Table of contents for 13 December 2023 in MCN

FIRST RIDE Screamer if you want to go faster Let’s be honest, we all thought the supersport screamers would never return to UK shores – and yet 2024 will see Kawasaki fielding a new Ninja ZX-6R and Honda bringing back the CBR600RR. Twenty years after they were at their peak, can these focused and flighty scalpels make us fall in love all over again? The Ninja is the first to reach our streets – and we’ve been travelling back in time. PAGE 38 THE BIG MCN TEST Petrol vs EV: Dirty commuters It’s the debate of the decade: Can battery power really compete with igniting the juice of long-deceased dinosaurs? One arena where there’s a really tangible benefit to the silent drive and traction that electric can provide is greenlaning,…

Despite Bimota’s engine and technology supplier, Kawasaki, diversifying into both electric and hybrid solutions, the boutique Italian brand remains committed to combustion engines only. “For electric, my point of view is only inside 20kW (around 26bhp) and nothing more,” company COO Pierluigi Marconi told MCN. “But Bimota cannot make a 20kW motorcycle because it's not our aim. We are high-performance bikes.” Kawasaki own a 49.9% stake in Bimota. The Japanese powerhouse now produce a range of A1 class electric models, plus a pair of hybrids featuring an electric motor and 451cc parallel twin engine. “To this point we have not made any electric vehicles,” Marconi continued. “For the future, we will see if the technology becomes different. But for now, if electric makes high power it needs to have high…

THIS WEEK SAVE £££s – BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE mcnmotorcycleshow.com ‘Inspiration from the world of sportsbikes’ Scooters don’t usually grab much attention, especially when they’re still in the prototype stage. But then scooters don’t usually have 550cc twins producing nearly 60bhp, feature a six-speed transmission, or come developed with the aid of ex-MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso. Enter the striking Italjet Dragster 559 Twin, which features styling that looks like the lovechild of a Ducati Panigale and Bimota Tesi. “With the Dragster 559 Twin, we have created an unprecedented vehicle in the world of twowheelers,” Massimo Tartarini, President, and CEO of Italjet said. “We drew inspiration from the world of sports motorcycles to create a vehicle that combines the fun of riding a motorcycle with the lightness and agility…

Dainese Hekla Absoluteshell Pro £583.10 No need to haggle for fab Hekla deal ’Tis the season for giving and receiving, so this week we’ve had a good root around in Santa’s sack to pluck the best picks for last-minute gifts, stocking fillers and even a main pressie. Whether you’re looking for ideas for a friend, loved one or even yourself, we’ve got something that’ll light up faces come Christmas morn. First is the big one, and this deal’s a doozy. Dainese’s top-of-the-line adventure jacket is on offer at M&P with more than £200 off RRP. Wow. The Hekla is constructed from a quick-drying laminate textile, with a breathable and waterproof membrane. It’s certified to the CE AA standard for abrasion resistance and comes with Level 2 Pro-Armour as standard for…

Q ‘Taken out by skateboard’ In June I was riding to work in Lincoln. It was a single lane road in both directions with kerbs both sides and the speed limit was 30mph. I was probably doing 25-30mph. A lad on a skateboard was on the kerb coming towards me on my side of the road. He lost control of the board and it went into the road in front of me. I tried to avoid it but hit the kerb and came off. I had some injuries and was off work for two weeks. I would like to claim compensation and wonder if there is someone that can pay up. Jason G, email A The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) only compensates victims of negligent, untraced or uninsured drivers of…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Readers Richard Coombs plus two Normans, one Peter, a Stephen and a Phil The ride Italian lakes and back When to do it We went at the start of September How many miles? 2050 How long do you need? 13 days Tell us about the trip… It was six people, six bikes and six countries. Living in Newcastle we took the ferry from North Shields to Amsterdam. Our first stay was in Pension Williams in the Black Forest near the B500 which we rode the next day with views overlooking the Rhine. Next stop Füssen and the fairytale castle of King Ludwig. Then into Italy and Lake Iseo, we had two lakeside chalets and our own pool. We had a day trip to the Guzzi…

'FIM fun' ROBERT TAGGART I’ve just got back from the FIM tour in Tunisia. We did 4800 miles in 16 days and I was one of only two participants representing the UK and Ireland. 'Eiffel butt' PHILIP WESTON This was on the Iron Butt Association UK’s Ride to Eat in Paris. It was a 36-hour round trip on my Tracer 900 GT. 'Taking command' MARTYN FORDHAM This is me, David, Ian, Pat and Kelly during a visit to International Bomber Command in Lincoln. 'Stopped for a brew' JON ASHLEY This is Slaidburn, Trough of Bowland. We stopped for a brew at the Riverbank Tearooms – an essential meeting place. 'What retirement?' SUSAN SOLOMANS This is me on my 1250 Bandit at Stelvio Pass. I also rode to Belgium this year…

