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MT-07 SPECIAL
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NEXT
WEEK’S
Why they’re great O What goes wrong O 2018 model tested MCN
See page 21
Every Wednesday April 11-April 17 2018. £2.40

MOTOGP MADNESS

TOP!
Brit wins in Argentina
to take series lead See p4

PLUS

MARQUEZ LOSES IT!

ROSSI ‘I’m scared to be on track with him’
MARQUEZ ‘I don’t care what he says’
N E W H E RO !
RC30 TO BLADE SP2 £5K ADVENTURE BIKE!
BRADLEY
RAY ON
BSB P68 JAPAN’SSEXIEST TESTED:HONDA
RACEREPLICAS p26
CRF250 RALLY p42
www.motorcyclenews.com

THIS WEEK
p26

JAPAN’S FINEST EXOTICS

SPY SHOTS

P6 Svartpilen 701 P16 MCN’s tracker

Harley project revealed
FIRST
TEST

P12 BSB round 2

Plus more unmissable
biking events this week
P24 Kawasaki
ZX-10R SE
TT COUNTDOWN p34

THE LIKELY LA
P9 Scumbags P18 Your letters
Gang try to steal Yamaha P20 All-new MCN
from under rider’s nose P23 20 questions

Enter the crazy world of upcoming stars Lee

RIDING
GO ONTryTRIALS FEATURES & TESTS
this amazing
taster day
p30 p38

p46

P47 Be a lifesaver
Why it’s time you went on
a Biker Down course
P47 Three essential
weekend routes
Sample our trip of rides
around Wales, Yorkshire
and Cornwall MT-07 It’s our No1 middleweight Mini adventures Honda CRF250 Rally
 #MCNwednesday

BUYING & SELLING GARAGE

8 pages of
owning & ixing

P56 Latest deals P58 Early Blades

Suzuki lure buyers with Time to invest in a irst-
attractive inance packages generation CBR900RR p48

How to Get back on

SPORT the road this Spring

p50

V-Strom 1000
3k miles in 12 weeks

DS CAL WINS BIG AS p4

p51

MOTOGP GOES MAD

P74 Rossi’s fury at P68 Meet BSB’s
Johnston and Dean Harrison wild-riding Marquez big-haired hero

p38
MCN’s 20 p23

QUESTIONS KTM 1290 Super

Adventure is the
‘Icrashedand real deal
toreamassive
holeinmy p52
Lycra’
Steve Colley, trials star
April 11 2018

PLUS EVENTS
Events, dealers and services
in the CENTRAL REGION
12-PAGE
PULL
NOW OUT
EVENWITS TH
NEAR YOU
EVENT
Triumph dealers
showcase new models
Plus Tyre
NEAR YOU
Find more great things to do in
BRITAIN’S BEST ROADS
Follow MCN’s must-ride route
across the Cotswolds
DEALER
Head to Webbs for
a special weekend

TOP TV
test and
great
Honda Gold Wing F6C takes deal on
British Superbikes
hits Brands Indy

Suffo k s Prem er
Dealer!
D E A L S O N W H E E L S

your area with MCN Local DEMO

AVAILABL
E DEMO

on BMW’s mighty K1600 B MCN

AVAILABL 6.4%
E FREE
Spor
ts APR!
Pack
!

Mototechniks Motorcycle
Toth ll Bury Road Stowmarket Centre
Suffolk P14 3QQ - Junction
49 o f A14
www mo otechniks com 01449 775775
mototechn ks@btconnect
com
 www.motorcyclenews.com

BE INFORMED ONew bikes OBrilliant pics OPlaces to go OInter

TOP STORY

Brit leads the MotoGP standings

after outrageous Argentine race
By Simon Patterson the season, the victory means that he’s
MOTOGP REPORTER now walking the walk.
@MCNNews motorcyclenews “I still don’t think that I can just say
‘let’s go win the title’ because of the
hile his factory rivals resources that the factory have. Honda

W lost the plot around him,

Cal Crutchlow once again
staked his claim as Brit-
ain’s best with a stunning
victory in Sunday’s Argentine Grand
Prix – becoming the first Brit since
Barry Sheene in 1979 to lead the premier
continue to help me, but I still think
it would be a big ask to win it because
it’s so close. I don’t feel any different
leading the championship – I didn’t
even know until well after the race.
It’s good for the team, but it doesn’t
mean that I go to Texas with any higher
class championship race. expectations that I would have had.”
Backing up strong pre-season form It also once again opens up specula-
and coming only two weeks after he tion about his future despite coming
just missed out on a podium in the only days after Crutchlow shut down
opening race of the season in Qatar, talk of him taking Dani Pedrosa’s seat
Crutchlow’s third premier class victory at Repsol Honda. With the Spaniard
with the LCR Honda squad was a very reportedly in talks to leave Honda after
different win from his previous two. a decade, Pedrosa’s departure could
Coming not thanks to tricky condi- open the door for Crutchlow.
tions but due to outright pace, the Isle “You can see that I’m able to ride
of Man resident told MCN that Sunday’s the bike in a good way, and it’s more
victory has a very different taste to it that I think if you put someone else
from his previous MotoGP successes. like Zarco on the bike to replace Dani
He said: “We’ve had pace all win- they’d struggle a lot more than I would.
ter, we had pace in Qatar and we had To put anyone but a Honda rider on it
pace in Argentina so the win came as would be difficult. Dani is still a great
not that much of a surprise. I spoke to rider and it’s a shame that he crashed,
Lucy before the race and she told me but we had better pace and the upper
‘you can easily be on the podium and hand over him all weekend.”
you can win,’ and with two laps of the
race to go I realised that I was going to
be very hard to beat.
“Up until today my Phillip Island
Cal pounced in the
win was my best because I dominated
closing stages to
the race and Brno is deep in my heart
beat Zarco and Rins
because it was my first, but Sunday’s
race was a lot more expected. I had a
good advantage all weekend and I had
good pace in the race, which left me in
a great position to not have to take too
many risks while still being able to win
the race. If I’d needed to, I could have
gone to the front and ridden away, but
I didn’t need to because I knew where
I could make my overtakes.”
Letting Jack Miller, Alex Rins and
Johann Zarco scrap for the lead while
GOLD AND GOOSE, 2 SNAP

sitting confidently behind them

Crutchlow was able to strike in the Zaraco congratulates
closing laps to take the win. And, after the new series
talking the talk about potentially be- leader
ing a championship contender before Cal is greeted with a hero’s welcome in parc ferme

P6 P8
New Husky Svartpilen Big picture Why Jack
resting people 701 spied in final tests Miller was high and dry
ORLD
‘If I’d needed to, I could
have gone to the front and
ridden away’ Team boss
CAL CRUTCHLOW
‘Idon’tseeanymajor
competitorsapartfromMarc’
LCR Honda team boss and
former Grand Prix winner
Lucio Cecchinello has cited
Cal Crutchlow’s commitment
to the team as a key factor in
his continuing success with
the squad. Now in their fourth
season together, the Italian told
MCN after the race that he’s
sure that it’s a large part of the
reason why the Brit has been
able to take three race victories
with the LCR squad.
He said: “People have asked
me why he looks more calm and
more concentrated this year,
and I’m sure it’s the result of
three things. First for sure his
talent, and then because he’s
accumulated more experience
with the bike. But also it’s the
fourth year that we’re working
together, and that’s very
important too.
“Every detail in a racing team
is very important. For example,
by the fourth year with the same
team and the same crew and
with the correct people working
with you, communication
improves with the engineers.
Sometimes, it’s enough that
Cal’s champagne moment and now it’s on to the Texas round
P10
#ride5000miles Where
you’ve been this week
Four years hard
work at LCR is
paying off
you can see Cal looking at the
engineers in a certain way
and already you know what he
wants.
“He knows the bike, he knows
how we work, and we’ve been
building up a bigger puzzle so
that you can see the complete
picture. What we’re doing now
is the result of a talented rider
and a skilled team working to
beat the biggest manufacturers
in the world!”
And while there’s still 17
rounds of MotoGP’s longest
ever season to go, Cecchinello
agreed with his rider’s
assessment that this win is only
the start of the good times.
“The bike has improved quite
‘It’s the result of a
talented rider and
skilled team’
LUCIO CECCHINELLO
a lot, especially on the engine
side of things. We need to
improve like everyone else, but
we have a very good machine
and now we need to continue to
be focused, to keep our feet on
the ground, but to know in our
hearts, our minds and our souls
that we have everything we
need to excel and to win races. I
don’t see any major competitors
apart from Marc, and I think
we can fight alongside him to
occupy one place on the podium
quite permanently.”
#MCNwednesday
P24
Kawasaki ZX-10R SE Big
K joins electronics party
Rins cements
factory ride
Alex Rins went a long way to secure
his place at Suzuki for next year, by
taking his debut podium position for
the Japanese manufacturer and their
first since Maverick Viñales at the end
of the 2016 season. As yet unsigned for
2019, he admitted after Sunday’s third
place that his only goal is to remain
with Suzuki.
He said: “I’m very happy with them,
because last year wasn’t easy and I
missed a lot of races but they treated
me like a family. We’ll start to talk af-
ter this race and I don’t know for sure
what’ll happen, but if I can stay with
Suzuki I’ll be very happy.”
Zarco fights
to the end
While he might not have had the beat-
ing of Cal Crutchlow come the end of
Sunday’s race, Frenchman Johann
Zarco was able to take yet another
impressive podium on the Monster
Yamaha Tech 3 bike to showcase just
why he’s reportedly in line for a factory
KTM seat come 2019.
“From the start, there were not so
many options for the best line, but
behind Dani I felt I was stuck, so finally
I did the manoeuvre and tried to over-
take him. Because of the conditions
I went a little bit wide, but that was
the way to pass him. I’m sorry that he
crashed there. Overall it was a very
difficult race today, and I was almost
crashing all the time. In fighting with
Cal, I didn’t want to do a mistake, so in
the end, he deserved this win today.”
FULL STORY
Rossi v
Marquez
Paddock war of
words, p72-75
www.motorcyclenews.com

06 THIS WEEK
BITESIZE

Spy pics show big-bore version of

Bikes on the box Husky flat tracker is imminent
The Motorbike Show returns to TV
screens with a new series this week.
Among various segments, presenter
By Jordan Gibbons
SENIOR REPORTER HIGHLIGHTS
Henry Cole tries to see if you really
O New 701 version of Svartpilen

F
can make money at an autojumble.
It’s on at 9pm on Wednesdays on
ITV4 and is available via CatchUp.
EXCLUSIVE
ollowing the launch of the first
of Husqvarna’s all-new street O Powered by 693cc single
singles, the Vitpilen (White O 73bhp @ 6750

Choked up
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan,
has indicated that he would like to
bring forward the commencement
of the £12.50 ULEZ charge for
bikes older than 2007. It’s currently
scheduled for 2020, but he would
like it implemented next year.
Stunts finale
The European stunt championship
grand finale will take place for the
first time at the Intermot trade show
in Cologne in September, with 50
of the best riders from 15 countries
competing. Hungarian Herczeg
Balász, known as The Flying
Squirrel, favourite.
Arrow) and Svartpilen (Black
Arrow), last month, the latest
and funkiest version of all now looks
ready for production – according to
these spy pictures.
The more affordable, 401cc ver-
sions of both, as based on KTM’s 390
Duke, are now on sale along with the
high spec 701cc version of the street-
orientated Vitpilen. Now a 701cc
version of the flat-tracker-esque
Svartpilen is on its way.
Building blocks
The 701 Svartpilen shares a lot of parts
with the Vitpilen including frame, en-
gine, electronics, suspension, wheels
‘The Svartpilen 701
shares frame, engine,
electronics and more
with the 701 Vitpilen’
and brakes, which is no bad thing, as
our Senior Road Tester, Adam Child,
declared the Vitpilen 701 as the ‘best
road going single ever’. So what do
we get with the Svartpilen version?
Firstly, the 693cc lump from the
KTM 690 Duke is the most power-
ful single on the market with a good
spread of torque while twin balancers
mean it’s surprisingly smooth. The
steel trellis frame weighs just 11kg,
which helps the bike to a 157kg dry
weight. The suspension is from part-
ners WP including fully-adjustable
43mm USD forks. While the electron-
ics package includes quickshifter,
autoblipper, traction control and ABS.
SPY SHOT
O 830mm seat height
O 157kg (dry)
Down and dirty
Where the Svartpilen 701 differs from
the Vitpilen is its flat track style flat
bars instead of clip-ons, Pirelli MT60
semi-knobbly tyres, a seat unit which
continues the flat track style with an
upturned rear end and which comes
complete with moulded numberboards
behind the pillion pegs. There is also
a restyled headlight while bar-end
mirrors complete the package.
When we tested the 701 Vitpilen re-
cently the only thing we thought hold-
ing it back was its hefty £8899 price.
As the new Svartpilen shares most of
that bike’s spec we predict he same
reservations. We expect Husqvarna to
unveil the finished production bike in
November before becoming available
in dealers next spring.
Svartpilen 701 is more
flat-track with higher
Imminent arrival of 701 Svartpilen bars and chunky tyres
completes new Husqvarna line-up

Braking force
Brembo are building a new facility
in Chennai, India, in a bid to increase
their OEM adoption by Indian based
manufacturers. They’ve invested
nearly £8 million, which they hope
will help lift their market share on
small capacity bikes.
POLICEDEFENDSTINGERUSEONBIKERS
Essex Police have defended
their use of a stinger during a
motorcycle rally in Southend,
after a video emerged online
and the officers received a mass
of abuse. Chief Superintendent
Rachel Nolan authorised the use
of a stinger by officers to stop a
dangerous rider at the unofficial
running of the Southend
Shakedown.
Nolan said use the stinger
was necessary and highlighted
that two men at the event were
‘The police said use
of the stinger was
necessary. Two men
were charged.’
charged with dangerous driving
and had their motorcycles
seized: “Many of those who take
part in the Southend Shakedown
are genuine enthusiasts who,
like us, just want everyone to have a
great time and to be safe. However
we were mindful of incidents
at previous motorcycle events
in Essex and elsewhere in the
country, whereby highly dangerous
driving and riding has put people at
risk.” The motorcycle concerned
stopped safely with no injuries.
The Southend Shakedown Some of the
was previously organised by the motorcycles
Ace Café, however they stopped and quads
organising it two years ago due to seized by police
rising policing costs.
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 07

NEW PRODUCTS
Moto Fizz
Compass £12
What’s good Quick and easy to fit,
this compass from Moto Fizz is
small enough to be unobtrusive
and requires no complicated
holders, brackets or wiring.
701 engine is Requiring no electrical power, it is
most powerful designed to be used in tandem
street single with a map when riding in remote
around locations.
What’s not In an age of sat-navs,
it’s hard to justify.
www.nippynormans.com

‘We expect it to be
officially unveiled in
November before going
on sale in the Spring’
BikeCare Evo
Motorcycle Cleaner
– supply bag and
spray £25
What’s good Running out of bike
cleaner mid-wash just became a
thing of the past, thanks to this
bag and spray kit from BikeCare
Evo. The German-engineered gel
cleaner changes from pink to clear
to show the optimal coverage time
and is claimed to be effective at
removing tough dirt and grime.
What’s not At £25, this is quite a
pricey cleaning product. However,
you get almost 4 litres of fluid.
www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk
LS2 Valiant
£229.99-£249.99
What’s good This helmet boasts
a 180° swing-around chinbar and
LS2 say it’s their ‘most versatile
helmet yet’. The Valiant is
certified to be worn legally as
either a full or open face and
comes in a range of striking
graphics – including a glow-in-
the-dark ‘Lumen’ and a series of
plain colours.
What’s not The styling is a tad
wannabe fighter pilot and you’ll
either love it or hate it.
www.ls2helmets.com

Rinehart Racing Richa Hawker

exhausts for
Harley-Davidsons
£572-£629
What’s good Rinehart Racing
have developed a range of
performance exhausts for the
2018 Harley-Davidson range.
The pipes help unlock that
classic, potato-potato Harley
V-twin soundtrack and vary in
price from model to model.
What’s not They’re no good if
you don’t own a Harley, although
there are some systems designed
to suit Indians too.
www.partseurope.eu
£279.99
What’s good Made of thick
buffalo leather, the Richa Hawker
comes available in either a rich
brown or dark grey – complete
white stripes and Richa branding
on the upper arms and back. To
keep you protected, there is D3O
armour in the back, shoulders and
elbows and it’s available in sizes
38-52.
What’s not The retro styling
won’t appeal to everyone.
w i k

The aftermath
of the stinger
incident – note
stinger on floor
www.motorcyclenews.com

08 THIS WEEK

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Miller left high and dry
In a race that was more farce than tragedy, the sad
sight of a lone Jack Miller sitting on his Ducati as
the rest of the field scrambled back to their pits was
something to behold. After a storming qualifying,
Miller stuck to his guns and opted for slicks while
everyone else went with wets. After a sighting lap
the riders panicked and changed rubber, while
the officials panicked and changed the rules.
Miller fumed in vain for over 15 minutes as
the organisation got their act together,
ultimately awarding him a 50m head
start of one of the maddest GP
races in recent history. See p74.

COUNTER-
ROTATING
CRANKS
In a conventional motorcycle
engine, the crankshaft (which
converts the linear motion of
the pistons into a rotational
motion) moves in the same
direction as the wheels.
Motorcycles have used
this configuration since the
beginning because it’s simple,
lightweight and efficient. But
all those objects rotating in the
same direction have a large
inertial mass, which can make
it difficult to turn and give a
bike the tendency to wheelie
under extreme acceleration.
A counter-rotating crankshaft
GOLD AND GOOSE

spins in the opposite direction

to the wheels. This means
the gyroscopic forces of the
crank and wheels cancel
each other out to a certain
extent, negating the typical
turning and wheelie effects.
The counter-rotating crank
first hit the big time in 1980s,
when it featured in Honda’s
NSR500 but it’s back under
the spotlight after Ducati used
the technology in the all-new
Panigale V4.
As with most technology there
are drawbacks. An extra gear
is required in the gearbox, to
turn the backwards motion
of the crank into forwards
motion at the wheels. This
adds weight, complexity
and expense to the finished
product, as well as stealing a
bit of engine power.
MUD HITS FESTIVAL
The Prescott Bike Festival, due to
take place at the Prescott Hillclimb,
this weekend (Saturday-Sunday,
April 14-15) has been shelved to
due poor ground conditions.
Heavy rain has rendered the
exhibitor and public car park areas
unsafe, and with more forecast, the
organisers have taken the decision
to postpone the event early rather
than risk having to turn people
away on the day.
A spokesman said: “We feel that,
rather than rely on wishful thinking
Let’s hope the
weather is more like
this come June
regarding the conditions, it would
be better to reschedule to a more
favourable time in the year.”
The festival has been rescheduled
for June 16-17.
All Advance Ticket holders,
Run the Hill Entries, Competition
Winners and Exhibitors will be
contacted by the organisers directly
by email. You can contact the
organisers via the website: www.
prescottbikefestival.co.uk
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 09

YOUNG BRIT TARGETS BITESIZE

ROUND-THE-WORLD
RECORD
22-year-old bits to be
‘See you in 13
months…’

the youngest to ride

solo around the globe
Riding around the world is tough
enough, but imagine doing it on
your own, aged just 22 and attempt-
ing a Guinness World Record in the
process.
Well that’s what Brit biker Henry
Crew has just set out to do and what’s
more, he’s hoping to raise a good deal
of cash for charity too.
Crew set out from the Bike Shed,
London, last week on a journey that
will take him 35,000 miles through
35 countries and six continents
aboard a Ducati Desert Sled.
The journey will take approx-
imately 13 months and successful
completion will net him the record
for the youngest circumnavigation of
the globe solo.
Crew is hoping to use his journey
to raise £35,000 in aid of the Movem-
ber foundation – a charity that raises
awareness for men’s health issues such
as mental health, prostate cancer and
testicular cancer. He was inspired to
take the journey and raise money af-
ter he lost the friends to suicide and
experienced his own mental health
struggles.
‘The journey will take
him 35,000 miles
through 35 countries’
Crew, who has been riding motor-
cycles for just three years, will ride
out through Europe then on to Asia,
Australasia, South America, North
Africa and then back to the UK.
You can follow his journey and
support the Movember cause at
www.35000miles.com
Crew set off from
London’s Bike Shed
on his Desert Sled
Monster bunch
A celebration of 25th anniversary
of the Monster held at Paul Ricard
circuit in France culminated in a
mass parade featuring over 500
Monsters. This beat a previous
record of 400 set in Belgium.
Fun in a field
Foundry Motorcycles are hosting
an overnight event focusing around
a kidney-shaped grass track
course. Foundry in the Field runs
from Saturday-Sunday, June 2-3
and features live music, food and
drink plus the grass track. For
more info and tickets, visit www.
foundrymotorcyclesshop.co.uk

Two-wheel Uber
Ride-hailing app Uber has expanded
to motorcycles in Uganda after first
launching in Thailand two years
ago. Users can hail a motorcycle
taxi driver via a smartphone, paying
just 30p per mile for journeys. So
far UberMoto is only available in
developing countries.

BIKE THIEVES BOLDER THAN EVER

Gang of four try to steal Yamaha MT-07 from under owner’s window
These guys
are the lowest
of the low

Bike vlogger Shaun Thompson thought
he was having a late April Fool when
a gang of four youths tried to steal his
Yamaha MT-07 in broad daylight.
In a video posted on his Facebook
page, four men can be seen approach-
ing the bike, removing the cover and
attempting to cut off the lock – all
while Thompson filmed them from an
upstairs window and informed them
he was calling the police. When the
men discover there is a second lock
on the rear wheel they give up and
ride off on two scooters, not before
smashing the window of a car on the
driveway. You can watch the video here:
youtu.be/grtWiGEM0J4
Thompson says this was the third
time that week someone had attempted
to steal his MT-07 from outside his
‘The gang rode off… but
not before smashing
Shaun’s car windows’
house in Surrey. The first attempt was
at 4pm on Monday, March 26, followed
by a second at midnight, March 30.
This shocking video comes only one
week after the policing minister Nick
Hurd MP said the government is to re-
view the law surrounding police chases
but in the meantime officers should
not be afraid of chasing suspects on
bikes. According to Met figures there
were 24,329 moped related crimes in
the 12 months to February 2018, up
from 10,170 in the previous 12 months.
www.motorcyclenews.com
10 THIS WEEK
TERRY COLLINS and
friends out on tour
CAMMY CAMERON
eyes up a potential
purchase
KURTIS VINCENT LOWE
took in the Lakes
‘The roads were top notch’
#ride5000miles members hit the Lake District, Europe and beyond
By Dan Sutherland
ACTING CONSUMER EDITOR
H
ats off this weekend to MCN’s
#ride5000miles member Terry
Collins who spent the Easter
bank holiday on a ride to the
Ardennes – travelling from
Glasgow via the tunnel.
The route saw Terry cover 2000 miles
with a group of friends. Terry said: “It
was a tough ride to the tunnel, but the
roads in France were top notch. We only
had two days of rain too.”
Elsewhere, Kurtis Vincent Lowe
enjoyed a weekend away to the Lake
District with Howard Phillips and Mark
SCOTT HEYDEN
wonders how deep it is…
Why you should pledge
to ride 5000 miles
1. It’ll make you a better rider
2. You’ll know your bike better
than ever
3. It’ll make you ride to places
you’ve never been before
4. You can be part of biking’s
best online community
Lane – adding 420 miles to their totals.
“I’ve had a cracking weekend away.
I went to Cockermouth, Loweswa-
ter, Buttermere Lake, Honister Pass,
Wrynose Pass and Hardknott Pass
MARK LAUDER was there
to see Brad Ray win BSB
UP NOW!
Join the group at www.
facebook.com/groups/
ride5000miles
both ways. What a road,” Kurtis said.
Away from the roads, fellow member
Scott Heyden, from Darlington, added
147 miles to his total by exploring the
Peak District. This brings Scott’s tally
to 540 across his three motorcycles.
Colin Newton, meanwhile, covered
1236 miles in a day on his Kawasaki
ZZR1400, riding from Roscoff in France
to Murcia in Spain. Colin said: “It was
pissing down when I rode to Plymouth
to board the ferry and pissing down
when I got off at Roscoff. In fact, it
never stopped until I crossed the border
towards Biarritz.”
This latest ride brings Colin’s ZZR’s
total mileage to an impressive 92,000.
SIGN
SALLY WEIGHILL stopped
for a bite at Loomies
#ride5000miles welcomes
Pete Dawkins, Triumph Tiger
“I have done loads of miles over
past years, but I didn’t get to do
so many last year – mainly
because I got punted off my
bike by a tin box! I jumped back
on the bike at the end of August,
but the confidence is not quite
there yet. I have a big trip
arranged in September in
Spain, as well as France, the
Isle Of Man to end of August
and a few BSB weekends.”
WHAT IS R5K?
MCN’s campaign to encourage
as many people as possible
to cover 5000 miles in a year
is all about getting the most
enjoyment possible from your
motorcycle. We realise life is full
of pressures that stop you biking,
but there’s always a way to
squeeze in time for some extra
motorcycle miles. You’ll end up a
better rider and a happier
person. What’s more, you’ll be
able to tap into stacks of brilliant
riding tips and know-how.
How do I do it?
Make a note of your mileage at
the start of your biking year.
Many members take a photo at
the start of the term and at the
end and share it on our Facebook
page. Make a concerted effort to
ride your bike more. Reap the
benefits of increased machine
control, a happier outlook on life,
more friends and a wealth of
tales to tell.
What do I win?
Nothing – but satisfaction, a
greater love for bikes and biking,
and perhaps a little bit of fame.
We regularly feature R5K
members in the paper, and
showcase your experiences to
get even more people to join in
with the challenge. We want the
world to ride 5000 miles – and
it’s really not that hard. Get out
there and enjoy it.
How to sign up
www.facebook.com/
groups/ride5000miles
OUR PARTNERS
METZELER
Have a wide range of top–notch tyres
capable of clocking up 5000 miles.
www.metzelermoto.com
IN ASSOCIATION WITH MCN’S TRUSTED PARTNERS
 www.motorcyclenews.com

DIFFERENT VIEW.
SAME TYRE.

