Table of contents for 31 March 2021 in MCN

‘I’m proud of my speed and I’m happy’SAM LOWES TALKS WINNING MOTO2 TRIUMPH Sam-azing dominance in the desert How glorious was it to see Sam Lowes deliver such a measured and mature decimation of the Moto2 field on Sunday? The change in his fortunes on track is directly linked to a complete revision in his approach to racing, preparation, how he thinks about winning, and how he reacts to challenges. Can he capitalise on his stunning first round result when MotoGP returns this weekend? PAGE 66 TOP STORY Saving bikers from themselves It’s very easy to pretend that all car drivers are blind, and bikers are never in the wrong – but the truth isn’t quite so black and white. And research by the DocBike group has discovered that as…

UK based protection experts GBRacing have developed a kit for the water pump on bikes with Yamaha’s CP2 engine. Designed to be impactresistant, the bolt-on part covers the vulnerable water pump housing on bikes with Yamaha’s popular 700cc parallel twin including the MT-07, Tracer 700, XSR700 and Ténéré 700. The water pump protector is available now, priced at £52. Piping hot or not? Romanian motorcyclists’ organisation MotoADN have teamed up with Politehnica University of Bucharest and noise specialists Enviro Consult to see if the volume of a motorcycle’s exhaust made it more noticeable to a car driver. The results showed that over 15m away the car driver wouldn’t hear the exhaust and at 10m they could hear it but not actually work out where it was coming from. Give ’em…

New spyshots have emerged showing the upcoming Husqvarna Norden 901 in an almost productionready state during road testing. We’ve known about the attractive new Norden 901 since it was first unveiled by Husqvarna in 2019 but it was always assumed there would be just one model. However, these new spyshots suggest there will be two models: an off-road focused machine and an on-road focused variant, just like the KTM 890 models it shares DNA with. If you’re not familiar with Husky’s current modus operandum, they take the bare bones of a model from sister company KTM’s range and they give it their own blue and white twist. They’ve done it with the smaller capacity Vitpilen and Svartpilens, so now their attention has turned to the bigger bikes in the company’s…

Two-time World Superbike champion, James Toseland has donated two sets of signed racing leathers to The Children’s Hospital Charity, in Sheffield, to help them raise money for a new cancer and leukaemia ward, emergency department and helipad. The hospital has seen a 35% drop in fundraising during Covid – equating to around £1.3m – and a delay in the required improvements to the facility. In a bid to turn this around a number of prizes, including the leathers, are either being auctioned or raffled online. “It’s fundamental that we support the charity and keep it going to its highest capacity to be able to give the kids every chance of recovering,” Toseland told MCN. “We previously auctioned off my MotoGP set from 2008 and my 2003 World Superbike ones that…

East Midlands-based road safety partnership, Shiny Side Up, have launched a new video and social media campaign called Know the Dangers designed to highlight the most common causes of collisions for motorcyclists. The videos cover so-called SMIDSY accidents (Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You) as well as advice on filtering, overtaking and cornering. Visit www.shinysideup.co.uk/know-the-dangers/ to see the videos for yourself. Plastic fantastic Pyramid Plastics have designed a colour-matched rear hugger for the Kawasaki ZX-6R KRT. The unit is a straight swap for the existing black item and uses the same mounting points but offers better protection from the elements. It also matches the bike’s four-tone colour scheme, finished in green, black, gold and red. The hugger has an RRP of £154.99 and is available to order now. Visit www.pyramid-plastics.co.uk…

A custom house and café is gearing up for its first proper biking season, having opened midway through the Covid-19 pandemic, last September. The Old Boys Motorcycle Workshop and Café, in Poole, Dorset, is the brainchild of John Doddrell and offers everything from motorcycle sales, to bespoke one-off builds, plus space to grab a coffee and hot bacon roll with your biking mates. “The idea for the shop was mainly born out of the fact that there’s lots of older guys with nowhere to go, so we’ve created a room where people can turn up and talk about bikes,” John, 60, told MCN. “A lot of people said it was a really strange time to open up, but we had September and October to shout about ourselves,” he added. “Then…

