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Mang sản phẩm: Trà Thái Lan - Trân Châu - Trân Châu Thái Lan - Thạch Thái Lan. Cách Pha Trà Sữa đến khách hàng ! Với mục tiêu cùng khách hàng tồn tại và phát triển nên CTy NGUYÊN LIỆU TRÀ SỮA THÁI hướng tới CHẤT LƯỢNG và UY TÍN lên HÀNG ĐẦU.
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BMW Scrambler revealedO RCV road bike: Official detailsONew R3 v Ninja 300 v RC390
YEARS1955-2015
GSX-R750 OBSESSION� MUST-BUY MONGREL BIKES� TOP 10 SPORTY BOOTS�
�SORTEDNine jobs that’ll take years off your bike
NEW: 17 PAGES OF USED BIKES & ADVICE
TT SPECIAL SIZZLING SENIOR
PLUS
23 wins – and faster than a speeding (Bingley) bullet
+ Hutchy hat-trick+ Dunlop disaster + Martin 132mph
but still no win
EveryWednesday
June 17,
2015.
£2.20
www.motorcyclenews.com
KTM and Kawasaki have had a bit of a wake-up call with the arrival of the arousing Yamaha’s R3. All are light, sporty and under £4k. They all comply to A2 licence laws but offer proper thrills to anyone willing to work a bit for their reward. We put the three machines head-to-head on the road and on the track.
Oh we do love a V4 at MCN. So do Honda and they’ve spent the last 45 years making some absolute corkers. We embrace and celebrate the bikes that have broken records, broken bones and broken budgets.
300 sports shootout
45 years in the making
TIM
KE
ET
ON
P22
P4
P6
P8
HUTCHY IS A BANK RUBBER!Ian Hutchinson admitted to being a ‘bit
embarrassed’ after this major moment
at Bedstead during the Superstock
TT. Not shocked, or shaken or feeling
lucky to be alive. No, embarrassed!
His Kawasaki ZX-10 was starting to
run out of fuel, causing him to run out
wide and glance the bank. “I’ve never
even clipped a kerb before,” said the
softly-spoken Bingley man. He went
on to win the race by 17 seconds from
Michael Dunlop. A win later in the
week on Keith Flint’s Team Traction
Control Yamaha R6 rounded out an
incredible comeback week and a hat-
trick of TT victories.
We’ve waited a long time for the
road-going version of Honda’s
awesome RCV MotoGP bike, but
it looks like a decade of despair
has finally come to an end. Well
it has if you’ve got £140k! Honda
reveals full official details of the
bike for the first time on pages
4-5. And, yes we know it’s June
and halfway through the year,
but new (2016) bikes are already
breaking cover. BMW’s hot
Scrambler and a new Yamaha
MT-07 are getting us all excited. TT DRAMA
NEW BIKESKEEP COMING
#MCNwednesday
PA
CE
MA
KE
R P
RE
SS
INT
L
BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
SUZUKI GSX750F £2450SELLER SAYS: 2005, 13,000 miles.
Full service history, just serviced & full
MoT. Heated grips and a Scottoiler.
MCN SAYS: Unloved and underrated,
but the ‘teapot’ is actually something
of a special brew. It is a reliable sports
tourer with a smooth engine. Get over
the looks and it’s a great bike. 14,432 bikes for sale
Ian Hutchinson aft er
taking three TT wins
‘It’s special beating Michael Dunlop.
He’s been the man around here and I knew it would be hard. But the graft
fi nally paid off’ P68
P52
BIGGER AND BETTER!
Following the
introduction of MCN
Garage a year ago we’ve
listened to feedback
and requests for more
practical advice and
inspirational tales about
owning motorcycles. The
result is this improved
section with completely
new elements. We’ve
also revamped some of
the old favourites (like
long-termers) and tried
to make them even more
useful and insightful.
NEW NEW
9 ways to bust the rust and sort the sag P36 We speak to one of the midwives P38
SORTED! Freshen up your ride Birth of the first GSX-R750 SRAD
Plus: Bikes you ignore... but shouldn’t P40-41 Owning, fixing, improving & comparing P42
Ride this route without smiling Our bikes - your bikes
Best sporty boots, from £100 to £900 P46 Expert advice on travel, tech, legal issues P50
Feast your eyes on new stuff Any Question Answered
17 PAGES OF USED BIKES & ADVICE
NEW
NEW
Stripped of bodywork the LED front light assembly is clearly visible Full colour digital dash changes layout and information in each mode Chassis is identical to the race machine and hand welded
www.motorcyclenews.com
04 THIS WEEK
Honda have unveiled a produc-tion version of the super-exclu-sive RC213V-S MotoGP replica,and bosses have admitted that
there’s a possibility of cheaper 1000ccV4 models to follow in its wake.
Chief Operating Officer Tetsuo Suzukisaid the firm will monitor demand forthe road bike before making any furtherdecisions, but added: “It makes sensefor us to keep this first batch of bikeslimited to small numbers, but after thatwe will have to see how many orderswe will get.
“If we get many, many orders forthe RC213V-S then perhaps we canlook at a cheaper version that could sitbetween the CBR1000RR Fireblade andthe RC213V-S.”
Honda revealed the full spec of thenew RC213V-S (S stands for ‘Street’)at the official launch on the day beforequalifying and practice at the CatalunyaMotoGP round near Barcelona, Spain.Both reigning world champion MarcMarquez and Repsol Honda team-mateDani Pedrosa were on hand to unveil thebike, and Honda had flown in top brassfrom Japan, as well as those responsiblefor the development of the bike.
The bike boasts a disappointing159bhp in fully road-legal trim, but eachof the 200 or so built will be availablewith an HRC kit that converts it to trackspec, and boosts power to a dramati-cally more impressive 215bhp. The kitcomprises ram-air ducts, an exhaust,new ECU, different spark plugs, quick-shifter, race gearshift, datalogger, racebrake pads, remote span adjustment forthe front brake lever, and some sundryparts to make it track ready – such as abellypan with incorporated catch tank.
Is it really an RC213V?The 999cc V4 keeps as close to the rac-ing machines as possible. Honda set out
at the very beginning of this project tomake a bike as close to the racing bikeas legislation would allow.
“The new RC213V-S is not merely theresult of a feedback of technologies cre-ated by Honda through its competitionin races into a commercially availablemodel, but rather represents a whollynew endeavour to make it possible for amachine developed for competition inMotoGP races to run on public roads,”say Honda. “The RC213V-S has inher-ited the specifications of the RC213V tothoroughly ensure mass concentrationand reduced friction, as well as all keyaspects in manufacturing that set theRC213V apart as a MotoGP machinefrom ordinary mass production models.
“In addition, the RC213V-S isequipped with control technologiesused on the RC213V. The RC213V consistsonly of the necessary parts for winningraces. To achieve the specifications thatmake the RC213V-S eligible to run onpublic roads, the minimal amount ofnecessary changes and additions hasbeen made compared to the RC213V.”
The idea for the RC213V-S came from the HRC test team which was devel-oping the RCV1000R customer racing
bike that could be leased to MotoGPprivateers. They said the bike was soeasy to ride they suggested to bosses itcould be made into a road bike.
But the project was beset by delaysthought to have been caused by in-ternal wrangling over the viability ofthe bike, costs and the availability ofresearch and design resources. It was2012 when Honda first made the of-ficial announcement of the intentionto build a MotoGP replica for the roadbut it was another two years before areal bike appeared at the Milan show.Even at that point Honda bosses toldMCN the decision to build the bike wasstill ‘not 100%’.
Bikes will be hand built in a new as-sembly area at the Kumamoto factory inJapan by the most skilled of the work-ers in the factory. They will be buildingthem at a rate of around one per day;this might initially be even slower suchis the complexity of the construction.
The price was announced as €188,000in Germany, which is likely to equate toaround £140,000 for the UK market – while orders can be placed online from midnight July 13, 2015 on the dedicated www.rc213v-s.com website.
New £140,000 RC213V-S road bike could lead to cheaper V4 superbike
RC213V-S LAUNCH
TITANIUM GLORYThe standard titanium exhaust is as close to the
look of the MotoGP bike as possible but still man-ages to be road legal for noise and emissions. The
quality of the construction is sublime but most impressive is the way the silencers and thecatalytic converter has been hidden away.
212BHP POTENTIALIn road trim the 90° V4 pro-duces 159bhp but delivers a claimed 215bhp at a peak rev limit of 12,000rpm with the HRC kit. Crankcases are aluminium rather than the racer’s magnesium. Pistons
are modified to increase service intervals and there
are conventional valve springs, slipper clutch and
gearbox to replace the pneu-matic valves, seamless shiftgearbox and pistons that are
developed for racing.
JUST LIKE MARC’SThe swingarm is another
part that has maintained asmuch of the design and engi-neering of the MotoGP bikeand is the same aluminium
design. The swingarm is55mm longer than that of
a CBR1000RR Fireblade inorder to control wheelies.
‘Just like mine…’
Marquez on the
RC213V-S
IAN
JU
BB
& H
ON
DA
T
Mirrors meet homologation rules but look a bit unusual Engine layout is the same V4 as race version but cases are cast aluminium This is the fully-road legal exhaust. Race kit replaces this for 215bhp
#MCNwednesday
05 BUYING & SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
Honda have – for the first
time – admitted that a V5
1000cc replacement for the
CBR1000RR Fireblade was
under development but was
canned before getting the
go-ahead for production a
decade ago.
The admission by Honda’s
Chief Operating Officer
Tetsuo Suzuki was made
when he said the concept
of the V5 was very different
from that of the RC213V-S
because it was aimed at
mass production rather than
strictly limited numbers.
MCN ran numerous
stories at the time about
plans for a V5 replacement
for the Honda CBR1000RR
Fireblade, but these were
strenuously denied by
Honda. Almost a decade
later the confirmation comes
with the explanation that the
bike was under development
but was dropped because
Honda couldn’t manage the
weight effectively enough to
make it viable.
Mr Suzuki was asked
what made the V4 RC213V-S
different to the V5 project
that was dropped in the mid-
2000s. He said: “It’s not that
there has been a big change
at Honda but the V5 was a
very different bike. It was not
a GP replica; it was for mass
production and it looked
very different to the GP bike.
This time the RC213V-S is a
closer copy.”
HONDA DID PLAN 1000CC V5
EXCLUSIVE IMAGEST SECOND V4
SLEEK LED LIGHTING
The production bike has LED lights that keep to the lines of the MotoGP
bike front air intake and all of the other lights are LEDs too.
STYLING
The overall styling of the bike is identical to that of the show
‘concept’ bike shown in Milan last year. Indicators are narrower and
longer than those seen on the concept bike last year. It is expect-ed to come in a Freddie Spencer-inspired paintjob (see below) or
this gorgeous carbon finish.
ELECTRONICS
The RC213V-S is a precursor for the next step in Honda electronic development for road bikes with adjustable riding modes, ride-by-wire, traction control, selectable
engine braking, quick shifter and a dashboard that changes on
command. Expect much of this to filter down to road bikes in the
coming years.
0800 7836 191whitedalton.co.uk
REAL BIKERS. REAL LAWYERS. REAL ANSWERS.Real specialists in:
s��-OTORCYCLE�!CCIDENTS�IN�%NGLAND���7ALES��%UROPE�AND�THE�)SLE�OF�-AN
s�4AKEOVER�CLAIMS�FROM�OTHER�3OLICITORS
s��2OAD�4RAFl�C�/FFENCES��FROM�SPEEDING�TO�$EATH�BY�$ANGEROUS�$RIVING
s��/BTAINING�COMPENSATION�WHERE�YOUR�PERSONAL�INJURY�CLAIM�HAS�BEEN�UNDERSETTLED�BY�YOUR�PREVIOUS�APPOINTED�SOLICITOR�
www.motorcyclenews.com
06 THIS WEEK
‘It’ll lead the way for a similarly
inspired MT-07 offering’
This week is Ride To Work Week, soif you’re one of the unlucky ones whodoesn’t normally get to ride for thedaily commute, this is your primeexcuse to dig out your bike and arriveat your place of work with a smileon your face.
The annual event started as a one-day only gig, but has grown to last awhole week, and is an internationalinitiative to prove the benefits foreveryone on our roads. Motorcyclistsare happier when they commute bybike, saving time and money formost commutes that would normallyinvolve a car or train journey, andcumulatively reducing congestionfor other road users, too.
The MCN team obviously rides towork every day, but we understandthat it’s not always practical – de-pending on your job, location, orschool-run duties – but this is theweek to make whatever exceptionsyou can to get on your bike and showyour car/train/bus commuting col-leagues what they’re missing.
Head to ridetoworkweek.co.uk tofind events and incentives in yourarea to make riding to work evenmore enjoyable – from vouchersto discounts, to free bacon butties.
When asked about the possibility of production for something similar, Miyazawa was quick to respond, “This design is about providing validation of our ideas, rather than asking Kimura-
MCN’s bike of 2014 is preparingto enter the world of ‘retro’cool with the unveiling of anew, ‘Café Racer’ Yard Built
custom, and it’s the work of renownedbike-builder and artist, Shinya Kimura.
Previous Yard Built collaborationshave influenced several upcomingversions of Yamaha production bikes- with both Deus and Wrenchmonkeesbuilds inspiring the new XJR1300 Racermodel, and Marcus Walz’s recent XV950Café Racer proving the blueprint for the
new ‘racer’ variation of the popularcruiser, due to hit dealers in the com-ing weeks. And MCN believes that thisnew ‘Faster Son’ custom build willlead the way for a similarly inspiredMT-07 offering.
While little has been altered me-chanically from its parallel-twin donor,it’s the stance and bodywork that arethe focus of the major changes. This isalso the first bike outside of the ‘SportsHeritage’ range to be given official ‘YardBuilt’ status.
Shun Miyazawa, European Prod-uct Manager at Yamaha spoke to MCN
on the evening of the bike’s unveil-ing at the Wheels & Waves festival in Biarritz. He said: “With all of the other manufacturers reviving – or adapting – their air-cooled engines for this custom market, we wanted to ask questions of ourselves and see if we could do some-thing different; could Yamaha come at this from the opposite direction?
“I was talking to Kimura about this question and he offered to take this engine, take some of Yamaha’s design and then add his own thing. So this project began with the objective of providing an answer to this.”
There’s always that one person in
the office who takes things too far...
MCN interviews
custom builder
Shinya Kimura in
Biarritz
Commute with a smile
NEW MT-07 ‘FASTER SON’ REVEALEDFirst hint of retro future for Yamaha’s parallel-twin
By Steve Hunt
SnettertonBSB & Misano
WSB
PLUS
#MCNwednesday
FEATURES 07 BUYING & SELLING SPORTEVENTSGARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
San to design our bike. This sector is all about taking key elements of the ‘scene’ and blending this into our designs. He acted as our mentor and helped us to confirm our hypothesis; is it possible to have the fun-riding characteristics of our modern bikes with a retro-cool, styling point of view? With ‘Faster Son’ we have this answer.”
Kimura also remained guarded about the production possibilities, “I was given a choice by Yamaha of what en-gine to work with and as I like light-weight motorcycles the MT-07 was very good for me. Yamaha didn’t give
me any restrictions at all with regardsto the build, but I had certain design constraints that I gave myself. I don’t have a press so I have to hammer all of my metalwork by hand, but in my work I have the opportunities to talk to many motor companies and they always say just do what you want, so this time I wanted to really challenge myself and produce something that was completely street legal.
“I am proud of the whole build, there isn’t one piece that I’d choose as a standout part. My bikes are all about harmony and the design as a whole.
Everything has to flow as a completedesign and the ‘Faster Son’ does that for me. Perhaps, if the law allowed, I would have liked to do more with the muffler, to make it even louder!
“Of course, I would be honoured if Yamaha took elements of this and moved them into a production motorcycle, but I’m not sure exactly what they will do to make that happen. If they maintained the harmony of my bike then I’d be really proud.”
MCN expects that Yamaha will unveil the production version at the EICMA show in Milan, this November.
Custom builder Kimura fathered the Faster Son
Hand-beaten bodywork has a touch of Steam Punk
Retro concepts don’t get much cooler than this
Show-stopping
Faster Son custom
will inspire a
production bike
NEXT WEEK
Unseen pics and untold tales — 15 years aft er his death
JOEY DUNLOP SPECIAL
NEW ARIEL ACE TESTED
NUTTY NAKEDS AT WAR
ALL-NEW MCN GARAGE
Awesome British bike bettered for 2016
Aprilia Tuono
and BMW
S1000R go at it
— pass me
the aspirin!
How to make your bikehandle better + bikes worth investing in + meet the man who eats, sleeps and dreams about R1s
20 PAGES OF INSPIRATION & ADVICE
www.motorcyclenews.com
08 THIS WEEK
Ignore the surfboard hanging offthe side, the eccentric paint joband concept bike tag, because thisis the shape of the forthcoming
BMW R nineT Scrambler expected tobe launched at the Milan show thisAutumn. This bike – dubbed ConceptPath 22 – was launched last weekendat the Wheels & Waves custom bikeshow in Biarritz, France.
MCN revealed BMW’s plans to releasea Scrambler version of the big-sellingR nineT two months ago, and thisConcept Path 22 is clearly far more thanjust another concept bike; it appearsto use real production parts that willbe seen on the finished bike.
The fuel tank is a cheaper pressedsteel version that will be used on theScrambler instead of the expensive-ly handmade aluminium tank usedon the R nineT roadster, the fork is alower-specification than the S1000RRsuperbike-derived set-up used on thenineT, while the fork fitted here boasts
BMW reveals concept bike, but the real thing
is expected soon
By Andy DownesÖhlins internals that are unlikely tofeature on the production Scrambler.Hanging off the fork legs are the mid-spec Brembo calipers we expect tomake it to production, gripping discsfitted to mag-style wheels that alsomatch the style seen on leaked BMWsketches of the production bike. Eventhe front light appears to be the finishedunit. BMW have been clever with theway they have managed to reduce thecost of the high-end parts used on theR nineT to make the Scrambler modelmore affordable.
Head of BMW Motorrad DesignEdgar Heinrich said: “A scrambler isthe perfect match for Wheels & Waves.It’s the epitome of a motorcycle beyondestablished standards and conven-tions. Performance specifications arenot so much of interest - style andoriginality all the more so. Scramblersexpress passion and are as varied astheir owners. The Concept Path 22 isour own interpretation based on theR nineT. The latter is the perfect basis for a scrambler conversion.”
SCRAMBLERMAKES DEBU
Ola Stenegard, Head of BMWMotorrad Design, says: “The idea of aBMW scrambler is not new to us. Nowseemed to be the right time to presentour interpretation of this legendaryvehicle concept.” At the heart of theConcept Path 22 there is a power-ful two-cylinder boxer engine withcardan drive - as is typical of BMW.The single-sided swing arm makes thefive-spoke rear wheel visible, again afamiliar BMW feature.
BMW motorcycle boss StephanSchaller confirmed a Scrambler wason the cards at the recent launch of theConcept 101 bagger. He told MCN: “Wewant to create families around all ourengines and chassis. We want three tofive models around each version. I thinkthe Scrambler is a very good idea andperhaps you will see something laterthis year. In fact I think you can expectthis to happen this year for sure. Butit will only be shown and not for saleuntil next year. I think there are someother models we can do. Perhaps a café racer and maybe one more too.”
Fine linesThese twin-stacked silencers are
titanium and manufactured by Akrapovicbut mirror the exact lines the production
spec Scrambler will take.
Super subframeAnother big clue as to the production nature of this
bike can be seen in the form of the new rear subframewhich is different to that of the R nineT and matches
the minimal styling of the new seat unit.
The real thingIt’s believed that these are the actual five-spokemilled aluminium wheels the Scrambler will be
available with, although it’s expected that a rangeof optional wheels will be available as accessories.
Simple springsA smaller-diameterconventional fork
replaces the S1000R-derived invertedfork fitted to the
R nineT, again aimedat reducing the
showroom price ofthe new Scrambler.