W
FROM ROAD TO TRACK
AND BACK.
Switching road and track day tyres is a thing of the past
with the new SportSmart TT. Experience state-of-the-
art race-bred technology, from your favourite roads to
the most testing of tracks, this sensational tyre delivers
outstanding performance.

Enjoy a different perspective on riding with the new

SportSmart TT – find out more: dunlop.eu
www.motorcyclenews.com

12 THIS WEEK

S E V E N D A Y S
YBrilOliaUntRreasons to ride this week

1 Brad’s
ready for
round two
Bennetts British Superbikes
Where Brands Hatch Indy, Kent
When Friday-Sunday, April
13-15
Entry From £28
Info www.britishsuperbike.com

BSB got off to a flying start at

Donington, despite the shoddy
weather. Young gun Bradley
Ray did the double, leaving
defending champion Shane
Byrne in second place overall.
Can Ray keep it up at Brands?
Only time will tell.
We say If you’ve never been to
a BSB meet, Brands Indy is a
blast. The short circuit length
means the riders are back
round in less than a minute and
because of the hilly nature you
can see most of the circuit from
the top of Hailwood’s Hill.

2 Ride in for a
full English
Haynes Breakfast
Bacon butties and
Commandos this
Sunday

Where Haynes International Motor

Museum, Somerset
When Sunday, April 15, from
9.30am Entry Free
Info www.himm.co.uk
You can smell the history…
On the third Sunday of every month,
Haynes call bikers together for
a breakfast ride in. Everyone is
welcome. As well as meeting other
bikers for a chat, the on-site café will
3 Historic racing weekend
Where Mallory Park, Leics
When Saturday-Sunday, April 14-15
Entry £13
best to ensure machines are kept out
of museums and ridden hard instead.
There’s a huge range of machinery on
display from pre-1940s up to the 80s.
be open for hot drinks and food. Info britishhistoricracingclub.co.uk We say What is more electrifying
We say As well as their world class that hurling yourself around a track
collection of cars, Haynes also have The British Historic Racing Clubs is at immense speeds on a motorcycle?
a fantastic bike collection. One of the racing arm of the Veteran Motor Doing it with drum brakes and 18in
our current favourites is the 1977 Cycle Club and they do their level bias-ply tyres, that’s what.
850cc Norton Commando Mk.3.
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 13
Wait a few seconds
and they’ll be round
again. Brilliant!

4 Have a ride, raise some cash, grab a beer

Bomb Run 2018
Where Coggeshall
Industrial Estate, Essex
When Saturday,
The Bomb Run is a charity run that
raises funds for various charities
include BRAVE, who use the money
to support injured veterans. The 55-
We say Anything that supports a
deserving charity is good news to
us, but one that combines riding
with fund raising and ends in a party
April 14, 10am-5pm mile route takes in the delights of sounds like heaven. There’s even a
Entry Free the Essex countryside and is even campsite at the finish if you want to
Info artmotorcycletraining.co.uk 125 friendly. drink up and stay the night.

6 Lord it at
Lydden
No Limits Track Day
Where Lydden Hill, Kent
When Saturday, April 14
Entry £99
Info www.nolimitstrackdays.com

The good weather is finally here, so

now is the perfect time to get out and
knock off your first track day of the
year. There are three groups.
We say Lydden Hill’s claim to fame is
as the shortest road racing circuit in
the UK, so you’ll get lots of practice
running the corners in 20 minute slots.

SEE MORE Take in some of

EVENTS country roads all

in a good cause

NEAR YOU
Find more great
things to do in your
area in our MCN Local
pullout 5 Top biking
weekender
Rock up and get
rocking with
Unwanted MCC

Unwanted MCC weekender

Where The Rockbar, Burton on Trent
When Friday-Saturday, April 13-14
Entry Free
Info unwantedmcc.co.uk
7 Suits you sir!
Fast Show
Where Santa Pod Raceway, Beds
When Sunday, April 15, from 8am
Entry £15
Info www.thefastshow.com
In Unwanted MCC’s own words,
you just need to ride in, pitch up and The Fast Show is a modified vehicle
party. The ride-in weekend is two special at Santa Pod. Most of the
days of bikes, booze and bands. What exhibits will be cars but the stunt show
more could you want? by European champ Lee Bowers will be
We say Bikers rock nights are one outstanding.
of the mainstays of the after-hours We say If you’ve got the whole
Will Donington hero motorcycle world and the fact it’s a weekend free, you could spend all
Ray do it again? See free event makes it all the sweeter. your time at Santa Pod and visit the
page 68 for more The beer isn’t free though, that Saturday Night Special Run What Ya
would be anarchy. Brung which runs from dusk til dawn.

REAL BIKERS. REAL LAWYERS.Real

REAL ANSWERS.
specialists in:
s-OTORCYCLE!CCIDENTSIN%NGLAND7ALES%UROPEAND
THE)SLEOF-AN
s4AKEOVERCLAIMSFROMOTHER3OLICITORS
s2OAD4RAFlC/FFENCESFROMSPEEDINGTO$EATHBY
$ANGEROUS$RIVING
s/BTAININGCOMPENSATIONWHERE
YOURPERSONALINJURYCLAIMHAS
BEENUNDERSETTLEDBYYOUR
PREVIOUSAPPOINTEDSOLICITOR

whitedalton.co.uk 0800 7836 191

 www.motorcyclenews.com
14 MCN EVENT
COMEFEELTHENOIS
Hear the roar of historic machinery in the Freddie Spencer fire-up paddock
Over 25 historic race bikes will
spark into life at this year’s Carole
Nash MCN Festival of Motorcycling
including machines from TT, BSB,
WSS and Grand Prix paddocks.
Highlights include race bikes from
the sixties such as a 1969 500cc
ALL MACHINES ARE PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE BRACKLEY FESTIVAL ON MOTORCYCLING *STATIC DISPLAY ONLY
SAVE £££S - BOOK DISCOUNTED TICKETS ON
four cylinder Benelli to a 2001
Yamaha M1 MotoGP machine.  
The Freddie Spencer fire-up
paddock will spark into life three
times a day and Freddie will be on
stage to introduce some of the bikes
and talk about his glittering career.
Freddie Spencer fire-up pa
1983 Honda RS500 (500GPFreddie
Spencer Rothmans Livery)
1992 Harris Yamaha YZR500 (500GP)
1972 MV Agusta 750cc (Imola 200)
1969 Paton 500cc twin (500GP)
1969 Benelli 500cc 4 cylnder (500GP)
1996 Ducati 916 Old Spice (BSB)
2001 Honda SP1 Vimto (TT, McGuinness)
1996 Honda 600 (WSS, Toseland)*
1963 Bianchi 500cc Twin (500GP)
KIDS 15 &
UNDER GO
FREE
2000 Yamaha YZR500
(500GP, Max Biaggi Replica)*
2001 Yamaha M1
(MotoGP, Max Biaggi Replica)
1970 Jawa 350cc 2-stroke
(350GP, Bill Ivy).
2002 Honda CBR1000 (TT, Ian Lougher)
2003 Kawasaki ZXR750 (Hawk BSB)
1972 Triumph 750cc Triple (Rob North)
1963 Honda RC163 Replica (250GP)
Meet Freddie
Spencer!
The legendary 1985 250 &
500GP double champ ‘Fast’
Freddie Spencer will be at
the Festival all weekend in
the fire-up paddock and on
the MCN stage. Listen to him
talk about the glory days of
Grand Prix racing and his
incredible 1985 season.
ock
1967 Honda RC181  Replica (500GP) (TT, Andy McGladdery)
1964 Yamaha TD2 (250GP) 1974 Yamaha TZ750
1967 Jawa 250cc (250GP) 1963 Honda RC162 Replica (GP250)
2000 Ducati 748 Supersport 2018 KTM 250 (Moto3)*
(Italian Cup)* 1963 Honda RC162 (GP250)        
2002 Ducati 750 (WSS, Casoli) 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000
1970 Yamaha 250cc 4 cylinder prototype (BSB, John Reynolds)
1978 Yamaha TZ500 2008 Suzuki GSX-R1000 (BSB, Tom
(Kenny Roberts Replica)*                     Sykes)
1986 Suzuki GSX-R 750 1997 Triumph Speed Triple
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 15

Ducati Multistrada Experience

Multistrada Enduro Pro
(for off-road tests), Multistrada
1260 and 950’s for road rides

Ducati
test fleet
Diavel Carbon,
Panigale 959,
Multistrada 950,
Multistrada 1260S,
Monster 821, Monster
1200S, Panigale
V4 S, Supersport,
Supersport S and
Hypermotard 939 SP.

X Diavel
Experience
A fleet of 20
XDiavels with various
accessories fitted

Kawasaki test fleet

Ninja 400, Vulcan S Cafe, Versys 650, Ninja 650,
Z900, Z900 RS, Z1000 Performance, Versys 1000,
ZX-10R SE, Z1000 SX, Ninja H2 SX SE, ZZR1400
ATTHEFESTIVAL
The Carole Nash MCN Festival of Motorcycling boasts Europe’s biggest test fleet
with hundreds of test ride slots available including off-road and A1/A2 licence
holder rides. This is the complete line-up of manufacturer test fleets on offer…

Triumph test fleet

Tiger 800 XRX Low, Tiger 1200 XRT,
Tiger XRX Low, Tiger 1200 XCA,
Street Triple R Low, Speed Triple RS,
FREE!
GET YOUR
Bonneville, Speedmaster, Bonneville
T120, Bonneville Bobber, Street
Scrambler, Thruxton 1200 R
KIDS RIDING
Both Ducati and Oset
motorcycles will have bikes
for little un’s as young as two
years old to try out so bring
them along to join in the fun.

Yamaha test fleet

Dark Side of Japan MT Tour – MT-10 SP,
KTM test fleet MT-10, MT-10 (Tourer Edition), MT-09 SP,
MT-09 and MT-07. MT First Ride (A1 and
390 Duke, 690 Duke, 790 Duke, 1290 Super A2 licence holders and novices) MT-03 and
Duke R, 1290 Super Duke GT, 1090 Adventure MT-125. Roads of Life Tour - FJR1300AE,
and 1290 Super Adventure S. FJR1300A, Tracer 900GT (2018 model),
Tracer 900 (2018 model) and Tracer 700.

NLINE NOW AT WWW.MCNFESTIVAL.COM

www.motorcyclenews.com
16 THIS WEEK
all over the
Customs and specials from
WE BUILT
A FLAT-TRACKER!
Street 750 project – with a little help from some friends!
By Phil West
MCN CONTRIBUTOR
I
f Harley’s entry-level, novice-
friendly, Street 750 lacks anything
it’s arguably a little of the hard-
edged, bristly machismo of its
bigger 883, 1200 and ‘Big Twin’
brethren. So, when we were loaned a
Street to turn into a project bike, what
did we want? Why, a full-on, retro-
inspired, AMA-style flat-tracker of
course! This, we can now reveal, is the
result and here’s how we (with more
than a little help from a posse of spe-
cialists) did it – and how you can too.
How did it start out?
The base bike was loaned by Harley
UK and was pre-production and not
road legal. That fact, plus the classic,
sporty appeal of H-D’s racing XR750
trackers inspired the ‘flat-track’
style for our project. Newmarket
Harley-Davidson were entrusted
with the build and was coordinated by
Andy Kelly along with technician Joe
Hubbard. Bruce Dunn was MCN’s
chief protagonist.
What came first?
A key component on any flat track rep-
lica is its wheels. So, out went the stock
Street’s 17 and 15in wheel combo and
in came Richard Hoyland and Warren
Harding at wheel building specialists
Central Wheel Components (01675
462264) who laced a pair of custom
19in, AMA-style wires based around
a set of Harley Street Rod hubs.
New flat-track style forks and rear
shocks came next with these top-of-
the-range Öhlins units sourced from
the Swedish company’s ‘Retro 43’
range. As well as having all the per-
formance you’d expect from Öhlins,
they look superb.
No yokes
The new, fatter (and fully adjustable)
43mm forks required new yokes. For
these we turned to Fastec Custom Rac-
ing of Newmarket (01638 672022) who
specialise in high quality CNC machin-
Formula One gurus
GFMoto built the
gorgeous pipes
Seat sorted by Red Max Speedshop
ing and provided many one-off parts
for the flat-tracker. As well as making
the yoke set they also machined the
new wheel spindles, various brackets
and also took on the task of convert-
ing the Street 750’s belt final drive to
a chain drive set-up.
Piping up
Performance-wise, the Street’s 750cc
liquid-cooled V-twin was left pretty
stock but clearly needed a new, high-
rise, flat-track style exhaust. With
nothing yet available off the peg we
turned to GFMoto in Aylesbury (01844
202850). When they’re not building
‘Öhlins units
came from the
Swedish firm’s
Retro 43 range’
Harley’s Street 750
has never looked
so hardcore
bespoke systems for Formula One
cars, these guys also fabricate kick-ass
motorcycle exhausts and created this
amazing one-off, high-level system
with two of their own end cans.
Finishing touches
Big thanks also go to Steve Hillary
of the Red Max Speedshop (01404
529858) for sorting out the single race
seat. While the fabulous paint was
designed and applied by Phil Guil-
lou of PGR Racepaint (07810 574377).
We’re rather pleased with the result.
All we need to do now is convince H-D
to put it into production!
THIS WEEK’S
RETRO STUFF
TUCANO URBANO BRED £289.99
Classic, understated jacket in
fine-grain, sheep leather with
quilted polyester lining, soft,
knitted fabric at inner collar, cuffs
and waist and CE armour in
shoulders and elbows.
www.tucanourbano.co.uk
WATSONIAN INDIAN
SIDECAR £6295
Classic British sidecars are now
available to fit the Indian Chief
Vintage. Watsonian’s wide-bodied
GP700 fits via a specially
engineered tubular steel subframe,
which bolts beneath the engine
casing, providing a secure mount.
The fitting kit costs an extra £800.
www.watsonian-squire.com.
OILY RAG SWEATSHIRT £49.95
Latest from popular Brit custom
bikes and gear brand Oily Rag is
this long-sleeved ‘Bobber’
sweatshirt which is made from
hard-wearing 100% organic cotton.
www.dot4distribution.com
BUI LT MAGAZ INE £4.99
If you like bikes like this, you’ll love
Built. Full of customs constructed
by trendy
chaps,
usually with
facial hair, it’s
perfect for
those with oil
(either beard o
engine) in their
blood. In the
shops now.
builtmag.co.u
 www.motorcyclenews.com

You know when

you’re on a winner?
We get it.
Congratulations to Bradley Ray and the
Buildbase Suzuki team on taking the
double win at the Donington Park BSB round.
To celebrate this fantastic racing success,
ZHʧUH RHULQJ D IUHH <RVKLPXUD H[KDXVW
worth £659 RRP, when you buy your new
GSX-R1000/R between now and 30 April 2018*.

Rob – Motorcycle Marketing Manager

FREE YOSHIMURA SILENCER WITH

*6;55 ,1 $35,/

Book your GSX-R1000 test ride at bikes.suzuki.co.uk

7HUPV &RQGLWLRQVb
7KLVRHUDSSOLHVWRQHZSXUFKDVHVRIDQGPRGHO*6;5$57KHPRWRUF\FOHPXVWEHSXUFKDVHGDQGUHJLVWHUHGDWDQDXWKRULVHG6X]XNL*%GHDOHUVKLS
EHWZHHQDQG7KHRHUFDQEHH[WHQGHGRUZLWKGUDZQDWDQ\WLPHZLWKRXWSULRUQRWLFH7KHRHULQFOXGHVD<RVKLPXUD+HSWD)RUFH6LOHQFHUSDUWQXPEHU 
)6$/*7KHUHLVQRFDVKFUHGLWRURWKHUDOWHUQDWLYHRHUHG
www.motorcyclenews.com
18 THISWEEK
COMMENT
It’s the sense
of fun not the
spec sheet
Our celebration of Yamaha’s
MT-07 on page 30 proves that
you don’t need to spend a huge
amount of money to have fun
– a great motorcycle isn’t about
having a big price-tag if the bike
in question has a big heart.
Since the MT-07 first came
out, it has thrilled learners and
experienced riders alike with
its wonderful engine, perky
handling and a playful attitude.
Yamaha got it right – so many
times manufacturers work so
hard at fulfilling the needs of
focus groups and completing
a spec-list tick sheet that they
forget about the X-factor.
This X-factor nothing to do
with power either – and if I had
to pin it down I’d say it was more
to do with the combination of
throttle response, torque delivery,
nimbleness and a sense of fun.
The MT-07 has more of it than the
ZX-10R SE featured on page 24,
even though it is very able.
But there are other great
machines that punch above their
weight and one of them is also
featured in this issue – Honda’s
CRF250 Rally for example, makes
a mere 24bhp but can be used for
greenlaning, delivering 70mpg
at 70mph on a commute or being
used as a tool to travel the world.
It looks great too – and at under
£5400 could be all the adventure
bike that you ever need.
MATT WILDEE, SENIOR EDITOR
EDITORIAL
EditorAndyCalton,01733-468006
andy.calton@motorcyclenews.com
DeputyEditor RichardNewland,
01733-468447
richard.newland@motorcyclenews.com
Senior Editor Matt Wildee,
01733-468580
matt.wildee@motorcyclenews.com
BIKES
Chief Road Tester Michael Neeves,
01733-468010
Senior Road Tester Adam Child,
01733-468427
Office Manager Alison Silcox, 01733-468025
Email mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com
Write MCN Letters, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA
demo on the April 21. Central meeting
place Smith Square London SW1. Please
arrive from 11.30 for a 12 noon depar-
ture. For ride-in venues please see
your local MAG or www.mag-uk.org.
Keith Berry, email
Let’s hope we get to Chain it up
see Hutchy on the top Is the Met’s new ‘Be Safe’ campaign,
step once again (locking bikes to deter thieves), en-
LETTER couraging us to bump the bike on to
the pavement and chain it to a piece
OF THE of street furniture in a non-designated
bike parking zone? This is a sensible
WEEK idea, a bit like we use to do in the old
days. Sadly a parking ticket may result.
Guy Allen, email
Ed – You would indeed get a ticket in London
but should be OK in other parts of the UK
Going potholing
I have just taxed my MT-10, just waiting
for some decent weather! I recently hit
a pothole in my car, burst my tyre and
damaged the wheelarch liner. It cost
nearly £200 to repair. Luckily, I have
a spare wheel so wasn’t stranded at
the roadside. If I’d been on my bike it
doesn’t bear thinking about. Keep your
eyes open folks and ride safe!
PACEMAKER PRESS INTL
Simon Redford, email
Only Hutchy himself
can decide his future MCN reader Simon Redford is lucky it
He’s a racer and won’t quit without a fight was his car that bore the brunt here
Keep the racing clean
In response to the letter published last week, I’d like to say I think we were all surprised at Marquez
to Mark Gardiner that while I’m sure his intentions are good, MCN Star letter not being black-flagged after the stall
there is only one person who has the right to say whether If you’re looking to insure a bike, visit and reposition on the grid, he did push
Hutchy should race or not – and that’s Hutchy. Very few MCNcompare.com and you can quickly his way through the field and should be
riders have come back from the kind of injuries that have compare prices from 43 top spoken to by race control and Honda.
befallen the Bingley Bullet and if he thinks that he can do motorcycle insurance brands. He was penalised and gained 0 points
it again, then fair play. TT racers don’t operate on the same The writer of the best letter - he did however cause Rossi to lose
plane as the rest of us and he knows what his recovery rate each week published in points. But Rossi coming out with the
is, what pain he can take and how good his physicians are. the Letters pages will statements he has shows how he has
If he can’t get fit again at least he has tried – he’s a racer and receive a free retro- turned into a bitter and twisted old
can’t give up without trying. For the spectacle of the TT I design MCN T-shirt. man - talk about the pot calling the
hope he can make it, but if he can’t he’s given it his best shot. kettle black! He has a short memory
James Capstick, email
Ed – Agreed – everyone at MCN wishes Hutchy a speedy recovery
COMPARE and seems to have forgotten his stu-
pid actions in Malaysia in 2015. I have
been a fan of Rossi since he started on
the Grand Prix scene but I am quickly
losing respect for him. He is the most
Ray the Magnificent watching road racing for 60 years, I’m for less than 1% of nitrous oxides. But senior racer on the grid should show he
Bradley Ray, Brad ‘the magnificent’ very impressed by Brad. London plan to effectively ban, even can provide careful considered remarks
Ray. What a breath of fresh air – he Johnnie Ownsworth, email bikes as small as a 50cc moped. From and not outburst of bad temper. Let’s
isn’t cowered by the greats behind him. Ed – See p68 for a full profile April 2019 bikes will be charged £12.50 hope Austin is better run and provides
Such a nice personality and the talent, per day congestion charge; the same some semblance of order. Oh, and by
wow! World championships here he Fight for the right as a Rolls Royce or similar polluter. the way - well done Cal!
comes – another Mike the Bike in the Bikes in cities reduce congestion (thus If you want to express your concern Nick Strange, email
making. I’ve been taking part in and reducing overall pollution) and account at these plans please attend the MAG Ed – Turn to p74 for the full story
NEWS MotoGPReporterSimonPatterson, ADVERTISING PUBLISHING MCNispublishedweeklybyBauerConsumerMediaLtd.Nopartofthe Wecannotacceptresponsibilityforunsolicitedmanuscripts,imagesor
magazinemaybereproducedinanyforminwholeorinpart,without materialslostordamagedinthepost.Whileeveryreasonablecareis
SeniorReporterJordanGibbons, 01733-468514 GroupCommercialDirector MD,Motorcycling RobAherne priorpermissionofthepublisher.Allmaterialpublishedremainsthe takentoensureaccuracy,thepublisherisnotresponsibleforerrorsor
01733-468011 BSBReporterOliRushby,01733-468005 GarethAshman,01733-366444 GroupManagingDirectorRobMunro-Hall copyrightofBauerConsumerMediaLtd. Wereservetherighttoedit omissionsnordoweacceptanyliabilityforlossordamage,resulting
ROAD TESTS AND PRODUCTION HeadofOnlineAdvertising EditorialDirectorJuneSmith-Sheppard letters,copyorimagessubmittedtothemagazinewithoutfurther fromuseinthepaper.
consent.ThesubmissionofmaterialtoBauerMediawhether
FEATURES SeniorProductionEditor SimonBrown RobFairburn,01733-366455 unsolicitedorrequested,istakenaspermissiontopublishinthe BauerConsumerMediaLimitedisamemberoftheIndependentPress
Head of Content Tim Thompson, ART Key Accounts Shaun Collin, 01733-366453 magazine, including any licensed editions throughout the world. Any Standards Organisation (www.ipso.co.uk) and tries to respond to and
BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA fees paid in the UK include remuneration for any use in any other resolve concerns quickly. Our Editorial Complaints Policy (including
01733-468095 Senior Art Editor Nick Lemon Group Commercial Manager
Group Finance and Strategy Director licensed editions. details of how to contact us about editorial complaints and IPSO’s
CONSUMER Senior Designer Simon Relph Rhonda Janes 01733-366445 contact details) can be found at www.bauermediacomplaints.co.uk.
Sarah Vickery
Designer Lee Laughton Classified Events Exec Our email address for editorial complaints covered by the Editorial
Consumer Editor Emma Franklin Chief Executive Paul Keenan Complaints Policy is complaints@bauermedia.co.uk.
Photographer Joe Dick Phil Martin 01733-366368
Acting Consumer Editor Dan Sutherland Bauer Consumer Media Limited is acompany
01733-468658 Classified Products Exec
registered in England and Wales with
Senior Reporter Chris Dabbs, 01733-468002 Bliss Handley 01733-363212
MOTORCYCLENEWS.COM company number 01176085, registered
chris.dabbs@motorcyclenews.com MCN Services Max Garwood, 01733 366405
Online Editor Maria Vallahis address Media House, PeterboroughBusiness
Ad Production Kerry Beasley, Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE26EA
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Editor Michael Guy, 01733-468883 Marketing Manager Sarah Norman Subscriptions Hotline 01858-438884
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 19
Chaos in Argentina
MotoGP organisers should be ashamed
of themselves. Instead of taking con-
trol of the situation in Argentina and
enforcing the rules, they allowed the
tail (teams) to wag the dog (them). Jack
Miller should have the fastest lap time
of the race deducted from his race time,
and be awarded the corresponding
position. Marquez should be fined and
stripped of his race position. He should
also have the points of his best finish
after Argentina deducted. This would