‘Surron’s early bath’ I struggle to think of the Surron as a dual-purpose bike. Yes, you can ride it on tarmac but it’s not that pleasurable and its range is very limited. But on the trails it is remarkably good. Brilliant at finding traction, confidence-inspiring and agile, it’s great fun on green lanes and much less obnoxious to other trail users than a petrol bike. On boggy lanes it powers through and, where the CRF can feel a bit top-heavy and hard work, the light Surron is easy to muscle, making it great for new riders. But after a few hours of green lane action (especially if you’ve had to ride to get to there) the battery gets low and your day is effectively over. This early bath is a…

FIRST RIDE Supersport screamers are back. Not only is Honda’s CBR600RR making a return to UK showrooms next year, but Kawasaki’s reborn ZX-6R is hitting dealers as we speak. The latest incarnation of the Kawasaki is heavily based on the bike that came before. It’s had its engine tweaked for bit more punch low down, while it now comes equipped with a TFT dash that allows for Bluetooth connectivity, alongside a smart facelift and some slightly different brake discs. But with less power and torque, alongside more weight than the last ZX-6R to grace our shores, is there still a place on UK roads for a focused, 636cc screamer? 1 Motoring on Thanks to Euro5 (and a lack of major updates) the ZX-6R has lost a bit of power and torque,…

‘At least there was one less part for me to take off…’ It was only when the engine died on a busy dual-carriageway that the rider of a Suzuki Burgman 125 realised he was in trouble. Fraser Doherty, a seasoned spannerman at Suzuki dealer, Mo-Tech Motorcycles in Newcastle, tells all: “It was the rush-hour and dark, but as he coasted to a halt he managed to get out of the way of the traffic on the central cross-hatching. “He kept cranking the motor over without success until the battery went flat and he lost his lights. But a couple of other bikers saw him and helped to push his bike up a slip-road, so he was lucky really.” His near-death experience was thanks to a catastrophic failure of the drive…

‘We did give him a chance’ Team owner Eitan Butbul says Skinner failed to meet the clause in his contract to qualify for a second campaign. That being that the Scot had to be inside the top 20 in the standings by Misano. “We gave Rory a huge opportunity to come and ride for free, and have a small salary so he could hold himself rather than being dependant on sponsorship or family,” said Butbul. “There was a benchmark but we can see it’s quite far away.” The team has previously handed debuts to five-times MotoAmerica Superbike champion Cameron Beaubier, and Sean Dylan Kelly, but Butbul says it’s now impossible to bring a rookie into Moto2. “With Cameron it was a little easier as he’s a special rider and character,…

Behind the headlines at the Portimao and Jerez WSBK tests TOP STORY Toprak Razgatlioglu was revelling in the capabilities of the BMW M1000RR last week as he made his muchawaited testing debut in preparation for World Superbike 2024. With more power available than with the Yamaha he used to race, that’s the Turk’s straight-line speed deficit to Alvaro Bautista’s Ducati already sorted out. At Misano last season, the 2021 World Champion was fuming when he found out from Yamaha that he wouldn’t be released from his contract before it met its conclusion at the end of November. That rage carried on to Jerez at season’s end, as the manufacturer, with whom he won the championship two years previously, refused to let him test with the rest of the field in…

There have been plenty of riders leaving race and even title-winning packages. And while there have been success stories, there have been plenty that have turned sour. For 2024 Toprak joins Michael van der Mark and Garrett Gerloff who both left Yamaha for BMW. Scott Redding similarly couldn’t resist the urge of the German company and neither could Tom Sykes. Alvaro Bautista suffered a torrid time at Honda in two winless years that were sandwiched by success at Ducati. Back in 2014, after winning the title for Aprilia, Sylvain Guintoli moved to Honda but never won a race for them. Also as reigning champion, Carl Fogarty went to Honda from Ducati for 1996 and endured one of his toughest ever years. John Kocinski went the other way and it yielded…

Just tweet yourself 1 THE PERFECT MOTORCYCLE: 1995-98 Honda VFR750 Engine: 749cc l/c V4 Power: 100bhp Weight: 209kg (kerb) Price: £1700-£5600 V4 power, gear-driven cams, Ferrari-style louvres and none of that VTEC nonsense… the VFR750 comes close to being the perfect motorcycle. Rugged build quality means it’ll shrug off hard use and remain reliable and so rewarding to ride – the sound and feel from the engine as you crack the throttle stirs the soul. Plus, it’s comfortable, spacious and superpractical. What more do you need? 2 THE TWO-STROKE HERO: 1980-1983 Yamaha RD350LC 'Elsie' Engine: 347cc l/c two-stroke parallel twin Power: 49bhp Weight: 149kg Price: £4500-£12,000 If you only own one two-stroke in your life, Yamaha’s RD350LC should be it. As soon as that two-stroke engine fires up, the smell…