THE BUYER FANTASY SHOPPING ON A REAL-WORLD BUDGET Every week we give a different rider a wodge of fictional cash and ask them to ‘buy’ the bike that sets their soul on fire. This is Gordon’s pick… 2019 – 2021 PRICE DROP NEW TO USED £1399 Despite being best known for his work designing F1 cars for Brabham and McLaren, not to mention creating the seminal F1 supercar and its soon-to-be-released successor the V12 T50, Gordon Murray has a huge soft spot for bikes. And a fascination for Italian 50cc mopeds. “I have about 40 mopeds, 16 are hanging on my workshop walls at home and the rest are at my company’s HQ. I’m 6ft 4in so when I buy one I ride it for fun and then quickly decide…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews Take a stand for Murray I think we were all shocked to hear of the sad passing of Murray Walker, a true icon for the sports of bike racing and F1. A consummate and passionate professional who brought both sports to life on the radio and TV coverage which he presented. A knighthood would have been so richly deserved but alas will now never happen, with this in mind I think a stand or corner should be named in his honour at the home of British motorsport: Silverstone. It’s the least we can do for such a warm, kind, generous man who gave everything to the sport he so loved. Jason Mitchell, email Get more bikes on the box Why are motorbikes and related items never…

TT Legend John McGuinness MBE in MCN every week I found Michael Laverty’s piece about corner speeds really interesting (p60-61). It’s incredible to see how much faster Moto3 are than MotoGP in some corners. I think people will be surprised at that. It’s like that at the TT as well. Where we’ve made up time is power and a little bit of tyre. You come out of Quarter Bridge and you get to Braddan Bridge faster than you would have done in 2001 riding an SP-1. But if you had a speed gun on you at the apex at Braddon Bridge it would be the same – you just get from A to B and B to C faster now because you have more power. I bet when Steve Hislop…

● THE HOTTEST BIKES ● EVERY WEEK It’s Britain’s toughest road test route. A fun but punishing mix of A- and B-roads, busy motorway, towns and villages. It’s all Britain’s road types compressed into one route. There are three sections and we combine the two that best test the bike’s character. On average we ride 450 miles per bike, per test. ROUTE 1 122.73 miles of fast-flowing A and B-roads ROUTE 2 126.94 miles of open A and B-roads and towns ROUTE 3 117.88 miles of big A roads and motorway…

CHIEF ROAD TESTER Unflustered, relaxing and spacious, the new R1250RT breezes big distances in comfort. Its engine crackles and fizzes with torque and with surprising grip and an appetite for big lean, it slices through the countryside. It’s also an accomplished alternative to those who don’t want a knobbly-tyred tourer, ready to take on the Dakar. It isn’t cheap, especially when you load it with goodies, and it isn’t the smallest thing to squeeze through gaps in traffic, but it’s impressive around the MCN250 and actually cheaper than a full-dress tourer. The new display makes every other dash look weedy but isn’t brash or overpowering and the dual braking system does an even better job of bringing 279kg to a stop with minimal drama. Active cruise control can be handy…

ANDY DAVIDSON I didn’t have as much experience as my two teammates but what I really liked about the event was that you had to enter as a team so it really drew together the camaraderie and team spirit and you really help pull each other through. It’s not an enduro ride as such, more of an endurance test. It’s a fantastic event and I’m so glad we did it. We also rode the bikes to Italy from the UK which was all part of the trip. Lots of people van their bikes there which is also cool, especially if you’re on something smaller. I did it mainly on a Yamaha XT which was absolutely fine on the motorways down to Italy and was great on the trails because it…

Shark Spartan GT Carbon £479.99 ‘It’s a superbly versatile helmet’ Tested by Richard Newland for six months, 2000 miles Having been an Arai wearer all my life, testing a Shark was a leap of faith. I’m glad I did it, though. This is now my third, having worn their Race-R and Spartan Carbon. I picked the Spartan GT Carbon as I wanted a road helmet that was plush, quiet and well-spec’d – and it ticks all those boxes. It’s just as sporty as the Race-R, but with fewer vents to make drafts and noise. It’s still well vented though, with a chin, brow and twin exhaust vents (which all shut convincingly), and a liner that aids airflow rather that trapping it. Talking of the liner, it’s plush, soft and comfortable,…