‘Marquez should be
fined and stripped
of his race position R
after Argentina’ NVT EASY RIDE
first bike aged 16 – an
June 1979 and I got my
ridge
also punish Honda for not pulling him NVT Easy Rider. Tim Cla TRIUMPH
in before the end of the race. MotoGP
flourished before Marquez and will TIGER 100
when he is gone. He is a great talent Me on the 1951 Tiger 100 in the
but not the be all and end all. MCC Land’s End trail in 1953
Thomas Syms, email topping the hill at Porlock. I am

You’ve been framed DUCATI SCRAMBLER now 86 and have never lost my
love of biking. Michael Crowe
I was just reading your article on how My first big bike after passing my test last
to fit a ground anchor properly and year. Mags Krzemieniewski
I noticed that it shows that you have
chained it through the anchor and the
rear wheel. My son is flying the nest
and when he phoned his insurance
company to say bike is going to be at
a new address he was told he needs to YOU NEVER
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FIRST
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R 100
TRIUMPH TIGE
not covered.
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My dad Roy Church adjusting the tappets.
Just let me fuel up! Mum remembers travelling many happy

BIKE
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because that was ‘the rules’. That was Keep ’em coming Ruth Moslin
no good to me because I wanted to brim send pics to: yourpics@
the bike for a big trip. The guy didn’t motorcyclenews.com
care that I had been using them for 20
years to fill two cars and a motorbike.
So it’s goodbye Esso, hello Texaco.
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 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 21

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 #MCNwednesday

23

‘I crashed in Lycra and ripped
a big hole in my arse’
Trials legend Steve Colley reveals his most embarrassing riding moment
Q1. What are you riding?
Gas Gas trials bike. Out of 52 weekends
a year, I probably ride it 48. I love the
winter and wet conditions and trials
is a great sport for that.
Q2 . Which living motorcyclist do
you most admire?
In my sport there are two: Jordi Tarres
and Dougie Lampkin. Outside of that,
in the road race world, I had massive
respect for Mike Hailwood and Steve
Hislop. After that, it’s anyone who’s
ever raced the TT.
Q3. What’s your worst habit?
I’m too throttle happy!
Q4. If you could have one riding
super skill, what would it be?
Backflip! Sadly I never found the time to
learn and I’ve also been a little scared.
I’d also like to drive a car on two wheels.
Q5. What’s the fastest you’ve
ever gone on a bike?
Not that fast: 130mph. This was when I
borrowed a FireBlade from a bike shop
in the Isle of Man with no riding gear. I
just had a helmet and gloves. This was
25 years ago when Blades first came out.
Q6. When were you last scared?
I had a big accident on the Isle of Man.
INTERVIEW BY MARIA MARTIN
20
QUICK-FIRE ROUND
OFast, intermediate or novice
group? Fast
OMud or tarmac? Mud
OFour-stroke or two-stroke?
Two-stroke
ODark visor or clear? Dark
OGloves in or gloves out?
Gloves in
OGPS or map? Both
OFilter or queue? Filter
ODealer service or do it
yourself? Do it myself
Q7. How many miles have you
done in the last year?
I’m out on the enduro bike two or three
times, so probably 2000 miles off road.
Q8 . What’s the highest mileage
you’ve covered in one day?
The Scottish Six Days trial is the longest
trials event. You’ll do 120 miles a day on
a trials bike which can get up to 45mph.
Q9. What irritates you most?
Every biker will say this… car drivers.
QUESTIONS
much harder. If you put enough in,
you’ll get enough out.
Q12. Ever fallen off in a car
park (or somewhere equally
embarrassing)?
Colley’s stunt shows
are a must-see at
MCN events
routed it wrong so I wheelied in fourth
gear and as I turned the handlebars it
revved flat out. The clutch burnt out
and I was going 35mph. Back then I
wore Lycra, I crashed and ripped a big
hole in my arse. The bike cartwheeled
one complete riding set from every
year and helmet and I want to auction
everything I have and use that money
for poorly children and people who
need it. I lost my son last year and the
Rebecca House Hospice in the Isle of
Man were really good to me so I want
to donate to them.
Q14. Which four people would
you invite on a Sunday blast?
I’d invite two bike and two car guys.
So I’d invite Elfyn Evans, Kris Meeke,
James Whitham and John McGuinness.
Q15. Do you have a tool you
couldn’t live without?
A hammer!
Q16. Do you adjust your
suspension?
Yes, I do everything myself.
Q17. If you could have one of your
bikes back, which would it be?
Any of my championship winning
bikes!
Q18. What would you never buy?
A road bike. Not because it would be
a bad bike, I just could not be trusted.
Q19. Which road (or track ) would
you have built on your desert

I fell down that cliff edge at Port Jack
and landed on my head. I was badly
concussed. Luckily I was with a friend
who picked me up but he thought I’d
lost my face because my helmet had
spun around. That scared me, I thought
I’d buggered my face for life.
Q10. You’ve got two weeks off:
where are you going?
Maldives with my wife and little girl.
Q11. Got one pearl of wisdom for
new riders?
Work ethic, work harder, work much,
I used to fly out to Italy each year and
do the launch of the new Gas Gas in
Rome. I was outside this massive su-
permarket complex, where all obstacles
were set up. I was introduced and then
wheelied into the arena. Whoever put
the throttle cable into the bike had
and got stuck in the fence and that was
the end of it. I felt like a super idiot.
Q13. Do you have one
indispensable item of kit?
I keep a helmet from every year of my
world championship. Now, I also have
island?
The Isle of Man TT course. Nothing
compares.
Q20. If you ruled the world, what
new law would you pass?
Get all the numpties off the road.

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 www.motorcyclenews.com
24 ROAD TEST
HIGHLIGHTS
O Semi-active electronic
Showa suspension
O Up/down shiter
O Lightweight Marchesini
wheels
FIRST RIDE KAWASAKI ZX-10R SE
PICTURES BY NEIL JONES AND KAWASAKI
SUSPENSIONREVOLUTION
But does that really make the new ZX-10R SE the best of all worlds?
By Michael Neeves
MCN CHIEF ROAD TESTER
K
awasaki may be late to the
electronic semi-active sus-
pension superbike party, but
they reckon they’ve got a few
tricks up their sleeve.
This is the new £18,949 ZX-10R
SE and it features Kawasaki’s (and
Showa’s) first self-adjusting forks and
shock. The range-topper also gets the
lightweight Marchesini wheels and the
autoblipper from the homologation
special ZX-10RR.
The reason the Kawasaki Electronic
Control Suspension (KECS) and its ri-
val systems exist is because ‘normal’
mechanically adjustable forks and
shocks are a compromise. There are
no such problems with semi-active
suspension. Producing the hardware
is relatively simple (just fit a means to
automatically turn the adjusters inside
the forks and shock), but the difficult
bit is telling the suspension what to
do and when.
Kawasaki claim KECS is a cut above
the rest because of the speed it reacts,
the amount of information it gathers to
do it and the quality of the Showa units.
Unlike rival systems that use either
stepper motors or indirect control so-
lenoids, Kawasaki use a direct control
solenoid, which can react at lightning
speed (1000 times a second). The system
also harvests data from the bike at a
similarly mind-boggling rate of knots
and uses it to fine-tune the damping.
It’s common for modern semi-active
suspension to take readings from the
ECU and Intertial Measurement Units
to get everything from road and wheel
speeds, lean angle, throttle position and
brake pressure. Some also have a shock
travel sensor, which lets the system
know how much and fast its moving
and whether its on its up (rebound) or
down (compression) stroke.
The ZX-10R SE’s system ticks all
these boxes and goes a stage further. I
also has a stroke sensor in the left fork
leg, for even more control, which is a
road bike first (you’ve probably seen
them on the outside of one of the fork
legs on racing bikes).
There are two main suspension
modes to choose from when you ride
Road, which works in a soft range
and Track, which has a firmer set-up
There’s also a third, Manual mode
where you can fine-tune the semi-
Clever electronics are constantly adjusting the suspension for the best ride
active suspension parameters.
The new suspension is at its most
‘Kawasaki use mpressive on the road. One of the
ZX-10R’s most impressive traits in
a direct control tandard form is the plushness of its
Showa forks and shock. That velvety
solenoid, which ide quality is still there in Road mode,
but it’s slightly tougher, as the magic
can react at damping control does its thing. It all
adds up to a ZX-10R with a crisper feel.
lightning speed’ t’s lighter, more talkative in your hands
and rock-solid stable.
You can feel just how much damp-
ing range there is (a sign on top drawer
suspension) by experimenting with
Track mode on the road. The extra
damping support it gives actually helps
the Kawasaki steer and change direc-
tion even easier, putting an even bigger
grin on your face, but unsurprisingly
it doesn’t handle road bumps as well.
A setting between Track and Road
(easily done in Manual mode) would
be perfect, but when you don’t feel like
doing your Johnny Rea impression on
your favourite stretch, the beauty of
the KECS is you can click it into its soft
setting and enjoy a comfortable ride.
You could even go a step further in
Manual mode and set the SE really soft
for motorway cruising and for riding
in the wet.
Kawasaki’s electronic suspension
doesn’t change the ZX-10R’s overall
character or the way it performs, but
at the touch of a button it lets you feel
how differently it can ride and handle,
without having to get on your hands
and knees with a screwdriver.
Turn over to page 26 for
more Japanese exotica
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 25

FACTS
Marchesini wheels Price £18,949
are shared with Engine 998cc 16v inline four
the homologation Frame Cast aluminium twin
special RR spar
Seat height 835mm
Suspension 43mm Showa forks
and single rear shock.
Electronic semi-active
damping and
mechanically adjust-
It’s a classy but costly performer able preload
Brakes Front 2 x 330mm front

VERDICT discs with four-piston

Brembo radial calipers.
220mm rear disc with
Kawasaki have broadened the single-piston caliper.
ZX-10R’s appeal by letting you ABS
change its suspension and therefore Colours Black
its character with a touch of a
Available Now
button. It’s best on the road where
you can choose the set-up you want
to suit the kind of road you’re on. It’s
handy around the circuit, too, but
aftermarket race suspension will 197 84
bhp ftlb
always be the way for racers and
serious trackday riders.
Power @ Torque @
13,000rpm 11,500rpm

Rev counter dominates the clocks
WE LIKE
■ Suspension gives a sportier edge
on the road ■ Wide range of damping
control ■ Superb autoblipper
206 17
WE DON’T LIKE kg Litres
■ Price ■ Front end feel while
Weight (wet) Tank capacity
trail-braking on track ■ Choosing
Showa suspension is top drawer Choose from three suspension modes suspension modes is fussy
 www.motorcyclenews.com

26 FEATURE

30 YEARS OF JA
EXOTICA
Why we’ve WSB to thank for the RC30, OW01, RC45 and more…
By Phil West
MCN CONTRIBUTOR
@MCNNews motorcyclenews

f not for the creation of the

World Superbikes series in
1988, dream machines such as
the Yamaha R7, Kawasak i
ZX-RR and, most famously,
manufacturers can go to exorbitant
lengths to win races (and thus sell
more bikes).
The initial rules dictated a 750cc/four
or 1000cc/twin with a production vol-
ume of at least 500 (from manufacturers
producing over 100,000 bikes per year,
i.e. the Japanese) or just 200 (and later
150) from those building under 50,000/
the first two championships; Yamaha’s,
the OW01, came second in 1990 (but won
in Britain and the US); Kawasaki’s, the
ZXR750R, placed third with Rob Phillis
in ’91 and ’92 before dominating with
Scott Russell in ’93. The list goes on…
The heyday of these machines was the
late ’80s and early ’90s, before tailing
off due to the dominance of Ducati’s 916
but in 2016 the latest change cut the
production requirement to just 500
machines – and even those only needed
to be built by the end of the second year
of production.
No wonder, then, that the leading
Japanese manufacturers are once again
producing high-priced, exotic bikes
such as the ZX-10RR and Fireblade

THE FACTS
• 112bhp • 155mph
Number made A reported 3708
Price then £8499
Price now £25-30k
Pedigree 2 WSB titles, 2 F1 titles,
1 BSB title
Did you know? Wayne Gardner
rates the RC30 as the best-steer-
ing motorcycle he ever raced
PICT

APANESE
1987-1990
Honda VFR750R RC30
Although Bimota’s YB4IE grabbed
the first WSB plaudits, as 1988
unfolded it was very much Honda,
with its VFR750R, which became the
most celebrated. Today, Honda’s V4
remains the definitive homologation
bike of the early WSB era and the
most prized of all Japanese ‘exotica’.
The idea was for a V4 production
racer to compete in WSB, endurance,
the TT and F1 and so promote V4
road machines such as the VFR750F.
Accordingly, it was called the
VFR750R, although the internal
‘RC30’ designation, applied by HRC,
which developed and hand-built the
machine, became more familiar.
No expense was spared. Although
outwardly similar to Honda’s then-
dominant RVF750 racer, the RC30’s
90° V4 was very different: cams
were gear-, not chain-driven, its firing
order was 360° not 180°, ‘short-skirt’
forged alloy pistons had just two
rings, cases were magnesium and
it was the first road machine with
titanium rods (at eight times the cost
of traditional steel versions).
Chassis and peripherals were
equally special: its bodywork was
2017-2018
Honda
CBR1000RR
SP2
hand-laid fibreglass; the swingarm
was the Elf-developed single-sider;
while the forks, too, were designed
for world endurance with quick-
release axle clamps.
The result was a phenomenon –
not for outright power (the 112bhp
V4 was never about that), but for
an incomparably integrated design
which became the new benchmark
The latest
Fireblade SP2:
special, but no
RC30 or RC45...
and linear power delivery and, above
all, its beautiful clean-sheet design.
Although only 500 were required.
Honda’s first run of 1000 sold out
instantly upon its 1987 release in
Japan, despite its 1,480,000 Yen
asking price (about £10K). When it
came to the UK in ’88 it cost £8499,
nearly twice any ‘normal’ 750. It didn’t
matter. The world fell in love with it.
A love that continues to this da
Fred Merkel took
two WSB titles
on an RC30
#MCNwednesday
April 11 2018 27
THE BEST OF THE REST
The RC30 isn’t the only ‘special’ superbike from Japan...
Not a lot now, but
119bhp was amazing
for the late 1980s
1988-1989
Yamaha FZR750R OW01
Spurred on by Bimota’s success with carbs and the heavy maintenance
its alloy-beam, FZ-powered YB4, schedule that goes with it.
Yamaha’s OW01 had a new, lighter, It was a rocket, too. Despite the
aluminium version developed from the midrange-boosting EXUP, the OW01
preceding FZ750R racer, alongside was peaky, taking off at 9000rpm to
top-notch Öhlins suspension and a produce a class-leading 119bhp just
sprinkling of magnesium and titanium. shy of the 14k redline. Today, the
The engine, although based on the OW01 remains a legend. It’s as exotic
FZ five-valver, was created purely for as production Yamahas get…
the track with just two rings, titanium
rods, close-ratio gearbox, flat-slide
THE FACTS
‘The OWO1 is still • 119bhp • 160mph
a legend – as exotic
as production
Number made 500-1000
Price new £12,700
Value today £14-17k
Pedigree 16 WSB races, 3 British
Championships
Yamahas get’
Farbrizio Pirovano
ran Merkel close
for the 1988 WSB
title on an OWO1
Continue over to see Japan’s sexiest bikes
www.motorcyclenews.com
28 FEATURE
1989
Suzuki GSX-R750RR RK
Suzuki produced its own homologation
special in 1989 – although this was
more a variant of its GSX-R750K street
bike than an all-new machine. The
GSX-R750R (or RK as it’s sometimes
called) had a redesigned engine based
on the preceding, longer-stroke
THE FACTS
• 112bhp • 155mph
Number made 500
Price new £8999
Value today £11-£14,500
Did you know?
Just 50 came to the UK
1993-1997
Yamaha YZF750SP
Another late-comer, the YZF is often
overlooked. It was launched in 1993
in two versions: the 750R and WSB-
ready SP, to succeed the FZ and OW01
respectively. Good-looking, powerful
from the five-valve, OW-evolved engine,
sweet-handling thanks to the latest
THE FACTS
• 125bhp • 160mph
Number made 1000 (est)
Price new £9999
Value today £6-8k
Did you know? Eddie Lawson’s
last race was aboard a YZF
GSX-R750J but with the crankcases,
crank, rods and clutch all upgraded
along with new 40mm carbs, 4:1
exhaust, close-ratio gearbox, braced
swingarm, distinctive single seat and
lightweight aluminium tank. Expensive
and uncompetitive against the RC30.
Distinctive, but
uncompetitive
Deltabox and well-equipped with six-
pot brakes and inverted forks, the SP,
if not quite as exotic as the OW01, took
things further with solo seat, Öhlins
multi-adjustable suspension, flat-slide
carbs and close-ratio gearbox – all for
just £3000 over the stock machine.
Whitham won
the 1993 BSB
title on a YZF
1991-1996
Kawasaki ZXR750R/K
(and ZX-7RR)
Kawasaki were last to the WSB
‘homologation special’ party. After
all, its first ZXR750, the H1, came in
in 1989 as arguably the original race
replica. They made amends when
the ZXR was updated into the J1 in
1991 – at the same time launching
an up-specced homologation
special: the ZXR750K1.
The K had raised compression,
39mm flat-slide carbs, close-ratio
gearbox, alloy fuel tank, single seat
and fully-adjustable suspension.
It was an instant success on track
(although only winning WSB once,
in updated 1993 ‘M’ trim, which
wasn’t imported to the UK) and was
cheaper than most rivals – although
it remained rare in the UK.
When the ZXR was replaced by
the updated ZX-7R in 1996, an ‘RR’
version was also offered. This won
races with Anthony Gobert and
Akira Yanagawa and also performed
THE FACTS
• 121bhp • 160mph
Number made 1000
Price new £7699 (K)
Value today £8-£9000
Did you know? Carl Fogarty
was the world endurance
champ aboard a ZXR – in 1992
The ’96 ZX-7RR truly lived up to the ‘Green Meanie’ legend
2006
Yamaha YZF-R1-SP
Not specifically built for WSB, it was
conceived to assist racers in the
then-new Superstock class and as
such came with an assortment of
race-inspired goodies including slipper
clutch, Öhlins suspension and forged
aluminum Marchesini wheels.
Unfortunately, with a list price of
£14k (£5200 more than the stocker)
the SP didn’t sell well and, with the all-
new, 2007, four-valve R1 on the horizon,
some remained unsold for a long time.
Today, however, its stock is rising –
even if it’ll never quite be an R7…
THE FACTS
• 165bhp • 175mph
Years in production 2006
Price new £14,000
Value today £10k
Did you know? Each SP has an
individual numbered plaque Matt blue paint looks ace
with the gold wheels

‘Kawasaki were
last to the WSB
‘homologation
special’ party’
1999-2000
Yamaha YZF-R7 (OW02)
One of the most-eagerly-awaited
homologation specials ever was… also
one of the most disappointing.
Debuting in 1999, the R7 was
Yamaha’s final, all-out effort to create
a 750cc four for WSB glory. It had an
all-new, 20-valve, fuel-injected four,
the chassis was a Deltabox with GP500
proportions, the suspension Öhlins and
its looks simply breathtaking – they
should have been with a £20k pricetag.
All beauty, sadly
not enough beast
The ZXR750K1 is now
a very affordable
eyebrow-raiser
Unfortunately, in road trim the
R7 produced only 106bhp (race kits
unlocked a further 25 to 55bhp) and on
track, despite Noriyuki Haga’s heroics,
it never quite delivered, with a best of
second to Edwards new SP-1 in 2000.
Yamaha withdrew it soon after.
THE FACTS
• 106bhp • 170mph
Number made 500 (40
reportedly made it to the UK)
Price new £21,499
Value today £19-£26k
Did you know? New, the R7 cost
3 x more than Yamaha’s 1999 R6
2000-2002
Honda SP-1 (and SP-2)
After a few valiant failures, Honda
needed a radical approach to WSB in the
early 2000s, abandoning 750cc fours
for an all-new 1000cc V-twin – the SP-1.
Like previous RCs, the 999cc V-twin
featured clever tech including a geared
cam drive, fuel injection and side-
mounted rads. The MotoGP-inspired,
twin-spar alloy chassis had top-notch
THE FACTS
• 133bhp • 170mph
Number made 5000
(unconirmed, of both types)
Price new £9399
Value today £5-£6500 (SP-1);
£7-10k (SP-2)
Pedigree 2 WSB titles, 1 AMA
1994-1995
Honda RVF750R RC45
Essentially an evolution of the RC30,
the 45 shared the same basic layout,
but with so much new tech and style
not a single part was interchangeable.
Accordingly, the RC45 now boasted
inverted 41mm forks, bigger brakes
and wider tyres while its now fuel-
injected engine produced 119bhp.
THE FACTS
• 119bhp • 160mph
Number made 500
(unconirmed)
Price new £17,780
Value today £27-£35k
Did you know? The RC45’s irst
gear is so tall you can do 91mph
WSB pedigree at
a bargain price:
bag an SP-1
Showa suspension and huge Nissin
brakes. It was enough for Colin Edwards
to win the WSB title first time out, a feat
the Texan repeated with the lighter,
more refined SP-2 in 2002.
Today, the SP-2 is significantly more
valued – although prices are still way
behind the RC30 and 45 – while the SP-1
remains an almost inexplicable bargain.
Edwards and SPs:
2000 (1st), 2001
(2nd), 2002 (1st)
Expect to pay
£35k for a mint
RC45 today
Unfortunately, the RC45 was
pricey and, in a racing scene owned by
Ducati’s lithe 916, comparatively bulky.
It wasn’t until 1997, three years after
launch, that the ‘45’ finally grabbed
its only WSB title with John Kocinski.
However, it’s still one of the most
lusted-after Japanese classics of all.
Kocinski on a Castrol 45. All is good.
#MCNwednesday
April 11 2018 29
...ANDTHE
NEWBREED
2015 Yamaha R1M
As WSB rule-makers cut
minimum production numbers
to 1000 in 2014, Yamaha
created the R1M – with
electronic suspension and
carbon bodywork plus the mag
wheels, titanium conrods and
electronics of the superstock.
2017KawasakiZX-10RR
With 2016’s cut to just 500
machines, Kawasaki lost the
pillion seat, added Marchesinis
and ‘winter test’ plastics.
Inside you get new cylinder
heads with high-lift cams, a
trick DLC coating on internals
and updated electronics.
2017Honda
CBR1000RRSP2
Honda’s WSB homologation
special revives the SP-2
moniker and focuses on
weight-saving, with lightweight
Marchesinis and a different
head, valves, combustion
chamber and pistons.
2017SuzukiGSX-R1000R
The ‘R’ version of Suzuki’s
all-new GSX-R1000 features the
expected uprated suspension,
brakes and electronics as the
others, but without the SP-2’s
weight-saving magnesium
and titanium, the R is also the
cheapest of the four.
 www.motorcyclenews.com

30 FEATURE

ANALYSIS

WHY WE THE

MT-0
Y
E
7
a
u
m
ro
a
p
h
e
a
’s
’s b
fav
u

weight. Here’s why

o
d
u
ge
r
t
it
tw
e m
in
id
is
dle-
PAUL BRYANT

By Rupert Paul
MCN CONTRIBUTOR
@MCNNews motorcyclenews
Ah, the sound of a 690cc crossplane
twin being whipped to the redline. It’s
hard to tell if it’s begging for mercy or
yelping with joy, but it sounds bloody
wonderful – a frenzied, scream-growl.
Spring is here at last. And with it, four
years of the MT-07 – the machine
that re-invented biking for the post-
financial-crash world.
I’m on the 2018 version, the one
with firmed-up suspension, brawny
tank and comfy seat. The changes are
subtle, but they’re the ones most own-
ers wanted. On the launch in Spain,
where the roads are like glass, the new,
stiffer springs were a no-brainer. Here
in the UK, I’m not so sure. High speed
cornering and braking are definitely
better but on gnarly back roads it can
skitter and scrabble over bumps where
the old one just floated. Depends where
you do most of your riding, I guess.
What’s certain is they’re both brilliant
motorcycles.
You could say the MT was the bike
that brought Yamaha back from the
brink. By the end of 2017 they had built
120,444 of the things. In Europe, riders
have been snapping them up at the rate
of 17,000 a year, or 45 bikes per day. If
you clump all three models together (07,
07A and Moto Cage) it’s Europe’s second
best seller behind BMW’s R1200GS. In
the UK the MT-09 sells more, but the
07 has still averaged 1100 pa since 2014.
People really, really like them.
One of those people is me. With my
wife Fiona, I bought a new ABS model
in 2014 and we love it. She’s used it to
commute and tour. I’ve ragged it round
local lanes, droned the M6 and done a
Rockingham trackday. According to
Yamaha, that’s all fairly normal, but
there are other customer types as well.
‘Experienced
people want to
rediscover some-
thing simple’
Young riders appreciate the price and
attitude. Ladies go for the low seat and
weight. Experienced people just want
to rediscover something simple. For
us, it’s a unique combination of agile
handling, low cost and ridiculous fun.
It makes less power than my other bike,
a tricked-up 1998 Ducati 900, but even
bog standard the little Yamaha is vastly
superior. That’s what happens when the
manufacturer puts the weight in the
right place and focuses on ease of use.
Ten years ago, no one had even imag-
ined an MT-07. Middleweight nakeds
were, mostly, sportsbikes without
fairings. Yamaha’s four-cylinder FZ6,
for example, had a high seat, 204kg
kerb weight and 90 horsepower. All
its performance was crammed into the
top right corner of the dyno chart. It
did OK – then the global crunch came
and bike sales fell off a cliff.

