Table of contents for 14 June 2023 in MCN

TOP STORY Organisers of the Isle of Man TT races are toasting the success of their revolutionised online TT+ streaming service, with more than 200,000 racing fans from around the world now signed up to watch riders lap the 37.73-mile course. MCN sat down last week with TT Business Development Manager, Paul Phillips who explained how the event's 2022 return after a Covid-enforced hiatus formed part of a ‘multi-year strategy’ to safeguard the future of the motorsport festival. “What we have as a sporting event is absolutely visceral and unbelievable and the age of high-speed internet and normalised video consumption is really good news for something like the TT because the two go together really well,” he told MCN. “We had a place we wanted to get to in year…

Thousands of Isle of Man TT visitors have been learning about the history of the road racing festival at a new interactive exhibit at the Manx Museum. Located in Douglas on the island, the TT Gallery officially opened at the end of May and is the result of around 30 years of collecting, and thousands of hours of dedication from the Manx Museum team. “We've been collecting since the 1990s and we didn't have a single place where we could display it all,” Curator of Art and Social History, Matthew Richardson said. “This gallery, which is the biggest one in the museum, hadn't had any investment since the 1960s and the wiring was poor, the access was poor, and the lighting was poor. “It urgently needed something doing, so we…

Oxford Q20R Quick Release Tank Bag £99.99 Quick-release convenience If you're just out for the day, a rucksack, tank bag or waist pack can be all you need, and there are some great offers to be had. Take this Q20R tank bag, which in typical Oxford fashion is packed with useful, well thought out features. Construction is durable 420D ripstop fabric, with a removable waterproof inner liner and large external pockets at either side. Closures are water resistant, Closures are water resistant, including the key pouch at the front, and all zips have ‘garages’ to stop rain getting in. A clear map panel on the top is designed for use with a phone, tablet or satnav, and it has a sun shade to keep glare off the screen. Quick-release attachment…

Harley-Davidson have revealed that their 2023 limited-edition CVO [Custom Vehicle Operation] Street Glide and Road Glide cruisers will be powered by an all-new 1997cc V-twin with variable valve timing (VVT). First used in the firm's Pan America ‘Revolution Max’ engine, VVT now features in the new Milwaukee Eight VVT 121 motor and is accompanied by redesigned four-valve cylinder heads, plus an upgraded cooling system around the exhaust valves. An electric pump circulates the coolant first to the hotter rear cylinder head, then to the front cylinder head, and finally to a new radiator located low on the front of the frame and backed by a thermostat-controlled fan. The cylinder heads feature a reshaped combustion chamber with oval intake ports, low-profile intake valve seats and an enhanced squish band, all with…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Readers Steve Coward and his six riding buddies The ride My last tour before a knee replacement. With Martyn and Tony putting hours into finding new trails through Spain and Portugal, off we went via Portsmouth and Santander. A flat crossing followed by ten days of sunshine led to 1600 miles of trail riding with Martyn, Tony and Kim's KTM 890 Rs, Andrew's Aprilia Tuareg, Alan's BMW F650GS, John's BMW R1200GS and my KTM 690 Adventure R. Once into Portugal we used parts of the TET as well as the ACT – linking them up with ideas gleaned from internet research. When to do it May Don't miss… The Serra da Estrela in Portugal are amazing both on the roads as well as the trails…

BMW KTM…

Joey Dunlop's last TT in 2000 was also his fastest. As well as winning the Formula 1 race for the first time in 12 years and taking wins in the 125cc and 250cc races, he set his fastest ever TT lap of 123.87mph on the last lap of the Senior, at 48 years of age. Michael Rutter remembers being astonished at Dunlop's pace. “What shocked me the most was his performance in the Senior,” he says. “We raced neck and neck for the last four laps. The race was run in dry, really fast conditions, so when I passed Joey, I didn't think I'd see him again, but the next thing I knew he'd come back past me. We must have passed each other about five or six times on…