Upgraded dash hints at the possibilities
MCN’s artist
impression
of the BMW
Scrambler
back in April
Concept’s paint and trimming is a bit Austin Powers but the bike beneath looks ace
RSD cylinder head covers add real bling
Plenty in the tankThis is the actual tank that will getused on the Scrambler, check out
the heat shielding tape underneath.MCN sources have revealed a plain
white colour option will be available.
www.motorcyclenews.com
Finance is subject to status and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. TriStar Personal Contract Purchase is only available through Triumph Motorcycle Finance which is a trading style of Black Horse Ltd, St William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff CF10 5BH. Finance figures correct as of 01.05.15 and
are subject to change. Bikes must be registered by 30.06.15. Finance off er ends 30.06.15. *Accessory Terms and Conditions: Fitting charges may apply. Off er subject to the purchase of a new full price motorcycle. Off er subject to stock availability and applies to motorcycles registered between 01.05.15 and 30.06.15.
For more information or to book your test ride, visit triumphmotorcycles.co.uk
There’s a road out there. Way out there.
Places where you’ll appreciate having a little extra.
Times when you’ll appreciate having it all.
#fortheride
GET 3 YEARS(OR 18,000 MILES)FREE SERVICINGWhen financing using...
Applies to bikes registered
between 22.05.15 30.06.15.
Participating dealers only.
Terms and conditions apply,
see website for full details.
ACCESSORY PACK INCLUDES:
Two Box Pannier Set,
Heated Grips & Switch,
Heated Rider Seat.
Tiger Explorer
£11,599 OTR
Tiger Explorer XC
£12,599 OTR
+ £940 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ACCESSORIES*
Based on: Tiger Explorer @ 5,000 miles per annumREPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE
£11,599.00 £129.00 £2,727.00 £8,872.00 37 Months £10.00 £6,480.00 £13,851.00 9.44% 9.9% APR
On the
Road Price
36 Monthly
Repayments
Deposit/Part
Exchange
Total Amount
of Credit
Agreement
Duration
Purchase
Fee†
Final
Repayment
Total Amount
Payable
Interest Rate
(Fixed)
Representative
APR
† Included within
Final Repayment.
www.motorcyclenews.com
10 THIS WEEK
THIS WEEK’S HOT BIKES
1
2
6
3
5
7
4
1. Ducati Scrambler ‘Magione’by Fred ‘Krugger’ BertrandThe Ducati Scrambler is slowly
beginning to show its promise as a
donor bike after a few, inauspicious
early builds. Krugger cleaned up the
lines with subtle changes to the tank,
then dropped the front-end slightly and
added a new rear that cleverly inverts
the stock Scrambler’s LED rear light.
2. 1983 Suzuki GSXE 750 byKikishopFrench builders Kikishop rode their
GSXE 750 along to the festival. Only
the motor and tank survive from the
original bike. The front-end, shock and
swingarm are from a GSX-R1000 K6.
3. Harley-Davidson Street 750‘SHDB 04’ by HD PragueCzech builder Ondrej Odehnal admits
to being inspired by the recent Lotus
C-01 and the Shaw’s Bell & Ross HD
– and it shows. With its hand-beaten
metalwork and perfect proportions it’s
no surprise that it won Harley’s ‘Battle
of the Kings’ competition.
4. Ducati Scrambler ‘Hero 01’ by Holographic HammerSylvain Berneron designed and
built this street-race ready Ducati
Scrambler along with his brother,
Florent. It boasts a Showa fork,
Beringer 4D brakes and stunning 17in
Rotobox carbon race wheels; it’s a bike
that means business.
5. Kawasaki Z1 ‘La Bestia’ byValtoronThe four-cylinder, turbo-charged
900cc Z1 won MCN’s ‘Machine of The
Year’ four years running between 1973
and ’76. Here Spanish builders Valtoron
take it as their base for their stunning,
sand-cast aluminium bodywork.
6. BMW R nineT ‘HighwayFighter’ by Cherry’s CompanyContinuing its tour of Europe, this
BMW-commissioned nineT by
Japanese builders Cherry’s Company
features hand-fabricated 70s-inspired
aluminium fairings, solid RevTech rims,
BMW S1000RR fork and PSR steering
damper.
7. Mystery Benelli 900 SeiWe couldn’t find the owner of this
beautifully simplistic Benelli 900 Sei,
but had to include it. The stripped-
down café racer runs on laced rims,
with four-piston calipers, has a cute
Imola-style fairing, open clutch cover,
and stunning six-into-six system.
Seven of the best creations seen at the Wheels and Waves custom festival last weekend in Biarritz
www.motorcyclenews.com
We’re Supercharging the ‘World of Kawasaki’festival and taking it to Rockingham Speedwayon Sunday 28th of June
* Track Sessions * Demo Rides * MX & Utility Demos* Maxxis Drift Cars * Lee Bowers Stunts * Minimotos
* Sykes and Rea “TT Specials” * Rider Interviews* Live music * Plus H2 Owners Parade Lap
* Exclusive KRC VIP Hospitality * Family fun* Kawasaki By Night - Camping, Music & Hog Roast
BOOK OR REGISTER NOW - www.kawasaki.co.uk
www.motorcyclenews.com
12 THIS WEEK
Variablevalve timing, anti-lock brakes, fuel injection and a four-valve head sounds like the spec of a well-equipped sports tourer, but Yamaha’s new NMAX scooter has all
of this... and it’s only a 125. The com-pany hopes that its loaded scooter will grab sales from Honda’s best-selling PCX, which topped the UK scooter sales charts for the first four months of this year.
Central to the NMAX’s appeal is an all-new four-stroke engine with VVA (Variable Valve Actuation). Un-like more sophisticated systems like Ducati’s DVT, which offers infinitely-variable valve timing, the NMAX has
two different cam lobes – one tailoredfor low engine speeds, one for high – asolenoid switching between the two at6000rpm. In theory, this should give the NMAX good low speed torque and high speed power. In practice, it makes slightly more power than the PCX and marginally less torque. Either way, it’s pretty pokey for a 125.
Yamaha say they’ve done a lot of work to make the motor as efficient as possible, cutting down on internal frictional losses by 18% with a roller bearing rocker arm, plus attention paid to piston rings, cylinder bore and crankshaft oil seals. The cooling system bypasses the thermostat from cold – this isn’t exactly a new idea, but it does cut down on fuel-hungry warm up time. All this adds up to a claimed fuel consumption of 107mpg, which
sounds good but falls well short of theHonda’s 133.9mpg on the same stand-ard test cycle.
Given how laden it is with high-tech gizmos, the NMAX doesn’t look that special. There is a family resemblance to the TMAX and X-MAX sports scoot-ers, but it’s not strong. That’s partly because, despite the goodies, the NMAX is aimed firmly at first-time buyers – Yamaha reckon that up to half of them will be novices with the rest stepping up from a 50cc scoot.
Step onto the NMAX and that nov-ice friendliness is confirmed by a low 765mm seat, which allows the short-legged to get both feet flat on the ground. But it’s still a biggish scooter by 125 standards, with plenty of room for two, and space for the rider to stretch out, feet forward. The riding position
is upright and in-town sensible.Fire up the liquid-cooled motor and
there’s little clue of VVA in the innocu-ous exhaust note, but the NMAX gets away from the lights smoothly and quickly enough – it’s certainly got
the pace to stay out of trouble in thechaotic rush hour traffic of Lisbon,where Yamaha launched the bike. Infact, it has all the right ingredients for no-fuss urban commuting, with decent acceleration, upright riding position, a good lock and a waistline slim enough to slip through gaps. In short, it’s nippy, flickable and convenient.
When the speed limits open up, power builds smoothly up to 55mph – there’s no power step, which you might expect from a two-stage VVC (remem-ber the original Honda VTEC?) and it all feels very conventional. Yamaha claim a top speed of 62mph but there’s prob-ably a bit more to come on top of that.
Lisbon is famous for its tarts (as in pastries), hilly terrain and tiled archi-tecture. It also boasts some of the most knobbly, cobbled streets in southern
‘Fire up the motor, and there’s little clue of VVA in the exhaust note, but the NMAX gets away from the lights quickly’
NMAX has all the makings
of a perfect urban scooter
– it’s light, handles well,
and having ABS boosts
rider confidence
YA
MA
HA
By Peter Henshaw
MCN CONTRIBUTOR
YAMAHA NMAX 125
FIRST TEST
‘All the right ingredients for no-fuss urban commuting’
What is Variable ValveActuation?
Valve timing is a compromise,
because the precise points at
which inlet and exhaust valves
open, and how long they stay open
before closing, will only suit a
particular engine speed and load.
Variable valve timing breaks
out of this by changing the timing
according to the rpm and load.
Sophisticated electronic systems
such as Ducati’s DVT make it
infinitely variable, in theory always
suiting the engine’s need perfectly.
The NMAX’s VVC isn’t that clever,
switching between two cam
profiles at 6000rpm, but it all
helps its performance.
#MCNwednesday
FEATURES 13 BUYING & SELLING SPORTGARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
TRIUMPH ROCKET X
Europe, and some huge potholes. TheNMAX’s forks and twin rear shockscrashed and banged over all of this,but so would most other scooters. It doesn’t have preload adjustment on the rear shocks, which many scoot-ers do. The ABS, on the other hand, works well, kicking in on dry tarmac front or rear if the levers are grabbed hard enough – it will be a real boon for year-round commuters coping with wet and greasy UK roads.
All the features you’d expect are there: enough underseat space for a full-face lid, decent mirrors and an informative digital dash, which in-cludes an economy meter plus, for the real fuel efficiency fanatics, instant/average mpg readouts. According to this, we managed 108mpg dashing around Lisbon.
VERDICT
VERDICTA great 125cc urban scooter from
Yamaha, roomy and well thought-
out. While its performance isn’t
exactly outstanding, it’s quick
enough, and the standard ABS
will be enough to convince many
buyers.
A ground-breaking bike with
amazing street presence, but
mainstream cruiser riders should
aim towards the Thunderbird.
WE LIKE WE LIKE
WE DON’T LIKE WE DON’T LIKE
■ ABS as standard
■ Easy to ride and live with
■ Sheer presence
■ Stomping engine
■ Thirstier than a Honda PCX ■ Exhaust paint will scratch easily
NEED TO KNOW
PerformanceOne of the faster 125s, but VVA
doesn’t make it a rocketship
LooksClean cut, in a modern scooter
sort of way
ValueIt’s £100 cheaper than the Honda PCX,
which doesn’t have ABS but
does have idle-stop
TECH SPEC
TECH SPEC
Price £2671
Engine Liquid-cooled OHC
single, 125cc
Power 12bhp @ 7500rpm
Torque 8.6ftlb @ 7250rpm
Weight 127kg
Fuel capacity 6.6 litres
MPG 108
Seat height 765mm
Available June 30
Price: £14,999
Engine: Liquid-cooled dohc
triple 2294cc
Power: 148bhp @ 5750rpm
Torque: 163.1ftlb @ 2750rpm
Weight: 367kg (wet)
Tank capacity: 24 litres
Seat height: 750mm
Chassis: steel tubular
Contact: triumphmotorcycles.co.uk
YAMAHA NMAX 125
TRIUMPH ROCKET X
The NMAX has a beefy
look for a small bike
and is clean and classy
The Rocket’s in a class
of its own, but the
limited-edition paint
isn’t special enough
UK buyers will get their choice of all four colours: Red, White, Titanium or Black
Dash displays plenty of information,
especially on fuel consumption
Silver boomerang panel gives family
resemblance to X-Max and TMax
By Jon Urry
MCNCONTRIBUTOR
FIRST RIDE
‘A cruiser that will nail most sportsbikes’
The Rocket III is the sledgehammer that Triumph built to crack the American market. Unleashed in 2004, everything about this machine was designed to appeal to US buyers’ values of excess, and not only does the Rocket remain the largest capacity production motorcycle, it still cuts an incredibly imposing and impressive form. Eleven years after its launch, Triumph are celebrating the Rocket’s anniversary with a special-edition model – the Rocket X.
For an extra £1400 over the stock Rocket III, owners of the X version get a bike that is limited to just 500 models worldwide and boasts an ar-ray of extras aimed at making the bike visually moodier. The exhaust gets a lick of high temperature, matt black paint and the bars, mirrors and levers are also blacked out.
But it is the paintwork that Triumph are especially proud of. They say it has been developed by paint specialists 8 Ball, and takes four days to achieve the finish. But aside from the very cool ‘grind’ effect stripes, the look is not much different to any other black paint.
Despite weighing 367kg, the Rocket III isn’t that ungainly at low speed. I’ve ridden plenty of smaller cruisers that are far harder to manoeuvre at walk-ing pace. Backing the Triumph out of a parking space is a fairly fraught affair, but it doesn’t feel anything like as top heavy as a full-dress Victory – a fact I’d put down to the triple engine.
Located low in the frame, it not only gives the bike a low centre of gravity, it also kicks like a pissed off mule. Laugh at this bike at you peril because, given a straight-line drag race, the Rocket III will nail most sportsbikes.
Bang the throttle open and you can see why Triumph restrict the Rocket’s acceleration in its first few gears. The
triple may not rev that high, but it makes a mountainous 163ftlb of tar-mac-rippling torque. Thank goodness it also has ABS, because stopping it takes some effort. Thankfully, cornering requires considerably less.
Americans don’t really do corners and that fact is reflected in the Rocket’s handling. It has next to no ground clearance and its long and low wheel-base makes for a ponderous rate of turn. It’s stable in the bends and surprisingly easy to aim towards and apex, but could never be described as agile.
IAN
JU
BB
Pauline Hailwood
Mike’s widow, heard
the race on the phone
Ted Macauley
Friend, and organiser
of the TT comeback
Steve Wynne
His shop supplied
Hailwood’s Ducati
Mick Grant
TT rival, showed Mike
around in practice
Phil Read
TT rival, couldn’t live
with Mike in the race
11 years retired and crippled by injury, Mike the Bike didn’t have a chance... did he?
Hailwood’s TT comebackIn 1978, after an 11-year retirement
from racing, Mike Hailwood decided
to make a comeback in the Formula 1
TT. Despite being widely regarded as
the greatest bike racer of all time, no
one truly believed he could win after
such a long lay off. After all, he was 38
years old and partially crippled from
a Formula 1 car crash. But Mike was
out to prove everyone wrong. This is
the story of the greatest comeback in
sporting history.
Pauline Hailwood: ‘We were living in
New Zealand at the time and he was
just bored. I think in many ways the TT
was just a challenge to himself to see
if he could still do it.’
Ted Macauley: ‘When Mike phoned
me and said he fancied doing the TT I
thought he was pissed! We originally
had an understanding that he would
just ride round and enjoy himself – but
of course he was lying.’
Steve Wynne: ‘Mike didn’t say
anything to me before he set off for
the race because he was too busy
leaning on the pit wall talking to a
good-looking blonde! He had the
knack of making all the other riders
nervous because he wasn’t.’
Mick Grant: ‘He’d been struggling in
practice and asked me to show him
round the course. I thought ‘F**king
hell! That’s like God asking me to
explain the Bible!’ I was good from the
start to Ramsey but absolutely awful
going up the Mountain, so the only
place I didn’t want Mike to follow me
was up the Mountain. I followed him
to Ramsey Hairpin and, sure enough,
he waved me past. I made an even
bigger balls of going up the Mountain
than I usually do. Afterwards Mike said
“Thank you Mick, but how the f**k you
get round like you do I don’t know!”’
Ted Macauley: ‘When I drove him
THE EYEWITNESSES
EYEWITNESS The moments that made biking
history Formula 1 TT race, Isle of Man, June 3, 19781955-2015
up to the grandstand on the morning
of the race he was silent all the way,
he was so focused. Then when I
looked into his eyes on the start line I
could see nothing. It was like looking
through a porthole on a very clear
day. His eyes were absolutely vacant
because he was focusing so hard.’
Phil Read: ‘Mike rode really well and it
was a fantastic race. For three-and-a-
half laps we were together, swapping
places. We pitted together, we came
out together, and he was riding like
he’d never been away. When he caught
me up on the road I knew there was no
way I could beat him unless his bike
blew up or he fell off. But he didn’t.’
Ted Macauley: ‘The thrill in the
grandstand when Mike came past for
the first time – well, I go cold even now
thinking about it. He didn’t glance at
his pit, he was just head down, tucked
in, and rocketing straight towards
No clever headline required,
MCN’s report from June 7, 1978
simply said it all
www.motorcyclenews.com
14 June 17 2015
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Riding like he’d never been away, Hailwood’s performance put fans into fever pitch
The Ducati 900SS was tuned by Wynne
and blew up just as it crossed the line
A devastating mix of calm, focus and
chest hair, it was the 70s after all...
Bray Hill. It was remarkable.’
Pauline Hailwood: Mike didn’t want
me to go over for the actual race
so I stayed with my parents and
the children in England. Instead,
Ted Macauley gave me a running
commentary by telephone. When
it came to the last lap he was
screaming: “He’s gonna do it!”
Steve Wynne: ‘Just as Mike crossed
the line the engine blew up. After the
race I was in deep discussion with
one of the stewards who had a noise
meter to test the winning bike (I can
tell you now it would not have passed).
He was saying, “It won’t start will it?”
Not knowing the engine had blown, I
was saying “Of course it will.” It was
only when he repeated “It WON’T start
will it?” that it dawned on me he didn’t
wish to be lynched for disqualifying
Mike Hailwood from this historic win!’
Ted Macauley: ‘I remember jumping
up and down on the track and I was
actually embarrassed at my own
reaction. But I was overjoyed, first
because my best pal was home safe,
and secondly because he’d won after
an 11-year retirement. As Mike and I
walked up to the winner’s enclosure
we both had tears streaming down our
faces, and everybody was jostling to
pat him on the back. I was very proud
to have organised something which
gave so much joy to so many people. It
was an amazing sensation.’
VOTE NOWFor your MCN Man of the Last 60 Years
motorcyclenews.com/awards
#MCNwednesday
15 BUYING &SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
Image taken on closed road.
AVAILABLEWITH AFFORDABLE*
MONTHLY REPAYMENTS
Cash Price £7,131.00
Deposit £1,450.00
Total Amount of Credit £5,681.00
Purchase Fee§ £10.00
Duration of Agreement 37 Months
36 Monthly Repayments £95.00
Final Repayment £3,448.00
Total Amount Payable £8,318.00
Interest Rate (Fixed) 8.31%
Representative APR 8.7% APR
REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE:
Based on Scrambler Icon - ’62 Yellow with acontracted annual mileage of 6,000.
THE LAND OF JOYInventive, youthful and free-spirited,
the new Ducati Scrambler is much
more than a bike, it’s a land of joy,
freedom and self-expression
§ Included in Final Repayment.
*With a PCP product a significant proportion of the total amount payable is payable at the end of the contract by one large final repayment, so your regular monthlyrepayments are low. Finance is subject to status and is only available to UK residents aged 18 or over. TriOptions PCP is only available through Ducati Finance which is atrading style of Black Horse Ltd, St. William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff CF10 5BH. Figures are correct as of 11th March 2015. Finance offer ends 30th June 2015.
YAMAHA YZF-R3 v KTM RC390 v KAWASAKI NINJA 300
www.motorcyclenews.com
16 June 17 2015
They’re light, they’re quick and they cost under fi ve grand. But whichBATTLE OF
The Moto3 refugee
It’s the KTM RC390 that immediatelyslaps a smile on our testers’ faces. Aswe stand in the MCN bike park, oglingthe three half-pint middleweights,all eyes are fixed on orange. With itsunderslung exhaust, trick headlight,Moto3-style steel trellis frame andsharp angular lines, it looks just likea proper race bike. It’s wiry, athleticand looks like it’s about to head-buttthe Kawasaki. I want one.