‘They rely on us lazily just renewing...’ Insurance costs sneaking up, even though you’re older and more experienced, and haven’t made a claim? I’m fed up with it too. But you can get a less salty premium with a few rules. Most importantly, never just let your policy automatically renew. As soon as your renewal letter or email arrives, start getting a few new quotes. Doing it early is important: if you find another policy it shows the insurance underwriter that you’re an organised, sensible type who doesn’t leave things to chance. According to a study by MoneySavingExpert.com the perfect time to buy or renew is three weeks ahead of when your existing policy runs out. There are some modifications insurers hate, with quickshifters at the top of the pile.…

A seized free bike is still a free bike, at least that’s how the owner of this seized 1999 Tiger looked at it. After being given the machine by his brother, he set about trying to get it sorted and took it to Triumph specialist Clive Wood. Clive said: “He’d probably spent a grand on parts to rebuild the first engine himself, but that went wrong, so he bought another engine from a scrappy and sent it to me to have a look.” Clive carried out a static engine check for compression, correct valve clearances and gearbox operation, but this engine was behaving in a weird way. There was a tight spot, even with the plugs out, so he thought it must be in the transmission and took the sump…

BT Sport’s guru Michael Laverty writes for MCN How can a Moto3 bike with 75% less power than a MotoGP bike achieve a lap time only 10% slower than the best and most expensive two-wheeled machines in the world? The answer: Corner speed. Moto2 likewise, have around 50% of the power of a MotoGP bike yet race lap records are only three to four percent slower. It shows that bhp isn’t everything, with more power at the rear wheel you must deal with wheelspin and wheelies, and extra cubes means more mass for the rider to control and increased gyroscopic forces, too. Finding the fastest way around a racetrack has never been about brute horsepower alone – just ask Sunday’s race winner Maverick Viñales. The Moto2 guys can ride similar…

The signs were there at the preseason tests and unfortunately for KTM, their worries became a reality at Losail. Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder finished 13th and 14th respectively, while Iker Lecuona was 17th and Danilo Petrucci’s Tech3 debut lasted a couple of corners before he crashed out on lap one. Turning speed was a key issue, along with corner entry and carrying speed at full lean. DNFs for LCR LCR men Takaaki Nakagami and Alex Marquez both crashed out in Qatar. Nakagami, who had found some improvements for Saturday after struggling with front brake issues, fell at Turn 9 on lap seven after losing the front. He explained that he had low grip from the start. Meanwhile, Marquez fell at turn four on lap 14. Enea’s fast debut Reigning…

• Get set for a test ride to temptation as Yamaha dealers reopen their doors With thrilling new bikes including Yamaha’s MT-09 landing, it’s even more frustrating that the pandemic has kept dealers’ doors firmly shut. Yes, you can click and collect or have your new bike delivered, but nothing quite beats the excitement and anticipation of walking into your local showroom and seeing the object of your desire sitting there waiting for you. As restrictions start to lift, Yamaha dealers across the UK are planning their Covid-safe reopening region-by-region (don’t forget, the rules aren’t the same everywhere) to enable customers to indulge in the joy of selecting their next bike. With showrooms set to open soon, and test ride fleets ready and waiting, this could be the start of…

Yamaha’s smallest YZF has been around for a dozen years, and for most of that time it has been riding high in the charts. Not just in the 125 class, but the whole motorcycle market. The reason it’s so successful is that it’s not a scale model – unlike Honda’s rival CBR, the R125 gives the impression of a full-size bike, meaning decent comfort and not looking ridiculous if you’re big boned. Performance is great too – it zips to 70mph, will nudge 80 on a long straight, can return 100mpg and won’t go wrong. There was a model update in 2017, with revised fuel injection, new engine internals, tweaked styling and a new dash. Get one of these if you can. Reliability is excellent, but like all 125s the…

The winter gap in the MotoGP racing calendar felt simultaneously endless and oddly short. While lockdown has given time an unpleasantly heavy quality, the Groundhog Day-ness of it all came to a glorious end at the weekend when the lights came on in Qatar and all attention focused on the thrill of watching the world’s best riders go head-to-head. And what a trio of races it was (in fact, make that a quartet if you also watched the Asia Talent Cup battle). While it was spectacular to see Maverick Viñales carve his way to the front to deliver a masterclass of Yamaha control over the Ducati’s brutal power and to see the emerging generation of talent deliver a nail-biting Moto3 game of musical chairs – it’s impossible not to come…