On August 6, 2022, Gino Rea suffered a near-fatal accident at the Suzuka 8-Hour in which he sustained head, chest and lung injuries after hitting an unprotected wall at Casio Triangle, and was placed into a coma to prevent further swelling on his brain. Remarkably, a week later, Rea opened his eyes and made eye contact with family. On August 16 his ventilator was removed, and Rea began to communicate. By the end of August he defied the odds by taking his first steps. Rea's progress has been unbelievable since returning to the UK in September. Whilst still undergoing rehab, the 33-year-old has been cycling, motocross riding and completed two trackdays. MCN sat down with Rea to discuss his recovery and the future… Aftermath Unurprisingly, Rea doesn't remember much of…

RATINGS Exceptional★★★★★ Very good★★★★ Good★★★ Average Poor★ 5000 miles ON TEST Tucano Urbano Eden summer gloves £49.99 Tucano Urbano's CE approved short summer gloves are designed to keep your hands nice and cool in hot weather. They don't get a regular airing, but they've been bliss in southern Europe during a couple of 2000-mile plus bike trips, on new bike launches and during the tail end of the summer last year in the UK, which, if you remember, was totally tropical at times. Thin, light and snug, they give a superb feel for a bike's controls and when it's hot the joy of cool hands, as the breeze whistles through the stretchy fabric, is something you never get from regular leather summer gloves. They're also very well made and even…

Alpinestars Ageless boots £189.99 I'm a total convert to casual, high-top style bike boots like these Ageless ones from Alpinestars. I know they won't offer the same protection as a full-on pair of bike boots in a crash, but they are a big step up from nipping to the shops in a pair of Green Flash on a sunny afternoon. The Alpinestars Ageless use a transverse protection frame made from internal metalwork to enhance their strength and they certainly feel like they would stand up to some abuse in an off. But they are also very lightweight and comfortable and easy to walk around in. In fact, I don't carry a change of shoes to the office when I wear these and they're perfectly fine for all-day wear. 1200 miles…

After cleaning loads of us love to liberally spray on ‘protective’ or ‘finishing’ sprays because they promise to make our bikes easier to clean next time around. That's fine but you need to take care to fully read the instructions for these products, especially if you have a touchscreen dash. When I was at one of the UK importer's press workshops recently the technician there told me they'd had a long-term test bike returned which had done quite a few miles through all weathers, including winter. They were very impressed by the condition of the bike, as the journalist had diligently detailed every last part until it was showroom ready. Unfortunately, however, the technician also said they that had to replace the entire TFT dash, which had stopped responding to…

Despite finishing a distant eighth, Marco Bezzecchi strengthened the concept that Sunday GP wins remain the primary currency of MotoGP title aspirants. While mystified by the evaporation of the Mugello pace that delivered an impressive second in the Sprint, Bezzecchi still maintained his hold on second in the championship. While yet to win a low points Sprint, Bezzecchi's stunning GP wins (in Argentina and France) on a VR46 Ducati GP22 have bolstered his early status as a title outsider. But Bezz downplays the “high pressure” of his campaign while staking a claim for full factory Ducati support for 2024. “My dream is with Ducati but I still don't know,” he says. Bezzecchi was unable to muster a reason for the nervous front feel and Lack of grip that consigned him…

8 out of 10 Michael Russell's bid to be the first rider ever to race and finish all ten TT races nearly came to fruition but he was forced to retire from the Sidecar and Supersport race. He still made history by finishing eight TT's in a week. It was bittersweet for the Milenco by Padgett's squad of Conor Cummins and Davey Todd. Taking the glass half empty Look at the event, Cummins was hospitalised in practice week with an infection, while his teammate Todd suffered food poisoning. It meant the squad left with no podiums. However, a more optimistic Look reveals rising star Todd set personal best laps in every class he raced in. Cummins once again showed his pedigree by literally rising from his hospital bed to grind…

TT 2023 | ROADS While they smiled politely and sprayed champagne on the podium together, the desire to win TTs can never be underestimated. Although the official line from TT organisers is that no protests were made during the event, MCN understand there where two requests for checks against Hickman and the FHO team from the MD Racing squad. The first was after the opening Superstock race when they were accused of using some sort of ship-to-shore radio comms with Hickman's helmet being taken away for inspection and the second was when the spec of their ECU was brought into question after his second Superstock victory. “Yeah, people don't realise what goes on, do they?” said Hickman. “Both Superstock results got protested before we'd even left the winners’ enclosure with…