Sprightly handling
is only let down by
budget suspension
Torquey, twin cylinder
motor is the star of
the Yamaha’s show
MT creator Miyazawa: and is grunty and easy
‘We felt it was time
for a change’
Yamaha spent three years figuring
what to do. Research showed people
still liked bikes; they just had less time
and money to enjoy them. The man who
pointed the factory down the MT route
was Shun Miyazawa, Yamaha Europe’s
product manager. Miyazawa was about
as far from a company robot as you
could get. He’d been a chopper builder
in the US before joining Yamaha Japan
in 2006, then Yamaha Europe in 2010.
“After the financial crisis, not only
Yamaha but all the Japanese companies
lost who they are and started listening
too much to what customers said,” he
told MCN. “So, in 2011 I said, ‘Guys,
‘I love my MT’
...but it’s not perfect. Owners reveal all
Alan Keeton
“It felt right in the showroom: light
with a great riding position – and I’m
6ft2in! The engine’s great: loads of
mid range, but the suspension’s a bit
bouncy. I’ve now done 42K miles and
the only faults have been the starter
switch (replaced under warranty)
and a rusty shock – you have to keep
on top of corrosion.”
Kirsty Atkin
”I’ve done 18,000 miles since buying
mine last November. I coated it in
ACF50 but the paint on the forks,
wheels and engine all flaked off.
I’m not sure I would buy another
Yamaha again for commuting.”
Nick Stephens
“I love my MT. Last year some of us
in the owners’ club did an entire lap
of the UK mainland on ours. It was
great to run the anchor leg of the
south west: Bridport to Land’s End
and back to Exeter in 24 hours.”
Steve Wood
“I thoroughly enjoyed mine for
two years. The torque made it a
great commuter. The only issue
was corrosion on the shock and
swingarm. It was surprisingly good
as a paddleboard transport too!”
let’s make something we like.’ That
led to the 700 twin and 900 triple. Of
course we did some research, but it was
our passion that created something
fun to ride.”
Work began in 2011. “That year was
a milestone. After the economic crisis
we’d basically stopped every project
and begun to think we should spend
our money, resources and engineer-
ing for Asian countries. But in 2011 we
started saying ‘No’, because Europe has
a real passion for motorcycles. Maybe
the economy was difficult, but we
expected the market would recover in
three or four years – and at that moment
#MCNwednesday
April 11 2018 31
Nate Nacho
“I’ve done about 12K miles and
modded the hell out of it. It’s a fun
little bike, great for commuting and
hooning around, but the paint job is
cheap, it corrodes easily and it feels
like a budget bike. But throw a load
of extras and some Michelin PR5s,
and it’s freakin’ awesome.”
Sam Grattan
”My 2014 MT07 was A2-restricted
but still plenty quick. Although light
and flickable the suspension used
to throw me out of the saddle, but
I still loved it. The bad point was
durability: one ride in the wet, next
day it had corroded in a few spots.
But an awesome bike for the price!”
Laura Walters
“I took my DAS on one and loved it so
much I bought one immediately! I’ve
had a great trip to Spain and France,
and completed the world’s largest
ladies’ track lap at Silverstone last
year. It’s my second love.”
Declan O’Donovan
”We use MT-07s as our category A
school bikes, complete with custom
paint, decals, training bars and
sliders. We’re twowheeltraining.ie”
we needed a new kind of motorcycle.”
Miyazawa knew all about the old
kind of motorcycle. “I used to own a
2008 R1. Me and my friends loved to go
270km/h on the highway, wide open,
blaarrrrrr, pissing off car drivers. But
you’re risking your life, and anyway
you can’t even do it; you get points
on your licence. So we felt it was time
for a change, to shift to an everyday
kind of fun.”
Yamaha’s new formula started with
the engine’s lopsided beat and balance
of low-down grunt and top-end power.
“Also, weight was very important.
Continued over
www.motorcyclenews.com
32 FEATURE
What makesMT-07sbrilliant?
The chassis is
genius
Mass centralisation is
usually confined to exotica
but is standard on the MT.
Light? Agile? Beautifully
balanced? You
betcha.
1
They’re easy
to improve
MT-07s are built to a
price. People get that –
and improve them when
they can with exhausts,
shocks , screens and
more.
Console is fairly budget but covers all the basics
People want to feel, ‘I’m controlling my
bike every single moment’. This weight
argument, plus the torque feeling and
agility were the key emotional factors
we defined. The higher bars too – the
sense of synchronisation between bike
and rider.”
It worked. Spectacularly. By the time
Fiona and I had the money together in
2014 the UK had sold out of MT-07s.
We waited four months for the next
batch. It was just as popular with first-
timers: according to Yamaha, 35% of
MT-07 customers are new bikers. And
17% are female. Basically, it appeals to
everyone.
3
The engine’s a
2 masterpiece
No-one’s ever said a bad
word about this torque-
infested twin. Fast or
frugal, frantic or laid
back – however you
ride it’s superb.
The MT-07’s saddle contributes to the slim feel
Of course, for the 2014 price of £5600
there had to be a catch – and there was.
The forks were basic and the shock was
equally low budget. Both had the softest
spring setup on any comparable bike.
Gareth Evans at Reactive Suspension
was horrified when he pushed down
on the seat of a customer’s MT-07: “It
rebounded so fast the wheel came
off the floor!” But I didn’t mind. The
soft setup was comfortable on rough
roads and at Rockingham I discovered
I could drag the back brake into turns to
damp down the ‘boing!’ as I tipped in.
Mid-corner speed was limited by the
footrests and it bounded out of turns
4
It’s ace value
The MT-07 will tour,
commute or scratch
and easily hit 60mpg or
120mph. At £6300 it’s
the cheapest decent
motorbike on the
market.
5
They’re fun
Almost 40 years
ago Yamaha made the
RD350LC. The MT-07’s light,
carefree, wheelie-prone
character is the
nearest modern
equivalent.
Dynamically the MT
is brilliant – but its
finish and suspension
could be better
Stock pipe often gets replaced by aftermarket ones
last 6000 miles but lack grip. The new
bike has an optional 28mm higher
‘I’ve never seat, which unless you’re a complete
novice is a good idea, but still comes
laughed as much on BT023s. When I switched to Met-
zeler Roadtec 01s I couldn’t believe the
on a motorcycle transformation. OK, the rear was half
worn after 1500 miles, but I wouldn’t
as that day’ go back. Having serious wet and dry
grip doubles the fun.
like a cocker spaniel. I’ve ridden on I’ve just spent a week with the new
tracks for decades but never laughed bike and it’s thrown up the little dif-
as much on a motorcycle as that day. ferences only an owner would notice:
I was more bothered by the low seat, the 2018 front brake lever doesn’t come
which cramped my knees on long back far enough, even on minimum
journeys. And the BT023 tyres, which span adjustment. On mine it’s fine.
If you want weather
protection get
a screen
BUYING USED?
Check these points
Finish
Yamaha built the MT down
to a price, so its suspension,
plastics and paint are basic.
Check coolant pipes, swingarm
and plated parts.
ABS
The first bikes came without
ABS but the system is a big
plus point on a used example.
Ignore bikes without it – unless
you’re only doing track days.
Engine
The 690cc parallel twin with
its 270-degree crank is trouble
free but make sure it’s been
serviced. First 600 miles, then
6000 miles, 12,000 and so on.
Exhaust
Owners love fitting noisy pipes
to the MT. But when you’re
buying, it’s an opportunity to
haggle the price down – or
insist the original pipes are
thrown in, too.
Shock
The original is so soft and
underdamped many owners
fit aftermarket items such
as Nitron NTR R1 or K-Tech
Razor-R Lite. Well worth it.
Maybe it’s just a natural variation in
parts. I also noticed the 2018 bike’s
tank trim digging into my thighs over
bumps. The old one is better in this
respect. But I wish I had the new bike’s
engine. Yamaha say there’s no change,
but the 2018 bike certainly feels strong-
er. Again, it’s probably just tolerances.
Would I swap for the new one? That’s
like asking if a 350LC is better than a
YPVS. Whichever one you bond with
first is brilliant. But would I swap with
the old, more powerful FZ6? No chance.
The MT has taught us that practical
performance and superb balance is the
only way to build a motorcycle.
 www.motorcyclenews.com

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 www.motorcyclenews.com
34 FEATURE
ROAD RACING’S
‘LIKELY LADS’
PACEMAKER PRESS INTL
By Oli Rushby
MCN SPORT REPORTER
@MCNNews motorcyclenews
R
oad racing has a habit of
producing peculiar char-
acters. It’s something that
goes hand-in-hand with a
mindset capable of heading
off down Bray Hill at 190mph.
Lee Johnston and Dean Harrison
are typical of the breed. Over the
last few years these road racing
up-and-comers have chipped away
at the established elite to achieve a
flurry of victories and podiums.
Johnston’s last two seasons have
been hampered by injur y, but
Harrison has gone from strength
MCN Interview
Johnston and Harrison are the TT’s coming men
to strength to establish himself as a
front runner. The Bradford ace stood
on the TT podium twice last year
before going on to win at Scarborough,
the Southern 100 and Ulster Grand
Prix – where he earned the title of the
fastest road racer in the world with
an average lap speed of 134.614mph.
For 2018, Harrison remains with
the Silicone Engineering Kawasaki
squad with whom he enjoyed so
much success last year, wh i le
Johnston looks to get back to the
front having signed a deal with the
factory Honda Racing outfit.
MCN caught up with the pair (who,
despite their rivalry, remain close
friends) to find out what makes them
tick and what we can expect from 2018.
How are you feeling?
Dean Harrison I’m fine. I’m a friend
down for the season as he doesn’t
talk to me anymore. Now he’s a
factory Honda rider he doesn’t talk to
us ‘average class people’.
Lee Johnston How the f*** are you
average class? To be fair, in Bradford
you are upper class, aren’t you?
DH My team is good, everything is
the same as. We’ve built new bikes
but we’ve got the same people. It’s
not quite factory level like Lee but
we’re not far off.
LJ Things are going alright here too!
We had a good test in Monteblanco
‘Flat-out at
Coleraine, you
can’t help think
“‘this is mint!’”
LEE JOHNSTON
and I’m really liking the Fireblade. The
bike definitely has potential and I’m
looking forward to getting out again
at Castle Combe in a few weeks.
What is it about road racing that
does it for you? Harrison with his 2017 TT trophy. We’d put
LJ It means you don’t have to go to work! money on him winning a few more.
 #MCNwednesday

ISLE OF M April 11 2018 35

COUNTD TT AN
OWN

44 DSilicEAonNe EnHgiAneRerRingISKaOwaNsa, ki29

No time to look at
the view at 130mph
on the Mountain

DAYS TO CV of glory
GO Fastest TT lap 132.091mph
Wins 1 x TT, 1 x Ulster GP,
Southern 100, multiple
Scarborough winner

Can Dean repeat

his spectacular
2017 year?

LHoEndEa RaJOcingHNSTON, 29
CV of glory
Fastest TT lap 130.851mph
Wins 6 x North West 200,
3 x Ulster Grand Prix

Lee just wants

not to repeat his
‘sh*t last year’

It’s all smiles on the

stairs, all business
on the track
DH Yep, that’s it. I’m work shy. Well,
I’ve done more days’ work than
he’s ever done in his life. He once told
me that he did a day’s tiling…
Road racing is all I’ve ever done
as obviously my dad (sidecar racer
Conrad – Ed) did it. It’s just normal.
I’m n o t l i ke L e e wh o wa s a
factory World Supersport rider and
then downgraded.
LJ I did two World Supersport races
and he thinks I’m a World Supersport
racer?
DH Yeah, he’s come from World
Supersport and worked downhill,
whereas I started at the bottom and...
well, I guess I’m still at the bottom.
LJ You never turn up to Donington
Park and go ‘F***ing hell, I can’t wait
to go down Craner Curves, it’s un-
believable’. Whereas you go to the
North West and you might hate every
ch ica ne, but when you get to
go the whole way to Coleraine
absolutely flat-out you can’t help but
think ‘this is mint!’.
DH I don’t dislike short circuits.
I quite like racing in BSB but it’s
just not the same.
LJ That’s what does it for the fans.
There’s so much appreciation from
road race fans because they can’t
just go and do a trackday at the
North West or TT. You can’t ride
around there properly without rac-
ing it. You can’t set off down Bray
Hill flat-out without going to get
your licence first, then getting
the international licence, then
getting an invite to race...
F*** knows how we ended up there,
but you have to do it all before you
can even set off. It’s not like you can
just hire the track and ride around.
That does it for the fans and it’s the
same for us.
DH The best thing is on the first
night of practice – whether TT or
North West. You set off and there’s no
stress. It doesn’t matter how fast you
go, you can just go have a roar around.
Continued over
www.motorcyclenews.com

36 FEATURE
BSB isn’t like that. You have to be on
it from the first lap and everyone is
so uptight.
Lee, you’ve had some big ones
over the last few years – but you
keep coming back...
LJ I don’t know any different. When
you wake up in hospital, your first
thought is ‘When am I going to be
back on a bike?’
As soon as you’ve crashed you’re
working out how to get back and I
think if you don’t have that in you
then you aren’t a bike racer. Until you’ve
had a big crash and wanted to come
back, keen as mustard, you just don’t
know how much you want it.
makes you appreciate death as a
whole. If someone in your family
dies it’s not that it doesn’t bother you,
but you just need to crack on. ‘When you wake
DH If someone gets killed the race is up in hospital,
never any slower, is it? my first thought
LJ Nobody ever goes out and says is ‘when can I get
‘let’s just ride around…’
back on the bike?’
What makes the TT so special?
LEE JOHNSTON
LJ When you win a TT you’re a
proper road racer. Until you’ve won
a TT, you’re like me and just wasting
tyres and fuel! I’ve won a few
North Wests and Ulsters, but I need
to win a TT.

DH I’ve had a few bangs on the head.

Screws, pins, plates…
LJ That’s not just road racing either.
Look at Haslam in BSB. Every crash
he has is massive! He never tucks
the front, does he? And next session,
or when he’s back from injury, he’s
never any slower. He’s done that his
whole life. He doesn’t know any dif-
ferent and that has to be part of it, too.
Are the dangers and the risks
something you think about
when riding?
LJ F*** no!
DH You just think about what’s com-
ing up next and how you can be faster.
‘Road racing cost
me money – so I
paid to put myself
in harm’s way!’
DEAN HARRISON
DH It’s not just one specific thing.
There’s nowhere you’re riding for
that long. There’s no lap that long.
You’re by yourself and it’s what
the whole year revolves around. It
sounds awful, but if you do win the
North West, by the time the TT is
here nobody is talking about it.

LJ I think that’s maybe what goes LJ That’s the only downside to

through the minds of the people who
aren’t very fast, or don’t get any faster
– that’ll be what’s slowing them down.
Maybe they’ve got a bigger brain
than us and their brain is telling them
to slow the hell down. You only ride
to what you’re comfortable with and
if you’re comfortable at 120mph then
that’s what their brain is comfortable
doing. You don’t go out, shut your
eyes, hold it flat out and see what
happens! We aren’t crazy. We’re only
doing what our brain is letting us do.
We’ve got an ignorance, haven’t
we… if someone gets killed. I think it
road racing. There should be six or
eight big internationals because
there’s that much pressure when you
get to the North West it’s the be-all
and end-all because it’s only once a
year. Then you get to the TT and it’s
like ‘I have to do something here’
and then you get to the Ulster and it’s
the exact same.
It’s said by some that road
racers race at 90%, that’s
bollocks isn’t it?
LJ I’ll take you around on the back if
you want to find out.
As soon as that f lag drops
everyone is out to win and pushing as
hard as they can to do that.
LJ Look at the Classic TT. Nobody gives
a f*** about it, yet everyone there is off
like f*** as soon as the flag drops. Do-
ing 128mph on a shitty ZXR750. How’s
that possible if you aren’t giving 100%?
Harrison sideways
at Scarborough (that
would make a good title
for his autobiography)
DH This is our job at the end of the day
and if you do shit you don’t get a ride.
What’s the money like?
LJ Shite. We wouldn’t be talking to
you if we were rich would we?
DH Do I look like I’ve got loads of
money? I started road racing and
it cost me money – so in theory I was
paying to put myself in harm’s way…
Does getting older make you
faster or slower?
DH Faster.
LJ Definitely faster.
DH It’s not just like that in road
racing either. Who is the fastest man
in BSB? The oldest man. Who is the
British Champion? The oldest man.
The more you do it, the better you
will get…

‘At Baregarrow you

want to turn left like
this – and stick
your leg out’

LJ: ‘My beard adds 5mph through the bends...’

DH: ‘Does it f***!’ Dean Harrison: The fastest road racer in the world!

Johnston flat out admits he ‘needs to win a TT’ Lee putting the Fireblade to the test at Monteblanco
 #MCNwednesday

Laughing off the injuries,
you need a good sense of
humour to be a road racer
Who is the greatest racer you’ve
ever raced against?
LJ Dean Harrison. He’s the fastest
man in the world! When he goes out
at night and walks into a pub, he
expects me to go i n fi rst a nd
announce that the fastest road racer
in the world is about to walk in...
DH I don’t even know who I’ve raced
against!
LJ This probably sounds stupid, but
Kenan Sofuoglu in World Supersport.
He’s f***ing impressive.
DH I’ve ridden around in BSB so I
can’t say I’ve raced with any of
those guys, been I’ve been lapped by
a few… On the roads I always liked
Bruce Anstey.
LJ Bruce is 20 years older than me – 20.
It’s unbelievable what he does.
DH I used to watch Bruce as a kid!
You know when you follow someone,
when you follow him and see ‘Anstey’
on his back that’s a good feeling.
LJ When anyone else passes you,
you’re swearing and calling them
a ****, but when Anstey comes past
you go ‘well, fair play Bruce.’
What more can you can you say?
He never passes you slow, he doesn’t
just leave you enough room. It’s
bang – and he’s past. It’s like he’s
playing a computer game.
April 11 2018 37
DH Every pass is like a lunge. He’s
so impressive.
LJ If you put Bruce on Dunlops and
let him ride what he wanted in Brit-
ish Championships, and there was
prize money up for grabs, I reckon
he’d be up at the front. You can’t have
that much skill and not do it. The
lean angle he carries on the roads is
incredible, he doesn’t ride like a road
racer at all.
What are your expectations
for 2018?
LJ Dean is going to keep his title as
fastest man in the world!
DH Are you not going to do it on the
factory Honda? To be honest, I want
to go faster than last year but that’ll
be a job in itself.
LJ It’ll be easier for me to go faster
than last year, as I had such a shit year,
so I’ll say faster than last year. I just
have to get through practice week to
be honest...
For Dean, the hardest thing is
when you have a good year to then
have another real good year.
DH Lee will do well at the North West.
He’s good at the Ulster too, I know
he’ll do well at those two. With the
TT, I think they’ll get faster. I’m not
saying he’s not capable of winning,
but Michael Dunlop is going to be
hard for us all to beat this year.

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 www.motorcyclenews.com

JOE DICK
38 ROAD TEST

HONDA GOLD WING F6C

£18,899 BMW K1600 B £16,750
(£21,240 AS TESTED)
• 114bhp 341kg
•
Cruiser F6C is basically a ‘naked’ • 158bhp 336kg
•
version of the ‘old’ Gold Wing and BMW’s smallest six is based on the
powered by a 1832cc, 114bhp en- K1600 GT, produces arm-ripping
gine producing a tyre-shredding power and torque and features a
123ftlb of torque at only 4000rpm ‘streamliner’ design with fixed
side cases and integrated lights

THE TEST

If four cylinders aren’t enough but you don’t fancy a ‘full dress’ tourer what si
gadgets and fettered with the £20K+ while sounding like a distant F1 car.
By Adam Child
The riders price tags to match. Alternatively, if you want your six
AdamChild
MCN SENIOR ROAD TESTER
@MCNNews motorcyclenews So what else is out there if you fancy to be even more basic and uncluttered, ‘There’s nothing
a six cylinder machine – but want one you can still pick up a brand new Honda
Age 41 Height 5ft6in
quite like the

T
CV MCNSenior Road h e re’s n o t h i n g i n t h e that’s leaner (and less expensive) than F6C which is basically a naked version
whole of motorcycl i ng those two behemoths? of the old Gold Wing which dates back
Tester:Rode on the
K1600 B launch and q u i te l i ke t h e fe e l i n g BMW’s newest ‘six’ is exactly to 2001. As the Wing was updated this feeling of a
hasbeen testing bikes of a mighty six-cylinder en- that. The German marque’s K1600B year a new F6C has yet to appear but all
forcloseto20years. gine. Experience it and you’ll is a stripped-down version of the is not lost – there are still ‘new’ exam- mighty six’
revel in the instant power, be amazed by fully-dressed K1600GT. ples of this one in dealers, often at far
Liam Marsden
the low-down torque and be cossetted Aimed primarily at the US market less than its £19K list price. rear end, cleverly hidden side-mount-
Age 27 Height 6ft1in
CV MCN Web by the super-smoothness. it’s a ‘bagger’ so has been given a more ed radiators and eye-catching flat,
Producer: Covers over Trouble is, the most commonly avail- laid-back, cruiser attitude, via dif- It’s all about the looks six-cylinder engine give the Honda a
12,000 road miles a able sixes, Honda’s latest Gold Wing ferent bars and pegs but still has some Despite being based on a 15-year-old modern look.
year and has worked and BMW’s K1600GT, are also ‘full- touring practicalities such as a screen machine, the F6C, which itself debuted But roll the K1600B alongside the
at MCN for ten years. dress’ tourers wrapped up in acres of and panniers (or ‘bags’). It’s long, low in 2013, doesn’t appear dated at all. Honda and the age difference is im-
bodywork, slathered in gizmos and and punches 158bhp to its fat back tyre Its stripped-back bodywork, shapely mediately apparent. The new Beemer
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 39

Despite its bulk, the

big Beemer still feels
lean, agile and alive

Side by side with a

mate, you’ll own the Sixes dissected
road on a six The Honda uses a 1832cc,
flat six with three cylinders
horizontally opposed. The main
advantages are a low centre
of gravity, smooth torque and
perfect balance as in theory each
piston balances its opposite.
The BMW uses a far more
traditional in-line six-cylinder
motor, with two overhead
camshafts and four valves per
cylinder. This configuration
allows it to rev quicker and
further than the Honda.