Ducati have recalled a number of Multistrada V4s due to parts issues within the new Granturismo engine that could lead to engine failure. Ducati have told customers that there is an issue with the valve guides whereby sub-standard items are prone to premature wear, which could result in a loss of power or failure of the engine to start. However, analysis by Ducati has narrowed the problems down to a single batch of valve guides from just one of their multiple suppliers. As a result, only a percentage of the bikes that have been produced are affected, meaning some owners won’t be contacted at all while others will have to return their bikes to dealers – and some have been refused delivery of their new bike to allow the work…

Gloucestershire-based sidecar experts Watsonian have produced a fitting kit for the Triumph Scrambler to allow use of their trials-inspired International outfit. Made from glass fibre, with brushed aluminium wrap, the retro unit mimics aluminiumbodied trials sidecars produced in the 1950s and comes fitted with a 16in wheel. Prices for the unit start at £3995, with the fitting kit available for a further £475. Find out more by getting in touch with Watsonian via www.watsonian-squire.com TVS’ new chairman TVS Motor Company, which acquired Norton Motorcycles in April 2020, have appointed Sir Ralf Speth as Chairman, effective as of January 2023. Speth most recently held the position of CEO at Jaguar Land Rover for 11 years and received a knighthood from the Queen in 2018 for his contributions to British industry. Norton…

Outlandish motorcycle customisers Hookie Co. have produced another custom kit, this time for the BMW R nineT. Unlike their other kits, which are more of a DIY affair, Hookie’s Cobra models are all hand assembled over two months with five different styles to choose from and just ten bikes being made in total. First out of the blocks is the ‘Toxic Red’ Cobra seen here. The list of changes is extensive but includes a new subframe, a new fuel tank, rewire with MotoGadget accessories and new controls, as well as the entirely new bodywork. Underneath all that there’s a bit of engine work including Hookie’s custom airbox system and an Arrow Pro-Race exhaust. Despite all this custom work, fuel range is still sensible (around 125 miles) and the bike retains…

Fowlers of Bristol have added two electric bike firms to their range as more and more Covid-aware commuters take to two wheels. Zero and Super Soco join Artisan Electric Scooters in Fowlers’ showrooms, offering those looking to switch to greener transport a complete range of electric machines – from Zero’s high performance SR/F sport tourer, to Super Soco and Artisan’s keenly priced commuter motorcycles and scooters. Fowlers already stock machines from Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Triumph, KTM, Husqvarna, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Vespa. Since Covid struck small commuter bikes have sold strongly as many look for ways to avoid using public transport and travel in isolation. Fowlers say the news that Bristol City Council plan to introduce a Clean Air Zone in October 2021 will raise awareness of the importance…

FRIDAY April 2 11.45am, BTS2, Live MotoGP of Doha: Free Practice 1. FP2 at 4pm 6pm, EUR2, WSB 2020: Review SATURDAY April 3 11.15am, BTS2, Live MotoGP of Doha: Free Practice 3. Qualifying at 3pm SUNDAY April 4 9pm, EUR2, British Superbikes: Race of 2020 12.30pm, BTS2, Live MotoGP of Doha: Warm Ups, Moto3 at 2.15pm, Moto2 at 4pm, MotoGP at 5.30pm. Chequered Flag at 7pm MONDAY April 5 12pm, EUR2, British Superbikes: Classic Races KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT – DISCOVERY REAL TIME DSC – DISCOVERY CHANNEL DHD – DISCOVERY CHANNEL HD EXS – EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL EUR1 (2, HD) – EUROSPORT 1 (2, HD) MOT – MOTORSPORT.TV CH4 – CHANNEL 4 CH5 – CHANNEL FIVE BBC BBCI – BBC INTERACTIVE ESPN – ESPN CLASSIC CHANNEL ITV DST – DISCOVERY TURBO…

