Table of contents for 16 August 2023 in MCN

The National Motorcycle Museum is pulling out all the stops this year by making the annual Live event a two-day extravaganza. There will be an amazing array of bikes on show with loads of exciting start-ups. TV presenter Henry Cole will be hosting the live stage and race legends Mick Grant, John McGuinness and Steve Parrish will be spinning entertaining yarns. The celebration, on SaturdaySunday, October 28-29, is free with parking for a car charged at £15. Motorcycle parking is free. Sammy Miller goes bananas Sammy Miller has added two rare bikes to his museum collection down in New Milton, Hants. The first is a 1963 Victoria 155 49cc, affectionately known as the ‘Tin Banana’. Although built in mass quantities, few have survived and are now rare and sought-after as…

This year marks half a century since Yamaha's first foray into motocross, the firm launching their original YZ production model and winning a first world title in the same year with the factory backed YZM250. With that bike ridden by Swedish star Hakan Andersson in 1973, the firm were the first to implement a single shock at the rear of an MX bike and have since gone on to take multiple victories across the mud-packed classes. In celebration, Yamaha are now releasing a striking range of special editions using a livery inspired by the YZ250 and YZ125 competition machines of the 1990s, and they are sure to turn heads during your next visit to the track. Available on an all-new YZ250F, plus the YZ450F, YZ250 and YZ125, the colours offer…

BEATING BIKE CRIME SAVE OUR BIKES! More illegal motorcycles have been taken off the street as officers from the Durham Roads and Armed Policing team crushed several bikes which had been seized after being used in antisocial and illegal activities across the force area. The bikes are the latest to be confiscated as part of Operation Endurance, which was launched in 2017 to tackle nuisance caused by illegal use of bikes, quads, 4x4 vehicles and e-scooters. The crushing of the unroadworthy machines was overseen by Deputy Chief Constable Ciaron Irvine and the region's Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen. DCC Irvine said: “We are doing everything we can to make the roads as safe as possible and for those who are using bikes criminally and antisocially, we need you to…

THIS WEEK British electric firm Maeving have announced their first UK dealership, having previously opted for a direct-to-consumer model for all purchases, parts, and servicing. The Coventry firm will now sell their £6990 RM1 urban electric through Completely Motorbikes in Gloucester, joining the likes of Aprilia, Indian, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, Suzuki, and more found across the firm's various dealership locations. “We believe the new partnership with Completely Motorbikes will be highly beneficial for us in supplementing our ongoing direct-toconsumer operation, giving us greater reach across the country, and greater provision when it comes to test rides and servicing,” Maeving co-founder Seb Inglis-Jones commented. ‘The deal will give Maeving greater reach’ “We are looking to build partnerships with a small collection of premium dealers across the country and we are delighted…

WHAT'S NEW IN TECH Undersuit experts Zerofit, the Japanese brand who claim to manufacture the ‘world's warmest base layer’, are now offering something to help keep you seriously cool this summer, with their new Ice Weave range. The £55 unisex base layer is designed to operate effectively at temperatures between 20°C and 40°C and can stretch up to 500% of its original size (handy if you've enjoyed a big lunch). The suit makes use of a technology known as ‘Cold Threads’ – and is designed to offer a comfortable cooling feel. Warm day? No sweat… We spoke to lead designer Kenichi Mori – who crafted the product in Japan. He told MCN: “Sweating is inevitable during long sports activities, and of course this is an issue all motorcyclists will be…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com On my first big bike in 1980, a Bonnie T140V. Now riding a Harley 1200 Sportster and Enfield Himalayan. Davy Kemp My first-ever bike, a 1984 RD250LC in candy blue. Happy memories, wish I had it now. Damian McAfee Not Jan's first bike but first historic bike back in 1997. Sadly, Jan is no longer with us, but the bike is. Derek Stalker This is me with my Suzuki in Torquay in 1976, I now have a 1982 Benelli 254. Steve Stuart Me on the pillion, got the bug from an early age, taken about 1953. I am still riding 70 years later. Roy Grover Not my first bike but proof that biking runs in the family – my grandad and two cousins…

August 20 Ladies Day at the Ace All are welcome to this hugely popular day, which in the past has seen world records broken for the most number of female riders at one meet! london.acecafe.com August 19 Oliver's Mount Hill Climb With two courses, there will be plenty of action on the Scarborough circuit. £4 for the day or £7.50 for the weekend. www.oliversmount.com August 20 AJS and Matchless Day Sammy Miller's Museum on the south coast will be celebrating all things AJS and Matchless – but all are welcome to park up in the courtyard from 10am. sammymiller.co.uk August 18-20 Greenlight Nationals Top-level drag racing comes to Northamptonshire this weekend as the Greenlight Nationals hit Santa Pod's famous quarter-mile. santapod.co.uk…

