Table of contents for 14 April 2021 in MCN

‘The MT-09 SP has come of age. It’s a class act’MCN’S NEEVESY ON THE NEW SP COVER STORY Say hello to the SPecial naked one Yamaha’s MT-09 reinvented the naked bike market when it first launched, then added some extra zest when they made the more naughty SP edition. Yet it’s always teetered on the edge of perfection without quite getting both wheels over the line. Not the new SP takes all the MT’s tantalising promise and turns it into one of the most rewarding and refined nakeds you can buy. TESTED, PAGE 67 THE BIG TEST ‘It’s the essence of riding fun’ The new bike market is expanding simultaneously in two different directions. While the cutting edge gets sharper and cleverer with every model update, there’s a growing tide…

The Motorcycle Action Group have met with Transport for London to formulate a plan to ensure rider safety is taken into account on new road projects, with MAG working to let transport chiefs know what to look out for. A TfL representative told us: “Working with experienced riders means TfL have a very good chance of making the streets safer for the motorcycling community.” Hose in the know British hose experts Samco have turned their attention to Yamaha’s Ténéré 700. The bespoke silicone hose kit is claimed to be capable of withstanding much higher pressures than OEM fitments. The kit is a direct replacement, coming with all the relevant tubing, and has a lifetime/unlimited mileage warranty. Available in multiple colours from £129.35. Scooting about Despite lockdown still being in force…

Indian’s fully revamped Chief range has arrived in the UK and you’ll be able to get your hands on them in the next few weeks. The Chief has been completely redesigned for 2021, with an updated Euro5 1890cc engine placed in a brand-new everything else. The highlight addition is the Ride Command satnav built into the new TFT dash. There are three models of Chief coming to the UK. At £15,795 the Chief is the entry level model in the range and is ideal for those who look at a cruiser and see a blank canvas. Up from the Chief is the Chief Bobber, at £17,695, which swaps in 16in wire wheels, foot-forward controls and shrouded suspension for a moodier bobber look. For people who fancy travelling further afield there’s…

The Sammy Miller Museum in New Milton, Hampshire, will be reopening its doors on Monday, May 17 (subject to coronavirus restrictions) including the new 10,000sq.ft extension which was completed two days before the first lockdown. The team have been busy over the past year and there are plenty of new exhibits to see, including freshly restored classics from the workshop and 18 more displays in the engine collection. Thrifty scrambler WK have released a Euro5 version of their 125 Scrambler. The new version combines retro scrambler styling with modern running gear, a digital dash and LED headlight. Available in grey or black, with a tan, ribbed bench seat the first shipment of machines has already sold out but WK are taking orders for the next batch. The retro- style 125…

RST GT leather jacket £149.99 Spring clean your riding wardrobe Time to cast aside those bulky winter textiles and lighten up your riding wardrobe. We set ourselves a budget of under £300 and rounded up a selection of leather riding jackets for all tastes. With a 40% reduction, this RST jacket is on sale from SportsBikeShop. It’s made from full-grain cowhide and has various perforated panels. It comes in plain back and there’s also a version with white detailing, which is subtle and understated. Armour at the shoulders, elbows and back is CE Level 2 approved and there are external shoulder protectors. A bubble/mesh style lining aids air flow for warmer riding days. The jackets are available in a full range of sizes in both colour options and, if you…

An adventure festival, founded virtually in April 2020, is heading to Cornwall later this year for a weekend of inspiring tales, group riding and plenty of food and drink. The first ‘physical’ Armchair Adventure Festival is planned to take place at Mount Edgcumbe Country Park between September 24-26 and was set up by Reece Gilkes and Matt Bishop, who previously set a world record for the longest journey by scooter and sidecar by riding round the world from 2017 to 2019. The event will feature an organised tour of the area, plus lessons in foraging, fire lighting and shelter building. What’s more, if you fancy parking the bike up and trying something different, there will be the opportunity to kayak or paddleboard at the nearby coast, take on wild swimming…

FANTASY SHOPPING ON A REAL-WORLD BUDGET Every week we give a different rider a wodge of fictional cash and ask them to ‘buy’ the bike that sets their soul on fire. This is JR’s pick… 1978 – 2021 PRICE DROP NEW TO USED £3001 John Reynolds has raced everything from a motocross bike to a Velocette MOV 250 and has lined up in 500GPs and WSB but it is his record of 37 race wins and 117 podiums from 202 starts in BSB that he is best known for. A title winner on a Kawasaki ZXR750 and Ducati 996RS, in 2004 John became the first litre-bike BSB champion when he won on the Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 K4. Having retired from racing in 2005, John has helped develop every GSX-R since 2006…

