Table of contents for 22 February 2023 in MCN

TOP STORY Ducati bosses have confirmed to MCN that we can expect to see more V4-powered models in the future – with every motorcycle over 150bhp now set to leave the Bologna factory with a four-cylinder motor. The news came at an exclusive Diavel V4 launch event where MCN spoke with the bike's Project Manager, Stefano Tarabusi, and Ducati Vice President of Global Sales and After Sales, Francesco Milicia. “The V4 engine is a very important platform,” Stefano Tarabusi said. “Ducati has invested, is investing and will invest a lot of resources in this platform because we think that this is our platform for the future. “Currently our strategy is to have a V4 engine for our top of the range models and for our mid-displacement models, a V-twin engine,”…

There were plenty of oohs and ahs at this year's Devitt Insurance MCN London Show as the SuperSprint event gave the thousands the chance to see, hear and smell, incredible machines in action. The short drag strip split the ExCeL Arena in two and saw an array of bikes from a Kawasaki H2R to a pair of 500cc, two-stroke Barry Sheene GP machines, Launched at full-throttle for a timed sprint. ELsewhere, manufacturers gave riders the chance to get up close and personal with their dream machines, while others bought their bucketlist bikes at the Silverstone Auctions event. Included in the 147 sold lots was a 1995 Ducati Senna 1916cc which sold for £38,250, a 1982 Kawasaki Z1000J2 998cc, sold for £16,875 and a 1994 Ducati 888 Corse 926cc, which soLd…

Polish police have opened their wallet and purchased over 500 specially modified BMW R1250RTs for official law-keeping duties. In total, 503 of the R1250RT-P (P for police) machines were bought, making it the largest ever purchase of police motorcycles in the history of the Polish force. “We are proud of the trust placed in us by the Polish police. We are delighted to be working with such an important institution,” Karol Kostrzewa, Director of BMW Motorrad Polska said. The final shipment was handed over just before Christmas, with all but 25 of them already put into active service. The remaining batch will be used for training purposes.…

COMPETITION If you're a serious race fan, tech geek, or just a lover of biking memorabilia – you can't afford to miss this chance to win one of three genuine piston and conrod prizes. Each was taken from a podium-finishing Moto2 racer, and comes in its own presentation box with a certificate from Triumph. The pistons come from the bikes raced by Sam Lowes to victory in the Doha GP at Lusail International Circuit on April 4, 2021; Remy Gardner's racewinning bike from the Italian GP ill Mugello on May 30, 2021; and Marco Bezzecchi's second-place finishing bike used at the Spanish GP in Jerez on May 2, 2021. With each delivered in its own presentation box for safe keeping, you can put it on display, or ensure it's only…

OUT AND ABOUT Ride further in 2023 with a little help from our one-stop event guide JUST BREW IT Ride out to Britain's best biking cafés THE DETAILS • Tues-Sun 9am-3pm; bike nights open until 9pm • Find out more / Facebook: Strawberry Fields Café • Crockey Hill, York Y019 4SJ Named because it used to overlook a fruit farm, Strawberry Fields has been part of the York motorcycling scene for years. When current owner Michaela Waddington took over the reins a year ago, she ensured that bikes were still welcome by hosting weekly bike nights and even launching a website selling bespoke café merchandise. Inside you'll find a log fire perfect for thawing out after those chilly rides and plenty of radiators for drying out wet kit. Michaela has…

MOTO MORINI 43mm KYB forks and KYB shock are fully adjustable. The tubeless spokewheeled SCR costs £300 more than the cast-wheeled STR model The SCR runs twin two-piston sliding Brembo calipers and has braided lines as well as ABS 5in TFT is operated by backlit switchgear. The lower section is obscured by cables! BENELLI 50mm Marzocchi USD forks are non-adjustable while the monoshock has remote preload and rebound adjustment. Cast-wheeled bike is £300 less Twin Brembo monobloc radial calipers with non-switchable ABS as well as braided brake lines TFT is clear with a good layout and fairly easy user interface. Includes a fuel gauge and gear indicator…

FIRST RIDE There's something evocative about an SP-badged Ducati. Back in the late 1980s and through the 90s they were money-no-object homologation specials, built to go World Superbike racing. Blood red icons such as the 888 SP series, or the 916 SP and its derivatives, were the stuff of motorcycling dreams. It's been a badge of honour for the chosen ones ever since, with the odd ‘R’ thrown in for good measure. Now it's the fourth-gen Monster's turn to get the SP treatment. Unlike those old Bologna superbikes, sprinkled with unobtanium like parmesan on a spicy plate of penne, the new £13,995 Monster SP, which is in dealers now, isn't ‘full factory’. Instead, it's a regular production model and costs £2700 more than the base bike, which isn't bad when…

