nod Pod – which is the penultimate chatathon in Series 2 – was recorded live at the Malle Mile event at Grimsthorpe Castle, with Malle’s Sam Barham hosting Ben, Charley and Ant on the mic in The Lost Club. The team delve into how the Nod Pod gang formed and why it exists, with Ben dropping an immediate bollock: “The unifying thing in all this is motorcycles. Motorcycle brought us together. Actually, Charley and me got together because we both lost bollocks,” says Ben. “I lost both of mine to cancer, and Charley lost one. Ant’s got both of his, but between the three of us, we’ve only got three. So, adversity, and biking, brought us together. Then I met Any through DGR founder, Mark Hawwa [check out…

Q ‘Am I too late to make a claim?’ I had an accident in April 2019 caused by a hit-and-run driver. I was in hospital for a few weeks and have not fully recovered. I recently found out that I could have claimed compensation but when I tried to do so I was told that I have missed the deadline for claiming. This seems unfair as I had no idea I could claim. Could you give me some help? Mark Brown, email A In England and Wales, the usual time limit to bring a claim for injuries and financial losses is three years (Limitation Act 1980). There are some exceptions eg cases involving children. This time limit also applies to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) for hit-and-run claims. Section 33…

▶ Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Reader Tony Marsland The ride Plymouth/Roscoff ferry, French Alps, Monaco (ride the F1 GP circuit), Pyrenees, Santander/Plymouth ferry. When to do it May/June How long do you need? Three weeks How many miles? 2700 Tell us about the trip… I went from Roscoff down to the Alps, following The Route des Grande Alps, and arriving in Monaco three days before the F1, and riding an almost empty GP circuit. The route then took me through Cannes during the International Film Festival (lots of glitz) and along the Mediterranean coast to Argelès-sur-Mer, with a detour to the beautiful harbour towns of Collioure and Banyuls-sur-Mer. Then into the Pyrenees taking in as many cols as possible, such as the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet, and…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday August 9 BIKE MEETS ■ Sycamore Cafe, The Causeway, Great Billing, Northamptonshire 4pm www.facebook.com/SycamoreForestCatering ■ MFN Bike night, The Seven Oaks Inn, Stanton By Dale, Derbyshire 5pm till late. Facebook: MFN Bike nights ■ Huggys Speedshop, Mallory Park, Leicestershire. From 10am www.huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ The King Billy Rock Bar, Bike & Burger Night, Northampton, Northamptonshire 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 ■ Seaways, Bike Night, Fridaythorpe, East Yorks. 4pm8pm mike@seawayscafe.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Mold, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548224866 or Facebook: The Old Stores Motorbike cafe ■ Park Road Cafe, St Helens, Merseyside 01744-808440 ■ Loomies Moto Cafe, West Meon,…

‘Yomp around Yorkshire’ ADRIAN JONES Me and my mate Perky on a three-day tour of Yorkshire. We travelled the long way up there from Staffordshire. ‘Harking back to the TT’ KEITH CLARKSON Great five-day trip to Isle of Man. Went with some friends and had a good laugh with a few laps over the mountain. ‘Alpine off-roading’ ANDY WILLIAMS 2750 miles on a trip to Europe taking in Combe Laval, Route Napoleon, Salbertrand in Italy’s western Alps. ‘Bonnevilles can swim!’ PHIL QUILLIAM A very wet Cat and Fiddle. The amount of water I rode through should qualify my Bonneville as an adventure bike! ‘Welsh wonder’ NODDY DAVIES A quick stop at Cardiff Bay on the way home from watching the Red Arrows at the Wales Air Show in Swansea. ‘Crossing…

Freddie Spencer took the Grand Prix paddock by storm in the 1980s, rocking up as a fresh-faced 20-year-old ready and able to beat the man himself, King Kenny Roberts. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Spencer’s family loved motorsport, so he soon caught the bug too. “My dad, brother and sister all raced karts in the ’50s, and my dad always liked bikes,” Spencer recalls. “I have photos of him acting like he’s Marlon Brando in The Wild One, at high school with his leather jacket and his Harley. “My dad and brother raced on dirt tracks, and I started going too, so I was exposed to it. I had a Briggs & Stratton minibike; you could buy them from the hardware store.” Spencer rode in his backyard, already working on the…