What's happening? The island will be alive with the sounds of bikes one again as the Manx Grand Prix celebrates its centenary with a five-race programme as well as a series of special events. Watch the Lightweight, Classic Senior and Junior events, as well as the Senior Manx GP and Classic Superbike races, alongside special 100-year celebration activities such as the ‘Legends of the Manx GP’ parade lap on Saturday, 26. The essentials You don't need tickets to catch the qualifying action, but if you want to get on the grandstand any time from August 25-28 then you're looking at around £20-£40. Otherwise, get yourself a good spot by the roadside and book into some local accommodation for a week of high-octane action in the road racing capital of the…

BMW DUCATI…

FIRST RIDE BMW's £30,940 ‘homologation special’ M1000RR has been around for a couple of years now and it's the bike that forms the basis of their factory World Superbike racer. In simple terms it's an S1000RR on steroids with a race-ready engine ripe for tuning. But Isle of Man TT wins aside it hasn't had the success BMW would've have liked on track, so for 2023 they've produced a new version. Rather than go to work on the engine, chassis or electronics, they've spent time in the wind tunnel to produce a more slippery superbike with extra downforce. We're at Cadwell Park to see what it's like. 1 More speed A claimed top speed increase from 190mph to 195mph is largely down to the M1000RR's significantly wider new fairing. You'd…

GIVING YOUTH A CHANCE Hawk have always nurtured fresh talent, including 2022 champion Bradley Ray, Kyle Ryde, Lee Jackson, Peter Hickman, and now Charlie Nesbitt and Josh Owens. “It's a bit like football,” Steve says. “You don't want to be a selling club, but people talk about it like that. If you don't have the budget in the first place to chase a highprofile rider, you've got to give somebody a chance. A few years back that's how you looked at it… “Now, it's more how we want to go about things to give them a chance and then all you rely on is that you get some loyalty, and they give you a second or third season to showcase what's possible.” In 2018 Ray's form led to a MotoGP…

1500 miles ON TEST Sidi Aria Gore £259.99 I was looking for a simple pair of boots to use every day that would be comfortable, easy to get in and out of and work in all weathers. These fit the bill nicely and for all their technical appearance, are pretty basic: Gore-Tex, breathable, zip closure with hook & loop flap, armour in the right places and a slim leg I could get under jeans. Breaking them in over a single-day, 500-mile ride wasn't the best idea. Even through thick socks the openings rubbed my shins red raw. Something to do with the ergonomics of the Ténéré World Raid I was riding and the angle of my leg, but enough to make me worry I'd made a mistake. I stuck with…

Hoping to find the perfect blend of performance and comfort One of my favourite things to do with a motorbike is strap on some luggage and head for the horizon. Covid-permitting, I've taken a trip across the channel on all my longterm test bikes so far and when an opportunity arose to attend BMW's big Berlin bash presented itself, I stuck my hand up. After a Channel Tunnel crossing, my route would take me north to Belgium before turning right and blasting straight through Holland and on to Hanover. I'd stop here before polishing the ride off the following morning. An M1000R – or any supernaked for that matter – might not be top of your list of touring bikes under normal circumstances for several reasons. It has next to…

WELCOME You don't have to be a rider, or a driver, to know that the UK's roads are in an appalling state. My kids even took their headphones off for 20 seconds during a recent 5-hour car journey to Cornwall to complain that potholes were impinging on their TikTokSnapChatLiveStreaming addictions. And, in that brief moment of rare interaction, I solved the problem in one simple observation, saying: ‘This road doesn't feel anywhere near as bad on a bike.’ Ok, so that wasn't really solving the problem, but it was an accurate observation. Our ability as bikers to navigate the road ahead; get two wheels between the everworsening craters (as opposed to the impossible task of getting all four to miss them), and to keep out of the crumbling gutters and…

Air Ambulance UK are gearing up for their annual fundraising week to raise awareness of the work of the 21 air ambulance charities across the UK – with many callouts assisting stricken motorcyclists. This year's theme for the week, which runs from September 4-10, is: ‘We can't save lives without you’ referencing the huge amounts of cash the charities need to operate. Emma Carter, Head of Income Generation at Air Ambulances UK, said: “The week is about highlighting the lifesaving work of the air charities and how we're doing that this year is slightly different and focusing on the patients’ stories. “We want to really bring it home that air ambulance crews help ordinary people, it's anyone, anywhere at any time.” People can get involved from the very simple act…