Q ‘Does blowout mean the car driver is liable?’ I was involved in an accident caused when a car coming the other way suffered a burst tyre. My insurer says because it was a blowout, I cannot claim from the other driver and the matter will go down as a fault claim on my insurance. Is this right? Alex, email A Drivers have a duty to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy. If a vehicle is not roadworthy and this is the cause of an accident then the injured person can claim compensation subject to being able to prove it. A blowout is different to a puncture. A blowout is a sudden loss of pressure where the tyre is quickly destroyed, making a vehicle difficult to control. A puncture involves…

GETTING ‘RG FEVER’ “I bought an ‘ex-demo’ road RG500 and remember riding it home in the wet, opening the throttle and realising how these things go. Because it was ex-demo it had been tweaked and tuned and the performance was quite an eye-opener.” 2008 SPA CLASSIC “We took quite a number of bikes and had some star riders – Boet van Dulman, Tepi Lansivouri, Phil Read (after his bike didn’t turn up). We’ve attended every Bikers Classic since…” 2010 ‘PROPER RACING’ “We got involved with the Manx, bought two XR69 reps and were set to have Guy Martin – but he had a bad accident. A lad called Dunlop stepped in an did a 120mph lap – then won.” 2013 CLASSIC TT “We built a bike using the GSX-R1100 engine…

MICHAEL NEEVES CHIEF ROAD TESTER Yamaha’s MT-09 has come of age for 2021. It’s more refined, even cheekier and best of all, carves through corners like it should’ve done all along, thanks to a lower headstock that places more weight over the front wheel. In SP trim, not only do you get a more sophisticated ride, cruise control and special finishes, it’s also a lot of exciting naked bike for relatively little money. It still feels like a tall, shimmying supermoto at speed, but it’s always controlled and has impeccable low speed manners when you just want to take it easy. It’s a class act. THE FACTS £10,202 Yamaha MT-09 SP…

● In May last year, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that the A66 is set to be upgraded to be dual-carriageway throughout so experience what’s left of the ‘old 66’ before it’s gone. ● The current A66’s 116 miles can be done in two-and-a-half hours – plus there’s your travel time. It’s do-able in a day but give yourself time to enjoy it. ● Also, keep in mind the weather. Being high and in the north adds up to the A66 suffering some of the UK’s worst winter weather.…

There is a huge and baffling range of exhausts out there, each one promising to improve looks, sound, performance, weight or a combination of all four. They’re also usually finished to a higher standard than OE. Stock systems are built to a price and have to meet stringent noise and emissions regulations, so are compromised on both their looks, sound and performance. Choosing a system is a personal choice, but I’d suggest asking a local specialist or dealer. Avoid the cut-price temptation of faceless online auctions, as you could run the risk of buying something that isn’t suitable for the UK/EU market, which could cause problems with fuel-air ratio and lead to other issues. On this matter, I spoke to James Holland from JHS Racing, a Dynojet-approved performance centre for…

Neil Hodgson Oulton Park BSB 2000 When polesitter Neil Hodgson stalled on the grid he was wheeled all the way to the back of the pack (32nd). But, he was 13th by the end the opening lap. By lap four he’d caught the leading quartet and disposed of Reynolds and Hislop. The soon-to-be BSB champ won with a 1.254s advantage. Randy Krummenacher Assen WSS 2018 Krummenacher had qualified sixth but a technical issue with his R6 resulted in a trip to the back of the grid. Krummenacher was setting fastest lap after fastest lap, breaking the lap record on lap 11 but ran out of time before he could overtake race winner Jules Cluzel.…

1 Are Yamaha the real deal? After victories in Qatar, it’s time for Quartararo and Viñales to show it was no fluke. They struggled at Portimao in 2020 so this weekend represents a real test. 2 Ducati without the power Only one real straight and hot temperatures is usually a recipe for disaster for Ducati, so Portimao will truly show whether or not they’ve taken a step forwards with tyre management and turning. 3 Time to be champions? Mir and Rins scored reasonably at Qatar and now it’s time for them to ramp up the results. Now in Europe, expect Suzuki to be strong every Sunday, no matter where they qualify. 4 Can Oliveira do it again? KTM need a positive result. Luckily, it’s Oliveira’s home GP and he dominated…