State-of-the-art it
ain’t, but there’s a
whole lot to love
with the huge Honda

E SIXES
ixes are out there – and what do you get?
may be inspired by American baggers,
usually retro Harleys or Indians who
take their styling-cues from the ’50s,
but in the metal it’s every inch the
slick, modern, high tech, Teutonic
two-wheeler. Those slash-cut pipes
and the slightly leant-back attitude
may be a nod to the cruiser genre but
otherwise the K1600B is slick and
modern. Equipped with riding modes,
cruise control, ABS, a full music system
and more, our test example was also
fitted with optional next-generation
ESA, onboard computer, cornering
lights, central locking, heated seat and
grips and more, all of which lofted this
example’s price to over £21K.
And if all that excess means the
K1600B’s spec and price is too near its
full-dresser brother for comfort you
may also be slightly disappointed BMW
make a better show of its six-cylinder
engine. With an inline, transverse ar-
rangement it could easily be mistaken
for a conventional four (which is why
BM’s tacked a slightly crude ‘6’ on the
end of the block). While finished in
all-black (like the rest of the bike), the
big six-cylinder could easily be missed
all together.
The Honda, by comparison, is pure
and simple – there’s not even the Wing’s
reverse gear which has been removed
to save weight. But despite its lack of
gizmos, you warm to the F6C. On looks
alone we preferred the Honda with its
more exposed engine.
The joy of six
Riding a six-cylinder motorcycle is
always a stunning experience: a magic
carpet smooth wave of torque backed
up by an unmistakable cacophony of
spine-tingling sound.
And with the 160bhp BMW there’s
the little matter of mind-warping
performance, too. Nail the K1600B’s
throttle and its electronic rider aids
go into a panic to stop the rear spin-
ning. In fact, in the recent wet and cold
conditions, without the intervention
of its traction control system, the BM
would be almost unrideable. But with it
you just have to hold the throttle open
and tap the quick-shifter to soon be ef-
fortlessly blasting past 100mph.
B y comp a r i son, t he Hon-
d a’s much older f lat si x on ly
makes a quoted 114bhp (and that might
translate to less than 100 at the back
wheel) which won’t raise much of
anything down the pub. Worse, despite
its larger displacement, the Honda also
actually produces less torque than the
BMW, too.
But despite all of that and being close
to 20 years old the Honda’s flat six is
still a stunning engine. It’ll pull away
from virtually nothing and in fifth (top)
will happily ooze away at just 800rpm.
That’s simply incredible and has to be
experienced to be believed. And if you
conventionally short-shift at 2000rpm
the big Honda simply romps on.
That all said, with the Honda you
do miss some of the more modern
K1600B’s electronics and gizmos and,
in the twisties, it simply can’t match
the lighter, leaner, sharper BMW.
Handling the power
Power is nothing without control and,
thankfully, BMW have addressed
that – and then some. Simply: the
Continued over
www.motorcyclenews.com

40 ROAD TEST
K1600B, like its bigger K1600GT and

BMW K1600 B £16,750 GTL brothers, handles far, far better,

sharper and more reassuringly than
its bulk may suggest. Being the more
Engine 1649cc, liquid-cooled, inline modern machine, the BMW’s brakes
win out, too. The ABS-assisted twin
six-cylinder, 24v
front discs impress and stop the pretty
Suspension Duolever central spring ESA
hefty K1600B in eye-popping time. By
front and Paralever single rear
comparison, the ABS on the Honda isn’t
shock, ESA
that bad, but they’re no match for the
Brakes 2 x 320mm front discs, four-piston clever Beemer stoppers.
calipers, ABS. 320mm rear disc, Inevitably, the F6C has many chassis
twin-piston caliper, ABS similarities with that of the 2001 Gold
Tyres 120/70 x 17 1 (f) 90/50 x 17 (r) Wing on which it’s based – albeit 80kg
Seat height 750/780mm lighter (which is the weight of a pil-
Weight 336kg (wet) lion). Honda has raked out the front
end, but otherwise the two are very
Power Torque
similar. It even has the same, odd 19in
front and 17in rear wheels. So on paper it
shouldn’t work – but somehow it does.
185 129.1 The Honda’s suspension is simple
26.5 bhp tlb but smooth. And thanks to reasonable
Litres ground clearance, the F6C will hap-
pily take on some relatively aggressive
Tank capacity @7750rpm @5250rpm
cornering.
With the BMW, meanwhile, it’s all
about electronics. You don’t have the
feel of the Honda, nor have to work
out grip as its lean-sensitive traction
control and ABS do that for you. Once
you learn to trust its electronics, you
can really make the BMW hustle. For
a big girl she can still get up and run.

Clean, clinical, but with all the info you’ll ever need There’s a straight six there somewhere if you can spot it Streamlined side boxes have loads of room for a tour Verdict
ADAM CHILD ROAD TESTER

HONDA GOLD WING F6C £18,899 ‘Head versus

Engine 1832cc, liquid-cooled, flat heart time’
six-cylinder, 12v
You have to applaud both
Suspension 43mm conventional forks,
manufacturers: it’s refreshing
non-adjustable and single rear
that in a world full of rules and
shock, pre-load adjust only regulations, Honda and BMW
Brakes 2 x 310mm discs, four-piston have both been brave enough to
calipers, ABS. 316mm rear disc, produce big, six-cylinder cruisers.
three-piston caliper, ABS There’s no doubt that the BMW
Tyres 130/60 x 19 (f) 180/550 x 17 (r) is the best bike. Its rider aids
Seat height 734mm and creature comforts are light
Weight 341kg (kerb) years ahead; it’s lighter, has
more power and torque and out-
Power Torque
handles the F6C, too. In fact it’s
superior in almost every way.
That said, we still love the
114 123 sound and character of the
23.2 bhp tlb Honda. Despite its age and bulk,
Litres it manages to impress. So, while
my brain says the BMW is the best
Tank capacity @5500rpm @4000rpm
bike, my heart occasionally still
wants the Honda.

Both machines are certainly stately

Digital clock is cool, far simpler than on the BMW A nice touch is the fuel filler hidden under chrome trim Honda flat-six dates back to 2001 but still impresses
 www.motorcyclenews.com

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42 FEATURE
HONDA CRF250 RALLY

Does Honda’s best-selling

‘mini-adventure’ live
up to its promise?

WHAT IT IS
O Based on popular CRF250L
O Bigger fuel tank
O Rally bike styling
O Plenty of accessories

Big competition ing the 450RR would cost ten times has suffered, but it still manages a
JORDAN GIBBONS Ever since three blokes rode some as much – if you could even buy one. respectable 24.4bhp. It revs quickly
MCN SENIOR REPORTER GSs around the world, adventure Upon closer inspection it becomes a too, so is engaging to ride, even though
@MCNNews motorcyclenews
bikes have been etched into the public little more obvious that the CRF’s a you do have to make the most of the
psyche as 1200cc, 240kg-plus behe- budget bike – the plastics in particu- six-speed gearbox to keep it within

W
hen Honda launched
t he C R F250L R a l-
ly last year in the first
month it shot straight
to the top of the sales
charts. Since then, Facebook groups
h ave b e e n awa sh w it h t ho s e
who’ve bought one to r ide to
wo rk o r d i p t h e i r t o e s i n t o
adventure biking. Which got us think-
ing: is one of the best adventure bikes
of the year staring us in the face? We
decided to find out.
moths. Proper adventurers have long
shunned these big beasts (see over-
leaf), but us part-timers have fallen
for their charming combination of
rugged good looks, relaxing ride and
adventure potential. Charms that the
little Honda has in spades.
Firstly, the pictures do the CRF
no justice. In the flesh it radiates pa-
nache - the red and white HRC livery
shimmers and for a brief second you
could easily mistake it for a factory
rally bike. No mean feat consider-
lar feel a little cheap and care will be
needed to avoid corrosion – but it just
about pulls it off.
Flick the ignition and the ‘Dakar-
esque’ dash flickers, then a whizz
of the starter brings the little 250
thumper chirping to life.
Unlike the singles found in enduro
bikes, the Rally engine is in a lower
state of tune and has a bigger sump,
so the servicing is counted in tens of
thousands of miles rather than tens
of hours. It does mean performance
the powerband.
The Rally will happily cruise all day
at motorway speeds and because of its
bigger 10-litre tank (compared to the
7l in the standard L), you can cover 200
miles between fill ups if you’re not
riding like a nutter. The rally-style
screen does a decent job of keeping the
wind off, although even this leathery-
arsed enduro rider found the seat a bit
thin and the bars a bit vibey.
There are a myriad of accessories
available, too, if you want to go full The Rally is confidence-inspiring on trails...
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 43

The Rally’s revvy

single is great
fun on the road

‘I RIDE IT TO
WORK IN THE
WEEK, THEN
OFF-ROAD AT
WEEKENDS’
TRF member
Richard Weatherhead
bought one last year
as an introduction to
off-roading

Richard is a member of the

‘As a road bike it’s a
neat little package...
off-road is when it
all starts to unravel’
touring, including heated grips, a top
box and luggage racks.
In fact as a road bike, the Rally’s
a smart little package. The only let-
down are the brakes; they’re just too
soft (especially the front) although a
pad change might fix this. Instead,
off-road is when it starts to unravel...
Continued over
Hertfordshire TRF group
“I bought the Rally because I’d
always fancied the standard
250L, but this was just a
bit more practical. With the
screen and big tank, I can ride
it to work Monday to Friday
then take it out with the TRF
at the weekend.
“I’ve made a few changes,
including proper off-road
tyres, heated grips and a more
substantial bash guard. I’ve
also fitted crash protection,
different levers and heavy-
duty handguards to protect
it from drops.
...but it’s far too “As a novice, I’ve always
soft for more avoided the bigger bikes as
technical riding they’re a bit too expensive
and I’ve been worried about
dropping them.”
www.motorcyclenews.com

44 FEATURE

e world
‘I rode one round thth
d never opened e engine’
an
Steph Jeavons has just completed a
round the world trip on a CRF250L

The lack of torque

makes mud a
real struggle

Jeavons had the seat recovered Rubberised pegs to minimise vibes

“I’ve just completed a four-year, reduce vibrations, which meant

seven-continent journey, covering
74,000 miles. I’m now the first
Brit to lap the globe, riding all
seven continents along the way.
“I chose the 250L because I
wanted something small and
lightweight as I was riding solo.
It gave me the freedom to explore
more and take those dirt roads
without the burden of worrying
about if I drop it. I’ve also got
the bike into hotel rooms, small
dinghies and to Antarctica.
“I kept it fairly stock. I had back
troubles three years into the
journey, so I did what I could to
new grips, new seat and adding
rubberised footpegs. I also
changed the front sprocket to a
13 from a 14 and this made a big
difference. Other than the
screen, luggage and bashplate
it’s as is.
“Other than basic servicing
such as oil, it’s had almost no
work either. In Tanzania the
starter relay went, which was
a minor thing, and in France a
few days ago the ignition switch
broke. Mechanically it’s been
perfect - I’ve never opened up the
engine. It just kept going.”

Jeavons visited
more than 40
Stumble and fall
Before we took the Rally off-road
countries
we swapped the standard tyres
for M ichel i n AC-10 s. T hey’re
focused off-road tyres, but they’re
also fully road legal and last remark-
ably well on tarmac – you just have to
look out for clearance issues.
Sadly the engine that’s so revvy and
rewarding on road is hard work in the
dirt. While it creates a decent amount
of power, it only produces 16.6ftlb
of torque, so it’s difficult to ‘chug it’
through rough patches. It also makes
it very easy to stall, which isn’t helped
by a vague clutch.
The suspension also falls foul here
due to it being non-adjustable and
‘The Rally’s looks
set you up to believe
it’s an off-road hero
– but it just isn’t’
clearly budget in nature. On road its
soft nature is noticeable but accept-
able and on gravel tracks it does a
decent job of smoothing everything
out, which makes it novice-friendly.
But as soon as the going gets techni-
cal, such as in soft mud or ruts, this
same softness robs of you any feel.
Leaning more weight over the bars
makes it worse, giving a sensation of
a flighty front end that’s desperate
to slip away from you. In reality the
grip is there, it just doesn’t feel like
it is. The ABS is far too intrusive too,
although mercifully there’s a button
on the dash so you can easily switch
it off on the rear.
In many ways, the Rally’s looks
are both its biggest asset and down-
fall. They set you up to believe that
it’s going to be an off-road hero – but
it just isn’t. Now if Honda were to
make a CRF450L as a stepping stone
to the CRF1000L Africa Twin, with
more torque and posher suspen-
sion, then that could be a perfect
adventure bike for the masses.
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 45

Rally-style
dash is clear
FACTS
Price: £5399
Engine: 250cc single
Frame: Steel twin-tube
Seat height: 895mm
Suspension: 43mm non-
adjustable USD forks,
280mm travel
Preload-adjustable
Pro-link monoshock,
260mm travel
In the sunshine, the CRF250 looks like Brakes: 300mm disc
a proper factory Dakar machine with two-piston
caliper (front)
240mm disc

VERDICT with single-piston

caliper (rear)
Colours: Red/white
If you come at the Rally as an Available: Now
off-road novice expecting a decent
road bike that can handle some
off-road, then you’ll enjoy the CRF. Power Torque
But if you’re an experienced dirt
junkie wanting a proper hardcore
bike to tackle difficult terrain with a 24.4 16.6
ftlb
Off-road footpegs help when standing A small lockable toolbox is a nice touch sidehelping of road manners, you’ll bhp
be sadly disappointed.
@ 8500rpm @ 6750rpm

WE LIKE
■ Fun engine, good adventure
potential, cheap 157 10.1
The screen and bigger kg (wet) Litres
tank make the Rally ideal WE DON’T LIKE
for mini-adventures ■ Soft suspension, lack of torque, Weight Tank capacity
The rear ABS can be disabled Chunky tyres cause clearance issues uncomfortable seat

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www.motorcyclenews.com

BE INSPIRED OUK & Europe ORiding tips OMeeting hotspots

RIDING
EXPERIENCE SPECIAL
Trials Experience Da , £150
By Rupert Paul
School in Lincolnshire; and this: Stu trials championship!” something else. The result is you keep The whole day keeps building like
MCN CONTRIBUTOR Day’s Trials Experience in Once you’ve got your riding gear you on being astonished that you can do that. By mid-afternoon you’re riding
@MCNNews motorcyclenews Staffordshire. start, improbably enough, throwing something you thought you couldn’t. across a field of tussocky grass and
It doesn’t matter if you don’t know shapes with a broomstick. Why? For example, zig-zagging along a hidden boulders, negotiating a rocky

T
here are few pleasures in life
greater than learning how to
ride a motorcycle better, and
for me there are three
experiences I’ve come back to again
and again. They are (in no particular
order) the Yamaha Off Road Experience
in Wales; the Champions Flat Track
a trials bike from a flower pot. Stu
has a gift for making things very, very
simple. Like all good instructors he
is enthusiastic, relaxed, inspiring and
excellent company: “Road riding? It’s
pretty dangerous when you think about
it. Road racing? That’s death on a stick!
But trials? No one has ever died in a
because it’s the fastest way to learn
about the weight shifts you need to
get a trials bike to do anything. It feels
ridiculously exaggerated, but it isn’t. It
helps to be bendy. Or just uninhibited.
This is not a day when knowledge is
hammered into you. Rather, it creeps
up on you while you are thinking about
lane going from full left lock to full
right. This is when pole-dancing with
a broomstick suddenly makes sense.
The bike is uncannily stable, and the
tyres dig in and grip. Not long after you
use the same technique doing U-turns
on a wet, grassy hillside. Look, mum! I
can do this!
stream, or puttering over slippery
roots on a steep slope with a reservoir
six feet below. You cannot stop smiling.
And, of course, you take home bags
of new skills. And one thing’s for sure:
you will never again dangle your legs
as you ride up the ramp onto the Isle of
Man TT ferry.

INSIDER

‘You keep on being

What is it? astonished that
A day’s introduction to trials
riding on a hill farm near Leek, you can do it’
Staffordshire, under the guidance
of trials ace Stu Day. Everything’s
provided and he’ll show you a
series of increasingly impossible
things which you will soon find
yourself doing yourself.

Who’s it for?
Road riders. Stu’s aware that
most people regard trials as
weird so his course is tailored to
ordinary guys and girls who want
to try something new.

What are the bikes?

A big range of two-strokes, from
an 80cc Beta to a 300 GasGas.
Most people find a 200 or 250 is
plenty. Trials bikes are amazing
to ride. Light enough to pick up,
they have a panther-like power
delivery and the suspension
absorbs pretty much anything. Fun OOOOOOOOOO
Danger OOOOOOOOOO
Difficulty OOOOOOOOOO
Rating OOOOOOOOOO

Where? Near Leek, Staffordshire

When? All year round
What’s included? Bikes (you can
try different ones), riding gear, expert
tuition
Price £150, plus optional £25 damage
waiver.
Contact www.trials-school.co.uk
 #MCNwednesday

WHAT IS R5K?
MCN’s campaign to encourage as
our Facebook page. Make an effort to
ride more. Enjoy increased machine
control, a happier outlook, more
TELL US ABOUT
YOUR GREAT RIDE
many people as possible to cover friends and a wealth of tales to tell. It could be two miles short or two
5000 miles in a year is all about days long, but we want to hear
getting more enjoyment from your What do I win? about the routes and roads that
bike. We realise life is full of pressures Satisfaction, a greater love for biking, make your heart sing. Send an
that stop you riding, but there’s always and perhaps fame – we feature R5K email to tim.thompson@
a way to squeeze in more miles. You’ll members in the paper. Now get out motorcyclenews.com
be a better rider and a happier person. there and enjoy it!
SIGN Every route published
receives an MCN
How do I do it?
Make a note of your mileage at the
How to sign up
www.facebook.com/groups/
UP NOW! T-shirt. What’s
not to like?
start of your year, and share photos on ride5000miles

Biker Down teaches the

skills that might save
THREE ROUTES TO RIDE
lives in an accident

Halfway to Paradise… so near yet so far…

Scenery OOOOO Roads OOOOO
Start in Surfer’s Paradise,
Newquay and head north on the
B3276. Hug the coast until you turn
inland to Padstow. Go west on the
A389 to Wadebridge, the road
PAUL BRYANT
becomes wider then descends.
Swoop over the River Camel.
Continue to Bodmin and as you join
the A30 head back to Newquay to
complete your 53-mile circle.

Biker Down Course, £free

By Alison Silcox
OFFICE MANAGER
@MCNNews motorcyclenews
At 9am Sunday morning I’d usually be
out on my bike, but today I’m in a South
London fire station with 20 other bikers
to take part in a Biker Down course.
Biker Down is a free course that
teaches riders what to do if they come
across the scene of a road accident. It
covers accident scene management,
emergency first aid and road safety.
Lead instructor Rick is keen to point
out that Biker Down is not a first aid
course but is about keeping someone
alive until help arrives. Rick and his
fellow instructors Dan and Sukhi all
work for the emergency services and
have all seen way too many accident
scenes in their time.
They show us a graphic video clip of
a bike crash - not to shock but to begin
a discussion on how to deal with the
immediate aftermath of an accident.
We’re an hour in and free tea and
biscuits offer a welcome respite from
what has been an intense morning.
There’s a fear of information overload
so the break gives me time to absorb
what I’ve been taught so far.
After the break we begin with a
question that’s a real debating point
for all bikers - would you know how to
remove someone’s crash helmet, or
even if you should try? We’re given a
demonstration on when it’s considered
necessary and, if so, how to do it safely.
We then move onto emergency first
aid. There’s opportunity to practice
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
and we’re shown how to apply a
‘military spec blast bandage’. These
giant compression bandages are the
real deal and definitely aren’t for use on
a mere paper cut.
Biker Down courses take place
across the country, but as this one
is in London the final section of the
four-hour course is more specific to
city riding. We discuss the types of
accidents that happen most frequently
and how they could be avoided.
It’s an interactive classroom-based
course that involves a lot of listening
about a serious subject that could
be a little dry. Instead, it’s delivered
in an engaging and fun way and just Touch the green, green grass of home
might have given me the skills to save Scenery OOOOO Roads OOOOO
someone’s life. Anglesey is a treasure trove of the coast. Loop back to the A55,
biking roads and our 77-mile loop for a quick blast and then head
Fun OOOOOOOOOO sees you do a lap of the island. Nip towards Ty Croes, Anglesey’s
Danger OOOOOOOOOO off the A55 onto A5025 towards hidden gem of a racetrack.
Difficulty OOOOOOOOOO
Rating OOOOOOOOOO
Where? Country-wide
When? Year round
What’s included? Tuition, emergency
first aid kit and certificate of
attendance
Price? Free
Contact www.kent.fire-uk.org/your-
safety/road-safety/road-safety-for-
bikers/

INSIDER
What is it?
A free, half-day, interactive course
designed to teach the skills that
could help save a life.
It’s a brutal, rough and ready
lesson. Definitely not a first aid
course, it’s designed to give you the
confidence to step in should you
come across an accident until the
emergency services arrive.
Originally developed by the Kent
Fire and Rescue Service and now
available country-wide the Biker
Down course is presented by
members of the emergency
services and trained other
professionals.
Who’s it for?
Anyone and everyone, your riding
background and ability aren’t
relevant. This is instead all about
giving you the skills to help others
who have been involved in an
accident.
What are the bikes?
You don’t need your bike for this
one, other than as transport to and
from the venue.
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Scenery OOOOO Roads OOOOO
For this 60-mile circular jaunt take
the A64 south from Scarborough
then the A170 to Pickering where
you head north on the A169. Take
care at the infamous Devil’s Elbow,
a 12% descent with hairpin halfway
down – it’s scary but fun to ride. As
the A169 nears its end, pick up the
A171 at Whitby and turn south to
Scarborough.
 www.motorcyclenews.com

BE PREPARED OOwning OFixing OAdvice OKit testing OTech

GARAGE
WORDS BRUCE DUNN PICTURES PAUL BRYANT

Tools list
TOOL LIST
OChain lube
OTorch
OTyre pressure gauge r
OMultimeter
repping you
P r an
bike fo
OTorque wrench
MoT

Don’t just assume

you can whip off
the covers and go

Get your bike back on the road

Bike been hibernating in the garage? Here’s how to make sure it’s ready to roll

Check your pressures Refill with fuel How’s your battery?

1 Tyre manufactures often recommend you over-inflate
your rubber before you leave the bike laid up over winter.
This is to prevent the tyre carcass being damaged as the bike loses
pressure over time. Check in your manual for the correct pressures
and take the opportunity to thoroughly check their overall condition,
looking for cracks in between the treads.
2 Ideally, before storing your bike you would’ve run your
fuel down to a minimum, as opposed to leaving it full to
the brim. The combustible ‘light-ends’ of the fuel will evaporate and
render the petrol less volatile. By adding five litres of fresh petrol,
you will effectively be reinvigorating any fuel left, preventing poor
starting. Use a funnel with a filter to stop any gunk getting in.
3 If your garage has electricity it is easy to leave the bike
connected up to an Optimate or similar – but if you
rent a lock-up you’ll need to check the battery. A healthy power
cell should have 12.5v or upwards. Anything less will require
charging, or perhaps even a new battery. When you do the
voltage check, make sure the ignition is off.
 #MCNwednesday

P50 P52 P53 P54 P55

1000 miles a month Adventure rubber Get ready for summer Is my rad wrecked? Bright ideas
V-Strom 1000 challenge New Bridgestones tested Five sporty glove options Your problems solved Science of headlights

Does it have enough oil? Check the seals

4 Take the bike off its stands and try to hold the bike upright
so it’s balanced and then check the amount visible on
the sight glass. Engines with dipsticks need to be held upright and
balanced, but check with your manual as to whether the dipstick
should be dipped in or screwed in prior to taking a reading.
5 Fork seals can fail if a bike has been sitting for a long
period of time. Wipe a tissue around the stanchion and
seal to look for any weeping oil. In a severe case, oil would’ve leaked
down the forks and possibly onto discs and calipers, so ensure you
are thorough. Do the same for the rear shock.

Keeping your cool

Prep your bike for fresh hoses
Check for size
Check the kit contains
the correct hoses. If
possible, offer them up
for comparison. Next,
remove the radiator
cap and locate where to
drain the coolant from –
usually the lowest point
in the system.

Loosen the clips

Start up and check fluid levels Give the chain some loving Remove the hose from
6 Most bikes require minimal or no throttle to start up from
cold but be patient, the engine may need to crank over a
7 Place the bike on its centrestand or a paddock stand and
check the chain tension and adjust if necessary. Now
the low end and drain
the coolant. Next, use
few times before it fires up. Once running, let it warm up, keeping an use a quality chain lube, applying it from the inside and mask the a screwdriver to undo
eye out for any leaks from the oil and coolant systems. Re-check oil background with a cloth to prevent overspray reaching the tyre. the clips. Be warned,
and coolant levels once the bike is cool again. Make sure the wheel spindle is correctly torqued up to spec, too. these can become
corroded over time, so
deploy a quick spritz of
penetrating fluid.

Why not use a

socket?
If you have a quarter-
inch socket kit, it’s often
better use the hand
driver and a socket.
These give a more
positive feel for what
you are doing than a
screwdriver.