I swing a leg over the lofty 820mm-high seat and grab the bars. The 390forces my body into a racing crouch,the seat’s hard and the bars are low – Ican already feel pressure on my wrists.I fire the single-cylinder into life, grabfirst gear, and watch the gear shift-lightflash madly as the redlining engine asks
for another ratio. I click into second and the furiously blinking shift-light goes into meltdown. I feed it third and fourth gears, the combination of short gearing and 44bhp injecting a shot of serious go. This bike is fun.
The B-road I’m riding tightens and the surface deteriorates too. The KTM’s ride starts to get choppy while its harsh-ly damped forks make sure I feel every bump. It’s set up stiff like an old-school race bike and feels quite crude. When I grab a handful of brake I get plenty of stopping power, but little in the way of feedback or finesse.
The green machine
The Kawasaki shares similar issues with the KTM. It isn’t harshly damped, but its fork and shock internals are still budget and lack the control of more expensive units. And while the brakes aren’t
STAFF WRITER
Continued over
ON THE ROAD
The missionYamaha’s new YZF-R3 has KTM’s
RC390 and Kawasaki’s Ninja 300
in its sights. To find out if it has
what it takes to be the king of the
A2 sportsbikes, we take all three
for a thrashing on road and track.
The riders
Andy Davidson
MCN Staff Writer
Age 27 Height 5ft7in
CV Learnt to ride on
an FZR400. Soft spot
for middleweights.
Tony Hoare
MCNConsumerEditor
Age 41 Height 5ft 10in
CV Riding since 2001,
raced a Yamaha
TZR250 for six years.
Liam Marsden
MCN Web Producer
Age 25 Height 6ft1in
CV All year rider. Not
a huge fan of out-and-
out sportsbikes.
The bikes
Yamaha YZF-R3, £4799
The latest bike to join the A2
sportsbike fray. It has the look of
Yamaha’s larger R-series bikes but
has a friendly 321cc parallel-twin.
Kawasaki Ninja 300, £4899
Convincing ZX-10R replica with a
super-smooth parallel-twin motor.
It’s revvy and roomy, but is it too
soft to be sporty?
KTM RC390, £4998
Nutty single-cylinder bike that
makes no excuses about its ‘ready
to race’ ethos. But will its sporty
nature ruin its road manners?
#MCNwednesday
17 BUYING &SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
of the new generation of A2 sportsbikes would you want? THE 300S
TIM
KE
ET
ON
ROAD AND
TRACK
www.motorcyclenews.com
18 June 17 2015
woolly like the KTM’s, the twin-pots up front still need a good tug. It does, however, have a lower seat (785mm), is much more comfortable and has a more everyday, upright riding posi-tion, making it a welcome relief after the RC390.
Our Ninja test bike is in Kawasaki’s 30th Anniversary colour scheme (£5049) and has smart touches such as faired-in indicators. But the dash is lacking and unlike the KTM and Yam it doesn’t have a shift-light or gear indicator, which would come in handy as the parallel-twin’s power is located in the top end.
The Kwak makes the least power and torque (39bhp and 20ftlb) of the three bikes on test, so you have to rev it up to 10,000rpm before it truly wakes up. At 174kg it’s also the heaviest bike here and doesn’t flick or change direction as easily as the other two, feeling relatively slow steering when thrown into corners. But it likes to be thrashed. The exhaust screams, the motor comes alive and, like the KTM, the Ninja becomes great fun. You have to work at it, though.
The new kid on the blockEnter the Yamaha R3. It’s not like the race-hungry KTM and it’s not like the benign Kawasaki, which has to be screamed to be a laugh. Instead, it takes the best from both machines and wraps them into one exquisite
Not too focused, not too
placid - the new Yamaha
R3 is the perfect pitch
for A2 road riding
300cc SPORTSBIKES
package. The riding position is near-perfect, with low seat and comfy, semi-upright position. There’s even a comprehensive dash.
Get a move on and the super-creamy twin motor is incredibly smooth. Like the Kawasaki, the magic happens at high revs, but unlike the green machine there’s still plenty of midrange power to keep things moving right through the rev range. Its flexible engine and power delivery make the 321cc twin easier to live with than the KTM and Kawasaki. The super-light clutch, silky gear change, well set-up suspension and strong brakes all combine to make one seriously competent contender.
There’s more than enough poke to make the Yamaha a fun and engaging machine. The R3 is stable and com-posed and it’s easy to climb all over it as you rail round swooping corners like a Moto3 nutter.
The KTM may wipe the floor with the competition in the aesthetics and race-rep department, but on closer in-spection the Indian-built machine lacks in build quality and finish compared to the swish Indonesia-built Yamaha. The Thai-built Kawasaki also lacks, and doesn’t share the modern feeling of the Yam. KTM pushed the little single so far along the race bike spectrum that it’s not a practical, everyday machine, while the Yam is far more rideable and more than capable of keeping up with the RC390.
Kwak makes the least
power, but looks just
like a ZX-10R
Track talkMCN’s regular speed tester Bruce
Dunn rode timed laps around
Rockingham’s International circuit
until he was happy he’d got to the
limit of each bike’s ability on track.
Bruce races a Yamaha TZ250 GP
bike so he knows all about getting
the best out of light bikes. But he
also spends day after day riding
and capturing data on the world’s
fastest machines, and he was
impressed by how much fun he
could have with just 40bhp.
“These small bikes are very
satisfying to ride,” he said after
finishing his laps. “If you had a
dozen of you, all on bikes like this, it
would be more of a laugh than if you
were all on superbikes. Everyone
aspires to ride superbikes, but you
feel more of a passenger half the
time. Riding bikes like these tells
me something about my riding
style: I have to adapt my style for
superbikes, but with these you can
maximise corner entry speed and I
like that. I had a lot of fun.”
Kawasaki Ninja 300“What I like about the Ninja is that every aspect is predictable, which is a really good thing for riding on track. You know that after a certain lean an-gle you will be scraping, predictably, because there’s not a lot of clearance. Braking is good, you can grab as much as you like and lean on the ABS in a straight line. Handling-wise, it’s pre-dictable and smooth. The suspension is budget, but it works quite well at this track; Rockingham can be choppy, but the Ninja’s suspension irons it out quite a bit. There’s a chicane at the end of the lap and I was going very confidently from left to right – though a lot of that will be down to the Pirelli control tyres; I wouldn’t have that confidence in the stock tyres. There’s not a lot of power, but the delivery is turbine smooth throughout the rev range, and there’s the satisfaction that comes from being able to cane an engine through every gear and challenge yourself to get the best out of the momentum you’ve got. I enjoyed this bike”.Continued over
ON THE TRACK
#MCNwednesday
19BUYING &SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
Footpegs are positioned for comfort The green bike’s ABS impressed on track
The Ninja is left behind in the dash department, there’s no shift light or gear indicator
Massive hero blobs limit on-track lean Twin-pot caliper is simple but effective
Footpegs touch down easily on track There’s WP suspension but it’s crude
YZF-R3
RC390
NINJA
Up close
The MCN boys love loitering in lay-bys
Get a Kwak and start hunting the apex
These frugal funsters simply sip juice
‘The R3 is composed and it’s easy to climb
all over it as you rail round swooping
corners like a Moto3 nutter ’
Low-slung exhaust
and orange trellis
frame means the RC
turns heads
KTM’s clocks look a little on the cheap side, but they boast impressive functionality
Classy Yamaha dash has it all, and you simply can’t beat an analogue tacho, can you?
3 FASTEST 1’49.79rd
www.motorcyclenews.com
20 June 17 2015
‘It’s exciting, easyto ride and moreforgiving than its competitors’The 2012 Kawasaki Ninja is a good
laugh if you keep the revs up, but
its competitors surpass it with a
more modern feel. The KTM lacks
in build quality and its harsher,
track-focused ride is fun but
tiresome as an everyday machine.
The Yamaha takes the win as it’s the
most competitively priced, has the
best build quality and is a credible,
very well thought-out machine.
It’s exciting, easy to ride, more
forgiving than its competitors and
is a proper big bike in its own right.
Yamaha are onto a winner with the
new R3.
ANDY DAVIDSOSTAFF WRITER
VERDIC
Price £4998
Engine 373cc, 4v, single-cylinder
Power 44bhp @ 9500rpm
Torque 26ftlb @ 7250rpm
Kerb weight 160kg (est)
Tank size 10 litres
Seat height 820mm
Tested mpg 62.54
KTM RC390
Price £4799
Engine 321cc, 8v parallel-twin
Power 41.4bhp @ 10,750rpm
Torque 21.83ftlb @ 9000rpm
Kerb weight 169kg
Tank size 14 litres
Seat height 780mm
Tested mpg:56.03
YAMAHA YZF-R3
Price: £4899
Engine:296cc, 8v, parallel-twin
Power 39bhp @ 11,000rpm
Torque 20ftlb @ 10,000rpm
Kerb weight 174kg
Tank size 17 litres
Seat height 785mm
Tested mpg 56.49
KAWASAKI NINJA 300
Yamaha R3 beats the rest with build
quality, credibility and road-ready fun
TECH SPEC
Yamaha YZF-R3“This bike is in a similar vein to theKawasaki, but it has a bit more punchfrom the engine. It has a nicer dash witha gear indicator and shift-light, whichis always useful to have. The shock feelssofter than the Kawasaki’s and, aftera few laps on track, it feels as thoughit’s faded completely. The back-endwas wallowing and moving up anddown as if it had lost all the damping,which makes it completely useless fortrack riding.
“If I left braking as late as I did on theKawasaki, the R3 would judder andjump quite a bit because the ABS waskicking in and extending my brakingdistance. It had similar ground clear-ance issues to the Kawasaki, and maybemore. The steering is nice and neutral,but that shock fading means the bikehas sunk and the ground clearance hasreduced even more. The Kawasaki andYamaha are both good fun to ride asyou can really concentrate on pickingthe perfect line, but the Yamaha is that little bit faster and better”.
2 FASTEST 1’47.19nd
1 FASTEST 1’43.28st
KTM RC390“It’s a lot faster around the track thanthe other two, and that’s down to itslarger engine, but it’s hampered bythe short gearing. For example, I takeRockingham’s hairpin in third gear onthe KTM, while on the other two bikesI was in second. But the punchy enginereally suits this track, you’re leant overfor a lot of the time so you need powerand torque to continue driving the bike,and the KTM has much more shove thanthe other two. While the engine workswell on track, the suspension feels verybasic, almost crude. The brakes don’tfeel overly powerful and the ABS kicksin far too early.
“The KTM’s let down by a lack ofbuild quality, and I can imagine thisbike being a bit of a pain on the road.If I had to go on a trip I’d rather go onone of the other bikes as this enginewould get on my nerves after a while.If I took this on a trackday I’d be confi-dent of running in the medium groupand mixing it with most of the otherriders, especially on braking and in theturns. It’s a faster bike out of the box,but it’s not necessarily better to ride.”
2nd
3nd
1st
www.motorcyclenews.com
* Test ride is subject to applicant status and availability.
To book a test ride* contact your local BMW Motorrad Centre orvisit www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk to explore the entire BMW Motorrad range.
The UltimateRiding Machine
BMW Motorrad UK
The S 1000 XRand R 1200 RS
WHY COMPROMISE WHEN PERFECTION AWAITS. MAKE LIFE A RIDE.
‘The new S 1000 XR is probably one of the best BMWs ever.’
‘The R 1200 RS brings a new level of handling and technical sophistication to its class.’
June 17 2015
www.motorcyclenews.com
22
The new RC213V-S
road-legal MotoGP
bike (bottom left) owes
a debt of gratitude to
the NR750 (above) and
NR500s that paved the
V4 way before it
10Honda’s stunning new RC213V-S has its roots way back in the 1970s, when
ULTIMATE
FROM NR TO RCV
STEPS TO THH
#MCNwednesday
23 BUYING & SELLING SPORTTHIS WEEK NEW BIKES GARAGEFEATURES June 17 2015
Honda have been in love with V4s since the 1970s, though recently their sportsbike range has sadly lacked the wondrously easy speed and
evocative exhaust note of a V4.Honda have long believed the V4 to
be the ultimate engine layout for a mo-torcycle, and they may be correct. Done right, a good V4 mixes four-cylinder power with V-twin midrange and torque. That combination of devastating speed and effortless power has made Honda’s four-stroke V4s dominate all kinds of racing, from the Isle of Man TT, the Bol d’Or 24 hours and Daytona 200 to World Superbike and MotoGP.
By Mat Oxley
MCN CONTRIBUTOR
the company raced its fi rst V4, the oval-piston NR500
HONDA V4
1979 NR500Honda’s first V4 began
life at a set of traffic
lights near their Asaka
R&D centre. Engineer
Shoichiro Irimajiri was
on his way home from
another gruelling day spent dreaming
up ways of beating the two-strokes
when he had his Eureka moment.
Gazing at an oval (ish) traffic-light
housing he realised similar-shaped
pistons might allow him to increase
valve area and give a combustion area
similar to two normal pistons.
The result was the madly exotic
oval-piston New Racer. Honda thought
they might achieve the impossible and
beat the two-strokes if the NR could
rev twice as high. At 22,000rpm it
failed but Honda learned a hell of a lot
along the way, about exotic materials,
special oils, slipper clutches and so
on. They also worked hard: an NR500
engine with its 32 valves and eight con
rods took 60 hours to build!
1
HE
June 17 2015 ULTIMATE HONDAS
3
1982 VF750S
Despite the NR’s
failure, Honda had
faith in the V4.
The VF750S (the
Americans called
it the Sabre) was
revolutionary: it was the first water-
cooled, 16-valve 90-degree V4. The VF
featured cylinders cast into the upper
crankcases, a hydraulic clutch and
a cylinder head that owed details to
the NR. Despite water-cooling the VF
weighed 30kg less than the air-cooled
CB900 it replaced.
The VF was praised for its
smoothness and friendly power, but
shaft drive and mid-Atlantic styling
didn’t go down well with riders
expecting something sporty. Also,
early models were beset by engine
problems which brought Honda close
to axing its entire V4 programme.
1982 RS1000RW
Although the VF750S
was a cruiser with no
sporting aspirations,
Honda were itching to
show what a V4 could
do on the racetrack.
The RS1000RW was
packed with NR tech, like its slipper
clutch. The engine proved Honda’s
belief in the V4, making 150bhp and
excellent torque. In fact, it made too
much power for 1980s tyre tech –
Freddie Spencer led the 1982 Daytona
200 until his rear tyre blew apart. The
RS was also heavy; its size and its
water-cooling – at a time when other
four-strokes were air-cooled – earned it
the nickname the Water Whale.
2
41983 VF750F
It didn’t take Honda
long to improve
on the VF750S.
The VF750F
(Interceptor in
the US) was their
first V4 sportsbike and scored
the V4’s first major successes.
When Freddie Spencer got a VF at
Daytona in 1983 he took just five
laps to beat his lap record on a
1024cc inline four. Spencer says
the bike represented the biggest
development jump he experienced
in a superbike career that spanned
the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Spencer loved the F because
it felt much more like a race bike
than a road bike. He also liked
its narrowness, which increased
cornering clearance. The inline
four had long ago run out of ground
clearance, so Honda removed the
alternator from the crankshaft and
mounted a belt-driven snowmobile
ignition box behind the cylinders.
The Honda VF750F inherited its
slipper clutch (a road-bike first)
and Pro Link rear suspension
from the NR, while the rest of the
chassis owed much to lessons
learned from the Water Whale (see
story, right).
www.motorcyclenews.com
24
Early VF engines suffered problems
51983 RS860Superbike racing was
already huge in the US
but it had yet to cross
the Atlantic. So while
Spencer and Fred
Merkel dominated
with the Interceptor, Honda built
something different for Europe.
The RS860 – an over-bored VF750
motor in an F1 race chassis – and
it marked the start of Honda’s V4
domination that continued into the 90s.
The 135bhp/170mph RS was fast
and bullet proof, partly due to the V4’s
shorter, stiffer crankshaft which also
required fewer bearings for reduced
internal friction, always a Honda
obsession.
61985 RVF750The RVF750 was
the bike that fully
forged Honda’s V4
legend. For more
than half a decade
it was the most
successful four-stroke on the planet.
In 1985, when Spencer won the first-
ever Daytona 200 superbike race on
the VF, the RVF won the F1 TT, the
Bol d’Or and the Suzuka Eight Hours.
If the RVF’s engine was similar
to the RS860’s, the chassis was all
new. The twin-spar aluminium frame
was based on Honda’s NSR500 and
NSR250 GP bikes.
71986 VFR750FThe VF750F
dominated the US
scene in 1984 and
1985 but Suzuki’s
GSX-R750 had
arrived, so Honda
had to get busy. The VFR750
turned up in 1986 and swept past
all that had gone before, adding to
the V4 legend. The VFR was also
the bike that turned the masses
onto Honda’s V4. On road and track
it was a superb all-rounder: fast,
agile and easy to live with.
Once again, lessons learned
in HRC’s V4 racing programme
featured heavily. From the RVF the
VFR inherited gear-driven cams
which reduced friction by 30 per
cent.
The twin-beam frame, also
inspired by the RVF, allowed Fred
Merkel to ride so hard that he bent
the front forks, so Honda equipped
the bike with a GP front end.
#MCNwednesday
25 BUYING & SELLING SPORTGARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES FEATURES June 17 2015
Introducing the new OXFORD all-weather luggage range, from just £49.99
N�t��������������t�JOGP!PYQSPE�DPN
NEW
Takeo FukuiChief engineer on
the NR500, he later
became president
of the Honda Motor
Company in the late 80s.
Shoichiro IrimajiriThe NR500 engine
designer who also
created Honda’s
fabled 250 six-cylinder GP bike
and CBX1000 roadster
Wayne GardnerWon the 1991 and 1992 Suzuka
Eight Hours on the RVF750, with
Mick Doohan and Daryl Beattie.
Joey DunlopMade the Isle of
Man a Honda V4
island, scoring no
fewer than 11 TT
V4 victories between 1983 and
2000.
Alex VieiraUnsung Frenchman
who scored an
endurance world
title hat-trick on the
bullet-proof RVF.
Marc MarquezThe Spaniard came,
saw and conquered
on the RC213V,
breaking just about
every record along the way.
V4 people
Haslam demonstrated VFR’s ability
June 17 2015 ULTIMATE HONDAS
91994 RC45
The RC45 was
the RC30’s
successor but
did little to
further the V4
legend. Honda
started all over again; so much so
that the RC45 project leader never
even spoke to the RC30 boss!
Everything was new. Bore and
stroke were changed for the first
time since the VF750S, from 70 x
48.6mm to 72 x 46mm, for more
revs. The chassis was all-new, and
the bike was heavier than the RC30.
If the RC30 won WSB first time
out, the RC45 took four years, by
which time HRC were spending
more on it than the NSR500. The
45’s strong point was endurance –
it won five Suzuka Eight Hours.
102015 RC213V
And here it is, the bike that’s
the blueprint for Honda’s latest
racer-on-the-road, just as the
RVF750 was the blueprint for
the RC30. The RC213V was
Honda’s first V4 four-stroke
MotoGP bike, arriving 30 years
after the VF750 turned. Of
course, it’s entirely different
from its ancestor but at its
heart it’s still a 16-valve,
90-degree V4. It does make a
bit more power, however, up
from 80 to 250bhp.
The RC213V has dominated
MotoGP 2013/2014, its
stubby chassis and fully
seamless gearbox getting it
into the turns faster than the
competition.
81988 RC30
The RC30 was Honda’s
greatest V4 for the common
man; well, the common man
who had £8499 to blow. The
RC was a World Superbike
homologation special which
took sportsbike development forward by at
least five years.
The engine was much changed – its
360-degree firing order created that
wonderful droning exhaust note, which
evokes memories of the TT and the Bol. It had
titanium rods, which weighed 50g less than
the VFR’s and cost eight times as much.
The twin-beam chassis shared the same
geometry as the RFV, allowing riders to ride
impossibly tight cornering lines, just like Mick
Doohan and Wayne Gardner on the RVF.