DREAM RIDE Riding in Indonesia Our front tyre digs deeper into hot black volcanic sand as the rear sends plumes of charcoal smoke into the sky. The weight of riding two-up with all our luggage isn't helping and we still have another five miles to go. We push on, determined to reach the volcano before heat exhaustion kicks in. You know the drill: weight back, light on the bars, heavy on the gas and let the bike do its thing. Except, we had weight all over, and heavy on the gas just kept digging us in further. There was no choice but for Alissa to jump off and walk through the deep sections. Then on the stretches where we could get a good run, we closed our eyes and gassed it…

FIRST RIDE There are plenty of attractions to electric bikes. I like that they're quiet, which is handy leaving the village on an early start, and you don't need to warm the engine before setting off. There's no clutch (usually) and you can't stall them. The ride is usually smooth, with no combustion vibes or rumbling, and because they're all new designs you get the benefit of modern components — from fancy screens and switches to quality brake calipers. All these things ring true for the TC Wanderer, a new 125cc equivalent (A1) from best-selling battery brand Super Soco. It fits into their existing range between the moped-equivalent TC and the 125-equivalent TC Max, and it's designed, according to the firm, for ‘both city traffic and out-of-town trips’. It costs…

ESSENTIAL KIT THE MCN SHOWCASE FULL-FACE CRASH HELMETS MCN staffers put the latest lids to the test in all conditions ● Helmet fit and comfort rated ● Design, construction and CE scores rated ● Each helmet worn in all conditions 3000 miles ON TEST Shark Spartan RS £299.99 Shark's Spartan RS roadfocused touring lid has been perfect for all-weather commuting and comfortable cruising across the second half of 2022 and into the winter. Passing the latest ECE 22.06 standards, it blends the looks of Shark's track-ready £629.99 Race R Pro Carbon with distance comfort, a generous field of vision, and practicality. Meanwhile a set of posh suedeeffect padding means no nasty irritations when taking it on and off (note that the pads aren't quick-release). There's also a drop-down sun shield and a…

GET PROTECTED! What will it cost to get insurance? We ran quotes based on an average risk UK rider through MCN Compare for fully comprehensive cover to get an idea: Super Duke R Evo £418.21 Tuareg 660 £236.44 MCN COMPARE A newbie to adventure motorcycles, ready to take on more A little while ago I went to Wales for a long weekend on the Tuareg. I wanted to see how it would cope being loaded camping gear and I also wanted to test out road tyres (Dunlop Trailmax Meridians) on the ‘off road’ bike. But a weekend didn't quite scratch the itch. With only a few hundred miles covered, I thought it best to go back to Wales the following weekend and see what else the Tuareg could do. Crossing…

Success in Grand Prix racing does not automatically translate to joy in production-based race series as proved by plenty of examples on both two wheels and four. In basic terms, MotoGP is F1 (thoroughbred Grand Prix racers) and superbikes are touring cars (road vehicle turned race machine). Plenty of extremely competent riders and drivers have struggled to make the transition. Just ask Hiroshi Aoyama, Yonny Hernandez, Derek Warwick or even Nigel Mansell. That said, plenty have had extremely successful cross-overs; look no further than John Kocinski, Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa and Alvaro Bautista or, in car racing, Gabriele Tarquini. When it comes to winning regularly in such varied disciplines you've got to go back to Sir Stirling Moss, Jim Clark and John Surtees, while Nicky Hayden's attempt was tragically curtailed.…

Honda are so secretive that assessing their chances at the start of a new season is a risky business, but they're not messing around. Huge names from HRC were present throughout pre-season testing, while the CBR1000RR is a much-changed bike thanks to Super Concessions, changes permitted by the organisers due to their lowly 2022 finishing position. BMW's 2023 bike is a new homologation, the firm's Super Concessions no longer classed as such as they've been integrated into the design. This leaves Honda the sole marque whose performances could still be reeled back in if they become too successful. The good news is that it's looking likely that Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge (both fully fit after accidents last year) could have a real chance. The changes allowed relate to geometry…

WELCOME Docklands reverberated to the sound of thousands of bikes flooding in and out of ExCeL over the weekend as a total, of 32,399 bikers descended on the capital for the Devitt Insurance MCN London Motorcycle Show. And the noise and drama ramped up to all new highs once the crowds were inside, as the new SuperSprint drag-strip witnessed some genuinely thrilling action. New bikes, a huge Silverstone Auction sale, customs, kit and some of biking's biggest stars all aligned to deliver a great event. But I'm not mentioning all this just to make those who didn't come feel bad, nor just to pat the MCN team on the back for delivering a great event (I've already done that, they were all absolutely superb) – but because there was something…