Piaggio Group sold 324,600 machines across the globe during the first half of 2023, representing a 1.2% rise over the same period in the previous year. Group Chair and CEO Roberto Colaninno said: “At 30 June, net sales had risen by more than 11%, to over one billion euros.” The Italian giant, which owns brands including Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Vespa, Derbi, state that 267,400 of those sales were made up by motorcycles and scooters. Although this is down from 271,600 this time last year, a different pattern of purchasing resulted in a claimed 9.2% increase in net sales to €956.1 million.…

Norton Motorcycles have announced another dealership destination, partnering with high-class sportscar firm Williams Automobiles, based in Chipping Sodbury. Up until now, the dealer has focused solely on cars, with Norton becoming the first biking brand on the premises. Here you will be able to buy the latest Commando 961 range alongside the V4SV superbike and V4CR naked. “It's a brand with a rich heritage – much like us – and has a very exciting product range,” Director of Williams Automobiles, Henry Williams, said. “We've wanted to offer motorcycles for some time, so to have something truly British joining the rest of our made in Britain range is a joy.” Williams will become the twelfth dealer location for Norton, with fans of the brand able to view, test ride, and buy…

SENA SF1 Bluetooth Headset £89.21 Top deals for under a ton This week we've been trawling the web for the best bargains under £100 and our haul includes some amazing offers on quality luggage, as well as handy deals on gloves. First up though, is this Bluetooth headset from Sena. The SF1 is aimed squarely at those riders who travel solo, whether for pleasure or commuting, and simply don't need the extra features such as mesh or intercom facilities – thus saving a stack of pounds to spend on other kit. The SF1 pairs with a smart phone to provide access to everything you need on the go, whether it's music streaming, making and receiving calls or listening to turn-by-turn directions from your favourite nav app. A full 1.5-hour charge…

This week's Nod Pod – which is the final episode of Series 2 (where did those 12 podatathons disappear to so fast?) – was recorded at the British MotoGP at Silverstone, with none other than Moto2 star, Jake Dixon. Thankfully, the guys grabbed Jake before the ‘racing incident’, so the episode is publishable, rather than just being a string of interventions by the ‘beep’ machine. The Nod Podders delve deep into Jake's back story; how he got into racing; what the future is looking like; how he deals with adversity; and how he approaches and manages his mental wellbeing in such a phenomenally highpressured and volatile environment as top-flight racing. They also talk about how important the support of his wife, Sarah, is – and how all that they've been…

BIKING LEGENDS People who have shaped our world Paolo Ciabatti is part of Ducati Corse's ‘Management Dream Team’ alongside Davide Tardozzi and Gigi Dall'lgna – and he's a man who describes himself as a motorsport nut. “My generation liked 50cc bikes, and you could ride them at 14,” Ciabatti says. “This was the dream. Theatres were showing On Any Sunday with Steve McQueen. We waited until we were 14 and bought motocross bikes to go racing, but I didn't have much success.” A fatal accident in Buenos Aires (1971) involving Ferrari's Ignazio Giunti also had a big effect. “It touched me a lot and I wanted to know more about car racing. I wanted to know everything and asked my father to take me to the Monte Carlo Rally and…

Honda's new EM1 e electric offers a no-nonsense, back-to-basics slice of urban transport. But before you flick over, this is actually a very significant little machine, far greater than the sum of its parts. Available for riders as young as 16, the EM1 is the first electric from Honda in Europe and signifies the first step towards a pledge of carbon neutrality across all two-wheel ranges by the 2050… even if it is only good for 28mph. It's the first of 10 or more plug-in Honda machines to arrive by 2025. Three of these will be joining the European line-up: the EM1 e, another commuter-style machine, and a more engaging leisure option. So, what's it like to ride? We took a ride around the squeaky clean streets of Oslo in…

ESSENTIAL KIT 1360 miles ON TEST TRIED & TESTED MCN STAFF RATE THEIR RIDING KIT The i3 is the latest in SHARK'S Skwal series, noted for standing out from the crowd, quite Literally, with their LED marker lights. This version takes that to the next level with integrated brake lights. SHARK have obviously got their sums right with the ‘Best Fit’ technology, because I don't think it would be any more comfortable with a complete bespoke interior. And because it fits so well, there's an overall sensation of the outer shell being compact, rather than a giant fishbowl. A good helmet shouldn't feel like you're wearing it at all, and the Skwal i3 ticks that box with a flourish. It's worth noting that I wear specs and there's ample room…