The RC won the first two WSB titles and
dominated the Isle of Man for years, winning
its last TT in 1993, five years after its launch.
www.motorcyclenews.com
26 BRAKIN
GTHEMOULD
RRP £90.72 each
As used byJosh BrookesMilwauekeeYamaha
www.bandcexpress.co.uk
RENTHAL ROAD LEVER ALLOWSTHE BLADE TO DISLOCATEDURING A CRASH THEN EASILYPOP BACK INTO PLACE
www.motorcyclenews.com
The missionBMW say the R1200RS is the ideal
do-it-all. MCN decided to put this
claim to the test by pitting the RS
against the Bavarian firm’s leading
sportsbike, the S1000RR, as well as
its ultimate tourer, the K1600GTL.
The riders
Jon Urry
Road tester
Age 38 Height 6ft 2in
CV Experienced road
tester and fan of rapid
mile munching
James Doherty
Road tester
Age 34 Height 5ft 8in
CV Former R6 Cup
racer and regular
MCN tester
Simon Lee
Road tester
Age 40 Height 6ft
CV Photographer
who uses bikes for
work and fun
The bikes
BMW S1000RR Sport £14,760
At the sharpest end of litre bike
development with an even more
advanced electronics package
than before and a claimed 198bhp.
BMW K1600GTL £17,800
Germany’s ultra tourer boasts
a thumping inline six-cylinder
engine as well as all of the creature
comforts you would expect.
BMW R1200RS Sport SE
£12,915
125bhp water-cooled boxer engine
finds its way into a sports tourer
with cutting-edge electronics.
BMW S1000RR SPORT v BMW R1200RS SPORT SE v BMW K1600GTL
www.motorcyclenews.com
28 June 17 2015
BMW has three class-leading bikes in the S1000RR, R1200RS andCHOOSE YOUU
#MCNwednesday
29 BUYING &SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
K1600GTL. But which is the best at a bit of everything?UR WEAPON
‘Middle of the road’ is aphrase that’s become apolite but pointed eu-phemism for the word‘boring’. But when abike is described as
such, it invariably means it is simplyvery good at doing everything well, asopposed to more focused bikes’ ability todo some things brilliantly, while gloss-ing over other holes in their skill sets.
Sportsbikes are designed to thrill,while tourers should cosset both therider and pillion as the miles slip past.
But what if you don’t want extremes?Is it too much to ask for the best of bothworlds? Compromise is a dirty word inbike design, but BMW’s R1200RS wasshaped to be a Jack-of-all-trades, anda bike for all seasons – handy conces-sions for our UK needs.
A hint of rain in the air is never agreat start to a day of big miles, butwhen you have the fob (it’s a keylessignition) to a K1600GTL, it’s no hard-ship. Some riders view über-tourerslike the GTL with disdain, but when itcomes to doing their specific job theyare hard to fault. The GTL’s job is to getme along some dull dual carriagewayswhile the other riders on this test suf-
fer the sportier bikes. A screen to hidebehind and a comfortable riding posi-tion and I’ll be a happy man, and theGTL fits the brief.
With a wet weight of 348kg it’s nosurprise that the GTL is a handful atlow speed – once this beast starts totip, there is no way you are going to saveit. Two-up and fully-loaded, it’s a realhandful under 5mph but once you getthe GTL going, the weight drops off.
The inline-six is incredibly strong,and its electronics ensure your com-fort is a priority. Crank up the heatedseat and grips, turn up the radio, setthe cruise control and you can justrelax into the deeply padded seat and
watch the miles drift past. It’s touringbliss, nearly.
The sublime motor will pull sixth geareffortlessly from as low as 1500rpm,which is a good thing as the gearboxis pretty horrible. The changes be-tween cogs feel rough, and in completecontrast to the RS and RR’s two-wayquickshifter slickness.
Looking through the GTL’s largescreen at Jimmy on the S1000RR aheadI was waiting for the moment he firstdid the ‘sportsbike stretch’, attemptingto shake feeling back into aching wristsand knees. It came just after an hour onthe road, when me and the GTL were just
GUEST TESTER
Continued over
PA
UL
BR
YA
NT
‘I can’t believe howhard you can powerout of roundabouts,
even in the damp’
www.motorcyclenews.com
30 June 17 2015
getting into our stride. According to Jimmy the S1000RR wasn’t that bad when it came to comfort and keeping up a dual carriageway pace, but we are talking relative to other sportsbikes here, not the RS or GTL.
When BMW first put heated gripson the S1000RR it was almost treated as a joke. This year the firm has gone one stage further and added cruisecontrol as an optional extra. Whilethis may sound ludicrous, the reality is that it works, and by the time wereached Cromer, Jimmy was a convert.
“The electronics make a huge dif-ference to the RR in damp conditions. The heated grips are a godsend and you can set the cruise control to hold the throttle steady and take the pressure off your wrists,” he said. “The traction control and smooth fuelling make the power completely manageable. Theriding position is pretty extreme, but the electronics help take the edge off the discomfort as you are riding re-laxed rather than tense. It’s no tourer, but it’s not uncomfortable.”
It may not have the attitude of the S1000RR, but under its half-fairingthe all-new R1200RS is almost asadvanced. The bike we tested camenot only with the semi-active DDAsuspension, but also the gyroscopic-sensitive DTC traction control, twofeatures that transform the ride.“I can’t believe how hard you canpower out of roundabouts, even inthe damp,” enthused Simon. “It’scomfortable and the electronics aregreat – but the screen does nothingon its lowest setting and isn’t fantastic on its highest. That said, it’s a lovely bike that feels a lot like a GS in itspracticality, just with far better looks and without that ‘GS club’ stigma.”
To me, that’s one of the RS’s keyselling points. This is an incrediblypractical bike that’s almost as com-fortable as the GTL – with none of the bulk – for the mile-munching part of our ride, but boasts looks nearly assporty as the S1000RR and a similar level of technology. Having riddenone at its Spanish launch on hot and sinuous road, I know it’s something of a back-road weapon, too.
When you sit on the RS it feels very upright. The bars aren’t clip-ons, they are clip-overs, set well above the top yoke in a relaxed stance while the pegs are nice and low. It’s sporty, but notaggressively so, unlike the RR.
Riding the RS swiftly on unfamiliar roads is a lovely experience. Unlikethe RR it doesn’t flick into corners,but rolls with intent, creating a steady and assured, yet rapid, feel to its han-dling. The boxer engine has enoughtorque to ensure gear changes are kept to a minimum, the traction controlis excellent and at a legal pace it ismore than quick enough to keep the RR in its sights without ever feelingon the edge.
It’s not until you swap straight from something as relaxed as the GTL to the No lack of attitude from the S1000RR Always remember to read the manual…
Shift light proves the sporting intent but the electronics make it so easy to control
Smartest can here and it has two of them It looks complex but you get the hang of it
Two-into-one silencer with deep chrome Scroll between electronics on the bar
R1200RS
K1600GTL
S1000RR
Up close ‘Riding the RS swiftly on unfamiliar roads is lovely. Unlike the
RR it doesn’t flick into corners, but rolls with intent’
As practical and comfy
as a GS but without the
Ewan and Charley
overtones
Only the finest health foods for us
BMW GROUP TEST
More info than Wikipedia and all of it useful and clearly displayed on the RS’s dash
All the info you need and a sat nav so you won’t get lost. The GTL is a bike that has it all
RR that you realise just how cramped sportsbikes are. Over the years I’ve learnt to fold my six-foot two frame onto sportsbikes, but for the first mile of riding the RR I felt like I was going to fall onto the front wheel. It’s a com-promised position, but one that works perfectly when you want to push on.
I know the headline figures for the RR revolve around its astonishing power and lack of weight, but what BMW should really be highlighting is how the electronics make this stagger-
ing performance so manageable. Turn all the assists on and you can open the throttle hard without the fear of being catapulted into the middle of next week while the semi-active suspension does an incredible job of smoothing out the surface. Sportsbike reviews used to be filled with comments such as ‘on a smooth road’, but the RR’s DDA makes every road smooth. However, it still has a sharp edge, and it’s this that keeps you from pushing too hard, and is why the RS can keep the RR in its sights.
Ride the RR hard on the road and there is an air of intimidation. Accel-erate with aggression in the first three gears and very quickly you are doing well into three figures. On a track this is fine, on the road it’s all-consuming.
The pent-up aggression within the motor makes the RR feel like a bike that is wishing for a better rider, where on the RS you feel the boss as you nail it through the gears. However, this leads to one of the main issues I have with the RS. Focus lends character to a bike, and the RR’s nasty edge makes riding it a thrilling and involving experience – something the RS can’t match. While almost impossible to criticise its skills, the RS does leave me a little cold.
#MCNwednesday
31BUYING &SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
Get moving and the six-cylinder GTL is
a torque-laden mile-munching delight
Only one thing in this picture handles
like a barge (and it’s not the bikes)
The RR has the
power but the RS
can hold its own
‘The RS is the clear winner’While you can tour on an S1000RR,
it is a pretty miserable experience
compared to doing it on a dedicated
tourer. And while going fast on
K1600GTL is briefly amusing,
it’s nowhere near as thrilling or
capable as a sportsbike. Sherlock
would find little to be shocked
by on either count. Conversely,
the R1200RS does touring and
scratching with equal ability, but its
lack of focus on one specific area
does leave it feeling a little bland.
It’s a harsh label to tag it with for
being so talented, but if your riding
is more than one-dimensional, it’s
th l i
JON URRYGUEST TESTER
VERDI
Engine 1170cc (101mm x 73mm), l/c,
dohc, 8v flat twin. Six gears. Fuel
injection.
Claimed power 125bhp @ 7750rpm
Claimed torque 92ftlb @ 6500rpm
Chassis Aluminium twin spar
Front suspension: 45mm inverted
Sachs forks, semi-active damping
Rear suspension: Monoshock,
semi-active damping
Wet weight 236kg
Front brake 2 x 320mm discs with
four-piston radial calipers. ABS
Rear brake 276mm disc with two-
piston caliper. ABS
Fuel capacity 18 litres
Seat height 820mm (optional
760/840mm)
Electronic rider aids Traction
control, engine modes, quick
shifter, autoblipper, ABS, cruise
control, integrated GPS, semi-
active suspension.
PCP deal Deposit £2451.66 / 36
x £159 / Guaranteed final value
£7439.31
2015 BMW R1200RS SPORT SE, £12,915
Engine 1649cc (72mm x 67.5mm),
l/c, dohc, 24v. Six gears. Fuel
injection.
Claimedpower158.2bhp@7750rpm
Claimed torque 129.1ftlb @
5250rpm
Chassis Cast aluminium bridge
Front suspension: Duolever,
electronically-adjustable damping.
Rear suspension: Monoshock,
electronically-adjustable damping
and spring preload.
Wet weight 348kg
Front brake 2 x 320mm disc with
four-piston caliper. ABS
Rear brake 320mm disc with two-
piston caliper. ABS
Fuel capacity 26.5 litres
Seat height 750mm (optional 780,
810, 830mm)
Electronic rider aids Traction
control, engine modes, ABS, cruise
control, integrated GPS, electronic
suspension.
PCP deal Deposit £3518.11 / 36 x
£239 / GFV £9294.32
2015 BMW K1600GTL, £17,800
Engine 999cc (80mm x 49.7mm),
l/c, dohc, 16v inline four. Six gears.
Fuel injection.
Claimed power 198bhp @ 13,500rpm
Claimed torque 83.4ftlb @
10,500rpm
Chassis Aluminium twin spar,
double sided swingarm
Front suspension: 46mm inverted
Sachs forks, semi-active damping.
Rear suspension: Monoshock,
semi-active damping.
Wet weight 204kg
Front brake 2 x 320mm discs with
four-piston radial calipers. ABS
Rear brake 220mm disc with on-
piston caliper. ABS
Fuel capacity 17.5 litres
Seat height 815mm
Electronic rider aids Variable
traction control, engine modes,
quick shifter, autoblipper, ABS,
cruise control, semi-active
suspension, launch control.
PCP Deal Deposit £3490.12 / 36 x
£179.95 / GFV £7482.46
2015 BMW S1000RR SPORT, £14,760
For versatility, the RS is hard to beat
THE DETAIL
Big miles, big bike
and a real handful
at low speeds
www.motorcyclenews.com
32 COMMENT
Your letters Email [email protected]
Write MCN Letters, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA
Long livethe Imps!Inspirational kids on stunningform on their shiny new bikes
LETTER OF THE WEEK
IAN
JU
BB
GO
LD
& G
OO
SE
Display teams don’t come
much more fun than
the Imps – and now their
future has been secured
Den Cartwright was amazed by the brilliant Imps show in Suffolk
Den Cartwright, Brandon, Suffolk
Ed: They are indeed a brilliant team and a great cause. Find out if the Imps are
coming your way by visiting www.impsonline.com
I saw your article in MCN (MCN, May 13) about the
Imps Display Team, and thought what a wonderful
job the people who run the team are doing for these
young people, and what a shame if they have to
close. Then to learn that they had secured more
sponsorship was fantastic. I recently had the good
fortune to watch this team in action with their new
fleet of bikes at a show in Suffolk, and WOW! What a
great performance! To see children as young as six
doing stunts was something else. When I was six I'd
only just learned to ride a push bike!
MCN STAR LETTERIf you’re looking to insure a bike, visit
MCNcompare.com and you can quickly
compare prices from 43 top motorcycle
insurance brands. The writer of the
best letter each week published in the
Letters pages will receive a free retro-
design MCN T-shirt courtesy of the
MCNcompare.com website.
Hutchy’s an inspiration to us all
@ I was lucky enough to be at theTT in 2010 when Hutchy scored
five race wins; the atmosphere waselectric, the island was buzzing. Thento see his accident at Silverstone wasgut-wrenching. Of course other riders,like Conor Cummins, have had massiveaccidents where us mere mortalswould’ve just given up due to the mam-moth rehab task ahead. They all aremodern-day gladiators. Mindset iscritical to success in all walks of life,focusing on the goal, forgoing whatmost of us enjoy in life, so they can wina TT is something that as a nation weshould embrace and somehow try toemulate in whatever we do. Hutchy is,and always will be, the example I usewhen someone says “that’s not pos-sible, no way, too much hard work”.Mark BW McDermott, email
I love my chopsBack in the day there were someof us who took hacksaws to their
bikes in the search for a bit of indi-viduality (MCN Letters, June 3). Therewere those who looked down on us andthey called us ‘knobheads’. We calledthem ‘w*****s’. Now I have no problemwith those who want to be ordinary,but I always thought that being a bik-er was about being tolerant of others.Shaun Henderson, email
Curse of the damp crotch
@ Just had to comment on the word‘waterproof’ on bike clothing –
it’s a joke on so many products. I’m fedup of buying clothing that make boldclaims for waterproofing abilities whenit would be more accurate to say ‘show-erproof’. A case in point, my newtrousers have been fine in light rain orwee showers but the first time out inproper rain and within 15 minutes thedreaded wet crotch feel was there.Come on manufacturers, try beinghonest with your labels.John, email
Ed: If something claims to be waterproof
but isn’t, you are within your rights to take
it back and complain.
WSB looks a bit sameyJust spent a great day at thePortimao World Superbikes,
while on holiday in Lagos. Great to seemy fellow Ulsterman Johnny Rea do-ing so well (aka kicking ass.) He wasso far ahead in the second race hecrossed the line sitting up with hisarms folded! But with JR and Sykesydicing for the lead in the first race itwas impossible to tell them apart asthe race numbers are too small to be
Spot the difference… Rea and Sykes
seen either on the big screens or as theyhurtle past. Any chance of a nice bignumber decal on the fairing sides? Something needs to be done!Mike "Dino" MacLennan, N Ireland
Treasured Island is unreachable
@ The Isle of Man has always beenon my ‘mus-go’ list but life and
work got in the way for many years.But for the last five or six years I keepcoming up against the same problems:ferries booked solid a year in advanceand accommodation booked up for twoyears. I can’t camp for health reasonsso B&B or self-catering is all I can do,but talking to people who’ve been theyseem to have the inside track and re-book while there. How about giving someone else a chance?Paul, Yorkshire
Ed: Have you tried the Classic TT?
There’s no need to be nastyWhy has it suddenly becometrendy for some sections of the
biking public to essentially bully rid-ers? First Guy Martin was hounded andattacked for telling what I consider tobe the truth about the NW200 (for therecord, I believe the organisers shouldapologise to him and to Tyco BMW forthe way they treated them over thewhole affair), then there were VernonNewman’s comments about JohnnyRea in your letters page (June 3). Throwin the near-constant negativity di-rected towards various MotoGP riders,most notably Rossi, on social mediaand you have what’s becoming a real problem.Shelley Blair, email
Folding chair mystery
@ What a coincidence, my letter toyou (MCN Letters, June 3) and
then a feature on motorcycle camping.But ’ang on, Alison. Where did thatchair come from? How did that fit onthe bike? The only chair I’ve foundsuitably compact is the expensiveHelinox one at £75. Glad I bought itthough, can’t sit on the ground for long.Colin Gray, email
Alison replies: ‘Good spot, I nicked it for
the pictures!’
READER POLL
You’ve got a day free for a blast on
your bike, how far is a good rideout?
8.8
e home
anaged
30 mil
fine with
John McGuinness is not normal.
Most 43-year-olds have long-
since stopped racing... very few
are still winning, especially
on one of the world’s most
challenging and dangerous
circuits against men more
than half their age. Most have
stopped playing football and
taken up snooker.
Most are fighting a bit of a
bulging midriff and tuning into
Absolute 80s, Absolute 90s
when they’re feeling a bit lively.
John McGuinness is not yet
doing any of those things – well,
except for fighting to keep his
belly (a little) in check.
Two years ago he cut a forlorn
figure as Michael Dunlop ripped
through the record books, but
Big John got his head down in
the Senior that year and did
the business. After an injury
ravaged 2014, this year
was billed (not least by
MCN) as Guy Martin v
Michael Dunlop with
McGuinness snapping
at their heels.
The scene was set.
Enter stage far, far
left an incredibly
brave Ian
Hutchinson.
He had not
read the
script and
stole the
show. Well, most of the show.
While Hutchy’s tale is one
of incredible bravery and a
resolute refusal to ever give
up, it’s McGuinness who had
the last word. McGuinness, the
Morecambe Missile to give him
his full fighting name, is much-
loved by fans and his Honda
team alike and he reflects that
emotional connection. He gives
as much as he gets.
As ‘there’s only one John
McGuinness’ echoed down
Glencrutchery Road and
drowned out the popping
champagne corks seconds
after the climax of the Senior
TT, McGuinness was already
plotting future crusades: “I feel
like I can still do it (beat Joey
Dunlop’s record 26 TT wins).”
After breaking the outright
lap record, with an incredible
132.701mph average he is
justified in keeping that dream
alive. Although you feel that
if he did ever get that close,
simply equalling the record
might be enough. To rank
next to his ultimate hero
in the record books and
to walk away from an
event to which he has
contributed so much
and which has also
given him so much,
would be the ultimate
mark of respect.
#MCNwednesday
33 BUYING &SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
My Thunderace in Andalucia, 1600 miles from home. 3200 miles in seven days. Jim & Mandy Franklin
Phil Johnson by the Danube in Serbia on his Triumph Trophy
Bit damp on our trip around Scotland. Lee & Ashley Barwell
On our BMW R1200RTs in County Donegal, Ireland. Tony & Alan
Near Stenungsund Sweden, en route to Norway. Dave MouldChilling out on the bike with some ice lollies. Andy Knitter
Me and my mum Wendy after a summer ride. Stephen Dance
Every week, MCN
prints the best
pictures sent in by
readers or website
users. You can
post your pictures
onto our Facebook
page or email them
to mcn.letters@
motorcyclenews.com
We want the full
array of weird and
wonderful images
that reflect your
biking life. As you
can see here, we are
happy to celebrate
the lighter things from
the world of biking.