You probably have to be half mad to attempt a round-the-world motorcycle ride, but you have to be certifiably bonkers if you choose to do it on is a 125cc Honda Monkey. But that's exactly what YouTuber Alan Dowsett is undertaking. “I have already put it through loads,” explains Alan. “I rode on the Strata Florida greenlane (Wales), I rode the Malle Mile, I rode it around the UK last November, so the next stage is the world.” To get the diminutive steed ready for such a punishing trip, Alan reached out to his followers on social, media, where he goes by the name of Helmet Head, to see if anyone was willing to upgrade it. “Luckily a garage called Ashworth Automotive, in Weston-Super-Mare, took me up on it and…

THIS WEEK BEATING BIKE CRIME SAVE OUR BIKES! Two convicted burglars who stole motorbikes, farm machinery and power tools in 2021 have been found to have profited to the tune of £100,000 after an extensive investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU). Luke Booth, 22, of Earl Shilton in Leicestershire and James Mitchell, 36, formerly of Woodland Way in Ipswich, were jailed in September 2022 for a combined total of nine years after admitting more than 60 offences between them. Now, a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Ipswich Crown Court has found that they benefitted from their crimes to a total of £99,975.88, a figure that ERSOU are entitled to recoup through confiscations. “Although we have not been able to identify any assets at this stage, this debt…

Norton are combatting their lack of UK dealership network with a new mobile test ride service – allowing you to sample the £16,499 Commando 961 Sport and £16,999 Café Racer at a time and location convenient to you. It's UK mainland only and interested customers will have to pay a holding deposit of 10% of the purchase price of the bike, alongside a fuel charge based on the distance of travel required away from Norton's Birmingham HQ. The firm say tests have already been booked in as far away as Glasgow, and should the rider not want to proceed with the purchase once they've ridden the bike, the holding deposit will be returned. ‘An exciting chapter in the Norton story’ DR ROBERT HENTSCHEL According to a Norton representative, the response to…

Indian have added a new model to their Chief cruiser range, promising better ground clearance, more aggression and more composed suspension. The Sport Chief will join the £17,495 Chief Dark Horse, the £19,495 Chief Bobber Dark Horse, and £22,095 Super Chief Limited – with its quarter fairing and sporting stance making it a natural competitor to Harley's £20,695 Low Rider ST. Mike Dougherty, President of Indian Motorcycle, said: “With the introduction of Sport Chief, the 2023 Indian Chief line-up is more diverse than ever – offering a wide range of performance and styling options.” Powering the new Sport is Indian's 1890cc Thuderstroke 116 V-twin, which produces a claimed 119.6lb.ft of torque at just 3200rpm. This is housed in a blacked-out steel tube frame and fed via a 15.1-litre tank, which…

‘My first Dragon Rally’ ANDY MCGOWAN I went to my first Dragon Rally in Wales and had a great time. I met some interesting people including a fella on a 125 who explained how most of his 53 years were spent fighting demons. For the last few years he had managed to get his life together after taking up motorcycling. It is incredible how bikes can touch the soul. ‘First ride of the year’ EMMA HEYWOOD I finally got out of the starting blocks on my Yamaha MT-09 with 120 miles added to my total. I'm aiming for another 10,000 miles by the end of the year. ‘Another fun riding challenge’ MICK PRESTIBGE First rumble out of 2023. I covered 175 miles, talking broken biscuits with the folk at the…

Return of the ‘Termi’ It's hard not to think of Termignoni exhausts without thinking of the halcyon days of the 916. They're back on the Monster SP with two stacked end cans and carbon caps. Top shelf suspension The new SP's fully adjustable Öhlins units provide a firmer set-up than the base Monster's preload adjustable rear shock and (0.6kg heavier) non-adjustable forks. Superbike brakes Brembo Stylemas replace the standard bike's M4.32 Brembos. They give the Monster the look and power the SP label deserves with an ABS system that doesn't intrude.…

Borneo is a huge detour, but at the time it was the only way to get from Malaysia to Java. We shipped from West Malaysia to Borneo Malaysia and crossed the border to Borneo Indonesia and caught the ferry to Java. From Semarang, it's a long ride east through Java (known as the world's most populous island). The route heads south to visit ancient temples and deep into the volcano ranges. Once you reach the end of the island, it's a short ferry ride to the island of Bali.…