2023 SPORT REVIEW MOTO2 / MOTO3 Pedro Acosta’s rampage through the record books continued in 2023, with the teenage superstar showing why he’s regarded as a generational talent. Acosta became a double world champion before he’s turned 20, taking the accolade of youngest Moto2 title winner from a certain Marc Marquez. The Spanish starlet talks the talk. There’s a swagger – a distinct air of confidence that belies his young years. Acosta can walk the walk too. He won more races, scored more podiums, and led more laps than any other rider, to clinch the title with two rounds to spare in Sepang. Nobody had won the title that early since Johann Zarco in 2015. Little wonder then he will make his debut in MotoGP debut in Qatar next March…

Ever since it began in 1988, the World Superbike championship has prided itself on parity: making things as equal as possible in the name of entertaining action. Primarily over the years that has centred around technical rules in order to balance out the strengths and weaknesses of each bike and make things as unpredictable as possible while maintaining the incentive for manufacturers to continuing pouring millions into development. In recent years, even the sporting rules have been adjusted whenever one rider and team has experienced tremendous success. It happened to Jonathan Rea with Kawasaki, and now it’s happening to back-to-back champ Alvaro Bautista and Ducati. Domination from a manufacturer is mightily impressive, but how much of the domination is down to the genius of Ducati and Alvaro Bautista and how…

The season-long duel between Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Axel Bassani was entertaining, intense and, quite frankly, amusing. The former is a talented racer who’s come up through the ranks in the paddock but he lost his head this season as the pressure of being in the factory team – and knowing his ride was on the line – got to him. There were numerous incidents, not least with Bassani in Barcelona and Jerez, plus fibs and mind games that brought out another side of the smiley man. It was cruel that Bassani ended up behind Rinaldi in the championship by two points. Bearing in mind Bassani wasn’t with the factory team, he did the better job. While Rinaldi takes Bassani’s place in the Motocorsa squad, Bassani has finally got the…

Jonathan Rea’s nine-year stint with Kawasaki has gone down as one of the most successful rider-team relationships in racing. Since 2015, the man from Ballyclare has become a six-time World Champion, smashed every record going bar pole positions, received an MBE from Prince William and an OBE from Princess Anne. In the process, the father of two has become a multi-millionaire and cemented his status as one of the UK’s greatest ever motorcycle racers. But he wants more. One curious thing about Rea’s move from Kawasaki to Yamaha, buying himself out of his final year of contract in a similar way to Marc Marquez ditching Honda for Ducati in MotoGP, is that he follows electronics genius Davide Gentile. The Italian spent six very years with Rea, winning five of the…

Danilo Petrucci labelled the Sprint Race as like ‘a fight in a bar’ when he came into WSBK; now he’s ready for even more in his second season. The MotoGP race winner should be pleased with his 2023 as he took the Barni Spark Ducati to three podium finishes despite some of the carnage in got involved in. His dream is to win at least one race/stage in every championship he takes part in (MotoGP, MotoAmerica, Superstock 1000 and even the Dakar Rally). As a taller and heavier rider, he won’t need to change anything with the new rules and he now knows the WSBK circuits. Petrux could prove a real contender when 2024 begins.…

Fast, faster, fastest… Until recently, tradition has determined the leading road racer of the season has been judged upon performances across what were considered to be the world’s four major international road races – the North West 200, Isle of Man TT, Ulster GP and Macau GP. That formula has narrowed following the disappearance of the cash-strapped Ulster from the calendar in 2019. During 2023 Peter Hickman’s opportunity to make his mark was also hampered after his FHO Racing BMW squad withdrew from the North West 200 following a controversial ruling by organisers over wheel construction. Despite that omission, Hickman’s performances during the Isle of Man TT and at the Macau Grand Prix have ensured that the 36-year-old remains at the very pinnacle of the road racing standings. Dominating the…

DAKAR Kevin Benavides doubles up Winning Dakar once is an achievement even factory riders dream of, so when Kevin Benavides won it twice in the space of three years he became part of a very exclusive club of Dakar superstars. Not only that, but he also won for two different manufacturers – Honda in 2021, before switching to rivals KTM to win again in 2023. It turned out to be a good year for the Pierer group (KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas) with the Austrians locking-out the top three places on the podium thanks to two-times Dakar winner Toby Price, and American Sklyer Howes. Any hope of Brit Sam Sunderland defending his 2022 Dakar crown ended on stage one when he crashed and broke his shoulder blade. Isle of Man TT…