YOURPICTURES
EDITORIAL
EditorAndyCalton,01733-468006
DeputyEditor RichardNewland,01733-468447
ManagingEditor(DigitalandEvents)
PedBaker,[email protected]
BIKES
SeniorRoadTester MichaelNeeves,01733-468010
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NEWS
SeniorReporterAndyDownes,01733-468011
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FEATURES
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CONSUMER
ConsumerEditorTonyHoare01733-468580
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SPORT
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ART
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17.06.2015
He’s not a missile, he’s faster than that
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7 sweet-temperedbikes of mixed
parentage seekloving home p41
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36
Get that bike show feelImagine you’re at
a bike show, twisting controls
and squeezing levers on new
models. Now try yours. Not
nice, is it? Take an hour to
remove and clean the pivot
points on your brake/clutch
levers, add a little bit of
lubricant and replace. Now lube
your clutch and throttle cables
(plus the choke cable on carbed
bikes) and take excess slack out
of your cables. When adjusting
the clutch, most of the slack
should be removed with the
adjuster nearest the engine
– the dial on the clutch lever
should only be used to fine tune
the final bit.
� Do this: Set levers at the
perfect height while you’re at it.
� Don’t do this: Use chain lube
for the cables. It’s too thick.
Tickle your touch pointsThe crisp, tactile feel fades from handlebar grips as the miles
and years pile on. Cheap aftermarket grips make things even
worse. Invest in a new set of originals or quality aftermarket replacements
for less than £30. Look at your foot controls too – worn rubbers look and
feel awful. Replacements are cheap too. Footrest rubbers themselves
wear out, and even the footpeg pivot points can wear, leaving them
drooping slightly, making your bike feel baggy. Check the gear linkage too –
replace if your rose joints or pivot have excessive play.
� Do this: Use hairspray to slide new grips on.
� Don’t do this: Use any kind of lubricant. They’ll slip for ever more.
Give your chain the VIP treatmentThoroughly degrease and clean every last link on your chain,
plus the sprockets. Rotate the rear wheel slowly, and watch
the lower chain run. If it rises and falls, your chain has tight spots. If you’re
lucky, the deep clean and re-lubricating will free off lightly-binding side
plates. But a knackered chain definitely needs replacing. It’s surprising
the difference a chain struggling to run smoothly over sprockets makes to
throttle response and vibration.
� Do this: Oil from the inside of chain.
� Don’t do this: Clean or lube with the bike in gear. Ask the man with
nine fingers why not.
Deep-service your brakesEven if you don’t think they’re mushy or binding, remove and
check the pads, then gently ease the pistons out with lever
pressure so you can clean them with an old toothbrush and brake cleaner.
Lubricate with a squirt of silicone polish, then press them home. It’ll save
money because they’ll last longer, and maintained brake pistons move
and return better, improving feel. Bleed at the start of each riding season
– brake fluid goes off from the moment you open the sealed bottle. Heat
from use just makes it worse.
� Do this: Pump your brakes a few times after, and check they don’t bind.
� Don’t do this: Try and get away without bleeding if you pop a piston out.
2
1
3 4
Restoring that new bike feel is just a few short doses of well-targeted TLC away. Wind back the years this weekend
SORTED
ways you can shave years off your bike9
Retrain its brainFuel injection can give perfect fuelling for all
scenarios. But manufacturers have to tune
fuel maps to suit noise and emission rules first. That
often compromises performance, throttle action and
fuel efficiency. However many bikes can be improved via
a plug-in fuelling module, or can have their ECU remapped.
� Do this: Tell the dyno operator how you ride to get a
set-up to suit what you really need.
� Don’t do this: Try it yourself. The means are available,
but it’s easy to really screw it up.
Retire your rubberThe effects of a squared off rear are well-
known, but less recognised is the effect of
‘stepping’ between tread, where one edge wears more than
the other. Grip, steering and feel diminish, but you may not
notice the gradual drop. Maintaining correct pressures
helps. The grip from tyres more than four years old will
often be compromised even if they look perfect.
� Do this: Be obsessed with tyre pressure.
� Don’t do this: Buy mismatched or part-worn tyres.
Rarely is a good tyre removed.
Replace the head bearingsOriginal head bearings will often still
be serviceable, but even regreasing and
adjustment never gives the feel of a new set. Buy original,
or premium Japanese replacements, and grease them
properly. Set the bearing preload correctly, and check a
few weeks later after they’ve settled in. Good prep from
the start will see them last far better.
� Do this: Buy bearing tools to make the job easier.
� Don’t do this: Hammer at bearings with a cold chisel
or other inappropriate implements.
Corrosion builds on connectors
Change the fork oilChanging your
fork oil can make a dramatic
difference. It’s another fluid that
deteriorates so gradually your
bike could be a pogoing horror
before you realise. It’s not just
excessive dive – ride quality,
steering and stability all go to pot
too. In an ideal world you’ll pull
the forks apart to remove all the
old oil and debris, and measure
spring free length too. If that’s a
bit out of your league, suspension
specialists won’t charge a
fortune if you remove the forks
and take them to them.
� Do this: Invest in good-
fitting tools to avoid mauling
suspension caps.
� Don’t do this: Try and fully
remove fork tops with the front
end weighted.
Care for carbsGot carbs? Then
you’ve got carb wear. Some carbs
are particularly prone – Mikuni
CVs are known to reach a point
of no repair. But more often, you
can restore much of the original
function. Fuel eats jets away,
and the contact of the needle in
the needle jet wears it oval. Take
them out, noting the numbers on
them. It’s also worth replacing
as many seals and o-rings as you
can. Fuel degrades the rubber,
and they compress under load.
You lose the tight seal, and the
fuel/air mix is affected. Set the
float heights, pilot screw, then
balance them.
� Do this: Experiment with
setting pilot screws further out.
� Don’t do this: Use ill-fitting
tools or forcibly remove brass
jets/screws.
#MCNwednesday
37 SPORT June 17 2015
BUYING &SELLINGFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES
Dave Ball,
Suzuki Master
Technician
at Fowlers in
Bristol:
“Look after
their electrics!
As a mechanic
I enjoy getting
electrical problems fixed, but
most of them are needless.
And as electrics are important
to so many systems on bikes
these days it makes sense to
stay on top of them. Corrosion
is the number one cause
of problems with a bike’s
electrics and you can prevent
it by taking apart connectors,
spraying in some electrolyte
grease and putting them
back together. I’m not talking
about taking the bike to bits –
the connectors you can’t see
are likely to be faired away
enough not to be too exposed
to the elements. Usually it’s
the ones you can see that are
in most need of protection –
like the regulator/rectifier,
which is often stuffed away
at the front of the frame right
behind the front mudguard.
“If you’ve got a new bike the
first thing I would do is make
sure all the connectors are
well-protected – by coating
them with something like
Wurth HHS 2000. If you’ve
got a second-hand bike you
should clean the connectors
using contact cleaner which,
with the help of a bit of wet-
and-dry, breaks down the
corrosion until the connectors
are a brassy colour again.
Corroded electrics can
cause your bike to lose
performance, without you
noticing. All the sensors
on the bike allow a certain
degradation in performance
before showing a warning
light. You won’t know if you’re
bike’s at its best unless your
electrics are in good nick.”
What’s the onething you wishowners would do?
PLANETMECHANIC
7
5
6
8 9
NEXT
WEEK12 ways to
be your own
crew chief
August 1995: in Japan, Suzukihad just finished work on itsreplacement for the iconicbut past-its-best double-
cradle GSX-R750. It had sent fourprototypes of the beam-frame, wasp-tailed new bike to Germany, seekingthe feedback of the top test riders fromeach of the four biggest European mar-kets. But it was really a rubber-stampjob – perhaps a chance to change theOE tyres, or tweak mirrors and footrestpositions, but Hammamatsu was wait-ing for the signal to start production.
One small problem.“I’ve never experienced weave like
it. It was horrifying. The bike just wentcompletely bonkers at very high speed,”remembers Roger Simmons – chief UKtester of Suzukis from Bandit to Busa.
“It would start at about 260kph[161mph]. We couldn’t get sustained
high speeds like that on the track so wedid it on autobahns and autoroutes. Itwas a weavy-tankslapping type thing.It was awful. Most people would neverexperience it, but we just couldn’t letthe bikes go out like that. We trieddifferent steering dampers, differentshocks, different fork springs, differenttyres, the combinations were endless.”
And it had all started so well.“The size of it was the first thing that
had struck me, and the weight. 506-
When Suzuki test rider Roger Simmons left home to sign off the radical new ’96 GSX-R750it was supposed to take 10 days. Ten weeks later he returned – with the perfect sportsbike
odd pounds on the old bike down to395 f***ing pounds! And the more youlooked, everything about it was differ-ent. It was nimble, powerful, it brakedbetter. It would pass the FireBlade onthe straight easily. It was unbelievable.Revolutionary.” Up to 10mph off its topspeed anyway.
So dogged were Roger and his fellowtesters that even with costs mounting,the factory sat idle and “bosses goingbonkers”, they insisted the testing
KEY DESIGN FEATUREThe SRAD’s bulbous tail and dayglo
acronym mark it out, but its frame is
the key to the bike. Derived from the
firm’s RGV500 GP racer it shared the
same wheelbase and steering geome-
try. Not only was it dramatically stiffer
and lighter than its predecessor’s up-
and-over jobbie, but it offered riders a
direct link to GP racing experience.
must go on – “I didn’t care who I upset.I never compromised,” he says.
The ultra high-speed, public roadstesting continued across Europe, run-ning from the weather as summerturned to autumn. “We had Kayabasuspension guys there, tyre peoplethere – about 15 people working on thetesting all day – and then they wouldreplicate each day’s tests in Japan over-night. It was a 24-hour effort.”
In southern Italy in October thesolution was found – a combination ofsuspension and tyre spec tweaks. Theprocess hadn’t been without attrition.“One week they sent a Japanese guyover – the lap record-holder at theirRyuyu test track – everyone was inawe of him, so on the ride back to basewe gave it some and we got back a goodfive minutes earlier than him. Whenhe got back he said “This is not roadthis is motocross track!” and by thenext morning he was on his way backto Japan. An Italian tester who lobbed
THE SPECIAL
RELATIONSHIP
NEW
SERIES
‘I made it perfect for British riders’
it stood up and brushed himself down and proclaimed ‘That’s it. I go and I never come back’ and he left the bike in the gravel and walked off. I never saw him again.”
The programme finished with 80% of the testing having been carried out on road and 20% on track. And the bike ended up being “just what people wanted,” says Roger. “They were obsessed with lightness and it was lighter than most 600s. It made big power, very reliably. It looked the business. We sold more than half the first year’s allocation before anyone had ever sat on one!”
It remains one of Roger’s proudest achievements and favourite bikes. “To me it’s like a Katana – it may be years old but it can still hold its head up. It still looks good in the company of any sportsbikes. It’s a modern classic. And a 170mph motorbike! You’d have to be a very, very sharp rider to make a modern superbike go A to B any faster.”
SUZUKI GSX-R750 SRAD
By Guy Procter
MCN CONTRIBUTOR
38
FEATURESBUYING &SELLING SPORTGARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
1996 GSX-R750 T
The original, on its way tomodern classic status just
like the ’92 Blade.Private good: £1600
Average: £1300Tatty: £1000
Dealer: £1500
1997 GSX-R750 VSales were so good there was
no reason to change it, bartiny bodywork tweaks.
Private good: £1650Average: £1350
Tatty: £1000Dealer: £1600
1998 GSX-R750 WThe first injection model
raised power a useful 15bhp to134bhp at the crank.Private good: £1800
Average: £1400Tatty: £1050
Dealer: £1700
1999 GSX-R750 XNo changes for its final year
bar graphics and a bigger 190-section rear tyre.Private good: £2200
Average: £1600Tatty: £1200
Dealer: £1750
51 GSX-R 750S FOR SALE
Scott Russell smoked his rivals to a Daytona
200 victory in 1996. The SRAD’s acres of plastic
have always made it a great canvas. Is there
anything better than the Lucky Strike scheme?
Biking’s Gazza World Cup moment came thanks
to the same SRAD, when Walker’s bike brought
the most dramatic BSB season in memory to an
end by blowing up at the final round.
Chris Walker rode the wheels off his SRAD to
chase Hodgson’s bigger 996 Ducati to the title
wire. “My confidence was skyhigh on that bike.
I could do anything on it,” he remembers.
HOORAY! BOO! PHWOAR!
‘Everything before was wooden’
“This was the first GSX-R with six pot brakes
– proper kit. Everything before was wooden,”
says Roger. But Suzuki wanted to err on the
conservative side. “They feared people would
crash with really aggressive pads in them – in fact
this happened with one tester.”
‘My Mates went touring on it’
“The riding position suited most people – it was
lower than before – and it was an easy bike to
ride, not aggressive, you could proper pin it,” says
Roger. “You could wind on the power confidently.
“Light, not intimidating, yet it was producing
more power than the FireBlade. I had mates who
went touring on the bloody thing!”
‘You have to rev it a bit, of course’
Early SRADs were carb-fed (injection didn’t
appear until 1998), which can cause carb-icing
on cold, damp days. ”You have to rev it a bit, of
course,” acknowledges Roger, which dovetails
neatly with its track-focus, but can be an issue if
you’d rather dawdle than thrash. Early cylinder
head/piston clearance problems were sorted fast.
What goes wrong?
Most of the problems that occur are caused by
poor maintenance and careless owners. There
was a perception that the engines suffered from
poor lubrication to the top end and a number of
firms produced a twin feed conversion to the top
end, but they’re not necessary. Corrosion on the
calipers and shock is a common issue.
KEY MOMENTS
GSX-R750 T
Year introduced: 1996
Power: 118bhp
Weight: 179kg
Price new: £8995
EXPERT EYE
WHAT TO PAY
39
Keep it sharp
Refresh tired old suspension and suddenly you’ll
discover a machine of dazzling handling quality.
The forks are quite soft and heavier and faster
riders will benefit from an extra 30cc of fork oil to
firm them up a tad. The six-piston Tokico brakes
are sensational, but will need braided hoses now.
Bang on for Britain
“It was our job to put the European finishing
touches to it – something they DIDN’T do with
the TL1000S (they insisted it wasn’t necessary, it
was perfect – but it was an absolute disaster)” says
Roger, who went through dozens of suspension
iterations to ensure the set-up was bombproof.
www.motorcyclenews.com
GARAGE
TURN-BY-TURN
EAST TO WEST FROM MOLD
A494 Ruthin
STRAIGHT ON AT ROUNDABOUT
B5105 Cerrigydrudion
RIGHT B4501 Denbigh
LEFT A525 St Asaph
LEFT B5381 Conwy
LEFT B5106 – Betws-y-Coed
Attack ofthe killer Bs!Taking in some of the best B-roads in north Wales, this is a great way into Snowdonia
North Wales is a popular
weekend ride, and this run
from Mold to Betws-y-Coed
incorporates some of the best roads.
It’s also a superb base to explore the
delights of Snowdonia.
Mold is easily accessed by the M56
and so is an ideal starting point. From
here you head towards the Clocaenog
forest on the A494 before switching to
the smaller B5105 which cuts through
the trees. Turning right and passing
the Brenig and Alweb reservoirs on
the B4501 towards Denbigh is one
of the highlights of the route and
despite the narrowness of the road,
is relatively traffic free. Most tourists
stick to the A-roads, but a thrilling set
of alternative Bs produces a thrilling
Route: North Wales run Distance: 66 miles Time: 2 or 3 hours
iSWALLOW FALLS – Local landmark appears on many things
from postcards to TV shows. GREAT ORME – Limestone
headland that reminded sailors of giant sea serpents.
PONDEROSA CAFÉ – Popular biker meet on the Horseshoe
pass near Llangollen. COLWYN BAY – Fish and chips on the
sea front recommended
GREAT RIDES
TANK PAD SIZE MAP
route towards Betws-y-Coed, from
where a world of options are open to
you. The A4086 or A498 will take you
deep into Snowdonia while the A470
drops through Wales and towards
the coast. The whole of Wales is your
oyster, get out there and explore it…
Get out and enjoy
Wales’ lesser
known roads
DOWNLOADTHE ROUTE
motoryclenews.com/greatrides
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joy new routes each week. Download
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TomTom Rider will show you the way.
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For more detailed product information please email [email protected]
June 17 2015
Some bikes have reason to be coy about theirparentage – but nowthey’re all grown up,does that make themmore or less desirable?
Yamaha RD350R (1992-1996)What it is really? A zombie from the
Amazon!
If you’ve seen The Returned you’ll know
the plot. Yamaha’s stroker died a tragic
death in 1991, only to return six months
later, except... different. This time your
definitive Japanese fizz-bomb was slower,
wore less cool clothes and had been born
in the wrong continent... in Brazil.
What you’ll pay today: £1500-£4000
But should you? No. Collectors only
Kawasaki KLV1000 (2004-05)What it is really? A Suzuki V-Strom
Rebadging Suzuki’s V-Strom wasn’t
one of Kawasaki’s proudest moments,
but by adding an adjustable screen,
better clocks, black frame and bright
orange paintjob it came up with a canny
improvement on the TL1000-engined
donor – and a more interesting used buy
than the similarly-priced ‘Strom.
What you’ll pay today: £2200-£3300
But should you? Yes
Cagiva Raptor 1000 (1999-2006)What it is really: A TL-engined Monster
More fruit from the great Suzuki TL1000
engine glut of the early 2000s, the Raptor
is what the designer of the Ducati Monster
would have built had costs at the cash-
strapped firm not limited him to the parts
bin. Describing it as ‘Permanently out of
control… fun’, it nearly had a Speed Triple
engine, and is a hoot to ride to this day.
What you’ll pay today: £1000-£2400
But should you? Watch for iffy electrics
Cagiva Alazzurra 650 (1985-1987)What it is really? A rebadged Pantah
Here’s a good way play the ‘My Ducati’s
rarer than yours’ card on the cheap: buy
the bike new owner Cagiva built out of
leftover unsold Pantah TLs. It’s a fine
650cc all-rounder with that hard-to-place
80s look, that classic exhaust note and (if
you can track one down) a fraction of the
price of the Ducati donor.
What you’ll pay today: £2100-£3500
But should you? Yes. If you can find one
Road (2014) £5‘Terrible. DVD is in
European PAL format
and will not play on any
DVD machine in North
America?!? So now I have
a new drink coaster.’
‘The special effects were
average. If you were a non-
motorbike supporter you
would find it quite boring.’
‘Good clean fun for all
the family. Shame they
don’t make them like this
anymore, no swears at all.’
‘Watched in hospital after
being knocked off my bike
during the TT. Lost my TT
viewing, this is better!’
‘Bought as a gift so cannot
really write a review.’
TT Closer tothe Edge (2012)
£4.75
No Limit (1950) £9.50
TT OfficialReview (2014)
£16.55
The History ofthe TT (2013)
£14.14
best-sellingTT DVDs
on Amazon... and their
least helpful reviews
BMW Funduro (1993-99)What it is really? Aprilia-built
and co-designed
A younger BMW was more
promiscuous – and in 1993 it
felt like trying chain-drive. Into
an Italian hayloft it hopped with
spritely young Aprilia, and nine-
months later, triplets: the F650
Funduro, Strada and
Aprilia Pegaso.
Light, dependable
and lumpy, they
continue to do well
and be much loved.
What you’ll pay
today: £600-£900
But should you?
Yes.
KTM Duke 125What it is really? Built by
Bajaj not far from Mumbai
It may be the first
Austrian bike built on the
Subcontinent, but that’s
to take nothing from the
bike that’s re-punked the
125 market singlehanded.
It might be built like a
pair of Converse trainers,
next to rivals’ loafers or
running spikes, but it’s
just as likely to be the one
you’d choose to look good
and feel great.
What you’ll pay today:
£2100-£3500
But should you?
Yes.
Benelli BN600(2014-present)What it is really?