1500 miles ON TEST Loop earplugs £29.95 I've been testing two pairs of these earplugs-Quiet (in Hush Blue) and Experience models – with the former offering up to 27dB of noise reduction and the latter offering 18dB. Both are great for riding, but the £10 more expensive (ouch!) Experience ones let more sound through, which is better on a bike. The Quiet model hush things down a bit too much. They're available in a range of colours and come with four sizes of ear tips, and there's a neat smooth plastic carry case to keep them secure on the move. And that's my only criticism: the rubber band I used to attach the case to my keys snapped while taking them out of my pocket. Quality Value www.loopearplugs.com…

Road, off-road and adventure rider Well, it's fair to say that recent ownership of the mighty 1290R has been frustrating as I barely got off the ferry to the TT when I noticed a significant coolant leak. Initially hard to identify, it transpired to be coming from the water pump casing which looked like a fairly straightforward fix. But the reality was that to get the access needed, along with being able to re-fill the lost coolant, both fuel tanks needed to be removed. Not something that I had the knowledge or tools to resolve. It turned out to be a small nick in the O-ring on the water pump casing that caused the leak, but it was a big job in terms of man hours, even though the faulty…

TOP STORY The state of roads in UK has reached an all-time low with an RAC report revealing a record number of callouts caused by potholes. The latest RAC figures show patrols went out to more than 8100 vehicles left stricken by pothole damage between April and June 2023. That is the highest number in five years and since the start of the year the RAC has dealt with 18,250 breakdowns for damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels. Additionally, the figures show that 27,250 breakdowns occurred in the 12 months up to 30 June 2023 where vehicles had been damaged by a pothole, compared to 22,800 over the same period in 2022. That represents an increase of 20%. Road budgets cut The statistics come at the same…

A new documentary film exploring the history of Vincent Motorcycles and narrated by A-list film star Ewan McGregor will be available to stream from next month. Speed is Expensive will appear on Amazon, Sky Store, AppleTV, and Google Play from September 25 for viewers in the UK and Ireland, telling the story of the motorcycle brand's founder and designer, Philip Vincent. “We are delighted to join Lightbulb [Film Distribution] to bring Speed is Expensive to a wide audience,” writer and director, David Lancaster said. “With hours of unearthed family films, and audio recordings, the film is a very human story of a pioneer who is only now being recognised as the genius he was.” Vincent's motorcycles took more speed records in the 1940s and 1950s than any other brand –…

VISIN Heated Visor Insert £179.95 This UK designed and developed device provides quick and effective heating to eliminate visor condensation. It's controlled by a remote battery pack which can provide up to 8 hours of use between charges, with a boost function for more severe conditions. Two sizes are available, to cover road and enduro helmets. heatedvisor.co.uk INNOVV ThirdEYE Motorcycle BSD Radar System £259.95 Give your blind spots an early warning with this proximity radar system from on bike tech gurus INNOVV. It uses a rear mounted millimetre wave sensor to detect other road users and provides both visual and audible cautions to the rider. Available as either a mountable display or mirrors with integrated warning lights. innovv.co.uk Laser Metric/Stubby/Star Spanner Set £110.95 This 30 piece spanner set offers huge…

It's only a matter of time before China's rapidly advancing motorcycle industry creates a world-class superbike and QJMotor have put themselves into a prime position by teaming up with MV Agusta to create the SRK1000RR. Although yet to be officially unveiled, the bike's existence has been confirmed at QJMotor dealer meetings, with a planned debut towards the end of 2023 and production scheduled to get underway in the first quarter of 2024. QJMotor – a sister company to Benelli as both are owned by the Qianjiang Group – has type-approved the SRK in China, with documents including specifications and an image of the finished bike. The bike's origin can be traced back to September 2020 when Qianjiang teased plans for a four-cylinder Benelli superbike. It was clear that the engine…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Readers Cyril Visovsky (BMW K1200GT), Grayson & Ann Cook (Honda ST1300), Larry Wright (BMW R90S), Scott Ewen (Yamaha FJR), Paul Koehler (sidecar driver), Andrea Blake (sidecar passenger) The ride Converge on Mid-Ohio Vintage Motorcycle Days and help out friends in the Sidecar Class. How many miles? 100 miles to 3000 miles depending on where each of us ventured in from! Tell us about the trip We're a group of Lifelong riding buddies scattered all over the country and the word went out to visit the Mid-Ohio Vintage Festival, in July 2023. Everyone's target was to beeline it to the Mid-Ohio event where a Land Speed racing friend was competing in US Sidecar class. When we arrived they were scratching their heads over an issue with…