It’s been the definitive tourer since the 1200 arrived 15 years ago - winning over plenty of loyal fans. Weather protection is ace, comfort top-notch and equipment levels high (especially as owners can’t resist the options list). Yet, despite looking huge, there’s an agile chassis there with the sort of gravity-defying handling that makes the GS so appealing. We had one in 2005 and have fond memories of day-long comfort... and of carving up a trackday. For this money you’ll be looking at a bike that’s done some miles so listen for rumbles from the shaft drive (worn bearings), check the clutch for grabbing (they give up near 80k and are a costly pig to replace) and if it’s got ESA check that it works properly and there are no…

It’s been the definitive tourer since the 1200 arrived 15 years ago - winning over plenty of loyal fans. Weather protection is ace, comfort top-notch and equipment levels high (especially as owners can’t resist the options list). Yet, despite looking huge, there’s an agile chassis there with the sort of gravity-defying handling that makes the GS so appealing. We had one in 2005 and have fond memories of day-long comfort... and of carving up a trackday. For this money you’ll be looking at a bike that’s done some miles so listen for rumbles from the shaft drive (worn bearings), check the clutch for grabbing (they give up near 80k and are a costly pig to replace) and if it’s got ESA check that it works properly and there are no…

With the MotoGP season firmly underway and this weekend’s Portimao round looking set to deliver the battle we’ve been waiting for as Marc Marquez re-enters the fray, the momentum and excitement are building fast. And so is the desire to get trackside and see, hear and feel the action again. Covid robbed us of the opportunity to stand (or sit, if you’re lucky) trackside and experience the very best riders in BSB, WSB and MotoGP doing battle right before our eyes during 2020. When restrictions allow, I’m desperate to experience that again – rather than through the desensitised medium of a TV screen. Even watching it on TV the racing doesn’t feel the same without a sea of fans lining the fences and populating the grandstands. We’re also celebrating the…

Been waiting for your dream job to come along? Well, wait no more. Bauer Media, the UK’s biggest print publisher has a vacancy for a Deputy Editor in its motorcycling content hub. Serving brands such as MCN, Bike, Ride and Practical Sportsbikes (now incorporating Performance Bikes), you’ll be expected to ride the latest machines and tell our audience what they’re like as well as turn your hand to product testing, feature writing and video presenting. MCN’s online presence is huge and tapping into the growing audience is key. Being analytical, organised, driven and a team player are crucial, too. We don’t expect the next Valentino Rossi, but an ability to understand and analyse how a bike is performing on test and then turn that into accurate, engaging and informative content…

THURSDAY April 15 3pm, EUR2, Motorcycling: 8 Hours of Sepang 2019-2020 FRIDAY April 16 9am, BTS2, Live MotoGP from Portimao, Portugal: Free Practice 1. Free Practice 2 starts at 1.15pm SATURDAY April 17 9am, BTS2, Live MotoGP from Portimao, Portugal: Free Practice 3. Qualifying at 12pm 10.45am, EUR2, Live Motorcycling: Le Mans SUNDAY April 18 6am, EUR2, Live Motorcycling: Le Mans 9am, BTS2, Live MotoGP from Portimao, Portugal: Warm-Ups. Moto3 at 10.30am, MotoGP at 12.30pm and Moto2 at 2.15pm. Chequered Flag at 3.30pm MONDAY April 19 8pm, ITV4, MotoGP highlights from Portimao, Portugal TUESDAY April 20 5pm, EUR2, Australian Superbikes 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)…

MCN is saddened to report of the death of former editor Jim Lindsay, who passed away on April 10, aged 66. A lifelong full-time motorcyclist, Jim was at the helm of MCN in the early 1980s and also helped launch Performance Bikes in 1985. He maintained a presence in the industry as a respected freelance contributor, and in 2011 even turned his hand to bike building with his bold Triumph- powered Enigma sportsbike project. Former MCN publisher and Jim’s friend of 40 years, Mark Revelle gave us this tribute: “Before Christmas he had ridden his KTM over for a beer. A month later he was diagnosed with cancer. “Jim and I first crossed swords when he edited Mechanics and I edited Which Bike? Jim mistakenly accused us of making up…