Look the part Radial brake caliper has meaty looks and Yamaha-style coloured caps. But it works OK, rather than being overly impressive — the lever needs a good strong pull to stop quickly. Well adjusted Suspension is more controlled and feels better quality than on many rival bikes. The rear can be adjusted for preload to suit the rider's weight, which is something competitors lack. Easy charging No need to remove the seat or mess around removing covers. The Wanderer has a handy socket in its right-hand-side for plugging in the charger. It's a small but welcome detail.…

Year-round rider, weekend blaster and racetrack dweller I will be the first to admit that I don't like cleaning bikes – especially in winter. I hate the cold water, the painful grazed knuckles when you catch something sharp, and the constant battle with unsightly splats of grease that always seem to congregate in the places you struggle to reach. I have used KTM's £18,499 1290 Super Duke R Evo in all weathers commuting 50 miles each way to MCN Towers and as a result have spent plenty of hours at the weekend getting dirty in order to keep the bike squeaky clean – often only to get it filthy again on Monday. Although a pain, I'm pleased to say that the bike has not gone rusty at all, with no…

Last year saw the Italians storm to the top of the world in both MotoGP and World Superbikes in what was a phenomenal racing success and a public relations dream. Can Alvaro Bautista become Ducati's first back-to-back WSB champion since Carl Fogarty at the end of the 90s? Racer-turned-pundit James Whitham shares his wisdom… Isn't it a bit worrying for rivals that the 2023 Ducati is even faster than last year's bike? JW: “Ducati don't drop the ball that often, do they? This year's bike isn't brand-new. I'm told it's more of a development. Having said that, it's unlikely they'd change something if they didn't benefit. They're not reinventing the wheel. Sometimes, a solution can cause a new problem. This is just a natural progression and not one I can…

THIS WEEK ‘Last year's bikes sold out in just 1m 55s’ KTM have renewed their partnership with high-end German tuning firm Brabus to create another limited-run batch of 1290 Super Duke R Evo-powered specials. The Brabus 1300R Edition 23 follows on from the bike first seen in February 2022 and is limited to just 290 units at £36,999. That might be £18,500 more than a standard Evo, but last year's shipment of 154 sold out in a mind-boggling lift 55s – and the latest batch sold in a fast (but not quite as bonkers) 12 minutes. The German firm are best known for producing highly tuned versions of Mercedes vehicles. In addition they're working with Porsche, RollsRoyce, Maybach and more. Being based on the Super Duke R Evo, the 1300R…

Used motorcycle dealership chain, Superbike Factory are opening a new showroom in Milton Keynes this Saturday (February 25). The Buckinghamshire premises is the latest addition to a rapidly growing network of showrooms, with the firm having opened their fourth location, in Bristol, in early January. It will showcase around 500 machines from a stock of over 3000. “Whilst Superbike Factory is a true online digital retailer… some riders love the experience of being able to see and touch their next bike – which is one of the main reasons why we are rolling out our expansion plan,” said CEO Scott Behrens. “It's a really exciting time for the company and our customers, as we have further showrooms scheduled to open this year, following the opening of our South West showroom…

WHAT'S NEW IN TECH Michelin have big ambitions for tyre sustainability, with plans to produce all of their products with 100% bio-sourced, renewable, or recycled materials by 2050. Before they can get there, the French firm have pledged to reach 40% by 2030 and have got the ball rolling by revealing two new options – one for cars and another for busses – using 45% and 58% sustainable materials respectively. “The use of sustainable materials in our products is a key driver in our ambitions built around the last of the three cornerstones of our business: respect for people, profit (shareholders) and planet,” a Michelin spokesperson told MCN. “We have company-wide targets around the use of recycled and sustainable materials in tyres. That differs for different types of tyres, but…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Here I am aged 10 in 1979. It was my birthday and I was on my first bike. I am riding a Yamaha XSR900 now. Paul Ray Aged 18 in 1978 on my first bike, a Honda SL125. Wish I'd hung on to this one, even with the dodgy electrics. Mark Hodgson This was taken in the summer of 1969. I am still riding now at 70 years old on but on a Yamaha XJR1300. Bob Draper My first real bike. This would have been April 1983. Just two months before passing my test age 18. David Aiken I loved this bike – a Suzuki GSX-R750 – so much so that I even owned a matching suit. Gio Aufiero My first big bike…