WELCOME Glorious unbroken sunshine. Lap records falling in nearly every race. A mix of total Mountain Course domination and nail-biting nip and tuck racing. Drama, anticipation, exhilaration. This year's TT was, quite simply, one of the most impressive ever. Have we really got to wait another whole year until we can immerse ourself in the controlled madness for another two weeks? Sadly so. We shouldn't ever be surprised by racers and their ever-advancing machines managing to lap the Mountain Course faster, that's been happening for well over 100 years, with each generation probably wondering how the next could ever best the latest record – and yet it's still impossible to wonder where that next solitary mile-per-hour will come from, let alone the next 5, or 10… How fast is possible?…

Kawasaki have taken the UK market by surprise by revealing a new A2 cruiser model, called the Eliminator, alongside a revived ZX-6R (see p6), to rival the likes of Honda's CMX Rebel 500 and the Royal Enfield Meteor 350. The Eliminator is described by Kawasaki as an ‘urban cruiser’ and carries one or two design cues that nod to previous models of the same name – such as its twin shocks and single, round headlight. This latest model uses a 451cc version of the parallel-twin engine already used in the Kawasaki Ninja 400 and Kawasaki Z400, wrapped in an all new tubular steel chassis. The bike rolls on an 18in front and 16in rear wheel combination with cast rims and a single front brake disc. Despite the bike's slightly retro-infused…

BEATING BIKE CRIME SAVE OUR BIKES! TT fans whose bikes were stolen en route to the island have been reunited with their machines thanks to rapid work from Merseyside Police. Officers swooped after reports of bikes being taken in Liverpool. They chased the suspects and although no arrests were made at the scene, they were able to recover both machines: a KTM and a GasGas. “The bikes were taken to a local recovery garage,” said Sergeant Garreth Berry in a short video about the recovery. “Working in partnership with that garage, the local policing teams and the Steam Packet ferry operator we've been able to get them over on the next boat.” Every year, thousands of bikers pass through Liverpool on their way to spectate at the island's famous races…

What's the furthest distance you've ridden in a day? 500 miles? 1000? Well, five-time Enduro World champion Iván Cervantes travelled 2493.27 miles in 24 hours on a Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer to set a new Guinness World Record. The equivalent of riding from London to the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt in a single day, Cervantes obliterated the previous record of 2116.39 miles to achieve ‘The greatest distance on a motorcycle in 24 hours (individual)’. “It's amazing,” Cervantes told MCN. “I remember really well at around 4am in the night time the Triumph staff said to me: ‘okay, you have the record in your pocket I think it's time to stop’. I said: ‘Hey guys, I'm here and I don't want another crazy rider like me to come…

A blast down memory lane Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com This is me on my first trials bike, just about to put it through some very muddy paces! Brian Relph Here is me on my Fizzy back in 1978. They were the bikes to have back then. Andrew Bentley This is me at 16 back in 1974 with my first bike – a Fantic Super T complete with a handy topbox. Kim My parents took out a Co-op savings policy and it paid out on my 16th birthday so I went and spent it on a motorcycle, which mum wasn't happy about. Simon Hunt This is my first ‘big’ bike, my trusty CB500. This picture is me riding in the 2019 Cromer Carnival. Anthony Southwood Rebuilt after it…

HONDA ROYAL ENFIELD…

FIRST RIDE KTM's 890 Adventure R has always been at the forefront of the proper, off-road capable upper-middleweight adventure class, taking inspiration from their 450 Rally machinery that has been so successful in competition. But with fierce rivals such as Ducati's £14,795 DesertX, Triumph's £14,195 Tiger 900 Rally Pro and Honda's £13,049 Africa Twin, the adventure sector has never been hotter. So, with the latest bike gaining suspension tweaks, updated electronics, more off-road biased rubber and a facelift, have KTM done enough to stay on top of the middleweight market? 1 Better allround With just a little bit of internal work here and there, the WP XPLOR suspension set-up on the 890 Adventure R feels nothing short of incredible. On the road I can't believe how comfortable the ride is…

RETURN TO ACTION It's hard to imagine going back to the scene of a near-fatal crash, but Rea says he'd return to Suzuka. “At the moment, yes, I'd go back and race there,” he said. “The thing is, I don't really know exactly where or how I crashed. I know I hit a wall which shouldn't have been there, but I don't know any further details. “The only person who has a video is my dad because he has the CCTV footage, so he knows what happened. I don't need, or want to watch it. Not until I'm much older and I'm definitely not going to race there again.” Calls have been made for safety improvements at Suzuka for several years. MotoGP hasn't visited since 2003 following Daijiro Kato's fatal…