British sidecar specialists Watsonian (www.watsonian-squire.com ) have added Kawasaki’s four-cylinder Z900RS retro to their fitment list. The Cotswold firm’s fitting kit allows any of its sidecars, including the Prescott (pictured, from £5395), to be fitted. The £995 kit has four powder-coated steel arms with clamps that bolt to the bike’s frame. A fitting service is available. Young drivers put motorists at risk Inflation and the cost-of-living crisis are causing young drivers to not maintain their cars, according to new research by the RAC. The study found 26% of drivers aged 17-24 have put off necessary repairs, 28% ignore servicing, 17% avoid replacing tyres, while 6% admit breaking the law by not putting their car through its MoT. Norton take flight Revived historic British brand Norton have posted a new video…

Wunderlich accessories for BMW R1300GS from £14.90 No sooner have demo bikes arrived in the showrooms than a whole host of specialist parts and upgrades for the latest GS have hit the shelves. BMW accessory experts Nippy Normans have the full range of Wunderlich goodies available, including crash protection, comfort seats and spotlights to name but a few. nippynormans.com Nishua NTX-4 Evo Thunder £234.11 Available exclusively from Louis Moto, this ECE 22.06 certified sports touring helmet is positively brimming with features. Inside the fibreglass shell is a fully removable and washable interior, along with a drop-down sunshade, wind deflector and adjustable ventilation. It weighs in at 1500 grammes and ships with a Pinlock anti-fog insert. Quite a spec… louis-moto.co.uk Laser Tools steering stem nut socket £42.53 This handy tool has…

● The latest new models 2024 models from all the big brands (and exclusive launches) in the heart of London ● Premier kit and accessories brands at bargain prices The perfect place to kit yourself out with the latest gear and grab some exclusive show bargains ● Three exciting new stages From interviews with stars of track and TV, to restoration masterclasses and planning your next epic bike trip, we’ve got you covered with fascinating talks and live demos on three new stages. You can even see Henry Cole and Allen Millyard restore a classic Weslake race bike live on stage! ● Free bike parking and halfprice car parking Bike parking is free. If you’re arriving by car, book your show tickets in advance and get all-day parking for just…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Here I am with my Greeves 250 in 1976. I had a Honda Graduate too, fortunately there are no pictures of it! David King 1975 on my super fast and brilliant handling first big bike a 450 Desmo! I now ride a Royal Enfield Meteor. Colin Northern My first proper bike from 1984. I now have a Street Triple and I have restored a GPZ550 and a GPZ900R. Jonathan Marks Crete 1995, my first time riding abroad on a Virago 250. I now own a BMW R1250R. Barry Lasikiewicz My first A2 legal bike on the right and my bargain beauty on the left. Affordable and brilliant! Perry Miller This is me on my father’s 500 Ariel combination! Still riding. My current machine…

1 December 16 Midlands Toy Run Back for its fourth year and fourth hospital, the Midlands Riders toy run is on this Saturday. This year, New Cross Hospital will be benefitting, so dress up, wrap up your donated toys (no sharps or pencils) and meet at Telford services from 9am, ready to leave from 10am. Adam and Mick Extance will be leading the rideout. midlandsriders.com 2 December 14 Bikes and Banter Want to hear tales from the greats? Hutchy and Whitham are hosting an audience this Thursday at Carnegie Theatre in Workington, so you can hear the amazing stories from the TT superstar along with plenty of laughs. Tickets start from £22, but if you want the option for a pre-event meet and greet, front row seats as well as food and…

THE MCN TEST ● THE HOTTEST BIKES ● EVERY WEEK £5799 Honda CRF300L ● 286cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder DOHC 4v ● 27bhp @ 8500rpm ● 142kg (kerb) £5999 Surron Ultra Bee T ● PMSM electric motor, 4kW battery ● 6.7bhp ● 88kg (kerb) Our precious green lane network is under constant pressure. Despite there being more than 6000 miles of Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) and Other Routes With Public Access (ORPAs) in England and Wales, this number is shrinking because they’re under perpetual threat from legislation that impacts on access rights. At the moment, if a road is classed as a BOAT or ORPA, provided your vehicle is road-legal, you’re permitted to attempt (success isn’t always guaranteed…) to ride or drive up it. And no one can stop you.…

With six individual world championships (including three in a row in from 1968 to 1970), three world long track titles, two world pairs crowns and four world teams championships, not to mention numerous European and national titles, Ivan Gerald Mauger is the greatest speedway rider of all time. Born in Woolston, New Zealand, also the hometown of future champions Ronnie Moore and Barry Briggs, and with a dad, Edwin, into drag racing and American muscle cars, young Ivan often found himself at Christchurch’s Aranui speedway track on a Saturday night. There, inspired by hometown hero and 1954 world champion Ronnie Moore, and entranced by speedway’s noise, smell and speed, he decided to one day become world champion himself. Already possessing a natural sporting ability, and after working as a delivery…