DEPUTY EDITOR, MOTORCYCLING If the ‘comfortable middleweight sportsbike’ premise of Aprilia’s RS660 sounds pretty darn good, then wait one second. Because, following the pattern of almost 20 years, the sportsbike has now been joined by a streetfighter sibling. The Tuono blueprint remains unchanged: same sportsbike chassis and engine as the RS, but now with a fraction less plastic and a higher handlebar. So, what does that make the Tuono 660 – the comfortable version of a comfortable sportsbike? Well, kinda. Sure enough the Tuono’s one-piece handlebar, clamped above a new top yoke, sets hands higher and wider than the RS660’s considerate clip-ons, giving a more relaxed, but not totally upright, stance. It’s sporty without being racy, weight nicely balanced between hands, bum and feet. Seat-to-peg spacing is identical to the…

Aprilia’s RS660 makes more sense on British roads than most sportsbikes, but this Tuono makes even more sense than the RS. Same sublime sportiness and speed, but with added comfort and control in town or just covering distance. The Tuono’s stuffed to its brim with the very essence of what makes riding bikes so much fun, from its sublimely swift steering, to its punchy power delivery, to the growl from the exhaust. It’s a mini-supernaked, purpose-built to make you smile, totally usable and devoid of anything intimidating. But £9700 is a lot – more than a Yamaha MT-09, a KTM 890 Duke or a Triumph Street Triple R. Bringing the tech spec up to the RS’s level means adding the optional IMU (£378), quickshifter (£183.17) and lithium battery (£194.40), totalling…

Fifty years ago in April 1971, the very first ‘Anglo American Match Races’, soon to be better known as the Transatlantic Trophy, were held in the UK. The three-round series took place over the Easter weekend at Brands, Mallory and Oulton, pitted two teams of British and American riders against each other and was originally conceived as a one-off event using matching machines to promote the then terminally ailing BSA-Triumph. Yet within a few short years the Match Races had become an annual highlight, introduced UK fans to US stars such as Dave Aldana, Freddie Spencer and Kevin Schwantz, and attracted record crowds as Brit captain Barry Sheene took on ‘the Yanks’ led by Kenny Roberts. In short, it transformed British bikesport, energised ’70s racing with Stateside sparkle and helped…

● Coast-coast ‘off-road’ You can ride Morecambe (West) to Scarborough (East) almost entirely ‘off-road’ via designated greenlanes as organised by the Teeside and North Yorkshire TRF brand. www.trf.co.uk for details. ● Farthest East to West A ‘dawn-to-dusk’ journey from England’s easternmost point (at dawn), Lowestoft Ness, to its Westernmost (Land’s End) is another popular ride. It’s around 450miles and takes 8 hours.…

Next time you’re in a showroom (won’t be long...) remember your manners. I sound like a fussy parent, but just as you want good customer service, so a dealer responds to a polite and happy customer. This doesn’t mean just going along with what they tell you – by all means show your knowledge and ask probing questions, but don’t be patronising or cocky. Debate points, but don’t argue; being friendly, happy and polite goes much further towards getting a good price or those accessories thrown into the deal than you’d think. Think what it’s like when you sell something yourself. You list it on that well-known online auction website and someone places a winning bid on your item. They turn up a few of days later to collect it…

The owner of this Kawasaki ZZR1400 barely touched the rear brake as he hauled the high-speed beastie to a halt - and that habit nearly cost him dearly. When Doncaster Motorcycles inspected the machine for an MoT, mechanic Kevin Hollingsworth, was amazed to see how rarely-used the Kawasaki’s rear-stopper had been. He said: “He is one of those riders who does all his braking with the front discs. Although the pads were quite well-worn, they were within limits. But if he had used the rear brake in an emergency stop it could have locked on solid and pitched him off. That would have flat- spotted the rear tyre at the very least, which would then make the bike really hard to control.” Because the rear pedal hadn’t moved for months…

MotoGP is closer than ever and overtaking is more difficult than ever, so race weekends have never been more complicated for riders and engineers. Not so long ago Fridays and Saturdays were all about working on race pace. That is still the big deal, but the action is so close now that if you qualify badly you end up deep in the pack at the first corner, so you may never catch the leaders. Qualifying is now so vital that it all starts before qualifying! The fastest ten riders at the end of the three 45-minute FP1, FP2 and FP3 sessions go directly into the 15-minute Q2 qualifier, in which riders fight for the top four rows of the grid. Going straight into Q2 is a huge boost to any…