Remove hoses
With the clips loose,
gently twist the hose to
remove it. Don’t use too
How are your nuts? Show me your papers much force – especially
8 Make a thorough check of your bike’s crucial nuts and
bolts. If you have had the bike in bits over the winter for
9 These days the ‘paperless’ tax disc system gives no
immediate visual clue, but the good news is that it’s easy
at the radiator end. If it’s
stubborn, ease in a flat-
cleaning or repair, do a final check over the bike for safety. Things to to check online – with a mobile-friendly website. Just type in your head screwdriver and
include would be caliper bolts, spindle nuts and fork leg pinch bolts. registration number to vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk to check the cover in maintenance
The correct way to check tightness is to undo the bolt first and then status of your bike, along with the exact date that each one expires. spray.
tighten up to the correct torque setting with a torque wrench. That just leaves you to check your insurance is valid!
 www.motorcyclenews.com
50 GARAGE
OUR BIKES SUZUKI V-STROM 1000 XT
Fast and loose
Compressing a year of riding into three months was a revelation
Price £9999
Fuel 20 litres @ 47mpg = 200mile range
Weight 233kg (kerb) Seat 850mm
Power 99.2bhp Torque 74.5lbft
richard.newland@motorcyclenews.com
T
he average UK leisure rider
racks up around 3500 miles
each year, usually managing
to dodge the worst of our
British weather – and winter months –
in the process. There’s nothing wrong
with that – not everyone enjoys riding
in the rain, getting frozen like a
popsicle, or spending two hours each
week washing the resultant filth from
their bike and kit. But I’m not normal.
Packing them in
With 3248 miles added to the XT’s
odometer over the last 16 weeks,
it’s been an accelerated facsimile of
a year’s ownership – mostly carried
out in some pretty appalling weather.
The result is a resolute affection for
this slightly ugly duckling, but while it
was impressive, fun, comfortable and
faultless in almost every regard there
was one facet that caused concern.
Saggy rim
A recent wheel check revealed that one
of the rear rim’s spokes was waggling
its head like a Churchill dog – but that’s
nothing compared to the nine seriously
loose spokes I discovered when doing
my big pre-return clean up. All were on
the rear rim, the front was perfect.
The Strom had 5600 miles on the
clock and it was almost 1000 miles
since I’d found that errant loner. That’s
JOE DICK
a worrying rate of attrition.
There’s still more to come
With so many mods to try, Chad needs more time with the R6
YAMAHA YZF-R6 £10,999
Fuel 17 litres @ 43mpg = 160-mile range
Weight 190kg (wet) Seat height 850mm
Power 121.2bhp Torque 47.38ftlb
(both with race exhaust)
adam.child@motorcyclenews.com
I’ve been doing this job for almost 20
years and every year I’m extremely
lucky to get a new bike which I ride
around and report back on. I usually
cover over 10,000 miles and learn
pretty much every inch of each bike.
This year, however, has been
different – I’m still only starting to learn
RICHARD NEWLAND
Riding addict with a love of
big miles. Rides all year in all
weathers.
Height 5ft 11in Weight 111kg
Strom arrived with 2360 miles showing
Rear axle took a hammer to come out
Presuming the average owner is
unlikely to be checking for loose spokes
regularly, that could mean XT riders’
only chance of this being caught is if a
diligent dealer checks the spokes at the
annual service (it is part of the service
check sheet). But they’re spaced at a
pleasing 7500 miles, or 12 months.
Assuming all is well at the service,
and I found nine completely loose ones
ADAM CHILD
Nearly 20 years road testing of
all kinds of bikes, and ten years
international road racing.
Height 5ft 6in Weight 77kg
what the R6 is capable of. I’ll explain:
In stock trim the R6 is heavily restricted
by Euro4 with the result that it gasps
for air so much that when I first rode it
on its world launch early last year I was
slightly disappointed.
Thankfully, once derestricted, mostly
via a freer-flowing exhaust (Akrapovic;
‘An honest and
pleasing bike
after 1000 miles, that could mean that punches
another 6500 of loosening before
they’re spotted. That could cause a lot well above its
of damage, or possibly even a failure.
The owner’s manual does insist that price tag’
a spoke check should be part of your
pre-ride routine (hilariously suggesting FINAL
you hit each one with a “small metal UPDATE
bar” to listen for loose ones, no really),
3248
but clearly that’s not practicable.
Suzuki say they’re not aware of any MILE S
propensity for the spokes to work free,
but I’d certainly suggest you make a
thorough check on a weekly basis if
you’re a daily rider, and especially if you
use it off-road or on bumpy back lanes.
If you’re at all unsure about your
spokes, call in at your local dealer and
ask them to check for you. It’s the only
significant negative result of all those
miles – but it is cause for concern.
The test of time
So, if you’re in the market for a litre-
class road-orientated adventure bike
at the more affordable end of the
spectrum, would I still recommend
trying the big Strom? Yes, without
hesitation. But there are several key
observations.
Firstly, a quick test ride will not
reveal how good the Strom really is –
it’s a grower, and only then does it feel
like a keeper. Secondly, if you’re going
to spend the majority of your time
on the road, get it with the cast rims.
They’re easier to keep clean, more
durable, need no real maintenance, and
won’t suffer from loose spokes.
Finally, this is one of the best value
genuine ‘do-it-alls’ on the market.
Much like its equally headline-lacking
650 sibling, or ubiquitous SV650 cousin Big V-Strom is one of
– it’s an honest and pleasing bike that the best value ‘do-it-
punches well above its price tag. alls’ on the market
FINAL
UPDATE
12,748
MILE S
£323 for the titanium silencer, £685 for
the stainless downpipes), the R6 is a
different animal.
I’ve still not fitted the uprated
electronics package, which allows an
up-and-down quickshifter plus the
option of deactivating the ABS and
turning off the six-level traction control
– but only for track riding.
There’s also more power to be had
via a new air filter and revised fuelling.
A 130bhp, freer-flowing R6 unhindered
by rider aids? Now you’re talking! It’s
just a shame the Yamaha electronics R6’s year included
package wasn’t available sooner. commuting, trackdays
So even though I’ve done over 12,000 and much more
miles (which, according to Yamaha is

Yamaha has always cleaned up well
more than any other 2017 R6 in the
UK), had endless fun on trackdays, got
the suspension sorted (thanks K-Tech)
and it’s still made me smile even in
the depths of winter, there’s still some
unfinished business.
Could it be to lose some more
weight? What would it be like with
Protect
and serve
Weekly two-hour baths,
with lots of scrubbing and
the application of lashings
of cleaning agents can be
almost as damaging as
no cleaning regime – and
when I stripped the Strom
down for a decent deep
clean at the end of this
3248-mile test, it really
showed.
The rear wheel spindle
was so dry that it had to be
tapped out with a hammer,
Spacers show the results of
3500 miles winter riding
while the front wasn’t far
behind in terms of dryness.
The spacers and bearing
faces were no better.
It looked like it’d been
through a dishwasher. The
story is the same on all
moving parts, linkages and
levers – you have to keep
on top of maintenance,
and be very careful what
you point your pressure
washer at.
‘As we speak I’m
trying to work out
if I can justify a
£10,000 race bike’
carbon wheels? If we lengthened the
gearing could it reach a true 180mph?
Would it be competitive at the North
West or Oliver’s Mount with standard
suspension?
So, although my year with the R6 is
over, the story of the bike is anything
but. In fact, I’m as we speak trying to
work out how I can justify a £10,000
race bike. Failing that I’m chatting with
a few race teams. Hopefully they’ll
allow me a quick play on one of their
full-breathing R6 race bikes this season.
As I said, this story isn’t over yet.
#MCNwednesday
April 11 2018 51
‘The most complete
bike I’ve ever had’
It’s been tested – hard – and is already being missed
I also couldn’t help but be
KTM 1290 SUPER MICHAEL GUY
impressed with the KTM electronics.
ADVENTURE S £14,299 Former 250 road racer, From the quickshifter and auto
blipper through to the advanced
Fuel 23 litres @ 45mpg = 230 mile range adventure rider, enduro and
Weight 238kg Seat height 860mm rally racer traction control, switchable maps,
Power 160bhp Torque 103ftlb Height 5ft 9in Weight 71kg cornering ABS and electronically-
adjustable suspension you can make
michael.guy@motorcyclenews.com the KTM a bike for any occasion.
The S is hard to fault. I never
Saying goodbye to the KTM after a sportsbike on stilts. It can’t turn-in thought it sounded particularly
15,000 miles is tough. It’s the most or steer like a modern sportsbike, good – even with the aftermarket
complete bike I’ve ever had and but on less than perfect surfaces it’s Akrapovic – and the gearbox is a little
proved capable of the demanding every bit as quick, a whole lot of fun clunky… but that’s about it.
and wide-ranging challenges I’ve and just as capable of living in any
attempted. Here’s why: surroundings except a race track.
It’s a great mile-muncher: Proven
on my epic 2000-mile trip to Aragon
via Andorra. The KTM was plush,
comfortable and with enough wind
‘After 12 months
protection to eat up the boring miles and 15,000 miles,
and has the power, suspension and
chassis for serious fun. the S is hard to fault’
The ‘S’ is the road-focused
version of the 1290 family, but it’s
still a serious off-roader. With a set Of course it’s
of Continental TXC80s on spoked capable off-
wheels I enjoyed a number of days road, it’s a KTM
in the dirt. With options to dial-in off-
road suspension settings and an off-
road fuel map it’s incredibly capable,
especially on fast gravel tracks.
It’s a great commuter, too. I rode
380 miles a week over winter and the
KTM made it easy thanks to its big
road presence, tall, adjustable screen
and guards which stopped my hands
freezing. The heated grips helped
as did the optional Ergo Heated seat
(front £209.04, rear £125.40) which
exceeded my expectations.
The 1290 S may be 242kg, but with
160bhp and 103ftlb it performs like
FINALE
UPDAT
15,157
MILES
2000-mile round
trip to Aragon was
one of highlights
www.motorcyclenews.com

52 GARAGE
Fun on dusty trails
and there’s decent
feedback on the
21in front 1090
Adventure R

‘Stable adventuring’
BridgestoneBattlaxAdventureA41£220-£250perpair(120/70x17180/55x17)
Tester Adam Child
What’s good? The A41 is
Bridgestone’s all-new dual compound
tyre and it’s aimed at adventure riders.
We had the chance to spend a day
riding both on and off road on a BMW
R1200GS, KTM 1090 Adventure R and
Honda Africa Twin and were impressed
with performance front and rear.
Bridgestone say the focus with the
front was to strike a balance between
deformation, rigidity and performance
in the wet, while on the rear they
concentrated on water dispersal and
long-travel suspension it’s always a
challenge for a tyre to deliver feedback
to the rider. That said, Bridgestone
have succeeded in creating both feel
and grip and I was hugely impressed.
There was sufficient feedback from the
front to really enjoy the KTM and I had
similar results on the Africa Twin.
Later in the day, I grabbed the more
conventional R1200GS and, again, the
feedback impressive. There were no
moments, no unexpected movement
from front or rear and high-speed
stability was good. Heavy braking was
and 10% off-road bias, but we spent
several hours on dusty tracks and the
A41 performed above expectations.
On loose rocks they found grip
and propelled the bike forward safely.
Despite this, I’d expect a different
result on wetter, heavier and more
challenging terrain.
What’s not? If you want to fit
Bridgestone rubber to your
adventure bike, the 90%
road-going A41 is as off-road
specific as you’ll get. If you are
planning to spend time getting

PICTURES BY JONATHAN GODIN AND HENNY B STERN

high-speed stability. The firm claim the fine, too. Even on fast, long sweeping serious in the dirt you’ll have to
contact patch is 5% bigger corners it was faultless. look elsewhere.
than before and that However, it’s worth Contact www.bridgestone.co.uk
there’s 9% more friction noting that we didn’t get Quality + + + + +
in the wet. The new A41 the opportunity to fully Value + + + + +
can be used with or load any of the test bikes
without a tube. or add a pillion, which Feel, especially the front.
To put that to the test I can create issues – + Stability. Range of sizes
opted for the 1090R with especially on bikes with
its 21in front and 18in long-travel suspension. Not the tyre for you if you
rear. With an off-road Bridgestone say the - are a serious off-roader READ THE FULL REVIEW AT WWW.MOTORCYCLENEWS.COM
biased front and new A41 has a 90% road

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 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 53
Alpinestars SMX-S Cosmo Connected Helmet TT Isle of Man Ride on the
boots £169.99 Brake Light £129.99 Edge game £44.99
Tester Michael Guy
Time used 6000 miles/
Tester Richard Newland
Time used 3100 miles/
Tester Oli Rushby
Time used Two weeks
SHOP
eight months three months What’s good? It can’t be
What’s good? There is
good protection around the shin and
heal area that gives a reassuring and
What’s good? This
helmet-mounted brake and taillight
promises a lot, with a USB
easy to re-create
37.73-miles of public road to scale on a
videogame and I’d guess that’s why it
FOUR SUMMER GLOVES
secure feel. The Velcro that gives the rechargeable 900mAh Lithium-Ion took Bigben Interactive more than two Racer High Arc-on Apex
final fit once the zip is done up is also battery, an app that allows you to years to produce a product fit for Racer Glove Gloves £179.99
incredibly strong. Although the boot control its functions, map rides, and release, but that hard work has paid off. £169.99 Made from
doesn’t appear overly vented, the text three contacts or the emergency Not only is every mile of the TT course These kangaroo kangaroo leather,
material is breathable, meaning my services if it detects a crash. It weighs spot on, but all of the surroundings leather gloves this Arc-on glove
feet also stayed cool during a 145g, and you don’t notice it in use. from post boxes, speed limit signs, have carbon features carbon
2000-mile trip into Spain last Accelerometers and gyros in the speed cameras and cars on driveways protectors on the knuckle protec-
summer. The boot is not designed to self-contained unit detect braking are exactly how they are in real life. The knuckles, fingers tion and a Kevlar
be waterproof, but does a reasonable forces and illuminate the light until sensation of speed is incredibly and cuffs and lining. What’s
job of fending off showers and even the braking force is gone, while you realistic. When you’re heading down abrasion resist- more, there is a
heavy rain for short periods of time. can also choose to have a constantly Sulby Straight at 200mph it’s like the ance. There is also silicone gel palm
What’s not? Having used race boots flashing light, or a full-time taillight. surroundings are closing in on you and Knox armour in for increased grip
that have a drawstring to secure the What’s not? I want to love this everything becomes a blur – Peter the inner wrist to and a finger bridge
fit, I don’t find the fit of these boots product without reserve, but the truth Hickman told me that’s exactly what protect your to help prevent
particularly secure. Despite being the is that they haven’t quite got the it’s like in real life. scaphoid. injury.
right size, they do feel too spacious braking algorithms nailed, yet. What’s not? The physics of the bike
and there is no way to adjust this. The A recent upgrade saw a definite and handling are quite poor. This makes
shin protection is chunky which improvement but for now there are the game quite difficult, as not only do Wolf Rev’it Jerez 3
means that it’s a struggle to get some too many random illuminations. you have to contend with the countless Kangaroo Leather
of my Gore-Tex trousers over the top. Contact www.tranam.co.uk lampposts, walls and trees but you Racing Gloves
Contact ww Quality +++++ Value +++++ have to get used to the way the bike Leather Glove £259.99
Quality ++   behaves. Fortunately, you £109.99 MotoGP-inspired
Value +++  regenerate after TW These have kangaroo leather
each crash and WE
EK
S
O carbon wrist gloves with palm
only lose a couple protection, finger sliders, knuckle
of seconds. bridge and a dual armour, stretch
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 www.motorcyclenews.com

Send your questions to:

54 GARAGE advice@motorcyclenews.com or 01733-468002

Am I being
Q ripped off
for tyre fitting?
I recently bought some tyres online
and took them to my local dealer for
fitting. To say I was met with a cool
reception would be an understatement.
The dealer then charged me £30 to fit
the tyres to loose wheels and balance
them. This brought the price close
to what I would have paid to have the
dealer both supply and fit them. Am I

If we don’t know the answer, we’ll ind the person who does
right to feel a little ripped off?
Arnie Brown, email

Answered by Pete O’Dell,

A The Motorcycle Works
Q Have I blownmyrad? Consider the position of the dealer.
He has the overheads of equipment,
premises and staff. Also, his work
My 18-month-old Triumph Tiger 800 has to be warrantied and that means
has done 32,000 miles. Looking at paying public liability insurance. He
its radiator, I can see that a fender cannot guarantee the quality of tyres
extender is a good idea, but do I not bought from him, or even how long
need a new rad? they have sat on a shelf. I had a debate
Pete Mitchell, #ride5000miles with a customer and it transpired that
by buying tyres online then having
Answered by Gary Hurd, them fitted, he had saved a £1.98.
A Grumpy 1260 Spares/
The Motorcycle Works
As untidy as it looks, there’s no need
to worry about the radiator unless it
is leaking. What has happened here
is that the thin fins that dissipate
heat between the radiator cores have
become bent through relentless
pounding from rain and road dirt.
They are delicate, but the cores
themselves are more robust. The You can’t expect something for nothing
real downside here is that if the fins
become too clogged or too damaged,
then they can’t dissipate heat as Are Yamaha
effectively as they should Q ducking their
responsibility?
My Yamaha Tracer 900 has started
leaking from the oil cooler, just under
a year since it was changed under
warranty. Are Yamaha going to admit
there’s a problem? Last time they
suggested that I cleaned the bike more
often and didn’t get it wet!
Muck and stones Paul Andrews, #ride5000miles
can play havoc
Pete’s rad isn’t pretty, but should be OK with radiators Answered by Alan Seeley,
A technical editor, Practical
Sportsbikes magazine
KIT CHOOSER I’ve talked to a Yamaha dealer about
this and he said that while a handful

What are the options for
Q back protector inserts?
My new jacket has a back
protector pocket. Which
ones should I consider?
Lyn Wood, Croydon
Answered by Ian
A Patterson, Infinity
Motorcycles
Back protector inserts
are graded by their impact
absorption capabilities. You
COMPILED BY ALAN SEELEY
£54.95 £16.99 were replaced under warranty, the
Dainese the RST Contour
issue is not necessarily with the cooler
itself but with its position on the bike.
Wave G1/G2 Plus Level 2 If it isn’t cleaned regularly then it can
for their own jackets, ack Protector corrode, especially in UK weather. To
too. For instance, be fair, this isn’t just a Yamaha or even a
Alpinestars have the Tracer issue specifically. So, the advice
Nucleon KR-2i Back on cleaning stands up – although
Insert (£37.99) as avoiding getting it wet is plainly
an option; Dainese ridiculous and hardly necessary.
the Wave G1/G2 Back
Protector (£54.95); RS
have the Contour Plus
Level 2 (£16.99); and
have their RB-Pi2 (£2
£37.99 £49.99

will find both CE Level 1 If your manufacture

and the higher CE Level 2 in does not offer an insert, the £29.99
multiple shapes and sizes to very highly-rated Forcefield Alpinestars rcefield
suit various pockets. Many of Prolite K L2 range (£49.99) Oxford KR 2i Nucleon ite K back
the clothing manufacturers is a great option as it comes RB-Pi2 back insert ert L2 007
supply suitable protectors in loads of different sizes. Regular cleaning can avoid problems

Your legal questions
Q What if I
get hit by a
driverless car?
I have read a few horror stories
about driverless cars causing
fatalities and this got me thinking.
If I were to be knocked off my
bike by a driverless car and get
injured, who would compensate
me? Surely, the owner would
have a get out as the vehicle
wasn’t under their control?
Mark Glover, by email
As far as I know, no
A laws are yet in place in
England and Wales dealing with
liability for accidents involving
driverless or automated vehicles
specifically. Until such time, we
must rely on the current laws.
Section 104 of The Road
Vehicles (Construction and
Use) Regulations 1986 deals
with ‘driver’s control.’ It states
‘No person shall drive, or cause
or permit any other person to
drive, a motor vehicle on a road
‘There are so
many questions
around liability
and responsibility’
if he is in such a position that he
cannot have proper control of the
vehicle or have a full view of the
road and traffic ahead.’
This would seem to suggest
that irrespective of the fact the
vehicle is driverless there must
be a person in control, i.e. in the
driver’s seat and ready to take
over manual control.
There are so many questions
surrounding responsibility and
liability with driverless vehicles
and I can foresee many legal
complications. Will insurance
premiums be sky high and thus
unaffordable to most considering
the recent high profile fatalities?
I wonder if they will ever
become a mainstream reality.
In the meantime, it appears that
the driver must be in control –
somewhat defeating the point!
Andrew Campbell
Solicitor and author of the MCN Law column
for the last ten years
Andrew Campbell, Bikelawyer.
Visit www.bikelawyer.co.uk or
email andrew@bikelawyer.co.uk
ll 01446 794169
Motorcycle Accident Solicitors
#MCNwednesday
April 11 2018 55
EXPERT’S GUIDE TO...
HEADLIGHTS
Seeing and being seen is an elaborate art,
involving complex maths and thermal dynamics
THE EXPERT
Frederic Pfeuffer
BMW Motorrad’s Developing
Engineer for Light Technology
designed the 2018 F850GS’ new
headlight – a job that took five years!
Creating a motorcycle headlight
has many challenges – packaging,
weight, money, styling and of
course how it projects its light.
With LED technology we have
much more freedom when it
comes to styling, so this factor is
increasing in importance. Function
and design are equally important
when creating a new headlight.
You have to take into
account how the bike
moves and pitches
from side to
side, as well as
up and down. We
try and make it as
homogeneous as possible,
with no shadows, so that it is
easy for the eye to adapt to.
We do this through the use
of ‘stray light,’ which softens
the cut-off points where the
main light ends and also gives
some remaining light when the
bike pitches.
Cars will always have better
lights than bikes as they are lower
to the road, run more powerful
electrical systems and have the
ability and space to carry more Who knew there
weight so we can add features such was so much to
as adaptive technology. headlight design?
6 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW temperatures, meaning the
plastic doesn’t overheat
and turn opaque.
What’s in a headlight? Reflector Heat sink
When it comes to premium
2 The LEDs are arranged
3 While LEDs run cooler ECU control
bikes, manufacturers now at 90° to the horizon (both than filament bulbs, they still
6 Unlike filament bulbs,
use LEDs. LEDs will last the up and down), so their light is produce heat (roughly 90° Daytime Running Lights are whose light output can be
lifespan of a motorcycle and directed out by the shape of compared to 700°) and an actually a very fast strobe altered via a voltage change,
as they never need changing, the unit’s reflective backing. aluminium heat sink helps LEDs rely on either a change
most headlights are now This surface is a very complex dissipate this. which helps distinguish the or break in current to alter
sealed units. shape and has to be perfectly bike. There are certain legal their light emission. That
clean as it controls how the requirements for DRLs, such requires an ECU to control
LED circuit boards light is projected. Getting this as the area of light produced, the headlight’s functions.
1 LEDs provide the light correct takes years of testing spacing and the fact they The brightness of DRLs is
source and are grouped on and development. need to turn off at night – but varied by strobing the light;
a circuit board in arrays. As they are actually brighter the length of the gap between
they produce so much light, than a low beam light and being on and off alters its
these arrays can be very These aluminium heat sinks cover a larger area. brightness. A European-spec
small. On the F850GS the absorb the heat of the LEDs DRL is on for 10 milliseconds,
low beam uses two arrays Screen off for 30 milliseconds, on for
of four LEDs each, while the DRL 5 Headlight screens are 10 milliseconds, off for 30
main beam has a single array 4 Daylight Running Lights now made from toughened milliseconds. As this change
with six. The main beam are LEDs that are projected plastic instead of glass. This is so fast the human eye
requires fewer LEDs as the The complexity of the light’s through a clear tube to has only been made possible can’t detect the strobe
light is more focused. internal design takes years create an individual shape, as LEDs run at far lower pattern.
www.motorcyclenews.com

BE AMAZED O New & used bikes O Buying tips O Classiied ads O Great
BUYING&
GET IN ON
THE ACTION
FOR LESS
Great Suzuki finance deals make getting
that new bike for spring all the easier
I are offering lower monthly
payments and smaller deposits on
certain models in the range.
Elsewhere, the larger V-Strom 1000 is
available for just £99/month over four
years, with a deposit of £1869.86.
Just in time for the warmer weather, Away from APR incentives, Suzuki
many of the deals are continuations of are also promising both the GSX-S and
existing offers and mark a move into the GSX-R125 125 across three years, at
second quarter of the selling year, which 3%APR, with a deposit of just £33 and
began at the start of April. no final balloon payment.
The firm have offers across much of
their low-capacity range, as well as the
new retro-inspired SV650X and V-Strom
650 and 1000 adventure models. ‘Over three years, an
Running until June 30, the deal allows
customers to build their own low-rate
SV650X café racer is
finance packages on either hire purchase
(HP) or PCP across Suzuki’s larger
just £65/month, with
capacity bikes, with the APR mirroring £1508.32 down’
the duration of the monthly repayments.
This means an APR of 2% across two
years, 3% over three years and 4% over
Once you have paid the initial £33,
a MotoGP-liveried GSX-R125 requires READ ON
four years. What’s more, there is also 36 monthly repayments of £123.23, Read more ab
out
the additional incentive of £750-worth whereas the naked GSX-S variant will Suzuki’s SV65
0X later
of free accessories when you purchase set you back 36 instalments of £114.51. this year as pa
rt
either V-Strom 650 or 1000. Alongside these and other promotions, of MCN’S 2018
Over three years, this means the every new Suzuki sold comes with a long-term test A V-Strom 1000 for
new-for-2018 SV650X café racer three-year warranty and a year’s free fleet. under £100/month?
could be yours for just £65 per month AA roadside cover. Thanks Suzuki!