3 months ON TEST Tru-Tension Muck Monkey £9.99 I've always used old toothbrushes to clean my bikes’ chains which, although thrifty, isn't very time efficient as you have to work on each face of the chain at a time. Fine if you've got the time, I suppose, but then I also dislike the amount of splash back created from the watery mix of chain cleaner and old lube. The Muck Monkey from Tru-Tension solves both these issues. Firstly, it's got a U-shaped head on one end which features tough nylon bristles and allows you to scrub three of the chain's four surfaces at once. The plastic shroud around the outside also does a decent job of preventing all that contaminated chain cleaner from flicking up onto your bike and hands.…

THE FACTS £8165 otr Suzuki GSX-8S PREVIOUS UPDATE NONE Year-round rider, B-road blaster, and performance bike fan I first clapped eyes on Suzuki's new GSX-8S just over six months ago ahead of its public reveal at the 2022 Eicma trade show and I've been hooked on the idea of living with one ever since. Back in 2018 I spent 12 months and 15,000 magical miles aboard the firm's V-twin SV650X and wanted another slice of mid-sized, naked fun that I could fully use on the road without having to worry about dash cams, points on my licence and jail time. Flash forward to the back end of May 2023 and I'm picking up the keys for a GSX-8S, ready to spend the next year putting it through its paces on…

ROUND 6 MUGELLO | MOTOGP A stunning display of damage limitation by Aleix Espargaro at Mugello failed to mask a dispiriting reality check for Aprilia. Their home race served to reinforce the need to arrest a performance decline that has hit the RS-GP's championship campaign. A year ago, Aprilia departed Mugello with Espargaro second in the points, just eight off the lead. Espargaro goes to this weekend's German GP ninth in the standings with the 33-year-old Spaniard already out of the title chase, 77 points adrift. Alarmingly, factory teammate, the hugely hyped Maverick Viñales, was as good as absent in both Sprint and GP races at Mugello, finishing 12th and 13th. It was Viñales who had teased Aprilia's ranking as a title contender with a dashing second place at Portugal's…

SPORT Franco Morbidelli could receive an uplifting career opportunity from Yamaha as the M1 remains winlLess from 12 races. After finishing 10th in MugllLo, the ItlLian said that he races “for my passion, not my job” and hinted that his enthusiasm to stay with Yamaha, if offered, is not an automatic choice – especially if a rumoured satellite Ducati gig opens for 2024. Mugello saw Morbidelli ease criticism of his recent form with a rare result, ahead of teammate fabio Quartararo by just 0.2s. ‘Just who would want to ride the Ml next year?’ “Matching the performances of Fabio is an acceptable achievement for me this year,” Morbidelli said. But they were 10th and 11th, the woeful M1 hammered again. Just who would want to ride the Yamaha next year…

Does speed matter? If it did, KTM would Lead the title. Once again, as in 2021, Brad Binder topped the Mugello speed trap… a new record of 227.48mph. Binder's previous best there broke 225, equalling Zarco's new record at Qatar. But the South African finished fifth, five seconds down on Quartararo, whose Yamaha was 8mph slower. On Sunday, he was seventh, nine seconds away from Bagnaia's Ducati, which gave away 6mph. Top speed doesn't really matter, then. But the way the KTMs are going this year, it doesn't hurt, either.…

A pair of low key ninth places wouldn't normally cut it as a factory Ducati rider in Mugello. But a double top 10 felt like a small victory for returning Italian star, Enea Bastianini. The former Moto2 World Champion has been a highprofile injury absentee since he broke his right shoulder blade in the inaugural Sprint in Portimao at the end of March. A lack of strength in Mugello's fearsomely fast changes of direction and energy draining hard braking zones was an obvious speed limiter. But for the ring rusty Italian it was mission accomplished. He targeted a double top 10 and fought through fatigue and pain to achieve it. “Every day is like a test. I don't only have to learn the bike but also the team. It's like…