Fancy a bit on the side? The Sidecar Guys operate the first Ural Experience Centre in the UK in Morpeth, Northumberland. You can choose between a one-day or two-day experience, or even a passenger experience – everything is tailored to you. You’ll get lunch, refreshments, and a £250 accessories voucher if you take the plunge and buy a Ural. One-person Experience: • 1 day £375 • 2 days £750 Two-person Experience: •1 day £475 •2 days £850…

‘Ultimate track bike’ As with all latest generation Panigale V4s, the fiery power is subtlety harnessed by flawless fuel mapping and electronics. Chassis tweaks make it easier to ride fast, but you need to be on your game. It’s brutally quick here at Imola with a limit that far exceeds normal riders like us and is undoubtedly the closest thing you can buy to a racer with lights and mirrors. Yes, it’s the ultimate track bike, but feels similar to its cheaper, biggercubed V4 sisters, just because they’ve raised their game. The R delivers a little more drama with the way it devours revs, but it’s hard to justify the extra cost, unless you’re a race team, or a well-heeled collector. THE FACTS £38,995 Ducati Panigale V4 R…

The Ring RTC4000 is the firm’s second most powerful cordless tyre inflator, with a 120W output and 120PSI maximum inflation pressure. The unit is pretty small (150mm × 95mm × 61mm) and isn’t particularly heavy either (757g) so you can pack it in a big backpack or a pannier for a long trip or a tour, but it’s too big to keep under a seat or in a smaller backpack. You charge it through a USB-C port on the base and a full charge was more than enough to inflate a flat 200/55 x 17 rear tyre. 3 months ON TEST Quality Value www.ringautomotive.com…

Getting intimate with your drive chain may seem like a bit of a geeky exercise, but I promise you, you’ll reap the benefits in terms of cost. Keeping on top of cleaning, lubing and adjusting will massively extend the life of your chain, thus delaying the cost of replacement. Although it seems logical to do your chain when you wash the rest of your bike, I prefer to treat chain maintenance as a completely separate job, as it needs its own routine as detailed in this How To. Plus, it really needs to be performed more frequently than your general bike cleaning regime. When cleaning your chain, never be tempted to use a degreaser. In the old days you would use products like Gunk, or Jizer which are general de-greasers.…

1 Ducati are flying high Ducati haven’t won at Thruxton since 2019 but given how PBM riders Tommy Bridewell and Glenn Irwin’s seasons are going you’d not bet against them. Bridewell has taken things up a notch with five wins in the last six. He hasn’t been beaten in the dry since race three at Knockhill – and that was by Irwin. Thruxton is perfect for even more entertaining, bar-to-bar combat between the two. Irwin needs to bounce back sooner rather than later, too. Oxford Products Racing Ducati’s Christian Iddon has turned things around this season with a double podium at Brands Hatch – and he podiumed at Thruxton in 2021. 2 Vickers up for the fight One Yamaha rider full of confidence and positivity is Ryan Vickers. The LAMI…

There was no expectation on Dan Linfoot coming into the Suzuka 8 Hours. The two-time BSB race winner has been in great form this year to claim five wins in the National Superstock 1000 series, but at Suzuka he had a lot to adapt to. A Suzuki EWC machine shod with Bridgestone tyres meant he had a good package for the race but with one of his teammates, Hafizh Syahrin ruled out with injury, the Number 76 crew became a two-rider outfit of Linfoot and Takayua Tsuda for the gruelling race. ‘Honestly, I rode like a dog in that last stint!’ Linfoot started and finished the race but four hours on the bike proved a challenge unlike any he had faced before. The 35-year-old performed sensationally and finished fifth –…

KTM’s main man, Brad Binder, has a reputation for being fast in the rain, but seemingly only when on slick tyres. That’s a carry-over from his audacious performance in Austria two years ago when he rejected the logic of a switch to rain tyres and slithered to a sublime slick-shod victory. On full wets for the Sprint at Silverstone, however, Binder finished an uninspiring ninth. Fast forward to Sunday with seven laps remaining in the GP, light drizzle arrived to set up a tense conclusion. Surely Binder’s race for the taking? He carved from fourth in the low grip conditions as he tagged right onto Bagnaia’s leading Ducati. But there was no repeat of Binder’s Austrian heroics as Aprilia man Aleix Espargaro and Bagnaia out ran him into third on…