QianJiang Group’s
Keeway RK600
With an engine based on
the 2004 Yamaha R6,
frame from an Aprilia
Shiver 750, Benelli badge,
Chinese construction
and an identical twin
sold in Asia which bears
the name of a company
(Keeway) headquartered
in Hungary, behold! The
king of the mongrels. Not
without fun or looks, but
it’s an oddball alright, and
a painful reminder of the
curdled promise of one of
Europe’s oldest brands.
What you’ll pay today:
£4599-£5299
But should you? Let’s
be honest, probably not
Part Benelli, part
Aprilia, part R6, built in
China. Confusing, eh?
Silly name but
now available at
bargain prices
The hottest thing to
come from India this
side of a vindaloo
SHOULD
YOU LEARN
TO LOVEA MONGREL?
TOP 5
41 GARAGE
www.motorcyclenews.com
GARAGE
It’s been a while since I’ve spent
every day with an inline four, and
I’ve been surprised by some of the
revelations now a few thousand
miles have passed between us.
The strangest feeling it evokes
– considering how technologically
advanced it is – is an overwhelming
sense of retro sportsbike heaven.
There’s something about the exhaust
note’s howling bass tones, and
pops and bangs on the overrun that
transports me right back into the ’90s.
It isn’t a million miles – tonally – from
my 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750. I like that.
The only downside of the pleasingly
fruity exhaust is that it does telegraph
my arrival by several minutes.
The most pleasing surprise is that
the RR isn’t soulless, as I’d feared it
might be. I can’t pretend I’ve fallen in
love with its wonky face, but to be fair it
probably hasn’t fallen in love with mine,
either. But the view from the hot seat is
perfect, and the sense of specialness
it dredges from the pit of my stomach
every time I open the throttle has
cemented it in my affections.
The less welcome surprise is the
amount of vibration delivered to the
bars and footrests. After having two
L-twins, a boxer twin, and a triple over
the last five years, I was expecting my
return to inline fours to be silky smooth.
If you’re always making throttle inputs
pointlessly overcomplicated fairings.
The six screen bolts and two little
damping grommets swapped over with
ease, and it took only the merest of
wiggles to position. The windblast has
left my chest, and now flows just over
shoulder height. Get tucked in though,
and it delivers wind-free serenity.
The rearsets, tooled by Gilles for
BMW, are the nicest I’ve seen from
any catalogue (£534, bmw-motorrad.
co.uk). The CNC work is stunning,
and the fit and tolerances between
the clever eccentric sliding pegs and
rearset bodies, and action from the
levers, is superb. Gearchanges through
the slightly spongy Gearshift Pro
feel crisper and more positive, and
I can now get my feet where I want
them (one of the joys of suffering with
cake retention is that stock pegs feel
unilaterally too far forward). They’re an
absolute doddle to fit, too – see below.
The mods aren’t dramatic, but
they’ve made the RR feel more tailored
to my needs, more comfortable, while
also enabling me to ride with more
confidence and aggression thanks to
improved body positioning. It’s gone
from feeling like a great bike, to feeling
like my great bike.
and climbing all over it like someone’s
greased the seat then all is well. But sit
at a constant speed for half-an-hour,
and the vibes become intrusive. Catch
it at the wrong rpm for too long, and
you’ll have an impressive case of white-
finger to show your mates.
Make it your own
Regardless of how good a bike is in
standard trim, there are always things
you want to change. Two obvious mods
forced themselves to the top of the list
before I’d even spent 50 miles on board.
The most important was changing the
stock footrests for adjustable rearsets.
The other was to move the windblast
up over the broadest part of my chest.
BMW’s accessory catalogue seemed
like the logical start point – there’s a
lot to be said for factory-fit precision
and warranty-friendly modifications.
Before I did anything though, I fitted a
set of BMW’s paddock stand bobbins
(£21.10), and retired my ancient and
unstable Micron stand in favour of the
official BMW item (£158). The bobbins
are, well, bobbins – no complaints
there. The stand is a rock-solid work of
smooth-rolling art. A sound investment
if you’ve ever seen the damage a
paddock stand collapse can cause.
Changing the screen was the warm-
up act, and took just five minutes,
which is a rare mercy in this age of
42
Key first mods turn stunning stocker into personalisedweapon of choice. If only the face wasn’t so ugly (the RR’s)
‘Searching forthe perfect ride’
2UPDATE
2217MILES
OUR BIKES
The RR now feels more
like it's been tailored to my
needs. We’re bonding well.
I’m struggling to see the
benefit of all the rider modes.
Slick mode is all I ever use.
+
-
O�Read previous updates at motorcyclenews.com/richS1000RR
RUNNING VERDICT
THE RIDER
Richard Newland, Senior Editor
Height 5ft 11in Weight 117kg
His riding Sportsbike addict with a love
of road and track riding, all year round
THE BIKE
Weight 204kg
Seat height 815mm
Servicing to date: £140
(1st service, at 313 miles)
Mods to date: £2599.10
BMW S1000RR SPORT, £14,760
BMW’s stunning accessory rearsets
are produced by Gilles, purveyors of
exceptionally nice kit. They’re a work of art.
Photograph the standard items extensively
so that you’re sure what went where, and
what relative position the pegs were in.
Carefully remove and replace one side at
a time – and transpose all parts that are
reused on the Gilles rearsets.
Fit the new rearsets, using correct torque
settings and a dab of threadlock on the main
bolts. Experiment with peg positions.1 2 3 4
FITTING NEW REARSETSTime taken: 35 mins Difficulty: Intermediate Tools: Torx keys, threadlock, 10mm spanner, torque wrench
#MCNwednesday
FEATURES 43 BUYING & SELLING SPORTGARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
BMW S1000RR Sport,£14,760
36 months @ £179.95£3490.12 deposit
Final Value: £7482.46bmw-motorrad.co.uk
RUNNING COSTS
41MPG
Tested Power 196.26bhpTested Torque 85.05ftlb
£179.95Best PCP deal
Servicing
PER MONTH
Minor
£140
This is the
cost of the first
service, which
was carried
out at 313 miles.
Go for a short ride to check your settings
(take tools with you). Once satisfied, double
check that everything’s tight and secure.
Remove the six screen bolts, tease the
screen out from the fairing, and ease out the
captive nuts and damping grommets.
Carefully fit the rubber nuts and grommets
to the new screen. If it’s cold, pop the nuts in
warm water to soften them up first.
Slide the new screen into place without
knocking the captive nuts out. Insert all the
screen bolts half way, then tighten them all.5 1 2 3
WIDESCREEN PLAYTime taken: 5 mins Difficulty: Novice Tools: Torx keys
‘It dredges a special feeling from the pit
of my stomach every time I open
the throttle’
InsuranceMCNcompare.com quotes for a 2015
BMW S1000RR worth £14,760 – each
rider has three years’ NCB.
35-year-old
in Hull
(£500 excess)
45-year-old
in London
(£600 excess)
£586.44 £357.84
THE RIDER
Simon Brown Senior Production Editor
Height 5ft 9in Weight 70kg
Type of rider 20 years experience,
loves twins and singles
THE BIKE
Weight 186kg
Seat height 790mm
MPG 49
Servicing to date
600 miles, £158
www.motorcyclenews.com
GARAGE
Full Throttle meets the ancestors
V-Strom versus Multistrada on Andy’s 200-mile commute
How good do these two bikes
look parked nose-to-nose?
Flipping gorgeous. I couldn’t
help but smile when confronted with a
pair of Ducati Scramblers – especially
two that are separated by 45 years.
My Scrambler was on the Ducati
Owners Club stand for MCN’s recent
Festival of Motorcycling, alongside this
handsome 1970 SCR 450 Scrambler
owned by Graham Stoppani.
It’s immediately clear how Ducati
has taken cues from the original.
For my part, I love the way my Full
Throttle’s paintjob is the reverse
of Graham’s bike. Check out the
mudguard – his is yellow with a black
stripe and mine is the precise opposite.
Both sport similarly fetching lines and
the detailing on the engine covers of
the 2015 bike is an echo of the design
of the air filter on Graham’s original
(I may be reading too much into that
one, blame the strong espresso on the
owners’ club stand).
There are plenty of differences
between the two, of course. My bike
is a twin, while Graham’s is a single,
and I have modern essentials such as
disc brakes, ABS and monoshock rear
suspension. But the fun-loving spirit of
the older bike definitely lives on.
I’d have loved to have ridden the
two back-to-back, but sadly the
old bike isn’t a runner right now.
So what does Graham, who
rode his bike in the 2008 Moto
Giro d’Italia rally, think of the
new pretender? It’s a thumbs-
up, although he does have some
reservations. “You can see in
places that it’s been built to a
price,” he says. “The finish on the
fasteners doesn’t look as good as other
Ducatis – but you can easily upgrade
them. I’d prefer wire wheels too.”
Of course, being built to a price isn’t
necessarily a bad thing because it
means you can have more fun for less
cash – especially if you go with a PCP-
type purchase, which will have you on
the road for around £95 a month.
Scrambledup DNA
DUCATI SCRAMBLER FULL THROTTLE £7855
THE QUESTION
YOUR BIKES
V
As commutes go, my twice-weekly run
from Slough to Peterborough is pretty
boring; sat upright on motorways,
longing for the respite of seven
roundabouts, three sharp turns and one
long right-hand swooper.
But thanks to my V-Strom it is an easy
ride. I’m always met by a red ants’ nest
of flickering brake lights as I join the M4
in the morning. But the little 650 V-twin
twists, wriggles and glides through it all.
And once we’ve joined the free-flowing
A1, the Strom relaxes and eases into a
smooth hum for the rest of the journey.
I have never sat on the Strom wishing
for more – but last week I pulled up at
MCN and laid my eyes upon a gorgeous
Italian. The Multistrada was sat waiting,
160bhp and 100ftlb of torque dripping
from its Desmo V-twin. It looked
delicious; I had to ride it home.
Swinging a leg over the bigger,
badder V-twin is like stepping into a
realm of luxury. Variable valve timing,
brimming with electronics, semi-active
suspension and more sex appeal than
Nigella Lawson whispering Fifty Shades
of Grey in your ear. But it comes at a
price; you can buy two V-Stroms for the
price of one Multi – with £533 change.
The 1198cc motor thumps like a mad
man as it growls and howls its way
onto the A1 for an hour-and-a-half of
testosterone-fuelled riding. Forget a
comfortable 85mph cruising speed, the
Italian Stallion hits triple figures and
doesn’t even break a sweat.
Riding along, thinking I’m doing the
speed limit, only to glance at the speedo
and see more numbers than an A-level
maths equation was terrifying. As soon
as I got home, I sat in the corner rocking,
convinced I’d receive an envelope with
more points than my mum’s Nectar card.
After a more… conservative ride back
to the office, I was glad to get back
on the Strom for the next commute, if
only to calm myself down. But what
surprised me most was that my run from
Peterborough to Slough on the V-Strom
was actually seven minutes quicker
than my ride on the Multistrada. And
on the round trip the V-Strom was an
impressive eight minutes quicker, with a
4.92mph faster average speed, and cost
66p less in fuel than the Multi.
I’m putting it down to maintaining a
consistent, smooth speed on the Strom
and it being an incredible filtering
machine. So the Ducati is rip-roaring
fun – but my solid Strom gets me home
quicker and for less money. Perfect.
IS MORE BHP ALWAYS BEST?
IAN
JU
BB
SIM
ON
HIP
PE
RS
ON
Ready for round-the-world action
I _____ my ______________________Triumph Trophy SEloveYear: 2014 Had since: 2014 Miles done: 7275 Total mileage: 7275
Prolific bike buyer
Rob Barron is a serial
adventure bike rider and
was close to getting
a KTM 1290 Super
Adventure when he plumped for this
beautiful Trophy SE – his first full-
dress tourer. “I love all the gadgets
and the engine,” he says. For a man
who’s owned over 100 bikes, and who
once sold a Fazer 1000 on Monday
he’d bought the previous Friday, the
Trophy has done outstandingly well
to last a year in his company. The
highlight of his 7000 miles so far has
been an epic trip to Scotland over a
weekend, which took him through the
Yorkshire Dales and Lake District en
route. It’s just the sort of punishment
the Trophy was designed to take,
and the big bike hasn’t missed a beat
on that trip or any other: “Nothing’s
gone wrong and I wouldn’t change a
thing about it.” Michelin Pilot Road
4 GTs transformed the handling but
squared off in 3500 miles. He has no
plans to sell, but predicts his next
purchase will take him back into the
adventure fold: “The Trophy could
take me round the world no problem,
a Super Adventure could do the
same... off-road.”
THE STATS
DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1200 S £15,731To work distance:
198.9 miles
Time: 3hr 15min
Average speed:
60.8mph
MPG: 48.84
Cost: £14.92
SUZUKI V-STROM 650 XT £7599To work distance:
198.9 miles
Time: 3hr 07min
Average speed: 65mph
MPG: 51.77
Cost: £14.26
44
‘I love the way my FT’s paintjob is the
reverse of Graham’s original Scrambler’
#MCNwednesday
We love May, but
his name on the
V5 doesn’t double
the value
I’ve got to admit I blinked at the
prices achieved by the Top Gear
crew’s bikes at auction recently.
James May’s Fizzie made
£7475, or about double what it
would have made had it been
owned by you or I. Richard
Hammond’s Gold Wing made
£6900. Same applies. And
Hammond’s new-build Commando
fetched £15,180, or about a grand
less than a brand new one.
Provenance is important.
That’s why Lawrence of Arabia’s
Brough Superior is worth seven
figures. Anyone who thinks that
Hammond’s name on the V5
is worth a £3000 premium is
deluded, though.
Buying at a specialist auction is
only for the expert. It’s not what
the description says, but what it
omits that counts. Two years ago, I
was bidding at Bonhams’ Stafford
auction. I was interested in a
Honda NR750 (estimate £50,000),
and the catalogue description
rang alarm bells. There wasn’t
enough of it. So I hung back,
and after the auction, voiced my
misgivings to a Bonhams’ valuer.
“Ah, yes,” he said. “The NR750.
Well, it had been down the road
at some point, and we think it had
been used on the track.” Thank
you, God.
At the time, I thought prices for
Vincents were weak, and bid on
a Series C Rapide, setting myself
a limit of £28,000. It went up to
£28k, going once, going twice, and
the hammer was about to fall, and
somebody stepped in, and it went
for £32,000. I still think that was a
bargain. I also bid on the restored
Kawasaki 750H2C, with a limit
of £6500. It sold for £6800, but
who knows? The winning bidder
might have been prepared to go to
£10,000.
Next week
And on the above note, is the
new H2 a good used buy?
When to pay more for provenance
Aprilia RSV1000R £3500Seller says: 5600 miles, same owner
since 2007. Neil says: High spec
model, should be the facelifted one
too, long ownership, incredibly low
miles, should be solid as a rock. Much
better choice than an equivalent age
Ducati 999 if you want a reliable intro
into Italian exotica.
Honda CB1000R £4495Seller says: 5264 miles, one lady
owner, never been ridden hard.
Neil says: 2007 Fireblade engine,
2008 Fireblade forks, 130bhp with the
Honda comfort and sophistication that
a Speed Triple lacks. New, these are
ten grand on the road, which makes
this one less than half price. Bargain.
ALSO CATCHING MY EYE THIS WEEK
THE BUYERNeil Murray makes a living buying & selling
pre-loved metal – and he’s on your side
0 0 0 0 31 0 0 4 6 91 0 0 0 0 11
While I wait for the GSX-S1000 to
arrive, I’m running its sister superbike.
The big Suzuki set the slowest lap time
in our recent track test, but out here
in the real world I’m impressed. The
only rider aid is ABS, but I’m enjoying
the old-school feel. I used the bike
for open-roads rides during the Isle
of Man TT, to help me prepare for my
races. It was great practice to fly over
the mountain, front wheel hovering in
the air, and to experience the rear tyre
fighting for grip out of Windy Corner.
After 1200 miles on the standard
Bridgestone BT-021 tyres I’ve replaced
them with more up-to-date Metzeler
Roadtec Z8s. First impressions have
been positive – the new tyres felt good
straight out of the car park and where
the standard Bridgestones often
felt a bit vague during cornering, the
Metzelers feel much more stable. At
present the tyre pressures are 43psi
front and rear, which feels a little hard
– familiar bumps feel harsh so I’ll knock
them down a couple of psi.
Sometimes small isn’t beautiful.
Although the KTM’s slim, lightweight
chassis appeals to me, its tiny fuel
tank is starting to annoy. KTM claim
it holds 10 litres, but I’ve run the bike
dry and only managed to squeeze in
9.5. And, although the RC returns an
average of 63mpg, there’s still only 115
miles before I’m on fumes. Not too bad
when scooting across town, but highly
annoying when going further afield –
finding fuel is always a concern and it
really takes the joy out of a day’s riding.
NAME: ADAM CHILD JOB: SENIOR ROAD TESTER
NAME: LIAM MARSDEN
JOB: WEB PRODUCERNAME: EMMA FRANKLIN
JOB: PRODUCTION EDITOR
SUZUKI GSX-R1000
£10,559
KAWASAKI 1400GTR
£13,699
KTM RC390
£4998
FEATURESBUYING & SELLING SPORTGARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
2UPDATE
1447MILES
45
GARAGE46
www.motorcyclenews.com
TCX R-S2 Evo, £299.99TCX’s sturdy and reassuring boots have man-
made outers with a breathable lining and a series
of vents to keep feet cool, plus moulded heels,
shins and ankles for extra protection. There
are reinforced gearchange pads and the alloy
toesliders are replaceable. With a pump-air
system and elasticated insert as well as a zip and
Velcro closure, the fit can be highly personalised.
Colours: White/black, black/chrome, red/black
Sizes: 5-13.5
Contact: www.nevis.uk.com
Sidi Roarr £199.95These new-for-2015 CE-approved
boots look robotic with ankle
braces for extra protection plus
moulded shins and heels.
There is a ventilation
system for warmer
weather, operated by the
flick of a switch on the outer
edge of the foot. They fasten
by a combination of Velcro
and zips and there’s an
additional adjuster to
ensure a close and
secure fit.
Colours: Black,
black/grey, black/
white
Sizes: 5-13
Contact: www.
sidiselect.co.uk
Gearchange pad
A slice of durable rubberon the upper left foot helps
cushion the rider from contactwith the gear lever and helpsthe boot last longer. Purely in
the interests of symmetry,most right boots have
one too.
Toesliders
When racers of the ’70s started leaning over so far
they were wearing through boot after boot, firms added hard-wearing slabs. Replace
before you wear through any exposed mounting
screw heads.
camp10 of the best pairs
of sporty boots for
summer riding
KIT SHOWCASE
Forma Ice Pro Flow £239.99If hot and sticky feet are giving you
drama, look to these CE-approved
boots from Forma. They’re
leather, which is more
breathable than synthetic
materials, and have
perforations, ventilation
and a breathable liner. The
removable stainless steel
toesliders are also
vented. They have
plastic shin and
heel protectors
plus ankle supports.
Colours: Black,
white
Sizes: 5-12.5
Contact: www.
factoryagencies.co.uk
Dainese Axial Pro In £349.99Dainese’s boots are designed to
be worn under their leathers and
are CE approved with Kevlar and
carbon ankle protection
plus a gearchange pad. The
stainless steel toesliders
are replaceable and there’s
a separate inner boot with
Velcro fastenings, while
the main boot secures
with a zip.
Colours: Black,
red/black,
white/black,
black/fluro
Sizes: 7.5-13
Contact: www.
dainese.com
Alpinestars, Sidi or Daytona?
Sidi’s first foray into
motorcycling came in the early
70s, by which time Alpinestars
had five years of experience
in bike boots. But the German
company now known as Frey
Daytona takes the honour by
three years, having made their
first pair of Frey boots in 1962.
WHO WAS
FIRST?