Anyone that billed the finale of the 2023 TT as the Hickman v Dunlop show obviously forgot to send Dean Harrison the script. Having finished third in every race he'd entered up until the Senior, the DAO Racing rider was in the shadows despite his incredible speed and consistency. But with the spotlight shining brightly on Hickman and Dunlop as the riders and teams lined up on the Glencrutchery Road, the 34-year old Yorkshireman had other ideas. Making his trademark fast start he led Peter Hickman to Glen Helen on lap one and in doing so laid down a serious marker with a new level of pace throughout the race. Despite reduced grip levels due to soaring temperatures he kept Hickman more than honest and in doing so edged away…

TT hero and MCN columnist John McGuinness has been confirmed as one of the guest speakers at this year's Adventure Bike Rider (ABR) Festival. He will join a line-up of stars including three-time Roof of Africa winner Chris Birch, round the world riders Elspeth Beard and Ted Simon, plus enduro five-time world enduro champion Ivan Cervantes. McGuinness will be speaking about his road racing career on the Bridgestone Campfire Stage on the Saturday evening of the festival, as well as meeting people on the Honda stand, and taking part in a road rideout on the Sunday morning. “The word ‘legend’ is thrown around so much these days it's almost lost its meaning. But John McGuinness is a true legend of motorcycling in every sense of the word, and to be…

WHAT'S NEW IN TECH? Gloucestershire helmet manufacturer Ruroc have set their sights on the race circuit, developing a track-focused version of their Atlas 4.0 that's both lighter and more aerodynamic than before. The Atlas 4.0 Track aims to maintain a sporty bias without completely sacrificing road-going comfort – meeting both ECE 22.06 and ACU Gold standards. The carbon fibre shell is now 15% lighter than its road-centric sibling and the overall weight, including the linings and fasteners, has been reduced. This has been achieved, not by reducing materials, but by extensive testing in the lab as Ruroc Head of Design and Engineering, Tom Savage, explains: “We go through and analyse what's making that composite heavier. “We've done various different samples of different penetration tests and how that [composite] performs against…

ESSENTIAL KIT 5211 miles ON TEST TRIED* TESTED MCN STAFF RATE THEIR RIDING KIT Schuberth C5 £569.99 I am a big fan of Schuberth's latest composite-shelled flip-front, and I have found myself picking it up as my go-to helmet because of its comfort and practicality. Although it is very comfortable, I initially found that had to adjust the length of the chin strap when I first used it, as Schuberth have repositioned it for this latest update – no biggie, as it's perfect now. The C5 comes pre-installed with Bluetooth and mesh intercom. The only thing to be mindful of is where the microphone is positioned before you bring the flip front down as it can be a nuisance in the wrong spot, but of course this is something that…

Self-tinting lens is a big bonus Scott prospect light sensitive goggle £110 With a love of adventure and offroad riding I've used plenty of different goggles over the years and the latest generation seem to be getting better and better. These Scott goggles are no exception. Unlike some goggles in the past which feel cheap and slightly throw-away, these are well built and high quality. I find the fit excellent, meaning they are very comfortable and the thick elastic strap ensures they stay where they are put. Usability is enhanced by the light sensitive lens which reacts fast and means I've been able to use them from midday sun into the night. Quality Value www.scott-sports.com 900 miles ON TEST…

MCN COMPARE GET PROTECTED WITH MCN – AT MCNCOMPARE.COM Cruiser fan always in search of somewhere good for an ice cream I've now done more than 4000 miles on the Harley Low Rider ST since I took temporary ownership of it in mid-April. In that time, I've come to realise that a lot of these miles haven't been spoken about because they involve nothing more than bearing down on a straight stretch of road, usually the M1, M6 or A1. But of course, there have been some more memorable routes in between. I'll address the elephant in the room from my last update – I'm still not sold on the riding position. Thanks to my busy schedule, I haven't had the time to make any of my planned changes, so…

Steve Williams at Stevelin Motorcycles had been looking after his customer's 2002 Honda CBR600FS for about 18 months when the guy announced he wanted to upgrade to a Fireblade. The owner had done the routine servicing himself, leaving Steve to do any specialist jobs such as changing the tyres. “It was in lovely condition, so was happy to give him a fair price for it,” said Steve. The only issue was a slight ‘ticking’ from the cylinder head area. When the bike had been in for its last MoT elsewhere, Steve could see the examiner had put an ‘advisory’ on, identifying the ticking as a leaking exhaust. So the deal was done and they put the bike up on the bench to sort it out, only it was a little…