It’s probably safe to say that the Honda rider who most enjoyed the British GP was the one who wasn’t there. Alex Rins, languishing at home for an eighth weekend with his double leg break, would have been pleased enough to miss the dire weather. Most especially, the 2019 Silverstone winner knows that at next year’s race he won’t have to ride a Honda. Rins must have shuddered to watch the antics of his fellow RC213V riders. Marc Marquez, in spite of lingering evidence of being thoroughly disheartened, naturally led the way. Qualified 14th and a lousy 18th in Saturday’s soggy Sprint, he managed to get into the top ten briefly on Sunday only to drop back, and eventually crash. Teammate Mir, back after his own repeated injury absence, fared…

Kawasaki Versys 650 £8515 | 649cc | 217kg (kerb) | 66bhp | 845mm seat height Kawasaki’s excellent Versys 650 is one of those motorcycles that is easily over-looked but once sampled is almost guaranteed to impress any rider. And for just £85 a month, it could probably tempt you to open your wallet and add to your garage. Powered by the parallel-twin Z650 engine (which can be made A2-legal), the Versys is pleasingly light and nimble at low speed thanks to a 217kg wet weight, making it very manoeuvrable in town and reassuring for newer riders, but once out and about it’s sure-footed and fun. Unlike some other adventure bikes, the Versys uses 17in wheels, which help deliver a very precise confidence-inspiring feeling on faster A- or B-roads and it…

Kawasaki UK have confirmed their 2024 line-up, with 23 existing machines joining the previously announced ZX-4RR, ZX-6R, Eliminator, and KX450. On top of this, there will be the Z EV and Ninja EV electrics. “We are very pleased to announce this huge selection of models,” said Sales and Marketing Manager Craig Watson. Smartly dressed Scrambler-istas Ducati’s latest Scrambler apparel collection has arrived in dealers, with everything from jackets to trendy open-face Arais. The range includes the £291 SCR62 textile jacket which is produced by Spidi and has armour at the shoulders/elbows. There’s also a set of casual clobber, including T-shirts, jumpers, bags, and more. See shop.ducati.com for the range. Big trade-in bonus for KTM buyers KTM are offering a trade-in bonus of up to £3000 on their road bike range,…

SAVE £1971 £8888 Yamaha MT-09 This MT is a 2022 model, but don’t let that put you off when the saving is this alluring. Better still, the reduced price includes £750 of Yamaha accessories of the buyer’s choice and a free thirdyear warranty. There is also a VIP discount card giving the customer 10% off accessories/clothing etc ordered from Alford Brothers. www.alfordbros.co.uk SAVE £5255 £12,995 Triumph Speed Triple 1200RR The 1200RR is a big-cube, threecylinder superbike, created in Triumph’s own inimitable style. Build quality is superb. www.lind.co.uk/triumph • Engine 1160c • Power 178bhp • Weight 199kg • Seat height 830mm SAVE £2000 £21,575 BMW R1250GS This Ultimate Edition comes fitted with Option 719 parts such as LED fog lights, Akrapovic exhaust, engine bars and tinted screen. www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/sycamore-peterborough • Engine 1254cc…

Oxford Dakota 3.0 Women’s Jacket £129.99 This CE A-rated textile jacket has seen a series of improvements, including a waterproof membrane, chest vents and removable quilted thermal liner. Fit can be tailored via webbing straps at the waist and upper arms, as well as zippered gussets around the hips. Level 1 shoulder and elbow armour included. oxfordriderwear.com SW-Motech Panniers for Honda XL750 Transalp £1016.40 SW-Motech have a range of luggage options for the new Transalp 750, including these sturdy Trax Adv aluminium side cases. Available in either silver or black, and as 37 or 45 litre capacity, they’re claimed to be totally water- and dustproof. The package includes close-fitting Pro side carriers and Quick-lock fasteners. sw-motech.co.uk Caberg Flyon II Helmet from £229.99 Caberg’s popular Flyon has been redesigned inside and…

‘Don’t forget the bread and butter’ A press release from Ducati pinged into my inbox the other week championing the fact their six-month global sales figures were up 5% in 2023 compared to 2022 – a decent rise when you consider the current financial outlook, but more interesting was their list of best-selling models. Out of the 34,976 bikes that have left the Bologna factory this year, the Multistrada V4 is the best-seller with 6382 units, the Monster second recording 4299 sales and the Scrambler 800 family third at 3581. Why is this interesting? Well there are no sportsbikes mentioned and two of the three best-sellers are ‘budget-conscious’ middleweights. When Ducati announced in an interview with MCN that they were focusing on ‘luxury bikes’ in the future, it made me…