THE MCN TEST THE MCN TEST ● THE HOTTEST BIKES ● EVERY WEEK £6999 Moto Morini Seiemmezzo SCR • 649cc liquid-cooled parallel twin DOHC 8v • 60.1bhp @ 8250rpm • 216kg (kerb) £8199 Benelli Leoncino 800 Trail • 754cc parallel twin 8v • 80.5bhp @ 9000rpm • 224kg (kerb) Driven mainly by fashion, the word ‘scrambler’ has moved quite a long way in its definition from its original intention. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, if you said a bike was a ‘scrambler’ it meant it was a lightweight off-roader that was designed to pick its way up rocky paths during a competition. Nowadays, if a bike is described as a scrambler (and a fair few are…) it basically means it has the silhouette of an off-road bike and probably comes…

At the 2009 British GP in Cardiff en route to his third world title, Jason Crump put himself firmly in the record books by taking his 21st career GP win to become the rider with the most Speedway GP victories, a record he still holds today with 23 GP wins. But it wasn't just the win itself that was so special, it was the way in which he won it. In front of a 42,000-strong crowd inside the Millennium Stadium, Crump dominated rivals Fredrik Lindgren, Hans Andersen and Greg Hancock to ride through the card and take a perfect seven wins from seven starts. “It was one of those perfect nights,” Crump reflects. “I'd prepared for it well and mechanically I was very happy with what I was riding. “To…

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN Motorcycle tours Your best bet is Bali. Finding rental/tour shops in Java will be a challenge, unless you want a scooter. Bali tour companies can take you on epic tours of the island as well as neighbouring islands where you'll ride through jungles, up volcanoes and along incredible beaches. You can even join an off-road bike tour from Bali to Mount Bromo in Java. Visit: adventureridersindonesia.com Motorcycle rentals You can find scooter rental shops on every corner in Bali along with low-capacity dirt bikes and a range of other smaller bikes. These are a great option if you just want to explore on your own. Paperwork Brits can get a visa on arrival when landing at an airport in Indonesia for around £20 for 30 days.…

1500 miles ON TEST Shoei NXR2 from £429.99 Quite simply one of the best helmets I have worn. The NXR2 meets the stringent ECE 22.06 standard, so you can be confident it will do a grand job — while it's also comfortable and quiet. A wide aperture provides a panoramic field of vision and there is very little in the way of wind noise. Shoei say they have improved the cheek and ear padding and revised the seal around the visor over the NXR, and it's paid off. Stability at motorway speeds is spot on (I have been wearing the helmet on my naked Ducati for motorway trips from the Midlands to Kent) and it is light at 1450g. Swapping the visor is stress free, as is removing the lining…

Garrett Gerloff looks refreshed and happy, reunited with crew chief Les Pearson with whom he first worked at GRT Yamaha in 2020. Hopefully, the smile will stay on the US rider's face and help to get BMW through a tricky start to proceedings. Texan Gerloff is the only changed BMW rider, taking the place of Eugene Laverty who becomes rider coach for the MGM Bonovo team. Gerloff was consistently the quickest BMW rider during testing as he teams up with experienced Frenchman Loris Baz. The new M1000RR looks the part with its modified colour schemes and completely overhauled aerodynamics. Not only that but the German marque has a new gearbox, has switched from Nissin to Brembo brakes and modified engine internals for better corner exit to accompany already impressive top…

The introduction of balancing regulations rejuvenated World Supersport last year. New rules, including minimum combined weights for bikes and riders as well as technical levelling-up, saw four of the five factories celebrate wins. There's pukka British interest, too. 2021 BSB Champion, Tarran Mackenzie, makes his full-time debut in the paddock after his Donington WSB wildcard with McAMS Yamaha. He's now involved in a tie-up between MIE and MS Racing which sees Honda make their World Supersport return. Testing has been low-key with a stock version of the CBR600RR but, with increased HRC support and the talents of technical boss, Mick Shanley, keep a close eye on Mackenzie. Also coming from the BSB paddock is Harry Truelove, racing alongside Niki Tuuli at Dynavolt Triumph. A winner in Moto3 but now exceeding…

Troy Bayliss Three-times WSB champion and MotoGP race winner 1. Bau Bau 2. Top Cat 3. Rea Man “Bau Bau (Alvaro Bautista) has so much more confidence and Ducati are on a roll, mate!” Michael Guy MCN Sports Editor 1. Rea 2. Bautista 3. Toprak “Kawasaki want their title back and Rea is as hungry as ever. It might not be pretty but JR will do whatever it takes to knock Alvaro Bautista off his stride.” Neil Hodgson 2003 WSB champion and BT Sport MotoGP commentator 1. Bautista 2. Toprak 3. Johnny “Ducati has the best bike. And what Bautista loses in corners he more than makes up on the straights.” Josh Close, MCN BSB correspondent 1. Toprak 2. Bautista 3. Rea “A few uncharacteristic mistakes hampered Toprak last year…