For the second round in succession, Alex Marquez failed to deliver on exceptional promise. The double World Champion was a double non-finisher after a combination of misfortune (taken out of the Sprint) and misjudgement led to two crashes. The Catalan rider acknowledged heshould have accepted a top five on Sunday, but instead crashed out of third, attempting to keep Johann Zarco and Luca Marini behind him. “I was too confident in that point,” he said of the crash. “I went in faster, touched the white line, found a bump, and lost the front. Maybe today I should've said, ‘OK, take a top five’. But a podium was there, and I went for it.” Yet by qualifying third, and contesting the podium, the younger Marquez brother once again demonstrated his affinity…

Time to consider Jorge Martin a serious title threat in 2023? You bet it is. Martin amassed just 29 points in the opening three rounds, as he seemed to be suffering a hangover from being shunned for a place alongside Pecco Bagnaia in Ducati's factory squad. That shaky start is a distant memory, with back-to-back Sprint and Grand Prix podiums in Le Mans and Mugello propelling the Pramac Ducati rider from a lowly 11th in the standings into third. Martin's raw speed has never been questioned. But doubts have lingered about whether he has the consistency to sustain a genuine title threat over a 20-round season. Those doubts are quickly being vanquished. In the last three Sprints and feature Sunday races, Martin hasn't finished lower than fourth. And he was…

WIN # 1 2009 SUPERSPORT RACE 2 1st Dunlop (Yamaha) 2nd Anstey (Honda) 3rd Cummins (Kawasaki) After three DNFs in earlier races, the 20 year oLd finally claimed his maiden win in the second 600cc race on a Street Sweep Yamaha R6 ahead of Bruce Anstey and Conor Cummins. WIN # 2 2011 SUPERSTOCK RACE 1st Dunlop (Kawasaki) 2nd McGuinness (Honda) 3rd Martin (Suzuki) Dunlop celebrated win No 2 and his first on a 1000cc machine as he led John McGuinness and Guy Martin home on a Kawasaki ZX-10R. WIN # 3 2012 SUPERSPORT RACE 2 1st Dunlop (Yamaha) 2nd Donald (Honda) 3rd Farquhar (Kawasaki) A frustrating week of mechanical problems was cancelled out when Michael won the second Supersport race on a R6 ahead of Cameron Donald and Ryan Farquhar. WIN #…

SPORT ‘At the end of the day, we've won four this week’ STATS Michael Dunlop cemented his position as the greatest living TT racer after securing four TT wins in a week to take his tally to 25 – just one shy of Joey. Having arrived fitter, sharper and hungrier than ever, Dunlop was the man in charge during the first part of race week, taking a brilliant Superbike win, a dominant opening Supertwin win and two Supersport wins. Following recent TTs there was a perception that he could no longer run with Hickman and Harrison on the big bikes, a perception that has been comprehensively dispelled over the eight days of racing. He may not have won the Senior or the two Superstock races, but he set the fastest…

Reporting direct from the paddock at the Isle of Man TT TOP STORY If the first half of TT 2023 belonged to Michael Dunlop, the second was comprehensively owned by Peter Hickman. In what is already being regarded as one of the greatest ever TTs in terms of racing, rivalry, weather and record-breaking lap times, Hicky stamped his authority on the historic event. The FHO BMW rider won three of the four big bike races, including the blue riband Senior to take his career win tally to 13, just one shy of Mike Hailwood. What made his and his FHO team's success so sweet was the fact that they were mired in technical and stability issues following the opening Superbike race, issues that ultimately weren't fully resolved until the warm-up…

After riding with chronic stability issues in the Superbike race, which caused pad knock back resulting in Hickman having to pump the brakes as he approached every braking zone, the pressure was on ahead of the Senior. Both Hickman and his team are vastly experienced but it was no easy fix. Crew chief and team manager Darren Jones explained: “For the Superbike this has been our toughest ever TT. We came with what we thought was going to be fast straight away and it wasn't and it forced us to look outside the box. Normally we do two or three days practice, we may tweak things a bit and then we don't touch it for the rest of the two weeks. This year we have had the bike upside down…