‘Built for track speed’ The ZX-6R may be making a return, but in reality it hasn’t really moved on. Sure, it has a little bit more low-down grunt which is something that we’ve all been screaming for from a supersport machine, yet with no changes to the chassis, suspension or comfort, it makes little difference in making the ZX-6R a more suitable road bike. It’s built to go fast on a track and everything else plays second fiddle. For its purpose, the ZX-6R is still a mighty little sporty machine, that’s still relatively sparse in terms of electronics. But on the road it’s hard, uncomfortable and a bit strangled by emissions laws. THE FACTS £10,599 Kawasaki ZX-6R…

2500 miles ON TEST Shoei VFX-WR Pinnacle TX-8 helmet £549.99 'Makes me feel snug and safe' Tested by Carl Stevens for eight months I’m by no means a talented off-road rider, and have been known to eat dirt on more than one occasion. This means that I go above and beyond to get the very best kit, just in case of a little (or a big) whoopsie – and Shoei’s VFX-WR hasn’t disappointed after hundreds of hours of use in all conditions. Thanks to the AIM+ shell, three-piece EPS liner and Motion Energy Distribution System, the VFX-WR feels robust, with enough tech to keep everything in check. Alongside safety, one of the most important things I look for in an MX lid is ventilation, as even on a chilly day,…

Having the ability to vary the amount of heat with a controller is top of my agenda when I am selecting heated grips. But more important than that is having some sort of battery-saving mode. This feature is a must have, as without it the battery will discharge if you park your bike and forget to turn the grips off. Battery-saving mode monitors the battery's condition and switches the grips off if the voltage drops. Most kits require you to glue the new grips in place, but be careful about what type of adhesive you use. These Oxford Hotgrips come with a tube of super glue which does exactly what you would expect, it sticks things together really well and super fast - but perhaps a little too fast! It's…

This has proved to be yet another fascinating year of motorcycle racing across all disciplines and championships. Ducati were dominant once again on the short circuits, but it was far from boring, with BSB and MotoGP going down to the final race. On the roads it was Peter Hickman on top once more, but a resurgent Michael Dunlop certainly pushed him all the way. It’s time for the initial candidates for the 2023 MCN Rider of the Year Award to be revealed. This list will be reduced down to six, with MCN readers then getting to vote for their overall winner. Pecco Bagnaia MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION Pecco Bagnaia showed his class to become the first Italian back-to-back MotoGP champion since Valentino Rossi (2009). In fact, only Rossi and Marc Marquez…

Looking ahead to a sizzling year of superbike action ‘I haven’t got much to worry about. We’re in for a good season’ TOMMY BRIDEWELL Tommy Bridewell has been left in a positive frame of mind after riding his new Honda Fireblade for the first time. The reigning Bennetts British Superbike Champion opted to leave PBM Ducati for Honda Racing UK for 2024 and spent a single day testing at Portimao, followed by two days at Jerez. Next year marks the first time since the beginning of 2018 that Bridewell has not raced a Ducati. Whilst there’s a new model of Fireblade for 2024, Bridewell was out on a 2023-spec bike. “I said to Chris [Pike, crew chief] before I rode the bike that the front end for me needs to be…

Getting Tommy on the bike before Christmas cements Honda’s intention. Danny Kent has been out on the Yamaha, Jason O’Halloran has been putting the laps in on the Kawasaki, doing the groundwork. I was out in Portimao and Jerez with the team, on track watching like a hawk. I’m not a team manager or a crew chief, but it’s not my first rodeo so I could see what was going on. I spent the three days watching and listening and it was really encouraging. We know Tommy’s a character and I also think that he is brutally honest. And if the bike wasn’t in the ballpark he’d have said. He won’t mince his words, but the feedback is that he liked it. It’s definitely got off on the right foot…

TEST TEAM Sylvain Guintoli and Bradley Smith, as well as BMW regular Markus Reiterberger, have been named as BMW test riders. Guintoli, 2014 WSB Champion, will also race for the firm in World Endurance in a high-profile switch from Suzuki, whereas Smith has confirmed he’s already been piling on the kilometres. “This all came about after a chat with Scott Redding, sat in the back of our vans at an MX track during the summer,” Smith, twice a MotoGP podium finisher, told MCN. The test team, headed up by Chris Gonschor, means the race riders can save time in their test allocation of ten days. “They’ve had some very, very positive track time and we’re already seeing the benefit,” said Team Principal, Shaun Muir. “The race riders can work on…