#MCNwednesday
FEATURESBUYING & SELLING SPORTGARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
CE approval
CE is the shortform for the safety testing on a wide range of products. CE boots
have been tested for their ability to withstand abrasion,
cutting and crushing forces. Look for ‘EN13634:2010’.
Ankle bracing
Keeping an ankle braced helps avoid injuries in a
crash, but you still want it to flex for you to be able to walk, ride and change gear. Braces
allow the right kind of flex while stopping
lateral flex.
Ratchets
Ratchet closures come from the motocross world
and use clasps to help fasten the boot. They are usually in
addition to Velcro and/or zips and allow the rider
to adjust the fit to suit their feet.
Inner boots
It’s usually reserved for top-end boots, but an inner boot provides bracing and strength and then a more
flexible outer boot does the rest of the work. Daytona
allow you to replace damaged outers.
Prexport Evo 9100 £139.99 Italian boots constructed from
man-made materials with
shin, heel, ankle and calf
reinforcements. They
have perforated sections that
mean you shouldn’t suffer
from sweaty feet in warmer
weather and the toesliders
are removable too. The
Prexports secure with a
combination of Velcro
and zip closures.
Colours: Black,
black/white
Sizes: 4-12
Contact: www.
thekeycollection.co.uk
RST Tractech Evo CE £119.99The cheapest boots here are made
from leather with perforated
sections and stretch panels
for added comfort. They are
CE-approved for protection,
with reinforcements at the
shin, ankle and heel and
there’s also a gearchange pad.
The removable toesliders are
made from aluminium.
Colours: Black, white,
blue, red, green, flo
red, flo green
Sizes: 6-13
Contact: www.rst-
moto.com
Daytona Security Evo 3 £859.99How much? For the money you get a hard-shell
Kevlar and plastic inner with shock absorbing
protection for calves and heels, plus reinforced toe
sections. The outer is kangaroo leather and secures
with Velcro and a zip. There are three colour options
or for 30% extra (£260) you can design your own.
Colours: Black, black/
blue, black/red
Sizes: 6-13
Contact: www.
tranam.co.uk
Stylmartin Stealth £279.99 A breathable mesh liner and air intakes at the heels
help cold air get in and hot air escape from these
CE-approved boots, which have uppers made from
Lorica. There’s moulded heel and shin protection
and a gearchange, as well as toesliders made from
lightweight titanium. They fasten with a zip and
ratchets that help get the fit exactly right.
Colours: Black, white
Sizes: 4-13
Contact: www.
dpc-distribution.com
Alpinestars SMX Plus £259.99AStars is possibly the first name in motorcycle boots
and these secure with ratchets and a zip for peace
of mind. The SMX Plus have a man-made outer and
are CE approved. They have moulded support for the
ankles and heels plus removable heel and toesliders.
Colours: Black, black/white, red/white,
black/white/fluro
Sizes: 4.5-12
Contact: www.
alpinestars.com
Falco 309 Eso Pro 2 £249.99These Italian boots have uppers made from Lorica
and are CE-approved to the higher level 2. They have a
removable inner protection boot and articulated ankle
joints for flexibility as well as moulded ankle, heel and
toe protection. There is a buckle closure in addition to
the more traditional zip and Velcro.
Colours: Black, white,
black/white
Sizes: 5-12
Contact: www.
tri-motive.com
£303 UNDER
TAPMotorcycle Theory Test
Android app £1.49If you’re planning on taking
your UK theory test then you’ll
be aware of how tough and/or
bonkers some of the questions
can be. This app for your
Android-based phone contains
every official revision question
from the DVSA. (The answer to
the question in the screenshot,
by the way, is soapy water.)
http://bit.ly/theoryapp
WIPEOfficial MotoGP doormat £9.99
It turns out there isn’t anything
that Dorna can’t make money
from by putting the MotoGP
logo on it. But for under a tenner,
we can’t think of a better way
to clean your work boots off
before entering your
hallowed garage!
http://bit.ly/GPdoormat
PLAYTurbospoke £17.99
Remember when you were a
kid and used to stick a playing
card between your pushbike
spokes to make it sound like a
superbike? Well… THIS is THAT,
but for the 21st century! It even
comes with different shaped
cards so you can ‘tune’ your
exhaust for the perfect note!
www.turbospoke.com
47
GARAGE48
www.motorcyclenews.com
TESTED‘Proper sturdyand easy to use’Alpinestars Tech Aero tankbag £119.99Tester: Alison Silcox
Time tested: Two months/750 miles
What’s good? This is a really sturdy bag and so far
the zips and straps are proving reliable and showing
no signs of wear. I’ve been caught out in a couple of
showers and found the bag doesn’t leak (it does have
a waterproof cover for extra peace of mind if the rain
is really heavy but I’ve not yet needed to deploy it).
The bag has a variety of pockets, including a clear
map pocket that is a really decent size and can hold
either a GPS or for those who are more traditional, like
me, a good old paper map. There are also a couple of
handy and easily accessible external zipped pockets
that I use for stowing my keys, phone and purse.
What’s not? Whilst the strap and magnet
combination makes it fit securely to the bike, looping
the straps round the frame is fiddly. It also
means that when I want to take the bag
off the bike I’m either left with dangling
straps or have to go through the
palaver of fully removing the straps.
Contact: www.alpinestars.com
Richa DesignerPrice £79.99
Similar in shape and capacity, butwith magnets and a headstock
strap. Easier to mount, almost asroomy, also resists showers –
and is £40 cheaper.www.nevis.uk.com
Quality ★★★★★ Value★★★★★
Sturdy construction, decent
capacity, keeps the rain out and
there are useful compartments
Straps that loop around the
frame are annoying when you
take the bag off. It’s also pricey.
+
-
750MILES
Straps and magnets
The straps are fiddly to fitbut do mean the bag stays
securely in place
Pockets galore
Handy side pockets foressentials and the map
pocket is a bonus
1Dainese Laguna Seca D-Dry, £199.99Armoured textile
jacket in a wide range of
colours. Has a removable
breathable waterproof
membrane on the
inside and a water-
resistant treatment
on the outer. Also
has a removable
thermal liner.
Rev’it Shield, £189.99For sportier riders
who want a closer fit than
a touring jacket but still
want waterproofing.
It’s a breathable three-
season jacket with a
removable thermal
liner. Has zip-open
vents and a zip to
join to trousers.
Ixon Shiroki HP £179.99Has seven pockets
to carry all of your
essentials, along with
CE-approved shoulder
and elbow armour and
a removable thermal
liner. Waterproofing
duties are carried
out by a Drymesh
membrane.
Alpinestars Gunner £169.99Waterproof and
breathable. There are
vents on the front and
rear of the jacket, CE-
approved shoulder and
elbow armour and a
neoprene-edged collar
for comfort, two
external pockets and
one internal.
Spada Burnout £129.95Comes with a
full complement of
CE-approved armour,
including a back
protector insert, and
has a waterproof
and breathable
membrane as well
as a removable
thermal lining.
TOP FIVE SPORTY TEXTILES UNDER £200
2 3 4 5
#MCNwednesday
FEATURES 49 BUYING &SELLING SPORTGARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
Tester: Michael Neeves
Time used: Six months
What’s good? It’s an extremely light (39 grams),
compact (just 80mm long), durable easy-to-use
waterproof ‘bullet’ camera, which I’ve used to shoot a number
of onboard videos while racing this season. The 1080p HD
camera comes with lots of different mountings, so it can go
anywhere on a bike, or helmet, but I use my tried-and-tested
lump of ‘black tack’ to fix it securely in seconds. A built-in laser
helps me line up the camera. Files write to a MicroSD card.
What’s not? Compared with some of the market leaders the
clips from the Hedcam aren’t as clear or vibrant, and for high-
speed onboard videos there’s excessive wind noise.
Contact: www.hedcam.com
Quality ★★★★★ Value ★★★★★
Tester: Tony Hoare
Time tested: Three years
What’s good? When it comes to bringing batteries
back up to tip-top condition, usually after a period
of inactivity, I’ve turned to CTEK for years. The XS 0.8 is their
latest 12V charger and it’s reliable, effective and easy to use.
It comes with a cable that can be attached to the battery
terminals to make charging more convenient and it can be left
connected to the battery without fear of causing damage.
What’s not? The system of lights isn’t intuitive and you’ll
need the instructions (or a good memory) to see when the
battery is fully charged. There are six lights and the battery is
charged enough to start the bike when three are illuminated.
Contact: www.ctek.com
Quality ★★★★★ Value ★★★★★
Tester: Andy Downes
Time tested: Two months/1500 miles
What’s good? This jacket is aimed at city riders,
but I have been using it a lot over the past couple
of months for my 60-mile daily commute. It’s comfortable,
stylish and waterproof. It’s also warm, has D3O armour in the
shoulders and elbows and adjustable waist straps to reduce
flapping at speed. There are pop-out bright orange strips on the
wrists and neck for extra visibility and those can be tucked away
when not riding. Pockets are plentiful and do up tightly. The
jacket has been waterproof through heavy downpours.
What’s not? The material is not heavy-duty Cordura and seems
lightweight, so it’s a bit of a compromise.
Contact: www.tucanourbano.com
Quality ★★★★★ Value ★★★★★
Tucano Urbano Four Seasons jacket £160Hedcam Ten80 onboard camera £167.99 CTEK XS 0.8 battery charger £38.99
3YEARS
6MONTHS
www.motorcyclenews.com
DAVIDA WRS74PRESCRIPTION GOGGLESDavida Goggle + Reactolite prescription lenses
£135 + P&P
www.optique-goggles.co.ukFor further details take a look at our website.
These goggles sit comfortably underyour helmet and seal against the wind- There is no better goggle available.
Steve 07968435078
SEARCH ‘OPTIQUE GOGGLES’ON MOTORCYCLENEWS.COM
FOR REVIEW
Waterproof GPS case
Waterproof GPScase & mount£20.99+P&P
Hear your Satnav in yourhelmet with NEW ‘GPS audio’
With Blueto
01473 823351
From £37.99+P&P
Like a BMW, only more.
Ask your local BMW dealer or call us01485 542000 www.ac-schnitzer.co.uk
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Opening hours: Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat 9am - 5pm, Sun 10am - 4pm. *Terms and conditions apply, visit carolenash.com/bike-giveaway-terms-and-conditions. On Modern, Classic and Six Wheel quotes. Carole Nash InsuranceConsultants Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, fi rm reference no. 307243. Carole Nash is a trading style of Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd, registered in England and Wales no. 2600841.
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Q What’s the bestsoft luggage for me?
I want soft luggage that I can
fit and remove easily that won’t
melt on the high-level exhaust
on my Triumph Street Triple.
Adam Korai, email
Answered by: Chris
Dabbs, MCN
A tailbag will be best for you.
The most important feature
of any soft luggage is that it is
a stable fit and most tailbags
come with a Velcro band that
you pass under the pillion seat
area, with bungees to secure
it to pillion pegs and subframe.
They’re available from four
litres to 40 litres, so a bag that
is expandable will give you the
best of both worlds. External
storage like side pockets and
cargo nets are great, and we
go for a fully waterproof bag.
Some incorporate storm hoods
which are OK but a faff to fit and
too easy to lose.
Q ReplacementLED indicators
freaked out myPanigale 899?My 2014 Ducati Panigale 899 has
started playing up. At first the engine
warning light would come on for a little
while, then clear itself, or I would have
to stop and restart the bike. Then it
packed up completely until the AA man
appeared and ran some checks and
it started again. The only change I’ve
made is to fit some aftermarket rear
LED indicators eight months ago.
Tony Oliver, Dudley
Answered by Tony Dawson,
Ducati Wolverhampton
I’ll bet the way those LEDs were wired
in is the culprit. Because the LEDs
draw less current than standard, I’ll
guess that the ‘electrician’ you used
cut through the wires and used the old
bulbs as resistors to fox the ECU and
Canbus electrics. But that doesn’t work
and the bike’s brain will keep logging
minor ‘unexplained‘ fault codes until it
freaks out. Just reverting to standard
won’t solve the problem as once error
codes are logged you need to go back
to a dealer to get the ECU reset.
899 uses bulbs in its indicators, not LEDs
Fitting official parts solves the issue
I have a Honda
VFR1200 with Dual
Clutch Transmission
(DCT) and I’m having
trouble getting it to
select a gear. Is it
going to be hard to fix?
Ian Wicks, Oxford
Answered by: Scott
Bullett, Doble
Motorcycles
Honda’s DCT-equipped
bikes – the VFR1200
and NC700 – need the
system re-initialising
every now and then,
especially after an oil
and filter service. The
good news is it’s a job
you can do.
The engine needs
to be run until it’s
up to temperature
before switching off.
Then hold the Drive
button in while turning
the ignition key to
On. Once the engine
management light
goes out, release
the button and
press the Drive and
Neutral buttons in the
following sequence;
Drive, Drive, Neutral,
Drive, Neutral. An ‘S’,
a ‘D’ and a flashing
underscore will come
up on the dash.
Now start the engine
and wait until the
flashing underscore
and check letters go
off as it relearns the
settings. This can take
up to five minutes.
Turn the engine off
and restart it, put it
into Drive to check
if ‘D’ comes up and
you are good to go.
If the engine wasn’t
warm enough,
you’ll get an ‘L’
warning and
have to repeat
the procedure.
Is my DCT gearbox going to cost a
fortune to fix?
Q
OWNING & RIDING
ANY QUESTION
ANSWEREDIf we don’t know the answer, we’ll fi nd the person who does
Resetting the DCT
is as easy as pressing
a few buttons
Bag ConnectionSlipstream, 13 litres
Givi EA107 EasyRoll Bag, 35 litres
MCN CHOICEKriega US-20 DryBag,
35 litres
Oxford Lifetime X4Tank N Tailer,
4 litres
£80 £70£62£74.99
#MCNwednesday
FEATURES 51 BUYING &SELLING SPORTGARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
What’s wrongwith my 2009
R1’s gearbox?
I’ve just bought a 2009 Yamaha R1
and the gear selection isn’t brilliant,
with second gear skipping at
8000rpm.
Owen Williams, email
Answered by Stuart Gaines, Herne
Bay Motorcycles: It sounds like you
have got yourself a bike that’s spent
more time with its front wheel in the
air than is good for it. Those through-
the-gear wheelies necessitate brutal
gearchanges, and if it’s up in the
air that long it has probably been
coming down with a bang, putting too
much force through the forks. Fixing
the gearbox means an engine strip
and replacing any chipped or bent
components.
Q My Speed Triplehas a stutter
My 2006 Triumph Speed Triple 1050
has developed a stutter at around
4000rpm, irrespective of what gear
I’m in, although it does seem worse
on a constant throttle. Any ideas?
Graeme Wilding, Surbiton
Answered by Adrian Clancy, Total
Triumph, Taunton: This seems
to occur when the ECU transitions
from using the manifold pressure
(MAP) sensor to the throttle position
sensor (TPS) for its fuel control. It’s
hard to cure completely, but it helps
if the throttle bodies are clean and
balanced, the ECU map is correct, the
spark plugs and air filter are fresh,
and the adaption process has been
properly set by the dealer.
You’ll need to strip the R1’s gearbox
Careful set-up can cure fuelling glitch
Q Will newlicence laws
wreck my trip?
I understand that driving licences
are changing and that they’re
scrapping the paper counterpart
section. I’ve seen reports that it
could cause problems abroad and
as I’ve got a riding trip around Spain
planned in August I was wondering if
there is anything to worry about.
John Price, Bedford
The paper part of the licence is no
longer required, it shouldn’t cause
you any problems on your trip but
there are a few things you can do
just to be certain.
The paper counterpart to your
licence was used to record the type
of licence you held and any driving
offences. These days the class of
bike (and any other vehicle you can
drive) is on the back of the photocard
and the police have been able to
access your convictions online from
the roadside for some time.
If you are hiring a bike abroad,
the area where you may need to be
a bit careful is that it is anticipated
It’s easy to tow a bike from your
machine if one of you breaks
down on a trip – and you don’t
have to use a bit of old rope.
You do it with a pair of tie-down
straps, the ones with a metal
clip at one end and nothing at
the other (£6.99 a pair, http://
bit.ly/microstrap). Tie one strap
to the rear of the towing bike
and connect the empty end to
the clip of the second strap. So
you’re now left with the empty
end of the second strap and your
mate’s bike. You don’t tie the
loose end to the second bike, as
the rider being towed needs to
be able to instantly disconnect
from the lead bike and coast to
a stop. So take the loose end
of your strap (the bit without
the buckle), loop it under the
towed bike’s handlebars and
then around one bar grip. The
towed rider holds the strap to
the bar and if it gets a bit hairy
during the tow he releases his
grip and the strap unravels and
disappears in an instant. When
you’re being towed and the lead
bike goes round a right-hander,
ride further to the left and don’t
follow the towing rider’s trail.
That will keep some tension
in the strap and stop you
from jolting.
How do I tow my mate’sbike if he breaks down?
Q
The Monster saved Ducati in ’93, but what about after the 999 disaster?
Answered by MCN: Ducati sales
in the early 2000s were indeed
faltering. Two very important
models, the 916 replacement 999
followed by the Multistrada 1000
both bombed, largely because of
styling issues. The retro Sport
Classic series in 2006 didn’t do
well either as Ducati appeared to
be losing focus on its strengths and
crucially, its brand values.
But 2006 was the year that
Ducati Corse director Claudio
Domenicali was appo
Product Director, and
there’s a key event in t
company’s recent
history, this is it.
Domenicali made
it his mission to
understand why people were
not buying Ducatis – he attended
many press launches and the first
question he’d ask after getting off
a new model was not what testers
liked about it, but what was wrong
with it: right he could leave, wrong
he needed to work on.
Domenicali understood the
need for continuity, realising that
a link to Ducati’s past underpinned
the brand’s strength. That’s why
the 999 replacement, the 1098,
ed to 916 styling cues, it
hy Domenicali kept a picture
Porsche 911 on his office
and it was why the all-new
nster in 1998 was changed
little visually from Galluzzi’s
990 original.
Loop the strap under
the bars so you can
release it fast
What’s the mostexpensive road
bike spare part ever?Answered by MCN: Almost
certainly anything for Honda’s oval-
pistoned NR750 of which 300-ish
were made in 1992. The tail-light
alone cost £688 to replace, but the
most expensive ‘part’ was a conrod
and valve set – which came in at an
astonishing £29,180. Breathtakingly
astronomical as it is, that figure
could well be topped once Honda’s
road-going RCV goes on sale next
month. Turn to pages 4-5 for the full
story on Honda’s new MotoGP bike
for the road.
Q
Q
TRAVEL & TOURING
PUB QUIZ
‘There’s no harm in
keeping your old
paper licence
somewhere safe’
Andrew
CampbellSolicitor and author
of the MCN Law
column for the last
five years
Andrew Campbell, Bikelawyer.
Visit www.bikelawyer.co.uk or
email [email protected] or
call 01446-794169
Motorcycle Accident Solicitors
Your legal questions
Q
there may be teething problems
with foreign hire firms who have
traditionally asked to see the paper
licence, and they may not be aware
of the changes.
The DVLA say the changes
have been well advertised abroad,
though it remains to be seen as to
how well foreign hire companies
keep an eye on DVLA press
releases. The easiest thing to do is
to call ahead to check exactly what
information they want on the day
of collection and then, just to be
certain, take a copy of your paper
counterpart licence with you. The
DVLA suggest destroying the paper
counterpart but until everyone is
used to the changes it wouldn’t hurt
to keep it somewhere safe.