Action camera brand Insta360 have launched their latest product and it looks ideal for bikers. The Go 2 weighs 27g but still records stabilised 1440p video content plus it’s waterproof to 4 metres. All your footage can be edited wirelessly through a smartphone app, or you can let the AI tech have a go at editing for you. The Insta360 Go 2 has an RRP of £294.99 – visit www.insta360.com for more. Win by giving Healthcare charity, Two Wheels for Life are offering the chance to win a riding outfit courtesy of Nolan. The winner, who will be drawn in May, will receive an X-lite X-803 RS Ultra Carbon Golden Edition 33 and a Subotaï jacket worth around £850. A single entry costs £4. Enter here: www.charitystars.com/sweepstake/win-a-motorcycle-outfit-by-nolan. Strap-on storage Givi…

Q ‘Is there a conflict of interest here?’ In October I was riding along the A4 with my partner on the back and happily going along enjoying the ride. A car was waiting at a junction to our right, about 70 metres away and indicating to turn left. He pulled out on us, giving me no time to react and there was an accident in which we were both hurt. My insurer appointed a solicitor to act for us both and so far it has been a smooth process. I have been acting as litigation friend for my partner due to the nature of her injuries, providing instructions on her behalf to our solicitor. The car driver’s solicitor is now alleging that I was partly to blame for exceeding the…

Simon Hunt Age 60 Height 6ft Current bike BMW R1250RT LE Been riding for 44 years First bike Yamaha FSI-E Dream bike Brough Superior I have a 2019 R1250RT LE and love it. It looks good and has enough effortless power for any situation. You can pile on a passenger and luggage and head off to the Alps or the Bol d’Or and the bike copes superbly. This is my third RT – I’ve also had 2008 and 2014 models. Three features stand out with the new RT: its TFT dash, radar, and new lights. Fortunately, the overall style and chassis haven’t changed that much. We’re a funny bunch though and the motive for getting the new model would be social approval among other RT owners. Nice if you can afford…

Sarah Lezito, France Considered the world’s best stuntwoman, Sarah rode for BMW Motorrad in the Stunt World Championships and has also doubled for A-listers such as Scarlett Johannson in Avengers 2. Growing up on a vineyard, she started stunting on her father’s quad at 13, before progressing to a 125, she competed on a modified BMW S1000R, head-to-head with male riders. Now riding a Kawasaki ZX-6R 636, she says “Men do have more power, so I defined my own style: I focus on balance and smoothness.” Vicki Golden, USA Champion freestyle MX rider, Vicki Golden, rode an Indian FTR1200S through 13 walls of fire in July 2019 at an event set up to honour Evel Knievel. The feat, which saw her blast for 600ft through burning fences, broke a world…

DEPUTY EDITOR, MOTORCYCLING Honda tried to merge bike and a scooter with the Integra, and they got it wrong. The Forza 750 gets it right. It blends the breezy functionality of a scooter with the noise, handling and most of the feel we expect from a mid-size bike. And the performance too: the 750 won’t leave scorched trails behind, but easy-access drive means it’s as swift point-to-point in normal use as pretty much anything else. If you’re tempted by a true twist-and-go scooter Yamaha’s TMAX is perhaps better. But it’s also more expensive and less inspiring. And while there are faster, sharper, more engaging ‘real’ bikes, none are as simple to use, practical, efficient on the commute or soothing on a motorway as the Forza. THE FACTS £9999 Honda Forza…

1 Simpson Darksome £349.99 It’s really light and has a great field of vision. There’s a double-D fastener and cut-outs in the ear sections for comms. It looks aggressive and is something different. Graeme Robson, Liverpool 2 AGV Sportmodular £549.99-£599 This flip-front is quiet, with good vents and it’s easy to fit an AGV comms kit. Full carbon, so very light. John Gravez, Isle of Wight 3 Shoei Neotec 2 £519.99-£599.99 I like the comfort and integrated comms. It’s possible and legal to ride with it flipped up, too. Brian Gibbons, Beds 4 Schuberth C4 Pro £549.99-£639.99 There’s built-in comms, a great degree of visibility, it’s reasonable for noise and a quality all-rounder. Garry Crooks, Darwen 5 Shark Spartan Carbon £339.99 Lght, not too loud, very comfy and has good…