1 August 12-13 Heritage Sprint Check out classic and custom bike sprints all weekend at Kent’s Betteshanger Park. Weekend tickets from £18. heritagesprint.co.uk 2 August 13 Run What Ya Brung Take on Santa Pod’s quartermile. Sign on starts from £62 and kids are welcomed for just a fiver. santapod.co.uk 3 August 13 Autojumble Clear some space in your sheds and garages and get yourself down to the Newark Showground for the ‘Normous Newark autojumble. Entry £7, or £10 for early birds. newarkautojumble.co.uk 4 August 13 Bike Day at the Ace There’s plenty on at the Ace this Sunday, as well as the Vintage and Classic Bike Day there’s the usual good food and company. london.acecafe.com…

WEDNESDAY August 9 10pm, QUEST, World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides: South Africa THURSDAY August 10 12pm, EUR2, Bennetts British Superbikes from Donington Park: Weekend Highlights FRIDAY August 11 1pm, EUR2, Bennetts British Superbikes: Brands Hatch Weekend Highlights SATURDAY August 12 8.25am, ITV4, MotoGP Highlights from Silverstone 1pm, EUR2, Live Bennetts British Superbikes from Thruxton. Day 1 SUNDAY August 13 1pm, QUEST Live Bennetts British Superbikes from Thruxton 2.15pm, EUR2, Live Bennetts British Superbikes from Thruxton. Day 2. Highlights at 8pm and 11pm MONDAY August 14 7pm, EUR2, Live British Speedway British Championship Final from Belle Vue KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT - DISCOVERY REAL TIME DSC - DISCOVERY CHANNEL DHD - DISCOVERY CHANNEL HD EXS - EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL EUR1 (2, HD) - EUROSPORT 1 (2, HD) MOT - MOTORSPORT.TV CH4 - CHANNEL…

There is general agreement that a helmet should be replaced after three to five years of regular use, provided it has not been damaged or modified. This advice may vary, depending on the manufacturer, so it is always best to check with them first. If you can’t find the information, ask your dealer. There is no precise definition of “regular use” but the average UK motorcyclist travels 3000 to 5000 miles per year, which is a useful benchmark. Higher mileage riders are likely to need a new helmet sooner, because they are wearing it for longer periods. Frequency of use is also a factor. Commuters and delivery riders, who may not cover huge distances, but are out on their motorcycles and scooters daily with stop/start work will be putting on…

‘The Honda is best… but I’d take the Yamaha’ The Transalp is the most well-rounded here: smooth, comfortable and controllable. Despite its off-road stance and big front wheel, it’s neutral handling and accurate, even on our heavily treaded off-road control tyres. Power is smooth, friendly and you only notice its lack of low-down oomph after stepping off the grunty Suzuki. We’re only riding up and down Mount Etna today and no motorways, which is a good job because the wind noise at motorway speeds can be intolerable. It also lacks cruise control, which seems a glaring omission for a middleweight mile-muncher. Suzuki’s V-Strom 800DE is ultra-refined on the road and the engine the undoubted star of the show. The parallel twin is smooth and urgent with a glassy-smooth throttle and…

RATINGS Exceptional Very good Good Average Poor TRIED& TESTED MCN STAFF RATE THEIR RIDING KIT 2500 miles ON TEST Dainese launched this jacket back in 2017 and updated it with the Racing 4 in 2022. The new one featured some light upgrades and fresh colours, but both are essentially the same. It’s available in men’s or women’s fit and vented or non-vented, like mine. I’ve worn it for road test photoshoots and trips around the UK. It screams quality. The leather is supple, stitching is perfect and the zips and fasteners flawless. Attention to detail extends down to the crisply cut Dainese logos and letters. It’s three years old and still looks like new. CE approved shoulder and elbow armour comes as standard, as do the pockets for an accessory…

Charging can be a minefield but Rick and Andrew recommend the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) cards. Obtained from the various charging companies, an RFID card is used to pay for electricity at public charge points. Tap the card against the reader to initiate the process and the unique data held on the card identifies the user. Only snag is, it’s not a case of one card fits all, different cards are needed for each supplier. Best thing is to get a selection and stow them on the bike, rather than clogging up your wallet.…

Love those links Ashamed of your bike’s chain? Here how to get it looking like new 1 Time to come clean Your drive chain can end up looking like this in a very short time if the bike is ridden in wet, dirty or salty conditions, so how frequently you clean your chain depends on the type of riding you do. If you’re a year-round, all-weather rider, your bike’s chain should be cleaned and re-lubed after every encounter with bad weather. 2 Raise the wheel Raise the rear wheel off the ground, either by putting your bike on its mainstand or rear paddock stand, and place a tray beneath it. Spin the wheel to check the chain for tight spots as well as overall condition. It should run smoothly over the sprockets…