Ducati paid big money to sign Jorge Lorenzo for 2017 and 2018, but things didn't to go plan, and they decided enough was enough… just before Lorenzo started to win. “We worked together; him trying to change his style a little, us trying to make him feel comfortable on the bike and change some of the characteristics. But you must consider that it was a very expensive investment for Ducati.” A disappointing 2017 and start to 2018, combined with Danilo Petrucci's strong performances at Pramac Racing, left Ducati pondering their next move. “We knew Jorge was capable of fantastic things, but he probably needed the perfect feeling on the perfect bike to do the Lorenzo thing; start, lead from the first to final lap, bang! It was just bad timing;…

Few family-run teams have contributed more to British bikesport than Hawk Racing. As the Mallory Park-based squad celebrates its 25th season, we look back at the highs, lows and characters – including some of the UK's finest-ever racers – who have shaped the Hawk Racing story. Racing's in the DNA Hawk Racing's founder, Stuart Hicken, was a racer in the 1960s and 70s, competing at the Manx Grand Prix multiple times. Hicken was keen on the preparation side, earning a great reputation as a mechanic and bike builder, and following retirement managed WP Suspension's support truck in the Grand Prix paddock. Hicken also managed Medd Racing and Revé Racing. But he wanted his own team and Hawk launched in 1999 with Phil Giles on a Kawasaki ZX-7RR in the Privateer's…

Under the seat The 10.3kg battery lives under the seat. You'll also find 3.3 litres of storage, which is much less than a petrol scoot but enough space for your waterproofs, a bottle of Prime and a vape… Mind that tortoise Circular LCD dash displays your speed, trip, and battery percentage remaining. When your range starts to get too low, a small tortoise logo lingers in the top left to warn you. Pillion provision There's room for two. We couldn't try this during our Oslo launch ride due to local laws, but the suspension and 180kg load capacity both suggest it would be up to the job. Albeit slowly……

RATINGS Exceptional★★★★★ Very good ★★★★ Good ★★★ Average ★★ Poor★ 4000 miles ON TEST Kriega R16 backpack £159 There's no getting away from it… £159 feels extremely expensive for a backpack, but as with everything, you do get what you pay for and this one is very nice indeed. This is a fully waterproof backpack with a roll-top closure and has a 16-litre capacity. It's Large enough to hold my laptop, lunch and gym kit but not so capacious that I'm tempted to overtill it on my commute to work. As with many Kriega backpacks it has the Quadloc harness system, put in simple terms, the straps clip at the sternum, are wide, fully adjustable and distribute the weight of the bag evenly across the chest, making the rucksack very…

BUYING USED EXPERT GUIDE TO If you look at the current crop of MotoGP bikes and dive under the weird aero fins, there is a common theme. Honda, Aprilia, KTM and Ducati all run a V4. And in WSB it is a similar story with Ducati's V4 leading the way as its inline four rivals struggle. Far from a flash in the pan, the V4 has a long history of track success and has been behind some of the most memorable bikes in recent years. Here's our pick of the best V4s you can buy used. You may need deep pockets for some but others are far more reasonably priced… £17,000-£20,000 ‘18-19 Ducati Panigale V4S Genuine MotoGP/WSB technology implemented for the road Having turned their back on their trademark V-twin, Ducati…

Ben Currie secured his first victories of the season at Thruxton with a double. It's the first success for the Oxford Products Racing team's Ducati V2, whilst it's the first Supersport win for Ducati since Sean Emmett's victory onboard the 749R in wet conditions at Croft in 2006. Currie now holds a 14-point lead over Rhys Irwin after a consistent first half of the season. “A lot of work has gone into this project to get to this point,” Currie said. “We came here with a target on our back so to win at the team's home round is pretty special. I haven't been panicking, the pressure has been mounting in that I'm championship leader, but I haven't really gone properly after it where I've risked everything. I've taken he…

ROUND 7 THRUXTON | BSB Thruxton was never going to be the strongest circuit for the Ducati V4 R, but few expected things to be as challenging as they turned out to be for title fighters Tommy Bridewell and Glenn Irwin. From the get-go, both men were struggling for grip on their powerful V4 R machines, unable to get the max from the new, harder compound SCD Pirelli tyre which all the teams had to run last weekend. Championship leader Bridewell failed to make it inside the top 10, taking a best result of 14th in two of the three races. Meanwhile, Irwin was able to find some space in Saturday's sprint race to come home in a weekend-best of ninth. “The only way I can describe it is that…