P PICKS FROM ELSEWHERE

KTM 390 Duke £4699 Yamaha YZF-R125 £4723 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade £15,769
Deposit £403 24 X £179 APR 0% Deposit £799 36 X £109 APR 0% Deposit £0 47 X £181.16 Balloon payment £7254.27 APR 0%
Available from Crescent KTM, Verwood Available from Participating Yamaha dealers Available from Vertu Honda, Grantham & Nottingham
 #MCNwednesday

SELLING
P58

Early Blades
Tips to bag
a bargain

deals O 15,421 bikes for sale BIKES FOR SALE

BITESIZE

SIDE
NEIL MURRAY: USED BIKE WHEELER DEALER. HE’S ON YOUR

What about maintenance? KTM PowerWear

Street collection
Valuablefoodforthoughtforthenon-mechanicallymindedamongstus KTM have released a new range
What follows really relates to older of protective urban clothing. With
bikes, but while it sounds bleedin’ Smiling now, he won’t the full range on the firm’s website,
obvious it’s surprising how often the be if he has to clean and the cool branded clobber includes
obvious gets overlooked! balance his own carbs Alpinestars’ Managua and Durban
If you’re looking at the used bike GTX Tech-Air Gore-Tex adventure-
of your dreams, who’s going to touring grear, with airbag technology.
fettle it? This is no joke. If you buy a www.ktm.com
new bike, ipso-facto it’ll be from a
franchised dealer and they’ll have a
workshop department.
However, an increasing number
of workshops now refuse to work
on bikes older than a certain age. In
some cases workshops turn them
down because they’ve learned that
to do something simple sometimes
means sorting out three previous
owners’ bodges and an assortment
of stripped or seized fasteners.
They’ve also got to deal with the
owner, who then screams when
New Daytona
charged for eight hours’ labour for
changing a chain and sprocket set.
shorty boots
Moreover, there’s a generation Boot experts Daytona have released
of riders who have grown up with a new waterproof short trainer boot,
electronically-controlled bikes and ready for the warmer weather. Made
fuel injection for whom carburettors with Gore-Tex, the AC Dry is claimed
are a dark art – sadly that’s the case to offer comfort both on and off the
for some workshops, too... bike and, what’s more, they’re also
Go further back and you’ve got breathable and CE-approved.
spoked wheels, which may need www.tranam.co.uk
re-truing or rebuilding, and
mechanical ignition systems with
ALSO CATCHING MY EYE THIS WEEK
contact breakers, spring-derived
ignition advance and strange things
called condensers!
There really are shops that
have never had to set up a points
ignition or adjust a camchain whose
tensioner is entirely manual.
Yes, old bikes are cool, but buying
a bevel-drive Ducati Desmo single
or an old Meriden Triumph twin
2008 Yamaha XT660Z, 1999 BMW K1200LT £5495 1992 Suzuki GS500E £695
can land you with industrial-grade
hassle if you don’t know how to Tenere £3195 Seller says 27,000 miles, Seller says 39,000 miles, largely
Price drop on
work on it yourself – only to find the
nearest independent specialist is
Seller says 20,500 miles, some
marks and scrapes, lots of parts.
partial history, ABS disabled,
recommissioned, new MoT.
original, one month warranty.
Neil says Some age-related
Blaze Panniers
300 miles away… or in Germany. Neil says Worth it if you want Neil says A bit of a barge, but it marks, but cheap motoring. With prices now starting at
So do some research, assume the spares, but few do. Should lower is the SE model, so comes with all Could make a good commuter £250 (15% off), these differ from
worst and find out where you can get the price and sell them separately. the toys. for someone. traditional throw-over luggage with
it fixed before you hand over the cash. a design that features a Quick-Lock
mounting rail that fits to the foot
NEXT WEEK How colourschemes rest hangers of your machine –
can dramatically afect a sale. BIKES FOR SALE 15,421 bargain bikes for sale right now! alleviating the need for bungees.
www.motohaus.com
 www.motorcyclenews.com
58 BUYING & SELLING
1992-1993
Honda CBR900RR
FireBlade
Honda's game-changer is a true modern classic
By Bruce Dunn
MCN GUEST TESTER
What we said then...
‘This is without doubt a knife-edge
sportsbike with 122 horse power being
put to full use, not wasted dragging
vast lumps of unwanted weight around.’
Chris Dabbs, MCN 1992
What's it like now?
The FireBlade defines the modern
sportsbike era, and these original
models have become increasingly
desirable in recent years.
Class-leading lightness was the
Blade's original mission statement and
Honda achieved this by making it as
spartan as possible. Both visually and
mechanically, there's very little that
doesn't earn its keep. This philosophy
helped the CBR900RR come in at
around 185kg when the GSX-R1100
and EXUP, tipped the scales at 231kg
and 209kg, respectively.
Even today, these early FireBlades
still feel very light and although the
weight distribution feels slightly top
‘’We ❤ the 90s…’
Bruce gets all
misty -eyed
PAUL BRYANT
FIND YOUR HONDA FIREBLADE ON
1992
Honda FireBlade
CBR900RR
Colours Various
Dealer £4800
Private average £4300
Private good £4200
This one Original FireBlade
in nice condition. Three
previous owners, £4399.
heavy compared to a modern bike, the
Blade displays exceptional flickability.
Despite this, there are so many
throwbacks to remind you that this is
a quarter-of-a-century-old model. The
choke knob, for example – they looked
daft back in the day – like something
you'd see in your granny's car.
While it warms up, I check the tyres
and am reminded again that this is a
machine from the early 90s. The 16in
front wheel was really popular with
manufactures at the time, with the idea
being that it gave sharp steering.
This theory was correct but there
tended to be a trade-off with poor
stability on some models. That said,
this FireBlade felt very stable –
something helped by its modern tyres.
Although the 130/70x16
Bridgestone Battlax BT-016s are not
cutting-edge, they are miles better
than what was available when the
Blade was new.
Although stability is fine, the ride
was a little bit choppy over bumpy
Cambridgeshire back roads and it was
only when opening out on to smoother
BIKES FOR SALE
1993
Honda FireBlade
CBR900RR
Colours Various
Dealer £4600
Private average £4100
Private good £4000
This one One of the first
fox-eyes. 49,000 miles. New
chain, pads etc. £2400.
Find 1000s more bikes online at mcnbikesforsale.com
What's on the clocks?
Prices for early Blades are climbing but
you can pick up high mileage
machines at a fair price. We still
adore that minimalist
flowing roads that I was able to increase analogue dash.
the pace. Opening the throttle on
carbed bikes like the original Blade
rewards with an immediate and linear
connection.
Any problems?
This bike, registered in 1994, was
probably one of the last original 'round
eye' models to make it on to an 'L' prefix
number plate and shows signs of some
honest ageing. That said, there's nothing
that amounts to distress, and it can
certainly be rejuvenated. Some areas of
the chassis have lost that immaculate
brushed satin showroom finish, along
with some of the ancillaries, footrest
hangers and swingarm.
Some of the plastic parts, switchgear
and fairing inners have aged, too with
24-years-worth of the sun's UV rays.
But, let's face it, Honda made this
original Blade with so little in the way of
superficial trim that there's not much to
worry about.
Verdict
A quick blast on the original Blade
only serves to confirm its place in the
sportsbike hall of fame. Even today, they
still perform brilliantly and you'd be
hard-pushed to tire of the experience.
Our 1994 example is an unrestored
bike that has had a fair bit of use, but
still remains in good condition. Bikes like
this can still be bought for a reasonable
price, somewhere around £3000, but
you can easily expect to pay far more for
lower mileages.
One thing's for sure, prices for these
early Blades will only increase, so
buy right and you'll not only have your
own a very satisfying piece of history,
but you'll also have a little bit of an
investment on your hands.
With thanks to
Stevelin Motorcycles of Ramsey,
Cambridgeshire (01487 711513)
1994
Honda FireBlade
CBR900RR
Colours Various
Dealer £3000
Private average £2900
Private good £2800
This one The Urban Tiger
paintjob still hits the spot.
Nice condition, £3000.
 #MCNwednesday

Find 1000s more bikes online at mcnbikesforsale.com BIKES FOR SALE April 11 2018 59

‘In general, they're

tough old girls’
Go for original condition
Although more expensive, bikes in “It's been a while
original condition are in demand and since I had one
will guarantee the best return in of these in the
Run them regularly the future. workshop, but
Don't just hoard it away in the garage. every time we
Bikes of this age need to be run regu- do they draw a Scott Bullett
larly or the unleaded petrol will gum lot of attention Workshop manager at
up the carbs and jets. from all the Doble Motorcycles
other technicians,
especially if they are
in good order. I really like
them, and they’re a bit like a fine
wine in the way that the older they
get the better they are.
“Everyone seems to have had
one, or if they didn't then they
always wanted one, so there is a
lot of interest for them from guys
who were in their early 20s when
the Blade was new but couldn't
afford one at the time, but now
they're older they can.
“In general, they're tough old
girls, and only need general wear
and tear issues looking at. As
‘Guys who were in
causing a false neutral,
so if you can take a
test ride make sure
the bike you're
looking at can
accelerate hard in
second gear without
this happening.
“At this time Honda
had some common
problems with the charging
system and the regulator rectifier
was a frequent failure.
“Camchain tensioners can
cause a rattle and you can hear it
when the bike is on its stand and
blip the throttle on the overrun.
Expect to pay around £200 to sort
it out with new bits.
“In the main though, these early
FireBlades were reliable and
great fun, and if you can get them
in original stock trim, they will
only go up in value. Not only that,
but they'll take you right back to
the heyday of the early 90s or get
you the bike you always wanted
back in the day.”

their 20s when the

LOOK
Blade was new really HERE
want them’
they have carburettors and also
may not be used so regularly,
they need to be started and run
as often as possible, because
sitting in the garage causes
the petrol to gum up inside the
carbs and block jets.
“This can also create sticky
float valves, which in turn
causes fuel leaks, so if you
do have one put some fuel
stabiliser in her to prevent this.
“One major thing to look for
is gearbox trouble. Second gear Build quality is solid but wat
ch for
is notorious for jumping out and corrosion on older bikes

K
LOORE
HE
Gearbox woes
Second gear is renowned for jumping
out and causing a false neutral, so
if you can take a test ride make
sure it can accelerate hard in Created by the genius
second. that is Tadao Baba the
original Blade still has
an irresistible appeal

1997 Insurance COMPARE

Honda CBR900RR
Colours Various MCN Compare for £4000 sports bikes, from the
Dealer £2500 early to mid-nineties.
Private average £2000
Private Good £2200 £92 £100 £111 £112 £121 £145
This one Stock with a recent
full service, alarm, both keys, 1994 1994 1994 1994 1994 1994
old MoTs and handbook. Suzuki GSX- Suzuki Kawasaki Yamaha EX- Honda Ducati 916 The engine doesn't cause too many issues but second gear can be wayward
7600 miles, £2395 R1100 RF900R ZXR750 UP RU FireBlade Biposto
www.motorcyclenews.com

60 BUYING & SELLING Find 1000s more bikes online at mcnbikesforsale.com

SELLWITHEASE,BUYWITHCONFIDENCE
Get your advert in front of thousands of bikers at mcnbikesforsale.com
or call us on 0845 051 5001 for more info
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 #MCNwednesday

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 #MCNwednesday

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 www.motorcyclenews.com
BE ENTERTAINED OMotoGP OWSB OBSB ORoads OOff-road
WORLD SUPERBIKES
Chaz Davies heads into Aragon just 12 points behind series leader Johnny Rea,
on the back of win in Thailand and to a track where he’s a proven winner
GOLD AND GOOSE
Will Davies’ Ducati
be ahead of Rea’s
Kawasaki at Aragon?
GREG HAINES
WSB REPORTER
greg.haines@motorcyclenews.com
@MCNSport motorcyclenews
Chaz Davies is the man with the mo-
mentum in World Superbikes. After
surprising himself by winning in
Thailand, the Ducati man is one of three
riders within 12 points of champion-
ship leader Jonathan Rea. This week
WSB heads to Motorland Aragon; a
track where Davies has become a serial
winner in recent years.
Davies’ stats from Aragon are almost
unprecedented: six wins from the last 10
races, two doubles and eight podiums.
Davies had his first podium there on
a private Aprilia in 2012 and his first
double a year later on the BMW. Just
SPORT
one more victory at the Spanish circuit
would move him into an elite band of
men to have achieved seven or more
wins on a single circuit. So what is it
about Davies and Aragon?
“It’s one of those tracks where I could
happily keep filling the fuel tank and
riding all day,” he says. “I never get
bored of it. With some tracks you’ve
had enough by the end of the day but
Aragon tempts you to keep riding its
sweeping, climbing corners and high-
speed back straight. I enjoy it so much
I get into this really good mental state
of flow. I don’t have to force it. It just
happens.
“Last year was one of the best races
of the season. I’d crashed in race one
which unsettled me. Race two was
a real toe-to-toe between me and
‘Johnny isn’t
running away with
it this year. He’s
having to work’
CHAZ DAVIES
Johnny. We swapped the lead three
or four times on the last lap. Both of
us were on the limit and really wanted
to win. I made a mistake. He overtook
me. I came back at him. He got me onto
the back straight. I went straight back
underneath him. I was semi-expecting
it, so I left room but made sure I got the
cutback. I got the job done but came
out of there knowing I’d missed the
opportunity of a double. No regrets.”
It’s never easy to judge the mindset
of a rider. Their chosen career path
means they constantly look forward
and rarely reminisce. It’s all about
tomorrow. So is Davies an optimist or
a pessimist?
“I’m not the sort of person who
thinks either ‘I’m going to dominate!’
or ‘I’ve got no chance!’ When I feel good
I know I have a chance, but I also know
anything can happen. I never allow
myself to reach really high heights or
really low lows.”
After badly hurting a knee and
shoulder in a high-speed testing crash
at Jerez in November, Davies never
dreamed of winning so soon into 2018.
“Honestly, no. I felt delayed all win-
CHAZ DAVIES’
MOTORLAND
ARAGON STATS
6 wins
8
podiums
6
fastest laps
104
laps in the lead
212
points scored
ter. It was very tough. I got back into
form at Phillip Island but definitely
didn’t expect a win at Buriram. Be-
tween me and Marco, Ducati has won
three of the first four. It has surprised
everybody because we’ve been hit badly
with the rev limit, but we’re working
hard to make up in other areas like
chassis and aero.
“Johnny isn’t running away with it
this year. He’s having to work how I feel
I had to work over the last few years.
I know they’ve had some problems,
but he’s having to force the issue and
they’re making some mistakes. At the
same time the rest of us are closer and
nobody has a real upper hand. It makes
you feel confident you have a chance
everywhere we go. It’s great for the
championship!”

P68
Ray rising BSB’s hottest
property speaks to MCN
BITESIZE
Giugliano signed
for Laverty ride
Milwaukee Aprilia have secured
Davide Giugliano to stand in for the
CLASHATNW200
injured Eugene Laverty who was
hurt in Thailand and won’t return
until Donington. Fourteen times a
WSB podium finisher, ex Ducati man
Giugliano raced for Honda at the last
four rounds of 2017.
Misano to open
Nicky Hayden
memorial garden
Misano’s council last week began
work on a memorial garden for Nicky
Hayden, close to the scene of his
tragic 2017 accident. The project
is supported by close friend and
former Repsol Honda mechanic Denis
Pazzaglini, who was cycling with
Hayden on the day of his accident.
May 22 marks the first anniversary of
Hayden’s passing.
Morais to sub for
Sofuoglu in Aragon
and Assen
With injured five time World
Supersport Champion Kenan
Sofuoglu expected to retire, his
Puccetti Kawasaki will be raced
by Sheridan Morais in Aragon and
Assen. The South African, who won in
Germany last year for Kallio Racing,
will combine this with his team
manager role at the YART Samurai
Supersport 300 team.
PACEMAKER PRESS INTL
World Superbikes
takes to the road
In a bid to better promote events
and increase interest, Dorna have
launched a WorldSBK Warm Up
Tour which will see numerous riders
visit European cities ahead of rounds
where fans can take photos with the
bikes and hopefully buy tickets for
the races.
Stand by for
fireworks! Super-
sport 300 is back!
The Supersport 300 World
Championship kicks off again in
Aragon this coming weekend and
promises more fairing-to-fairing
action from the stars of the future.
The European Superstock 1000
Championship also kicks off its
2018 campaign at the mountainous
Spanish venue.
P70
What next for Lorenzo?
Ex-champ’s Ducati woes
ROADS
There’s no love lost
between Alastair
Seeley and Michael
Dunlop
By Stephen Davison
MCN CONTRIBUTOR
@MCNNews motorcyclenews
Most of the attention surrounding
Michael Dunlop’s recent signing for
Tyco BMW has focussed on his 2018
TT challenge. But the North West 200,
which takes place a week before TT
practice begins, could see him locked
into an equally enthralling battle with
two major Irish foes.
Dunlop will face stern North West
opposition within his own Tyco camp
from 21-times NW200 race winner,
Alastair Seeley. They may be teammates
but there is little love lost between the
pair, especially since Seeley usurped
Dunlop’s father, Robert, as the most
P70
Miller time Aussie
makes his MotoGP mark
successful North West racer of all time
two years ago.
“We’ve never shaken hands,” Seeley
told a Belfast newspaper last week.
Dunlop’s dealings with Glenn
Irwin, the winner of last year’s feature
superbike race on the Be Wiser/PBM
Ducati at the Irish event, are also less
than cordial.
“I hate my relationship with Michael
now,” Irwin said during the recent
NW200 launch night.
“We used to be friends and I admire
him for what he has achieved at the TT
but he has never beaten me in a road
race and maybe that has something to
do with the way things are.”
Such statements wave a red rag in the
face of the bull that Dunlop displays on
P72
Not guilty Marquez says
crash wasn’t intentional
his MD Racing machines but even with-
out these personal animosities the trio’s
battles in both NW200 superbike races
promises to be a fascinating spectacle.
After winning four races at last year’s
seaside meeting, 38-year-old Seeley
seemed destined to make it a clean
sweep with the final feature event.
Irwin hadn’t read that script, edging
a last lap thriller and Seeley has vowed
to avenge that loss in 2018.
Neither Seeley nor Irwin compete at
the TT, doing most of their racing on
the British championship short circuit
scene. Some people feel the skills they
hone at Silverstone and Thruxton give
the short circuit riders an advantage,
but it is Dunlop that holds the NW200
outright lap record.
#MCNwednesday
P74
Rossi ‘Marquez has
destroyed our sport’
Kneen caught the eye of Tyco boss Neill
with his 2017 TT Superstock podium
DANKNEEN:
‘THISISMYBIG
CHANCE’
Over the past few weeks Dan Kneen
has remained the quiet man of the Tyco
BMW squad as Michael Dunlop grabbed
the headlines. The Manxman joined the
Northern Ireland team last autumn off
the back of a great 2017 season.
“I realised that when the chance of
a short term ride with the team came
up last season I had to take it with both
hands.” explained Kneen who took two
podium finishes at Ulster for team.
Kneen caught the eye of Tyco boss
Philip Neill when he claimed a maiden
TT podium in the 2017 Superstock race
on his privately entered DTR BMW.
He also beat Suzuki Superbike riding
Michael Dunlop at the Southern 100
on his stocker.
“This is my big chance and I want to
make the most of it,” is the Manxman’s
declaration of intent for 2018.
MERCERTO
STANDINFOR
HUTCHY?
PAUL DENTON
Steve Mercer has been pictured testing
the Honda Racing Fireblade. The
Englishman is set to stand in for Ian
Hutchinson in the event of Hutchy not
being fit enough to race at the TT.
 www.motorcyclenews.com
68 SPORT BSB PREVIEW
INTERVIEW
Getting up close with BSB’s new kid on the block – Bra
OLI RUSHBY
BSB REPORTER
oli.rushby@motorcyclenews.com
20-year-old Bradley Ray charged into
the Bennetts British Superbike limelight
with a stunning debut double victory in
the opening round at Donington Park.
Ahead of the second round MCN sat
down with the big-haired young gun
to find out more about BSB’s latest
front runner.
MCN: Has it sunk in yet?
BR: Not 100%. I haven’t had time to
sit down and think about it but as the
days have gone on it’s been like ‘Wow,
I really did that!’
It’s such a weird feeling, I won the
first race of the year and then made it
a double. It’s like a dream!
For a 20-year-old you’ve already had
quite a colourful racing career...
We’ve raced in all sorts of champion-
ships over the years from Britain to
Red Bull Rookies to Spanish Champi-
onships…
What was your highlight before the
weekend’s double win?
It has to be winning the Red Bull Rookies
race in Austin, Texas in 2013 – it was the
first race of the year and the first ever
motorcycle race around the Circuit of
the Americas. I cleared off as well!
How hard is it to be a young Brit try-
ing to make a name for yourself on the
international stage?
It’s difficult. When we were in the Red
Bull Rookies and doing the Spanish
championship, for the Brits you have
to stand out massively from the Italians
and the Spanish to get an opportunity.
All the teams are Spanish and Italian
and those countries have so many good
kids coming through so understand-
ably they go for their own riders. That
meant for us the only way to get into a
team was to pay the money. I went with
Mark Keane and KRP and did a year in
RAY’S CAREER HISTORY
11th British
2017 Superbike 2016
Championship. Championship.
2014
DOUBLE RED/REDBULL
Red Bull Rookies Cup.
2013
Red Bull Rookies Cup, 15th CEV.
the Spanish championships. To try and
make it out there was difficult.
What are your long term aims?
Any youngster on the way up is going
to say MotoGP and that’s no different
for me. It’s where I want to be, but I’m
going to have to take a different route
to get there. The step after BSB has to be
World Superbikes and then see where we
go from there. If it ends up with me be-
ing in WSB for a while then that’s it, but
the ultimate goal is MotoGP – whether
that’s possible I’m not too sure.
It is still possible to get there through
that route, Cal Crutchlow did it and
also Sam Lowes. Alex Lowes also got
chosen for MotoGP wildcards based
on his World Superbike performances.
It’s difficult, because GP teams so often
look at Moto3 and Moto2, but it’s not
impossible. Crutchlow proved that.
How did you pull off that race two start?
To be honest it was one of those where I
was sat on the grid looking at the lights
thinking ‘They’ve got to change soon!’
And as soon as the lights went out I
dropped the clutch. I surprised myself
a bit. I thought I’d jump started but my
reaction time was so quick, the bike
hooked up well and I just went for it!
It sounds a bit strange, but Hawk
entered me for an EMRA class meet at
Ray receives his prize watch from
MSV boss Jonathan Palmer
3rd British 6th British 125cc
Supersport 2012 series, 7th Red
Bull Rookies Cup.
3rd British Motostar
Championship, 4th
11th British Motostar
Championship, 11th
the start of the year at Mallory and we When a new rider reach
had five races in a day there, so that’s there are always quest
five race starts. Through the winter fighting for the title. Have
you don’t do anything and I think do- about it much?
ing those five race starts at Mallory got Yes, everyone keeps aski
me ready for when the lights went out, it! I’d like to think it’s p
whereas the other boys haven’t had the weekend. It’s early da
the chance to do real-time race starts are 24 races to go. The fi
through winter so they’re a bit rusty! bone dry, the second ra
conditions and every tim
Is it weird racing people like Haslam out we’ve been around th
and Shakey? that’s a big confidence b
It’s bonkers! Last year I was racing got good pace in all condi
against them and being behind them bodes well for the rest of
was one thing, but to be battling with difficult to gauge it on th
Haslam, Byrne, Ellison – who I used to with everyone getting in
watch as a kid when I went up to Brands of things, but I’ve got m
on the back of my Dad’s bike – is
insane. I used to walk up and
down the paddock thinking
these guys were amazing,
so to be looking down
from the top step of the
podium with Shakey
and Haslam next to
me was surreal. I was
speechless.
What made it possible?
I think it’s a combination of things.
The team have worked really hard
over the winter to improve the bike in
the areas where we struggled a lot last
year. But I’ve also changed my riding
style quite a bit to ride the bike more
like a superbike and less like a 600. I
think I still am riding like a 600. With
the Suzuki you can get away with that
a bit but I do think my style needs to
change a bit more.
How do you feel about riding in front
of your home crowd at Brands?
It’ll be interesting! It’s not just my home
round though, is it? It’s Shakey’s too! I
don’t mind the Brands Indy circuit. It’s
not one of my favourites but last year
we got an eighth and a tenth there in
the second race of the year so I’m feel-
ing pretty confident. With the results Ray hasn’t just
we got last year and the improvements got big hair, the
we’ve made with the bike I feel we can 20-year-old has big
be strong. ambitions, too
6th place
2011 British 125cc
championship.
FAB-Racing
2008 British Champion
MiniGP70.
FAB-Racing
2007 British Champion 2004/5/6
MiniGP50. Champion.
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 69

THE HAIR?
‘I love the idea of shocking
people when I take my
helmet off. It’s brilliant’
BRADLEY RAY

BRANDS BSB THE STATS

Brands Indy: 15/04/2018
Length 1.21- miles CEARWAYS
Corners 6, 2 left, 4 right
DRUIDS Lap record 45’212s MCLAREN
(James Ellison – 2015)
Outright record 44’728s
(James Ellison – 2017) CLARK CURVE
SURTEES

We might have
HAILWOOD HILL
to get used to
seeing this COOPER STRAIGHT

BRABHAM STRAIGHT
GRAHAM HILL BEND
PADDOCK HILL BEND
START/ FINISH

2017 Race 1
• Luke Mossey – Kawasaki
• Leon Haslam – Kawasaki
• Christian Iddon – BMW
Ray ran at the
front all 2017 Race 2
––weekend • Luke Mossey – Kawasaki
• Christian Iddon – BMW
• Leon Haslam – Kawasaki
www.motorcyclenews.com

70 SPORT MOTOGP | ROUND 2 | ARGENTINA

BRIT WATCH
JUMPING JACK

M
CHAMPIONSHIP DASHBOARD
ARGENTINA 8/4/18 SCOTTREDDING
MotoGP Started 15th Finished 12th
■ Length: 2.99 miles After a difficult start to the season
MOTOGP ■ Corners: 14– 5left,9right in Qatar and a tough weekend in
■ Longeststraight:0.669miles
Cal Crutchlow Argentina thanks to a back injury

1 25 points
Win sees Brit top the title
chase for first time
■ Raceconditions:
Wet 22° air temp,
23°tracktemp
sustained in training, things are finally
looking up for Redding. Finding that his
Qatar performance was down to his Aussi stuns with pace and matu
Johann Zarco #1 bike possibly being bent, he claimed

2 20 points
French Tech 3 star had
strong and steady ride
solid points in Sunday’s race.