Saving you money on essential bike maintenance 1 Check the label Whether it’s a textile suit, jeans or a leather one-piece, it’s got to protect you when it comes to the crunch. So keeping stuff clean and and in good nick is crucial for performance – and also looking and smelling good, too. First off, study the label on the garment for specific washing instructions. Can it be machine washed and at what temperature or hand washed only? BRUCE’S TIPS Take out any removable liners and wash them separately 2 Extract the armour The liner needs to be removed, so undo the main zip that fastens it to the inside of the jacket; the sleeves are often secured inside the cuffs with poppers and loops. Then remove the body armour.…

Inside MotoGP for 35 years One swallow doesn’t make a summer. But there was plenty of gulping in Qatar, when the first race turned out very different from all sensible predictions. Yamahas are slow, as we know; Losail’s straight is long... enough for Zarco’s Ducati to set a new top speed record in practice, at (gulp) 225.2mph. Only a fool would bet against the red bikes, no? Sunday came, and the evident truths were trumped by Maverick Viñales telling what he called “my truth”. With a brilliant win. So does speed matter in racing? And if not, why not? The numbers were highly suggestive. Zarco headed a phalanx of Italian muscle. Five of the six fastest were Dukes, Espargaro’s factory Honda fifth, And Viñales? Seventeenth at 216.4, that’s almost 10mph…

SPORTS REPORTERS A jaw-dropping new top speed record and top Ducati billing showed why Johann Zarco can’t be discounted as a serious title threat in 2021. Just 24 hours after the Frenchman flew to a mind-blowing 225.18mph on the Bologna factory’s rocket ship GP21, Zarco overshadowed factory Ducati duo Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller in the floodlit night race. Promoted to Pramac Ducati on the latest spec Desmosedici for 2021, Zarco admitted prerace that it was his “time to get victories and podiums”. It didn’t take the 30-year-old long to make good on his pledge after he finished just over a second behind Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales. ‘The bike is unstoppable’ Zarco was the only rider to occupy a podium place on every lap. He said: “The team and bike have…

QATAR LOSAIL INT CIRCUIT STATISTICS • Length 3.34 miles • Corners 16 – 6 left, 10 right • Longest straight 0.663 miles FINAL POSITIONS MOTOGP POSITIONS Gains & losses (grid v finish) LAPS LED MOTOGP FINAL POSITIONS MOTO 2 TOP TEN CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS 1 Lowes 25 2 Gardner 20 3 Di Giannantonio 16 4 Bezzecchi 13 5 Fernandez 11 6 Roberts 10 7 Dixon 9 8 Schrotter 8 9 Bendsneyder 7 10 Navarro 6 FINAL POSITIONS MOTO 3 TOP TEN CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS 1 Masia 25 2 Acosta 20 3 Binder 16 4 Garcia 13 5 Rodrigo 11 6 Antonelli 10 7 Guevara 9 8 Suzuki 8 9 Toba 7 10 Dupasquier 6…

Yamaha’s smallest YZF has been around for a dozen years, and for most of that time it has been riding high in the charts. Not just in the 125 class, but the whole motorcycle market. The reason it’s so successful is that it’s not a scale model – unlike Honda’s rival CBR, the R125 gives the impression of a full-size bike, meaning decent comfort and not looking ridiculous if you’re big boned. Performance is great too – it zips to 70mph, will nudge 80 on a long straight, can return 100mpg and won’t go wrong. There was a model update in 2017, with revised fuel injection, new engine internals, tweaked styling and a new dash. Get one of these if you can. Reliability is excellent, but like all 125s the…

With thrilling new bikes including Yamaha’s MT-09 landing, it’s even more frustrating that the pandemic has kept dealers’ doors firmly shut. Yes, you can click and collect or have your new bike delivered, but nothing quite beats the excitement and anticipation of walking into your local showroom and seeing the object of your desire sitting there waiting for you. As restrictions start to lift, Yamaha dealers across the UK are planning their Covid-safe reopening region-by-region (don’t forget, the rules aren’t the same everywhere) to enable customers to indulge in the joy of selecting their next bike. With showrooms set to open soon, and test ride fleets ready and waiting, this could be the start of a summer like no other. Pure naked fun And few bikes deliver more fun for…