’Tis the season to hope that someone who loves you gets overwhelmed by an irresistible tide of generosity and buys you a new motorcycle. Or maybe just a cringe-worthy Christmas jumper from your favourite brand. Failing grand gestures of adoration, you could simply spend some time doing the biking things that make you happy as a present to yourself. Whatever the festive season has in store (or under the tree) for you, we’ve compiled MCN’s ultimate biking naughty lists. New bikes; legendary dream bikes; the unsung hero bikes that everyone should own at some point in their biking life; the great things you can do while sitting on your sofa in a state of mulled wine and mince pie induced immobility; the places you can ride to – or the…

Another title signed, sealed and delivered… When you’re mentioned in the same breath as some of the best to ever throw a leg over a racing motorcycle, you know you’re on the fast track to greatness. Duke, Surtees, Hailwood, Agostini, Read, Sheene, Roberts, Lawson, Rainey, Doohan, Rossi and Marquez are in an exclusive club to have won back-to-back premier class titles. A club that now features one Mr Pecco Bagnaia, too. Winning a MotoGP title once is an incredibly difficult feat. But then going on to defend that MotoGP title is even harder. Just ask Bagnaia. Speed, consistency, and luck are vital ingredients to make a world champion. And Bagnaia had all three in abundance this year. He claimed the most poles, the most GP wins and led the most…

Grab a pen and try these while you still have some energy 1 It’s no surprise that Ducati won the MotoGP constructor’s title this year, with 700 points, but which manufacturer finished in second place with 373 points? A: 2 Alvaro Bautista was the victor of a phenomenal year-long battle in World Superbikes -but at which round did he appear in MotoGP as a wild card? A: 3 Which global biking charity event powered through a decade of looking dapper for a good cause this year? A: 4 Cal Crutchlow made a guest appearance this year on a MotoGP grid, and racked up three points for his efforts – but which track did he race at? A: 5 When Tommy Bridewell won the Bennetts British Superbike title this year, he…

GET MORE OF THE INSIDE LINE WITH A PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP members.motorcyclenews.com/membership MCN PREMIUM You could stick a penguin in the Sahara and it wouldn’t be as lost as Honda have been. Perhaps that’s harsh… although it really feels like the Honda WSBK operation has lacked direction. There’ve been numerous management changes and even more are coming, including the decision not to continue with Leon Camier as Team Principal. The Englishman was in an almost impossible position; making a change within that team requires going through multiple departments – and that takes time.…

GET MORE OF THE INSIDE LINE WITH A PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP members.motorcyclenews.com/membership MCN PREMIUM With brother Sam moving over from Moto2 to a Marc VDS Ducati in 2024, the story of the Lowes twins racing together is a big one. There’s every chance Alex will join him there for a two-bike effort in 2025. For now, though, how will Alex fare as Kawasaki’s team leader? Heading to KRT when Jonathan Rea is at his prime was never going to be easy; Lowes finished all four of their seasons together as the second-placed rider. Now there’s a new lease of life as the Lincoln man partners mega crew chief, Pere Riba. What he does need to do (and we type this hesitantly) is to stop crashing; 15 crashes across ’23 were more than…

GoPro Hero 12 £400 The GoPro Hero12 offers the same 5.3K image quality as the outgoing 11, but packs in six upgrades that make it stand out: longer battery life, new 9:16 aspect ratio, new HDR for videos, improved HyperSmooth 6.0, new Timecode Sync, and wireless audio support. If you want the ultimate in GoPros, then this is it. www.gopro.com Insta360 X3 Motorcycle Bundle £518 Two fisheye lenses combine to take a 360° view to create prolooking footage that looks as though it’s been shot by a third party. You can even look around the footage during editing and track objects within it (using the app) and then export all the video for seriously dynamic content. Simply put, MotoGP camera angles for amateurs. www.insta360.com DJI Osmo Action £309 Packed with…

Electric firm Zero have been awarded the historic Maudes Trophy after completing an 1100-mile endurance ride. Seven riders took turns to ride a pair of battery powered DSR/X adventure bikes in a relay from Land’s End to Lowestoft, then Edinburgh and Holyhead, before riding to the prestigious FIM Awards ceremony in Liverpool. The journey took 60 hours with stops only to change riders and recharge bikes, and included snow and temperatures down to -6°C. The Maudes Trophy was first awarded 100 years ago and given to manufacturers for completing observed endurance challenges. Zero are the first electric winners. Dale Robinson of Zero UK said: “The bikes performed faultlessly but the biggest challenge was for the riders, in sub-zero conditions. They stuck to the task with great dedication and not one…