BRADLEY SMITH
SIMON PATTERSON
MOTOGP REPORTER
simon.patterson@motorcyclenews.com
Miller again bet on dry rubber despite
the race being declared wet. The only
rider to line up on the grid on them,
@MCNSport motorcyclenews he was forced to watch in despair as

3
Alex Rins MotoGP Started 21st Didn’t finish the other 23 riders behind him pulled
16 points Despite a strong start to the weekend, This weekend’s Argentinian Grand off the grid, which forced the hands
Suzuki pilot just pipped
pole-man Miller for third
Smith was left struggling in the race Prix has saw some bittersweet emo- of MotoGP organisers and resulted in
before making an uncharacteristic tions for Australian Jack Miller. After a delayed race start.
mistake that saw him crash out. One of taking his debut pole position in the One of only a series of confounding
RACE TOP SPEEDS FASTEST RACE LAP POSITIONS a number of riders who suffered from premier class he was the only rider calls by race direction over the course
Gains&losses(gridvfinish)
1’39.902 1 Crutchlow
an aggressive Marc Marquez pass,
Smith crashed at turn one trying to
to successfully call Sunday’s condi-
tions before last minute changes to
of the weekend, they then lined the grid
up again four rows behind Miller in an
£ £ £

PETRUCCI Marquez
Honda 9 make up lost time. the running order saw his advantage attempt to help him retain some of his
2 Zarco disappear. advantage. But despite a blistering start
205.74 MPH
GP qualifying
1’47.153
Miller
Yamaha

3 Rins
1
DANNY KENT
Set to start the race on pole after an
incredible performance on slick tyres
and spending most of the battle at the
front, he was forced to settle for fourth
Moto2 race
1’44.329
Vierge
Suzuki 2 Moto2 Started 3rd Finished 12th on a damp track during qualifying, at the flag – a result that he says could
Showing strong form in qualifying
£

4 Miller 3
Moto3 race 1’55.968 Ducati while running alone, Kent was unable
Circuit lap record: Martin
5 Vinales to make the most of his first front row
£ £

Rossi 1’39.019
LAPS LED THIS SEASON
Yamaha 4 start in nearly three years. Struggling
MOTOGP TOP SPEEDS 6 Dovizioso to make overtaking passes and forced
Q Zarco Q Miller Q Marquez
Q Dovizioso Q Crutchlow Q Rins
Ducati 2 to over-stress the Speed Up machine
205.74mph Petrucci 7 Rabat on the brakes, he’s now hoping for a
£

205.05mph Crutchlow 1
Ducati 3 new fairing for Jerez in two weeks.
4
8 Iannone
£ £ £

204.18mph Dovizioso 5 Suzuki 4

203.19mph Marquez 19 SAM LOWES
9 Syahrin
203.00mph Lorenzo
6 Yamaha 14 Moto2 Started 6th Finished 13th
Another unlucky weekend for Lowes
11 10 Petrucci
202.82mph Rabat Ducati 8 as near contact with pole sitter Xavi
Vierge in the early part of Sunday’s
Moto2 race left him off the track and
CHAMPIONSHIP MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP MOTO2 CHAMPIONSHIP MOTO3 with a damaged bike. Re-joining well
Ridersafter2rounds Ridersafter2rounds Ridersafter2rounds
down the field he then suffered with
Pos Rider Nat Points Pos Rider Nat Points Pos Rider Nat Points extreme chatter and lost out on the
1 Crutchlow GBR 38 1 Pasini ITA 38 1 Canet SPA 40 chance of what he thought would be a
2 Dovizioso SPA 35 2 Baldassarri ITA 33 2 Martin SPA 30 solid top six finish.
3 Zarco FRA 28 3 Bagnaia ITA 32 3 Bezzecchi ITA 27
4 Viñales SPA 21 4 Vierge SPA 28 4 Di Giannant ITA 26
5 Marquez SPA 20 5 Oliviera POR 27 5 Dalla Porta ITA 25 JOHN MCPHEE
6 Miller AUS 19 6 Marquez SPA 27 6 Antonelli ITA 21 Moto3 Started 22nd Finished 17th
7 Petrucci ITA 17 7 Schrotter GER 15 7 Rodrigo ARG 18 Struggling to gel with an inexperienced
8 Rossi ITA 16 8 Gardner AUS 14 8 Norrodin MAL 16 CIP Moto KTM team, McPhee was left
9 Rins SPA 16 9 Mir SPA 14 9 Bastianini ITA 13 hampered by a lack of track time in
GOLD AND GOOSE

10 Iannone ITA 15 10 Binder RSA 10 10 Lopez SPA 10 his favourite wet conditions. He’s now
calling on the team for more resources
MOTOGP and bosses are hoping to deliver in the
coming races.
FINAL POSITIONS FINAL POSITIONS FINAL POSITIONS
MOTOGP MOTO2 MOTO3
Pos Rider
1
2
Crutchlow
Zarco
Nat
GBR
FRA
Race time
40’36.342
+0.250
Pos Rider
1
2
Pasini
Vierge
Nat
ITA
SPA
Race time
40’37.538
+0.850
Pos Rider
1
2
Bezzecchi
Canet
Nat
ITA
SPA
Race time
41’43.822
+4.689
LORENZOEYEINGSUZUKIFUTURE
Rumours are circulating in the paddock for us, because we’re good in the wet
3 Rins SPA +2.501 3 Oliviera POR +1.414 3 DiGiannanto ITA +4.963 that Jorge Lorenzo could be eyeing up and had a good opportunity in the dry
4 MIller AUS +4.390 4 Baldassarri ITA +5.178 4 Bastianini ITA +5.818 a future with Suzuki after yet another to improve the feeling, but the damp
5 Viñales SPA +14.941 5 Marquez SPA +5.431 5 Norrodin MAL +9.112
difficult weekend for the five-time is the worst conditions for me. We all
6 Dovizioso ITA +22.533 6 Gardner AUS +10.425 6 Lopez SPA +13.349
world champion who finished 15th, know that I struggle to find the limit in
7 Rabat SPA +23.026 7 Mir SPA +13.379 7 Dalla Porta ITA +13.925
42 seconds behind winner Crutchlow. these conditions and to feel comfortable
8 Iannone ITA +23.921 8 Aegerter SWI +13.460 8 Antonelli ITA +14.363
Still to gel with the Ducati and riding on slicks in mixed conditions.
9 Syahrin MAL +24.311 9 Bagnaia ITA +22.038 9 Rodrigo ARG +16.573
10 Petrucci ITA +26.003 10 Schrotter GER +22.867 10 Arbolino ITA +24.299
a bike that’s main weak point (mid- “I’m still concentrating on making
11 PEspargaro SPA +31.022 11 Lecuona SPA +24.102 11 Martin SPA +25.373 corner turning) is one of Lorenzo’s the coupling of Ducati and Lorenzo
12 Redding GBR +31.891 12 Kent GBR +25.972 12 Raminez SPA +26.060 strengths, the Spaniard has been linked work though, and I believe it can work.
13 Nakagami JPN +32.452 13 Lowes GBR +26.010 13 MIgno ITA +26.376 with a possible switch to the Japanese That’s my only goal and my only focus.”
14 Morbidelli ITA +42.061 14 Viñales SPA +31.769 14 Kornfeil CZE +26.488 manufacturer next season. It’s also now believed that if Lorenzo
15 Lorenzo SPA +42.274 15 Locatelli ITA +33.264 15 Loi BEL +26.537 However, despite the rumours and were to leave Ducati his seat would
16 Bautista SPA +42.625 16 Marini ITA +33.828 16 Sasaki JPN +29.252 Sunday’s difficult race, Lorenzo was not now automatically go to Danilo
17 Luthi SUI +43.350 17 Nagashima JPN +48.603 17 McPhee GBR +32.937 quick to counter these rumours, telling Petrucci as previously thought. MCN
18 Marquez SPA +43.860 18 Odendaal RSA +50.651 18 Atiratphuvap THA +33.892 MCN he still has unfinished business now understands that if Lorenzo or
19 Rossi ITA +52.082 19 Fenati ITA +51.594 19 Toba JPN +37.665 with the Italian manufacturer. Dovizioso were to depart the factory The Spaniard s dismal time with Ducati
“It was another unlucky weekend can also offer a deal to another rider. continued in the damp of Argentina
 #MCNwednesday

April 11 2018 71

BITESIZE

MAKESHISMARK
urity but is ultimately denied a podium after a thrilling race
have been so much better.
“I was sitting on the grid thinking
‘Oh, this is alright!’ But I knew the boys
were just behind me and my goal was
to focus on my own line into turn one.
It wasn’t an ideal result in the end but
all in all it was a good weekend for us.
A little bittersweet because I would
have liked a podium.
“I was riding quite a clean race until
I heard the others behind me and just
nicked a puddle and had to run wide
to avoid crashing. Then me being me I
tried to make it all up in turn one and
ran wide again.”
And with the Australian making
the most of the Pramac package and
benefitting from a maturity that has
been building over his three seasons in Pramac boss
the premier class, team boss Francesco ‘It wasn’t an ideal
unfazed by
Guidotti says that he’s pleased with the result in the end
progress Miller is making both on and race control
off the bike. but all-in-all it was a
“Unfortunately, he made a mis- Despite the
take and he paid a lot for it. But we’re good weekend’ debacle that
delighted with his performance. His JACK MILLER erupted on
behaviour improves race by race and Sunday’s
his performance is improving, too. grid as
I can see that he wants to learn and every rider
he’s open to learning new things. That but Jack
means that he can make decisions for Miller pulled off and race
himself, like what tyres to use. You control decided to rewrite
give him the information and he can the rule book to delay the
make the calls himself now.” start, Miller’s Pramac Ducati
team boss Francesco Guidotti
remained circumspect about
events. Speaking to MCN after
the race, the Italian said:
“They declared a wet race
but in a few minutes it was
After pole and the bizarre start Miller completely dry, so it would
just failed to get on the podium have been unfair to start the
race as if it was still wet.
Unfair to the riders and unfair
to the fans.
“It could have been a big
advantage to us, but the rules
were applied. I was on the
grid to keep the rules going,
because at the beginning
the rules were not clear and
some wanted to push Jack
off the grid because he didn’t
move – and I had to say ‘No,
no, no!’ The rules are like that
and we could have had more
advantage, but the satisfaction
in being the only team to make
the right call is priceless!”
Canet’s escape
Aron Canet was lucky to escape
punishment after a clash with rookie
Makar Yurchenko in Friday’s free
practice. Canet lost his temper after
the Kazakh rider accidentally blocked
him during a fast lap then attempted a
do-or-die overtake.
USA concerns
Riders at next weekend’s Texan round
could face some difficult conditions
at the Circuit of the Americas thanks
to attempt to repair the surface.
After riders complained about
severe bumps at the track last year,
organisers attempted to plane the
track in preparation for MotoGP – but
questions are being raised about the
condition it is now in.
Syahrin steps up
Hafizh Syahrin has proven that
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss Herve
Poncharal was right in putting his faith
in him to replace Jonas Folger. The
Malaysian rider rode an impressive
performance in Sunday’s race to come
from 23rd on the grid to ninth in only
his second race on a MotoGP bike.
Michelin unmoved
Tyre supplier Michelin have dismissed
concerns about their consistency. In
Qatar, multiple riders complained about
the tyres feeling different from one
session to the next, but the French firm
says riders are failing to take factors like
track temperature and humidity into
account.

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www.motorcyclenews.com
72 SPORT
MARQUEZ MELTDOWN
THING
World champ breaks all the rules but remains
adamant his Rossi collision was unintentional
SIMON PATTERSON
MOTOGP REPORTER
simon.patterson@motorcyclenews.com
@MCNSport motorcyclenews
Marc Marquez has played down the
collision that saw Valentino Rossi crash
out of Sunday’s Argentinian Grand Prix,
insisting conditions at the Termas de
Rio Hondo track were as much to blame
for the Italian’s fall as his own actions.
The Spaniard was handed a ride-
through penalty in the opening stages
of the bizarre race after stalling on the
grid. Ignoring the instructions of race
officials he bump-started his Repsol
Honda and returned to his grid slot.
He then made a brilliant start and was
leading before receiving a ride-through
penalty for riding the wrong way down
the grid to return to his starting spot.
After losing 20 seconds by doing so
and going from the lead to 19th place,
the reigning champion was then forced
to scythe his way through the field.
Showing no mercy as he came into
contact first with Aleix Espargaró
and then fellow Honda rider Takaki
Nakagami, Marquez’s aggressive move
on Espargaró then earned his second
penalty, forcing him back one place.
MARQUEZ’S NIGHTMARE RACE
START LAP 6
for riding the wrong way down
the grid and is forced to drop
from the lead to 19th.
Marquez stalls on the grid so
jumps off the Repsol Honda and
bump-starts it before (illegally)
riding back down the grid to his
starting position.
MOTOGP | ROUND 2 | ARGENTINA
But despite admitting the blame
for that incident, Marquez was quick
to pass some of the responsibility for
the collision that saw Rossi falling
from the race, instead insisting that
the damp track and narrow, drying
line also played a role.
“I obviously tried to push to recover
and unfortunately I made some mis-
takes, the biggest one I believe being
with Aleix. I approached faster than
‘What happened
with Valentino was
a mistake caused
by track conditions’
MARC MARQUEZ
him and I didn’t realize it. I tried my
best to avoid contact but unfortunately,
I wasn’t able to. I saw the penalty and,
to be safe, gave up two positions, not
just one, before starting to push again.
“But with Valentino it was different,
as it was a consequence of the track con-
ditions. I touched a wet patch, locked
the front, and released the brakes. I
He’s handed a ride-
through penalty LAP 9
Contact between him and fellow
Spaniard Aleix Espargaró sees
him handed a second penalty,
this time being forced to hand
back a position.
Marquez was
unscathed after his
collision with Rossi
tried to turn, again making
my best effort to avoid contact.
When he crashed, I immediately
But the Yamaha star
fell completely out
of the points
apologised. It was a racing inci-
dent as happened earlier with
Zarco and Dani, and then with
Petrucci and Aleix.
And while Marquez acknowl-
edged his mistakes and took
the torrent of abuse thrown
his way by Rossi after the race
on the chin, Marquez was also
quick to counter one of Rossi’s Marquez hasn’t
allegations – that the incident between
the pair was deliberate.
made himself
Mr Popular
“Honestly, I do not care what he says
because I just focus on my words and
know what happened. I recognise my
mistakes and will try to improve for
the future. I’m happy for the race as the
pace was very good, but about the rest
I just try to focus on pushing 100%.
“But I’m disappointed, too, because
in my career I never go into another
rider thinking he will crash. I try to
avoid that! Sometimes you overtake
and it is close, sometimes it is clearer.
What happened with Valentino was
a mistake caused by the track condi-
tions, because I tucked the front, and
he is wrong to say I did it on purpose.”
Carving his way As the flag
LAP 13 through the field LAP 20 FINISH comes out, he’s
Marquez forces Nakagami to sit handed a 30-second penalty for
up and makes contact with Brit the Rossi incident, demoting him
Bradley Smith. from fifth to 18th.
Next it’s Rossi who Marquez
bumps. As he saves the Honda’s
front from tucking he dives up
the inside of the Italian, running
him onto the grass as he goes.

DOVI MAKES MOST OF RIVALS’ WOES
One rider that came out of Sunday’s
chaos smiling was 2017 championship
runner-up Andrea Dovizioso, who
capitalised on Marquez’s disastrous day
by safely taking home championship
points. After struggling all weekend
with his Ducati the Italian looked set
for a disaster of his own until fortune
favoured him in the race.
“It was a very difficult weekend be-
cause we weren’t fast and started the
race with no rhythm and no speed.
‘He (Rossi) is
wrong to say
that I did it
on purpose’
MARC MARQUEZ
But going home with sixth position
after some luck is very positive for us
and for the championship, and two of
the riders fighting against us for the
championship scored zero.”
Yet despite salvaging a good result,
Dovizioso admitted afterwards that
their old problem with mid-corner
turning still persists on the 2018 ma-
chine. Especially bad at tracks with
long and fast corners and a large part
of the reason why he was unable to
#MCNwednesday
April 11 2018 73
ALBE RTO PUIG
Hondachief
blamesgrid
confusion
Repsol Honda boss Alberto
Puig was quick to hit out at Race
Direction after Sunday’s race for
handing Marquez a ride-through
penalty and instead blamed the
confusion on the grid.
Puig says Marquez received
mixed signals from marshals on
the grid after stalling his bike and
attempting to restart it and was
only doing what he thought was
the right thing to do.
“It’s not completely clear what
happened on the grid. Something
that doesn’t normally happen
did, and from there it was a
continuation of things that made
everything more complicated.
The rider acted on what he
thought but you can imagine when
you’re in that situation with 20
riders behind you, you want to be
in a safe position. He thought that
the marshals were telling him to
do that and no one tried to take
him out of that position.”
Despite calls from his Yamaha
counterpart Lin Jarvis (see p75)
for further penalties for Marquez,
Puig is hopeful that cooler heads
will prevail once things calm
down ahead of the next round in
Austin in two weeks’ time.
“Valentino has a lot of
experience and he knows these
things can happen in a race
when conditions are difficult.
We’re really sorry about what
happened, but we don’t think our
rider was out of control. Of course
I understand that Valentino and
Yamaha are not happy about the
situation and they have a right to
be. But it has happened to all of us
in racing many times.”
take the fight to Marquez in the final
Despite struggles
Dovi finished a
welcome sixth
races of 2017, he says it still needs work.
“The negative thing from the week-
end is that we’ve confirmed our diffi-
cult situation in these kinds of tracks,
because when you have to spin the
rear tyre in the middle of the corner
it becomes very difficult. We didn’t
have a chance to work on it properly
through the weekend, but we weren’t
close to finding a solution so we can’t
be happy about that.”
www.motorcyclenews.com

74 SPORT MOTOGP | ROUND 2 | ARGENTINA

ROSSI‘MARQUEZ
HASDESTROYED
OURSPORT’
Vale says he feels scared on track with Marquez
SIMON PATTERSON The Honda star’s attempt
MOTOGP REPORTER to apologise was a PR stunt,
simon.patterson@motorcyclenews.com
@MCNSport motorcyclenews according to the Italian

Valentino Rossi launched a no-holds-

barred attack on bitter rival Marc
Marquez after being taken out by
the Spaniard on lap 20 of Sunday’s
Argentinian Grand Prix.
It was yet another escalation in a
bitter feud between the pair stretching
back to their infamous 2015 collision
at Sepang. Back them it was Rossi that
came out ahead, but this time a move
from Marquez pushed Rossi wide, onto
the grass causing the Italian to crash
out of sixth position.
The furious nine-time world cham-
pion launched an incredible attack on
Marquez after Sunday’s race, citing
previous incidents both during Sun-
day’s race and over the past few years
that he says makes the Spaniard unsafe
to race against.
“This is a very bad situation. He has
destroyed our sport because he never the Race Direction. When you don’t
has any respect for his rivals. If you
take for example what happened this
‘His apology feel protected you have to make your
own, as nothing happens. If nothing
weekend, it can happen to anybody – was a joke and happens, next race he will do exactly
you can make mistakes, this is racing, the same. I do not have fun when he is
but from Friday morning he has been he can shove it with me. He raises the level, he does
like this with Viñales, Dovizioso, me not play clean. He does not play ag-
on Saturday morning and today in the up his ass’ gressive, he plays dirty.”
race he hit four riders. He does it pur- VALENTINO ROSSI And even an attempt from Marquez to
posely, and it is not a mistake because apologise in the immediate aftermath of
he points his leg between your leg and to make a complaint about the situation the race didn’t come close to repairing
the bike because he knows he will not he’s made it clear that further action their relationship. Marquez was blocked
crash but he hopes you crash. needs to be taken. from entering the Yamaha garage by
“If you start to play like this, you raise “I’m scared on the track when I am Rossi’s crew and Rossi was dismissive
the level to a very dangerous point. If with Marquez. I was scared today when of the attempt to make amends.
all the riders race like this without any I saw his name on my board because I “His apology was a joke and he can
respect for their riders this becomes a know he has come to win, you just hope shove it up his ass. It was PR. He did
very dangerous sport and it will finish you don’t crash! I’m not Race Direction, not have the balls to come in to my of-
in a bad way.” but they will decide. Like this, he has fice alone, like always, he comes with
And with Rossi believing that the destroyed our sport. When you go at his manager, with Honda, in front of
move is only the latest in a series of 300kph on the track you have to have all the cameras because this is what
incidents, he says that MotoGP or- respect for your rivals. is important for him. He doesn’t care
ganisers need to take control of the “I do not know what is the right about you. I don’t want him to speak to
situation before someone gets hurt. penalty, but I wanted to speak to Race me because I know it is not true what
Going to Race Direction after the race Direction as I do not feel protected by he says to me.” Furious Rossi says Marquez lacks respect for his fellow competitors in MotoGP
 #MCNwednesday

Down goes Rossi

April 11 2018 75
out of sixth …and he’s left
place... fuming in the
grass

EXPERT
OPINION
PAOLO
CIABATTI
DUCATI SPORTING
DIRECTOR

He needs to
show respect
“It’s difficult to believe Marc
had such an advantage in wet
and dry conditions and still did
what he did. When he stalled
on the grid the marshals told
him to go to pit lane and he

Twitter could have started from there

and still won. Instead, he did
something clearly forbidden
reaction and got given the first penalty.
“He’s able to manage
Ben Spies @BenSpies11 situations and save things
He passes like you do when you flattrack mini bikes
with friends. He’s always had a problem braking be-
hind people as well which I don’t understand.

Jeremy McWilliams
@McWill99
Greatest respect for MM93’s talent but using your
competitors as berms isn’t really acceptable, the
crime doesn’t fit the punishment in my opinion.

Alex Lowes @alexlowes22

Unbelievable talent Marc Marquez but he needs to
learn some respect!

Troy Bayliss @TroyBaylisstic ‘He needs

One has style, one is a goon
to care more
Carl Fogarty @carlfogarty about the
What the f**k @marcmarquez93! Don’t think @
ValeYellow46 will be buying him a beer anytime
soon?!!!
other riders’
that no other rider can do, but
James Ellison @racingellison when you do that on the inside
“A mistake caused by track conditions?” Lame excuse. of another rider it’s a different
He went around that corner about 20 times before story. He was trying to make
the crash so would have known exactly where the up as many places as possible,
damp patches were and if there was a possibility to but you have to respect other
pass there. YOU were the cause of Rossi’s crash @ riders while you are doing it.
marcmarquez93 nothing else. “Marc is the most talented
rider in the championship at
Jonathan Rea @jonathanrea this moment in time, but he
That was a stressful race! @MotoGP thanks for the should pay more attention and
entertainment! show more respect to the other
riders. He’s one of the best
Tommy Bridewell @tommybridewell riders ever but sometimes he
Brilliant @MotoGP race! OK Marquez was a bit wild but needs to care more about the
what a ride from him! His speed and ability is amazing! other riders.”

Jarvis calls for more Marquez sanctions

Yamaha MotoGP boss Lin Jarvis
has called for Race Direction to
ensure that Marquez faces greater
sanctions than the penalties he
already faced in Sunday’s race at
Termas de Rio Hondo.
Unhappy not only with Marquez’s
actions in Sunday’s race but also
with a close call with Maverick
Viñales during practice, he joined
Rossi in Race Direction’s office
after the race to insist that simply
taking away a point-scoring finish
on Sunday wasn’t enough.
“We’ve requested Race Direction
take action in order to do whatever
they can to try to bring a correction
to his behaviour. His behaviour
shows a total lack of respect for
any other competitor on the race
track. Massimo Meregalli, the team
director, myself and Valentino went
to talk to Race Direction afterwards
to give our point of view.
“It’s not our job to make the
rules. It’s not our job to decide what
action they should take. But we
wanted to be very clear to them.
It’s not only for us, we were the
victim on this occasion but on the
next occasion the victim might be
someone else. I sincerely hope
Race Direction will review this
weekend and decide if they feel it’s
appropriate to take action or not.
“I don’t want to get drawn into
what I think should be the course
of action because that is for them
to do. But I think they need to
send out a message. If they agree
with us that this behaviour is
unacceptable, they must decide
what is the appropriate course
of action to try to bring about
corrected behaviour. But it’s not
as if it has just started in the last
couple of months, his career has
shown many examples of such
actions.”
There’s also a precedent for
such an action in the past, with
Rossi himself facing a back of
the grid start for the final race of
the 2015 season after a similar
collision between the pair at
Sepang. Jarvis (right) says more should be done
RIDDEN
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