Yamaha’s smallest YZF has been around for a dozen years, and for most of that time it has been riding high in the charts. Not just in the 125 class, but the whole motorcycle market. The reason it’s so successful is that it’s not a scale model – unlike Honda’s rival CBR, the R125 gives the impression of a full-size bike, meaning decent comfort and not looking ridiculous if you’re big boned. Performance is great too – it zips to 70mph, will nudge 80 on a long straight, can return 100mpg and won’t go wrong. There was a model update in 2017, with revised fuel injection, new engine internals, tweaked styling and a new dash. Get one of these if you can. Reliability is excellent, but like all 125s the…

SAVE £2401 £15,400 Triumph Tiger 1200 XCX The off-road-biased XCX features semi-active suspension and lots more tech besides. The ride quality and handling are sublime and the big Tiger feels just as agile as its rivals, although it’s about 20kg heavier. This all-white model comes with the chunky metal pannier set along with a welcome cash saving. ● www.youlesmotorcycles.com SAVE £1438 £8495 Yamaha XSR700 XTribute This zero-mile 2019 model from Capital Moto comes with a full Akrapovic high-mounted exhaust. ● www.capitalmoto.com ● Engine 689cc ● Power 75bhp ● Weight 187kg ● Seat height 845mm SAVE £1299 £8500 Moto-Guzzi V9 Bobber Sport This Euro4 limited-edition singleseat V9 is in ‘Arancio orange’ and comes with Öhlins shocks. ● deardenmotorcycles.co.uk ● Engine 853cc ● Power 55bhp ● Weight 200kg ● Seat height 770mm…

SHARK TESTED SEE P48 We’ve got together with Shark to give away a Spartan GT Carbon helmet, their brand-new fibre composite full-face lid. The helmet offers the highest level of protection, thanks to its combination of fibre and carbon layers, in conjunction with the Multi-Density EPS and the SHARK Emergency Release System concept, that allows for quick and intuitive removal of the neck and cheek padding in the event of an accident. SHARK SKIN side plates minimise aerodynamic disturbances, with 3D cheek pads for a snug fit and optimal support. The fully adjustable ventilation system features a dual air intake chin guard, dual air extractors on the rear and ergonomic upper ventilation plus SANITIZED®-labelled ALVEOTECH lining fabric offers enhanced antimicrobial efficiency, free from odour and perspiration. The Spartan GT Carbon…

LS2 Vector Evo £159.99 (plain), £169.99 (graphics) Updated for 2021, the fibreglass outer weighs just 1390g and comes in three shell sizes. It’s aerodynamically sculpted to keep your head stable at higher speeds and there is a chin curtain to help keep the weather out, and reduce wind noise. The visor comes with a Pinlock insert and there’s a dropdown sun visor. Sizes XXS-3XL. www.ls2helmets.com RST Urban Air gloves £34.99 Made from polyester mesh these pack loads of sweat-busting ventilation for high-temperature rides. CE-approved, they’re not short on protection either and feature TPU armour across the knuckles and a double-leather palm. There’s also touchscreen sensitive material on the index finger. Available in black, black/white, black/blue and black/fluro. www.rst-moto.com LS2 Route Aramid fibre women’s jeans £115.99 These high-waisted and army-style textiles…

‘My name is Neil, and I like Guzzis’ From time to time I’ve mused about Guzzis and defended my liking for the old-school tractors. I’m not alone. The marque doesn’t so much have an owners’ club as a support group, like Weight Watchers or Alcoholics Anonymous. “My name is Neil Murray and I like Guzzis.” Guzzi’s new models are based on the larger 850, which should mean slightly weaker used values for the 750s. But two years ago, I noted that residuals of some 750s were surprisingly robust, which indicates that you don’t have to be a top seller to enjoy low depreciation. That said, the used values of the old 1970s and 1980s Guzzis are far stronger – stronger even than more modern 1000cc and 1100cc models and a…

‘It will save the charity so much’ Volunteer rider John Baxter of Blood Bikes Scotland goes electric with a Zero SR/S “Keep Scotland Beautiful were running a Climate Challenge Fund initiative, which involved a fund of £3.2 million to help drive climate change action. Blood Bikes Scotland applied for a grant to buy an electric motorcycle and a charging station as part of this green initiative. As a charity we cover over 136,000 miles a year delivering urgent supplies such as medication or blood to the NHS within the Lothian region, Borders, Fife and Forth Valley and we thought that getting an electric bike made perfect sense. Happily, Keep Scotland Beautiful agreed and we now have a brand new Zero SR/S. “We have a fleet of 14 bikes and three…