‘There is close and there’s too close…’ Does anyone else watch MotoGP with a feeling of fascinated horror? Nerves jangling? Doha’s round two under the desert lights presented the closest top 15 in history. All over the line in less than nine seconds. This is MotoGP, not Moto3 where such phenomena are commonplace. A hurtling mass of motorbikes, over the line close to the point where in practice a new all-time speed record of 225.2 mph had been recorded. And not much further down the kilometre-long straight from where Jack Miller’s Ducati had barged Joan Mir’s Suzuki, punting both perilously close to disaster. More precisely, the finish line was where, in the earlier Moto3 race, front-runner Rodrigo snapped off his brake-lever protector slamming into the back of another bike, and…

It’s been the definitive tourer since the 1200 arrived 15 years ago - winning over plenty of loyal fans. Weather protection is ace, comfort top-notch and equipment levels high (especially as owners can’t resist the options list). Yet, despite looking huge, there’s an agile chassis there with the sort of gravity-defying handling that makes the GS so appealing. We had one in 2005 and have fond memories of day-long comfort... and of carving up a trackday. For this money you’ll be looking at a bike that’s done some miles so listen for rumbles from the shaft drive (worn bearings), check the clutch for grabbing (they give up near 80k and are a costly pig to replace) and if it’s got ESA check that it works properly and there are no…

SAVE £2400 £10,495 Ducati SuperSport The 2020 Ducati SuperSport is a genuine everyday sportsbike with its simple, modestly- powered V-twin engine, all wrapped up in a sweet-handling chassis. Ducati Cambridge have two Euro4 bikes on offer, with a flat-white S-version, which features Öhlins suspension, up for £11,495 – a £2400 saving. ● www.vindisducati.com SAVE £1177 £4399 Kawasaki Z400 The brashly-styled A2-legal twin is a cracking do-it-all and with over a grand off and 0% finance from Northampton Moto is worth a look. ● northamptonmoto.co.uk ● Engine 399cc ● Power 44bhp ● Weight 167kg ● Seat height 785mm SAVE £1081 £10,499 MV Agusta Brutale 800 Rosso Light and flighty and fun to ride – backed up by one of the sweetest soundtracks on the road. ● www.motocorsa.com ● Engine 798cc ●…

Official MotoGP charity Two Wheels for Life are running an international charity relay to raise funds for their life saving work. The event, called The Great Relay, has been organised in conjunction with the Harley Owners Group (HOG) but is open to all bikers. The relay will begin in London on May 26, 2021 with the rideout lead by the new Pan America adventure bike. From London the relay will head into Europe making its way up to the most northern point of the continent at Nordkapp in Norway. After that the ride heads back down through Europe and back to the UK, taking in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. All in all the route covers 90 different stages and more than 10,000 miles in…

‘Don’t just break any old machine’ Selling the brace of Z650s, one semi complete, one 100% in pieces, proved easy and quick. The outlay of £1000 was turned into sales of over £3500 and it occurs to me that I’ve never written on the best bikes to break. Obviously, it has to be something for which people want parts. Modern bikes tend to be wanted for crash damage items – forks, plastics, sticky-out bits. Engines less so, and bits of dismantled engine not very often. Wheels and brackets and suspension, seldom. So either you buy a bike with a blown engine and sell off everything else or you buy a cosmetic snotter with a superb lump and work from there. And choose a popular model (few people are looking for…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews Going the distance In response to Dave Johnston’s letter on tyre life (MCN April 7), it would be interesting to know what sort of riding he does. I ride a Honda Pan European both for leisure and pleasure as well as conducting advanced training, with IAM RoadSmart and ERS. Whenever possible I avoid using straight roads for too long, thus I am using most of the tyre most of the time rather than squaring it off. My Battlax T31s will always give me 8000 to 9000 miles, that’s not bad for a bike weighing over a third of a ton. Geoff Pretty, email Why does Rossi bother? Poor old Valentino, it’s getting embarrassing to watch now he’s been relegated to a satellite team. Maybe it’s time…