Ducati have teamed up with luxury car firm Bentley to produce an exclusive version of their Diavel V4 muscle cruiser, limited to just 500 units. Called the ‘Ducati Diavel for Bentley’, the £58,000 machine is based on the standard (£23,595) Diavel model – meaning the same 1158cc V4 Granturismo engine producing a claimed 166bhp at 10,750rpm, and 93lb.ft torque. The special was revealed at Art Basel week in Miami Beach and is the first collaboration between the two brands. Another 50 ‘Ducati Diavel for Bentley Mulliner’ models will also be reserved for existing Bentley customers, at an even more eye-watering £71,000. ‘£58k machine is based on the standard Diavel’ As with the standard bike, the special model features the same cast aluminium monocoque chassis, lean-sensitive electronics, and striking side profile.…

SAVE £3000 £13,999 KTM 1290 Super Duke R The third-generation Super Duke R is one of the best super-nakeds money can buy, offering superbike performance from its seriously meaty engine. And KTM dealers have £3000 off its list price while stocks last. All models from the 1290 platform are eligible for an extra two-year extended warranty. www.ktm.com SAVE £2500 £10,699 Suzuki V-Strom DL1050 This is a 2022 model, but the only difference with the 2023 bike is the colour and the dash design. www.daytonamc.co.uk ● Engine 1037cc ● Power 106bhp ● Weight 247kg ● Seat height 850mm SAVE £1755 £13,995 Moto Guzzi V100S Mandello Go for this S model and you get electronic extras such as Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 semi-active suspension and an up/down quickshifter, too. www.wheelsmotorcycles.co.uk ● Engine…

Yamaha have confirmed that any bikes built as a result of their recently revealed joint venture with CFMoto will be solely for the Chinese market. When the announcement was made in September, there was speculation that some Yamahas destined for Europe may now be built by the Hangzhou firm. CFMoto already have a similar arrangement with KTM, with the recently relaunched 790 Adventure and Duke parallel twins built by CFMoto in China. ‘ It supports the Chinese market – which is huge’ Now Yamaha in Japan have issued a statement that leaves no room for doubt about the strategy. “The collaboration solely consists of an industrial co-operation to manufacture vehicles in China, for the Chinese market,” it says. For further clarity, we spoke to the president of Yamaha Europe, Eric…

‘Dear Santa, please could I…’ As well as being unable to sit down without making an involuntary grunt and breaking wind with more regularity than is polite, a real issue with getting old is coming up with Christmas gift ideas. The problem is I don’t often find myself wanting anything. Yes, I’d love a Snap-On digital torque wrench or a TIG welder but can you ask your loved ones for such extravagant presents? I’d say not, especially as my four-year-old is so far failing to pull his weight financially – it seems nobody wants their chimneys swept the oldschool way anymore. So I often find myself dreaming of two-wheeled gifts that I’d request from the big man. What’s on the list this year? Well, I’d kick off with a BMW…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews 'MCN's the best medicine' Thought you might like this seasonal picture. The only thing better for my mental health this time of year, other than actually riding, is a warm shed and the latest MCN. Thanks again from frozen Minnesota! Nick Austin, USA Ed: Great sentiment and if anyone is struggling with mental health issues that even MCN can’t fix don’t forget the folks at Mental Health Motorbike (mhmotorbike.com) are on hand and ready to help you. STAR LETTER Write something that spikes our interest, and you could get selected for the Star Letter slot. Each week one lucky reader will receive an MCN T-shirt in a variety of different designs Stick the boot in Am I the only rider with feet bigger than size 12…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday Dec 13 BIKE MEETS ■ Sycamore Cafe, Great Billing, Northants 4pm-9pm ■ The King Billy Rock Bar, Northampton. 6.30pm Facebook: The King Billy Rock Bar ■ Huggys Speedshop, Mallory Park, Leicestershire. From 10am www.huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ Amici Coffee Biker Night, Sandy, Beds www.amicicoffee.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 ■ Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, West Yorks 01977-684618 ■ Loomies Moto Cafe, West Meon, Hants. www.loomiescafe.co.uk ■ Ace Cafe, London 6pm 020-89611000 or www.london.acecafe.com ■ Ryka's Cafe, Box Hill, Surrey 5pm-9pm www.rykas.co.uk ■ The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey. From 10.30am-1pm Facebook: Pathfinder Cafe Thursday Dec 14 BIKE MEETS ■ Ashfield Bike Meet, Bull & Butcher, Selston, Nottinghamshire From 5pm 01773-812657 ■ Vic Bikers Pub,…

‘Range could hit 160 miles’ At the top end of the electric adventure bike scale is the Zero DSR/X and Energica Experia. Although both have claimed off-road ability, in reality they’re more high-tech road-adventure tourers, with the Energica running 17in wheels (the Zero has a 19in front). The Zero costs from £24,150 and has a claimed max combined range of 134 miles (there are add-ons to extend this and reduce charge time). The Energica is £25,990 with a max range of 160 miles. Substantially less expensive is the RGNT No1 Scrambler SE, which costs £13,990 and is very much an urban scrambler that carries off-road styling, with no real off-road ability and a range of 75 miles. Zero sell the DSR, DS and FX in their ‘dual sport’ range; but…

BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician Get happy hands Fit heated grips over Christmas and keep extra toasty this winter 1 Meet the kit There are many different types of aftermarket heated grips available, but key features you need to look for are a set with a remote off/on button, and selectable heat settings. This kit has a low voltage cut out to prevent the battery discharging if you forget to turn off the grips. Before you start, unpack the contents and check the instructions. BRUCE'S TIPS Trimming can be done neatly if you're handy with a craft knife 2 Lose those weights First up you need to remove the bar-end weights, usually these are fastened using an Allen bolt or screw. With the weights removed, check the length of the new grips…

Behind the biggest stories in motorcycle sport British fans were shocked last month when Rory Skinner was informed that he would be losing his American Racing seat in Moto2 next year… despite having a two-year contract. Skinner’s future is now unclear, with confusion over a performancerelated clause in his contract at the centre of the incident. MCN sat down with Rory Skinner at the season finale in Valencia to hear his thoughts on the decision. Was your exit a big shock? I really didn’t see it coming, and neither did John [Hopkins, personal manager]. It’s a strange one, and John did everything he could to make sure I stayed put. He wasn’t involved in this. It’s been tough for him, I feel for John. People don’t see how close we…

The two-year relationship between Scott Redding and Shaun Muir Racing never got off the ground. From day one it felt as if the divorce papers were alongside the marriage certificate just waiting to be signed. Mercifully for both parties, Redding is happy alongside Garrett Gerloff at Bonovo, while SMR reunite Toprak and Michael van der Mark who were last teammates at Yamaha in 2020. “It’s a great spirit and everyone is working together,” team boss Shaun Muir smiled. “Mikey and Toprak are playing off each other and being jovial. I’m super happy to have Toprak and Michael – that’s my focus and it has to be – but BMW has four fantastic riders. When everyone is happy, the work gets done easier, quicker and better. We have an engine upgrade…

It’s honestly hard to know where to start. From the closest ever finish in BSB, to insane on-track battles in WSBK, along with one of the most intense year-long battles the MotoGP championship has ever seen. And that’s all without some remarkable road racing action and a mindblowing new Isle of Man TT lap record of 136.358mph, courtesy of Peter Hickman. The racing world also lost two absolutely pivotal figures – Paul Bird and Mike Trimby (see page 34), but their legacies were cemented in the clearest possible way. For Bird, it was the fact that his team came back from two very tough seasons to secure a 1-2 in BSB, thanks to Tommy Bridewell and Glenn Irwin. There was some hard racing on track, and harsh words off it,…

King of the mountain Tommy Bridewell finally reached the summit of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship mountain in 2023 after an intense, season-long battle with BeerMonster Ducati teammate Glenn Irwin. After finishing runner-up in 2021 and third in 2022, Bridewell was determined to make his golden opportunity with PBM count after seemingly going as far as he could with the non-official Oxford Products Ducati squad. What came next was a huge step forward for Bridewell, who found that all-important consistency and put together his strongest campaign yet. Prior to 2023, Bridewell had never won more than three races in a single season, whilst his grand total in BSB was just eight victories – the same haul that he collected in 2023. His strongest run came in the middle of the…

FACT Gerloff was the only rider other than the ‘Titanic Trio’ to claim a pole position in 2023 courtesy of his stunning lap time at Magny-Cours FACT 2023 was Redding’s first racing season without a podium since his final MotoGP year with Aprilia in 2018 Scott Redding’s two-year tenure in the BMW factory team with Shaun Muir Racing didn’t work out. How much of it was rider and how much was team? We’ll find out the answer to that next year. Redding now moves to Bonovo, upgraded to – we’re told – equal factory status. Perhaps more importantly, there’s more of an old-school family feel, not least in how the two sides of the garage work and play together. Redding and Garrett Gerloff will be a productive working relationship, if…

The success of Yamaha’s customer team riders was a good little story across 2023. Domi Aegerter grabbed two podiums in Jerez while Remy Gardner was extremely fast in the post-race test at the Spanish track. Don’t forget Brad Ray, either! Yamaha has really raised the bar in terms of how to share information and work properly together across all of its outfits. Of the top four teams from this year, GRT is the only one retaining the same rider line-up for 2024. Gardner now knows all of the circuits (a big part of a debut season sometimes overlooked by fans) while Aegerter is on a high following his Jerez rostrums. Despite testing for GMT94, Ray has struck a new deal with MotoX which, unlike last season, will include competing at…