Most successful manufacturer Most successful rider Race Lap Record All-time Lap Record 2022 Results DID YOU KNOW? Motorcycle racing began at the former wartime airfield in 1950 on a track comprising both runways and perimeter roads. Due to deteriorating tarmac, a new circuit opened in 1968 which only followed the lines of the former perimeter, with the inclusion of the chicane and the tight Campbell-Cobb-Segrave section commonly referred to as the Complex.…

A day of firsts at Silverstone wasn’t just limited to MotoGP where Alex Marquez scored his first win. The two junior classes provided two first-time winners who are surely destined for the very top. 18-year-old Fermin Aldeguer claimed a convincing triumph in Moto2, taking a first victory of the year for the Boscoscuro chassis, and becoming the third youngest winner in the history of the class in the process. Aldeguer was hailed as Grand Prix’s next big star after he secured pole position in Argentina last April at just 16 years and 362 days. But the weight of expectation and lack of experience contributed to slightly underwhelming results in the races after. But aside from a crash at Mugello, Aldeguer has shown over the past seven rounds that he is…

Scott Ogden couldn’t hide his disappointment despite finishing less than 2s from the victor in a titanic Moto3 scrap. The Englishman’s bike stalled before the warm up lap, forcing him to start from the back of the grid rather than second, where he had qualified. “I’m a little embarrassed,” he said. “I don’t know if it was my fault – it’s not normal to stall the bike. Anyway, I rode a good race. If I started second, I think I’d have finished in the same position (17th), just because of the lack of speed of the Honda. But it hurts a lot because it’s an unknown what I could have done.”…

Fabio Quartararo has once again outlined that Yamaha’s number one area that needs fixing is the M1’s engine. Yamaha’s problem continued, although Sunday highlighted slight positives with new fairings, a different rear shock and a new swingarm which Quartararo tested previously. Sadly, he collided with Marini and dropped from seventh to 15th. Quartararo says he may keep the fairing for Austria, but the problem remains power. “Some will say ‘look at the speed, you’re not so far off’, but today they overtook me just like that,” Quartararo said. “The aero they use is massive, but if we use the same aero, we’ll be another 5kph slower, so it’ll be 15kph because the engine is slow. “You overtake one rider, then he overtakes looking at you down the straight which is…

MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1 BAGNAIA 214 Pts 2 MARTIN 173 Pts 3 BEZZECCHI 167 Pts 16 Di Giannantonio 37 17 Nakagami 34 18 Bastianini 18 19 Marquez M 15 20 Fernandez 14 21 Pedrosa 13 22 Salvadori 9 23 Folger 9 24 Pirro 5 25 Mir 5 26 Petrucci 5 27 Bradl 5 28 Espargaro P 4 FINAL POSITIONS MOTOGP 11 Fernandez A +20.296 12 Espargaro P +1’06.120 13 Di Giannantonio +1’27.605 14 Morbidelli +1’28.913 15 Quartararo +1’29.075 16 Nakagami +1’38.573 17 Lecuona +1’49.674 DNF Bastianini 16 laps DNF Marquez M 14 laps DNF Marquez A 5 laps DNF Bezzecchi 5 laps DNF Mir Sapr 2 laps FINAL POSITIONS SP RACE 11 Marini +17.365 12 Di Giannantonio +20.063 13 Bastianini +24.352 14 Bagnaia +25.527 15 Morbidelli +27.191 16 Espargaro P…

Aleix Espargaro’s last-lap victory over 2023 series leader Pecco Bagnaia suggests that Aprilia’s summer holidays were shorter than anyone else’s. From afar the Spaniard’s RS-GP may have looked unchanged after the five-week break but the bike had a subtle upgrade that helped him secure victory. Downforce aerodynamics is MotoGP’s biggest growth area – a relatively new science in bike racing and therefore somewhere you can find big improvements. So what did they do for Silverstone? The fairing of the factory RS-GPs of Espargaro and teammate Maverick Viñales featured small strakes (or wings) protruding from the rear of the fairing lower. The usual aim of downforce aero is to increase grip, which increases turning. And this is the crucial point. If the rider can turn the bike sooner he can pick…