We’ve seen riders weaving down the straights in the smaller classes for years, but it’s getting worse. It was actually my lad Ewan who summed up Moto3 when we were watching it together from Qatar, when he said: “They think the racing is safe!” And I think he was spot on, that’s exactly what’s happened. They have great big run offs, there’s no grass on the edge of the tracks, the green paint is grippy, the kerbs are grippy. People used to nick a bit of the kerb in racing but now riders are taking liberties plus they’re all wearing airbag suits so they think that they’ll be alright even if they do crash. ‘They are all wearing airbags so they think it will be alright’ They’ve been brought up…

Age 63 Height 5ft 11in Current bike 2015 Triumph Street Triple 675 Been riding For 42 years First bike Honda CG125 Dream bike Norton Domiracer “I bought my Street Triple in June 2020. Once I saw it and had a test ride I fell for it hook, line and sinker. I had wanted something to complement my Yamaha MT-10 SP, but I soon found I was riding it far more than the MT. I feel I can use all the power, and it’s just such incredible fun. “The Tuono 660 looks like it should give the Street Triple a run for its money. I love the Tuono’s looks, and being able to use all the power and handling. It looks a real feel-good bike. Sizing of the two bikes is…

JON URRY ROAD TESTER Second-generation bikes are always a step above their predecessors due to the fact that small irritations have been ironed out, and this rings true of the 890 Adventure R. Smoother, more refined, better handling and even more capable off-road, the 890 Adventure R is a brilliant option for anyone serious about venturing into the unknown. It’s a shame a few options aren’t standard fitment on a bike costing so much but there is no denying that this is a quality product that has now matured into a better overall package. THE FACTS £11,999 KTM 890 Adventure R…

RONALD JONES 58, Ducati Multistrada rider from Nottinghamshire “The A66 is a big, broad trunk road so it’s not going to test your cornering abilities. But what it does do is warm you up to that sense of adventure – that wonderful experience you get when you cross a country, even one as small as England, on two wheels. It’s a great way to get back in the swing of touring again, or even as a first, manageable adventure for novices. It really gives a sense of achievement. My favourite aspect of the road by far is some of the views. There’s a 40-mile stretch between Penrith and Workington is easily the most rewarding section for scenery. I also like the section near Bassenthwaite Lake. And, what’s more, is whatever…

1 Ixon IX-Airbag U03, £379.99 I like that I can use this under my RST leathers and Alpinestars textiles. It’s quite weighty but when you have it on you don’t really notice it. Andy Taylor, Derbyshire 2 Helite Custom Leather Air Vest, £625 Only downsides are it’s heavy and if the strap drops onto the exhaust, it’s fried. Phil Blake, Taunton 3 Alpinestars Tech-Air Race Airbag, £999.99 They got an update last year and that really improved things for the road. Mark Fenton, Lancashire 4 Helite Turtle 2, £525 If I forget to detach myself the tug is enough to remind me I am still connected without it going off. Ross Miller, Essex 5 Held eVest Zip & In&box, £350.84 Easy to set up and you’re even able to switch…

Saving you money on essential bike maintenance 1 Collect your bits First things first, check over what you’ve bought and make sure you’ve got the right things in your hands. There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a job and discovering the exhaust is for a slightly different model. If you’re unsure, hold it up to the old one. At the same time make sure you’ve got all the gaskets you’ll need. 2 Strip off the original To get going you’ll need to remove the old system, and in most cases the end can will need to come off first. Fully remove any mounting bolts for the body and completely loosen the clamp that holds on the silencer (or release the exhaust springs). Try to see if the exhaust will…

SPORT REPORTER Moto3 rookie Pedro Acosta produced something special at Qatar 2 when he fought back from a pitlane start to secure his first-ever Grand Prix victory. Of course, starting from the pits or the back of the grid should, in theory, lead to a seriously difficult, frustrating and ultimately disappointing afternoon but this isn’t always the case and Acosta is just the latest rider to perform such a miracle rearguard action. MCN trawled the history books to see who’s done it before… ‘Acosta did something very special at Qatar 2’ MOTOGP VALENCIA 2012 Dani Pedrosa Tyre choice was key at Valencia and Dani Pedrosa got it spot on. Despite a dry line appearing, Race Direction declared a wet race. Champion Jorge Lorenzo, wildcard Katsuyki Nakasuga and Stefan Bradl switched…