CHIEF ROAD TESTER £19,105 (£20,860 as tested) BMW R1250RT LE ● 1254cc 8v flat twin ● 134bhp/106lb.ft ● £229.91 per month PCP BMW’s R1250RT and the R1200RT before it have won countless MCN Best Tourer Awards and it isn’t hard to see why. The German machine will take you big miles in comfort with half your life stashed in the panniers and do over 250 miles to the tank, if you take it steady. Thanks to the magic of its ShiftCam engine it’ll pull cleanly in top from just 2000rpm or accelerate like a crazed sportsbike in the lower gears and, despite being a cruiser par excellence, it somehow manages to dance through corners with the grace of a bike half its size. If you’re serious about touring and want…

GT MOTORCYCLES “I was an engineer for 10 years then started GT in 1978 with Peter Tribble (hence ‘GT’) first as a solus Kawasaki dealer. We bought another dealer in 1988 which gave us Suzuki and Honda and went from there. In 1992 I bought out Peter and moved to a new, bigger premises.” RECORD BREAKER “I always wanted a bike that’d do 200mph so, with Brian Capper, we built it, a ZZ-R11 turbo. I then took it to Elvington and recorded a ratified two-way average of 209mph. It was massive.” BOOM TO BUST “In the 1990s we continued to expand, into Yeovil in 1998, gaining Yamaha, then St Austell, gaining Triumph then in 2007 we opened our all-new Plymouth premises. Then by 2012 we lost a fortune.” GT REVIVAL…

CHIEF ROAD TESTER Despite its Euro5 tweaks the 2021 Ducati Panigale V4 still makes the same monstrous power and is just as light. Traction control tweaks and extra race riding modes are aimed squarely at the trackday rider in a bid to make controlling this fiery superbike that bit easier. Little has changed for the road rider, apart from peak torque being shifted down the revs slightly, but it’s hard to detect on what was already a phenomenally quick bike. It still demands commitment to get the best from it, but that’s exactly what makes this drop dead gorgeous motorcycle so special. THE FACTS £24,995 DUCATI PANIGALE V4 S…

We’re in a golden age of kit, that’s for sure. Motorcycle clothing has become very high-tech and we’ve now got leather race suits with airbags and data recorders, textile suits and jackets that incorporate antiabrasive materials, specialist membranes and coatings that are waterproof and breathable. I recently realised that my own airbag suit was in dire need of a clean, but at the same time, it also dawned on me that it had never been serviced. I’ve used the suit since 2013 as a motorcycle performance measuring tool, because it has a built in GPS data recorder which handily acts as a backup for my standalone logger. The unfaltering service of the logger had led me to the assumption that the airbag side of the system would be fine, too.…

There were two important aspects to Pol Espargaro’s maiden race for Repsol Honda. Firstly, a respectable result in eighth, and secondly, a huge lesson on the RC213V. Espargaro lost out to brother Aleix by only 0.056s, so one more lap and he would have likely finished seventh. The race was positive overall, not only did he, in his own words, learn more about the bike than he did during the entirety of the two Qatar tests, he also acknowledged the issues that he needs to solve. “I had two problems today,” Espargaro explained to MCN. “Firstly, starting from 12th is very difficult. The second is that I didn’t have enough knowledge with the front on a full tank in the opening laps and I lost quite a lot of time.”…

With thrilling new bikes including Yamaha’s MT-09 landing, it’s even more frustrating that the pandemic has kept dealers’ doors firmly shut. Yes, you can click and collect or have your new bike delivered, but nothing quite beats the excitement and anticipation of walking into your local showroom and seeing the object of your desire sitting there waiting for you. As restrictions start to lift, Yamaha dealers across the UK are planning their Covid-safe reopening region-by-region (don’t forget, the rules aren’t the same everywhere) to enable customers to indulge in the joy of selecting their next bike. With showrooms set to open soon, and test ride fleets ready and waiting, this could be the start of a summer like no other. Pure naked fun And few bikes deliver more fun for…