Please note that calls to numbers starting 0871 published in the private adverts above are charged at 10p per minute from BT landlines. Calls from mobiles will cost more. For more information as to why these numbers are used please see www.mcnbikesforsale.com
www.motorcyclenews.com
Sell today by visiting mcnbikesforsale.com or call 0845 051 5001BUYING&SELLING52
SELL WITH EASE, BUY WITH CONFIDENCEGet your advert in front of thousands of bikers at mcnbikesforsale.com
or call us on 0845 051 5001 for more info
Hugestock forall modelspost 1970.
we go the extra mile
Fast, competitive international shipping
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The BEST
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APRILIA
AJS
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Find 1000’s more bikes online at mcnbikesforsale.com #MCNWednesday | 17 June 2015 |53
ALL MAKES & MODELS BOUGHT
FOR CASH & COLLECTED
HONDA, KAWASAKI, SUZUKI,
YAMAHA, TRIUMPH
WWW.IRMOTORCYCLES.CO.UK
07956248955�
HARLEYWANTED07956 248955
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The BEST
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for over 10,000motorcycles
for sale
HARLEYDAVIDSON
HONDA
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KAWASAKI
HYOSUNG
HONDA
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for over 10,000motorcycles
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SACHS
PIAGGIO
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MV-AGUSTA
MOTO-GUZZI
LAVERDA
KTM
KAWASAKI
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Find 1000’s more bikes online at mcnbikesforsale.com #MCNWednesday | 17 June 2015 |57
ALL MAKES & MODELS BOUGHT
FOR CASH & COLLECTED
HONDA, KAWASAKI, SUZUKI,
YAMAHA, TRIUMPH
WWW.IRMOTORCYCLES.CO.UK
07956248955�
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TRIUMPH
SUZUKI
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The BEST
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VICTORYTRIUMPH
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Top prices paid for allRARE and INTERESTING bikes!
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SPARESfast and friendly service
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Standard Plates7x5.5, 7x5, 6x4.5, 10x2.5, 9x3, 9x2 ..................£9.958x6 Plates.......................................................£11.95Any other size cut to order ............................+ £1.00Names or Slogans.........................................+ £1.50Borders (black) ........ + £1.00 ...... Colour......+ £2.00Smoked Plates..............................................+ £2.00Honeycomb backings....................................+ £3.00Custom Lettered Plates.................................+ £2.00Polycarb (off road) Plates ....................... from £10.00Black and Silver acrylic plates ........................£11.95Black and Chrome acrylic plates.....................£13.95U.S. Style Harley Plates8.5x5 or 7x4.5 inc. border, slogan & reg date..£14.95
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BSB PREVIEW
Many thought Michael Laverty wouldbe a force to reckoned with as he re-turned to MCE British Superbikes after aseason in MotoGP. But it hasn’t workedout like that so far.
He’s struggled to get his BMWS1000RR to work the way he wants itto and he’s been overshadowed by histeam-mate Tommy Bridewell, whoeven had the audacity to snatch a winlast time out at Oulton Park.
But the Northern Irishman is nowconvinced that the team have diag-nosed the source of the issues withthe bike. He says they have done a lotof work since the last round and is tar-
MotoGP refugee is ready to prove he can be a BSB front-runner after solving major problems with his BMW
‘We can really get going now
and show the true potential of
the bike’ MICHAEL LAVERTY
DO
UB
LE
RE
D
New helmet antenna seems to be doing the trick for Michael Laverty and his BMW
LAVERTY’S FIXED IT!
geting a podium place this weekend at Snetterton, where the series bursts back into life after its seven-week break.
His main problem has been around the complicated fly-by-wire throt-tle system, which has then created problems with getting to handle in the way he would like. But the Tyco team claim to have the issue sorted and are confident in their man’s ability to get back on the pace.
“We’ve been going round the houses, but finally we’ve put our finger on it and have a bike that responds exactly how I expect it to. That means that I can concentrate now on getting the very best out of the bike and out of myself – and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season!
“It’s frustrating in some ways that it happened just before the break, because we had a long time before we could
SIMON PATTERSON
BRITISH SUPERBIKE
REPORTER
#MCNwednesday
65BUYING & SELLING SPORTFEATURESTHIS WEEK NEW BIKES GARAGE June 17 2015
‘It’s a good sign.I’m already on
the podium as itis, so all I need ismarginal gains’
JOSH BROOKES
‘I was pulling huge
wheelies on the slow
down lap because I
was so happy!’MICHAEL LAVERTY
Another man fired up for Snetterton is Josh Brookes, who, with the help of some much-anticipated new parts for the new Milwaukee Yamaha R1, smashed the lap record at the circuit during last month’s official test.
Waiting weeks on a new fuel tank to replace the standard road-going item and lower the bike’s centre of mass, Brookes says he couldn’t believe the difference the changes made to the overall performance of the bike.
“The plan with the new tank was to put it on with a half fuel load, so that the bike should have felt the same, and then put in a full load and see if it’s consistent. But the beauty of it has been that straight away the bike is better in every single way with the new tank!
“I went from the old tank with 10 litres in to the new tank with 10 litres in and went 0.7 a lap faster! Even without looking at what it’s like in the first five laps, it’s better in every way.”
Laverty might’ve
missed the recent test,
but it won’t take long
to get up to speed on
the Tyco BMW
However, with one-lap pace very different from race performance, it’ll be on track this weekend before the changes properly show their worth – but Brookes is remaining confident.
“It’s a good sign for the rest of the year, but the main thing is that we don’t even need big changes. I’m already on the podium as it is, so all I need is marginal gains – if I can find a couple of tenths in the first few laps of a race then I can be fighting for the wins.”
Fans visiting this weekend’s
Snetterton round will be in for a
treat not only on track but also in the
air, with the 6 Regiment Army Air
Corps thrilling the crowds with one
of their Apache attack helicopters.
The machine will not only be on
Have a high old time at Snetterton
display in the paddock during the
weekend, but will also take to the air
on Sunday for a display flight over
the historic airfield circuit.
On top of that, the Army team
will also be offering visitors the
opportunity to take to the skies
themselves and get a great view
over the track. The Air Corp’s very
own hot air balloon will be used for
these special flights.
RECORD MAN BROOKES ON SONG WITH IMPROVED R1
Snetterton, NorfolkLength 2.99 miles
Corners 12
Lap record 1:47.882 (Josh Brookes, 2014)
Absolute lap record 1:46.861 (Josh Brookes, 2015)
2014 race winners Shane Byrne (x2)
2014 pole positions Shane Byrne (x2)
Agostini
Murrays
Brundle
Bomb Hole
Nelson
Coram
Riches
Palmer
MontrealWilliams
Oggies
Hamilton
Bentley Straight
get going and show the true potential of the bike – but the second race at Oulton showed me that it’s actually a bit of a weapon. It’s nice to be feeling so positive now after a difficult start to the season.”
Laverty and his team turned the corner at Oulton. In between the two BSB races, they made some major dis-coveries and changes, and he finished fourth as a result.
“I rode the out lap from the pits at Oulton and thought ‘hmmm, some-thing’s different here!’ I came onto the grid and was going to tell the boys we’d cracked it, but didn’t want to say anything until I’d pushed it. I knew on the first lap, though – as soon as I got into that battle and could do what they were doing for the first time this year. I fixed 15 problems all at once, and I was pulling huge wheelies on the slowing
down lap because I was so happy!“Up until that moment, I was starting
to think I was losing the plot! The team were reinventing the wheel between sessions, trying to fix all these chas-sis problems, and in the end it was all caused by an electronics fault!”
Laverty hasn’t had a chance to test the new settings further though – and now needs to explore a whole world of new chassis configurations that were previously discarded by the team. The
Tyco squad has been flat out at the TT, so much so that it meant Laverty missed the BSB test at Snetterton a couple of weeks ago.
“It’s a little frustrating not to have got to the Snetterton test, but from the team’s perspective the TT has to take priority at the minute. They’ve got big backing from BMW in order to perform at the TT and North West 200, and I haven’t given them any grief about it. But to be honest it probably only puts us down the time sheets for one or two sessions. If the weather’s good all weekend, it generally doesn’t affect the end result come race day.”
Even with a lack of testing, though, Laverty has a new confidence about him, with the former British Supersport champion upbeat about his prospects for the remainder of the year – despite admitting that it’s been a struggle so far.
“I’ll have a bike at Snetterton that’s capable of running at the front, and then it’s all up to me. I haven’t had all my ducks in a row so far, and it’s frustrating because people have been saying ‘oh, it’s good to see you enjoy-ing being back in BSB’ – and I wasn’t! That personal satisfaction was gone, because when you’re giving everything and not getting the best out of the bike it brings question marks!
“I’m very confident that I can stand on the podium for the first time this year. There are so many potential race winners but I think I can join that party now too. To say you’re going to win races when you haven’t been on the podium yet is a bit of a statement to make, but I can at the very least be in that fight. These things are sent to test us though, and it’ll just make it sweeter for the second part of the season.”
www.motorcyclenews.com
METZELER & HUTCHYRULING THE ROAD.
METZELER and Ian Hutchinson take 3 IOM TT victories.Road Racing technology, RACETECTM RR and SPORTECTM M7RR,A�FAMILY�OF�PRODUCTS�TO�GIVE�TOTAL�CONl�DENCE��WHEREVER�YOU�RIDE�
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#MCNwednesday
67 BUYING &SELLING SPORTFEATURESNEW BIKESTHIS WEEK GARAGE June 15 2015
ROTORS, WE’LL HAVE YOU INHOSPITAL IN TWO MINUTES’
People often say that TT racers don’tpush to the limit. Trust me that’sbullshit. Every rider, from the frontto the back, lives on the limit of theirability. The problem is you can’t keeppoking an angry dog in the eye andexpect to get away with it, somethingI’ve learnt now.
As I started the mountain climb infinal practice for the Lightweight raceI was pushing way too hard. I made amistake at the Gooseneck then RyanFarquhar overtook me on the exit and,despite his superior skill, experienceand bike, I was determined to stay withhim, at least to the Mountain Mile. Idropped my right knee on the deck atGuthrie’s, brushed the wall with myright shoulder and tapped up a gearon the exit with 100% throttle. But asRyan disappeared around the next leftI was in a whole world of trouble: I wasrunning wide, running out of road andheading into the mountain.
My Kawasaki-powered twin rode offthe side of the road and into a cliff face.For a brief second I thought I might getaway with it, then I was launched intothe air. I remember taking a big impactto my head and right thigh. I seemed
to be sliding down the road for ages.When I came to rest I crawled to the
side of the road and called the marshalsfor help. I was worried another riderwould hit me or the bike – then the painkicked in. The marshals told me an airmedical team was on their way and thesession had been red-flagged. At thetime I thought they were overreacting,but they were looking at a rider with asmashed helmet and heavily batteredleathers. The impact was so big it hadripped off the sole of my left RST boot.Thankfully, one marshal called back tothe paddock to give my fiancée Sarah
CHAD’S TT DIAR
By Adam Child
an update. She got the message I wasalive, sat up and talking, worst casescenario a few broken bones.
Within no time at all I was on the spi-nal board and carried to the chopper. Iremember the air medical guy saying,“Close your eyes as you go under the
rotors, we will have you in hospitalin less than two minutes”. The staffat Noble’s hospital were outstandingand within an hour my entire lowerhalf had been X-rayed. It turned outI’d been lucky, I’d got away with justheavy muscle and tissue damage.
Just a few hours after leaving casu-alty I was calculating how I could raceagain. My team of Motorcycle Academystudents only had two days to rebuildthe bike and I had lots of physio ahead.In true TT style everyone chipped in:GB racing lent us some parts and weborrowed pegs from Simon Bleasdale of
Chad’s TT practice ended in a helicopter ride to Noble’s. But heand his British Motorcycling Academy team weren’t done yet
SBT Engine Perfection. While my teamof teenage students worked around theclock, stripping the bike to its frame,replacing the wheels and getting thesuspension and swingarm checked, Ispent the next two days in the ScottPhysiotherapy tent with Isla and hermagic team. Within 48 hours of crash-ing into a mountain I was declared fitby the Motorsport Medical Service,and after a few laps at Jurby airfieldwe were ready to race!
I’d like to tell you we had a fairytaleending, but we didn’t. I rode hard onthe first lap, managing a 107.3mphfrom a standing start – and I’d takenGuthrie’s cleanly. We’d moved into thetop 35 and the fuel stop was smooth andprofessional. By the second lap I wasstarting to hurt, but the more worryingissue was that the clocks had moved,clearly something was vibrating loose.
The clocks are held in place by twobolts and as I entered the 13th milestonethe second bolt failed, leaving themhanging on by tie-wraps and bouncingaround in the top faring. So with onehand in the air I rolled off the powerand pulled over at Kirk Michael. Wordscan’t describe the gut-retching feel-ing of retiring from the TT on the lastlap. But this year it wasn’t meant to be.
‘The impact wasso big it had rippedoff the sole of my left RST boot’
The BMMA team worked
hard to rebuild Chad’s twin
In pain, but
ready to race
Arai did its job
in protecting
Chad’s bonce
Brothers Ben and Tom Birchall on their way to a clean sweep in the sidecar races
All that rehab was
worth it for TT
comeback king
Hutchinson
STEPHEN DAVISONAT THE ISLE OF MAN
ROADS REPORTER
www.motorcyclenews.com
68 SPORT
The opening Superbike race, wonby Bruce Anstey on the ValvolinePadgetts Honda, was followed by thefirst Sidecar and Supersport TTs onMonday. Brothers Ben and Tom Birchall and Ian Hutchinson were the race win-ners at the start of a week that wouldsee the trio add to their TT tallies. This is how an epic week of racing – wit-nessed by more than 40,000 fans that travelled to the Island – panned out.
Superstock TT: Hutchy
continues winning ways
Held over until Tuesday, the Superstock race saw Ian Hutchinson continue his
Lap records tumble in a week of perfect conditions and
‘Over thefour years that Ihave been away
Dunlop’s beenthe man here and
I knew he wasgoing to make
my life hard’IAN HUTCHINSON
incredible comeback from the seriousleg injury he sustained in 2010 to takehis 10th TT win on Paul Bird’s KawasakiZX-10R. Bird’s last TT win was in 2000when Joey Dunlop won the FormulaOne race on an SP1 Honda.
Hutchy survived a last lap excursioninto the undergrowth at Bedstead totake the chequered flag from MichaelDunlop on the MD Racing BMW.
“I am a bit embarrassed about itreally,” Hutchy said after his off roadmoment.
“In all the time that I have raced hereI’ve never even clipped a kerb. The bikewas cutting out from the Bungalowbecause I was so low on fuel and itcut out completely on me on the left-hander so I just went up the kerb on tothe pavement and gave the banking abit of a bang. It looks ridiculous but itwasn’t because I was trying too hard.”
ROADS | ISLE OF MAN | ROUND-UP
Dunlop had set the early pace, lap-ping at almost 131mph from a standing start to lead Hutchinson into the pits at the end of lap two. The PBM squad elected to change the ZX-10R’s rear Metzeler, an incredible feat achieved in just 35s thanks to hours of practice by mechanic Steven Neate and clever adjustments to keep the brake caliper and spacers in place. The result was a pit stop four seconds faster than Dunlop’s, giving Hutchy extra grip and it proved to be the turning point of the race.
In spite of feeling the effects of his crash during Saturday’s Superbike race, Dunlop held on to secure second, his only podium finish of TT 2015.
“It’s just not easy holding onto these bikes when you are not 100% fit,” he said after his challenge faded to allow Hutchy to win by 17 seconds.
“It’s more special beating Michael
Dunlop,” Hutchy revealed after the race. “Over the four years that I have been away he’s been the man round here and I knew he was going to make my life hard when I finally did get back to being able to push. All the hard work I put in over the winter, when people were taking the piss out of me for going to the gym, has paid off.”
Dunlop’s compatriot Lee Johnston was in tears after taking his first ever TT rostrum finish. The ECC/Burdens BMW rider clocked the fastest Super-stock speed trap time ever recorded at 191.2mph to help him close down on James Hillier’s Quattro Plant Muc Off Kawasaki and grab third by 0.3s.
“I saw I was only about four sec-onds behind at Ramsey and I decided to push like mad over the Mountain,” Johnston said.
Guy Martin was in contention for a
podium before he lost 35 seconds in the pits when an overheating battery prevented his Tyco BMW S1000RR from firing up after refuelling.
Although Dunlop’s year-old lap record wasn’t broken all of the first four home broke the old race record.
Zero TT: McGuinness takes
TT win #22
John McGuinness led home a field of just seven starters and six finishers in the electric bike race on Wednesday. The Morecambe man raised the lap record by almost 2mph to 119.279mph to win for the second year in succession on the Mugen Shinden. Team-mate Bruce Anstey was four seconds behind in second. Lee Johnston trailed in third over a minute later on the Victory ma-chine. Guy Martin was fourth on the second Victory.
M
TTRESULTS
1 Ian Hutchinson Kawasaki 01:10:05.298
2 Michael Dunlop BMW 01:10:22.437
3 Lee Johnston BMW 01:10:30.677
4 James Hillier Kawasaki 01:10:30.947
5 Peter Hickman BMW 01:10:50.444
Pos Rider Machine Race time
6 David Johnson. 7 Guy Martin. 8 John McGuinness. 9 Bruce Anstey. 10
Conor Cummins. 11 Michael Rutter. 12 Dan Kneen. 13 Dean Harrison. 14
Ivan Lintin. 15 Daniel Cooper. 16 Ross Mountford. 17 Martin Jessopp. 18
Alan Bonner. 19 Ryan Kneen. 20 Daniel Hegarty. 21 Michael Sweeney.
22 Jamie Coward. 23 Sam West. 24 Ian Pattinson. 25 Christopher
Dixon. 26 John Ingram. 27 Derek McGee. 28 Paul Shoesmith. 29 Ben
Wylie. 30 Allann Venter. 31 Nuno Caetano. 32 Kamil Holan. 33 Dominic
Herbertson. 34 Tom McHale. 35 Mark Miller. 36 James Neesom. 37
Rafael Paschoalin. 38 Bill Callister. 39 Steve Heneghan. 40 Alan
Connor. 41 Philip Crowe. 42 Mark Goodings. 43 David Madsen-Mygdal.
44 Matthew Rees. 45 Xavier Denis. 46 Paul Duckett.
MarTrain Yamaha’s Dean
Harrison had a torrid 2015 TT,
suffering numerous breakdowns
as he struggled with mechanical
failures and handling issues with
the new R1. Harrison blew an
engine in the opening Supersport
race and retired from the second
with a broken clutch. His best
finish was a 13th place in the
stocker race before he posted a
130mph lap on the R1 superbike
in the Senior.
“Frustrating,” was how Honda’s
Conor Cummins described his
TT race week. The Ramsey man’s
factory Fireblade broke down
in the Superbike race before he
took a seventh and eighth in the
Supersport races on his Jackson
Racing CBR600RR. Eighth place
was the best he could manage in
the Superstock race before the
29-year-old posted his fastest
ever TT lap at 131.7mph in the
Senior to take sixth.
Ryan Farquhar suffered a
disappointing TT comeback as
he failed to finish the Superbike,
Superstock, Supertwin or
Senior races on his SGS/KMR
Kawasakis.
Keith Amor crashed out of his TT
comeback when he dropped his
Rig Deluge Honda at Stella Maris
in the first Supersport race.
Dave Molyneux’s runner- up spot
in the second Sidecar TT retained
his record of having finished on
the podium at all of the last 20
TTs he has competed in.
SUPERSTOCK: TUESDAY
1 Ian Hutchison Yamaha 01:11:58.750
2 Bruce Anstey Honda 01:12:13.570
3 Guy Martin Triumph 01:12:30.775
4 James Hillier Kawasaki 01:12:39.835
5 Gary Johnson Yamaha 01:12:53.400
Pos Rider Machine Race time
6 Lee Johnston. 7 Conor Cummins. 8 John McGuinness. 9 Dan Kneen. 10
David Johnson. 11 Peter Hickman. 12 Ivan Lintin. 13 Cameron Donald. 14
Jamie Hamilton. 15 Daniel Cooper. 16 James Cowton. 17 Dan Stewart. 18
Michael Rutter. 19 Derek McGee. 20 Michal Dokoupil. 21 Robert Wilson.
22 Ian Pattinson. 23 Christopher Dixon. 24 James Ford. 25 Bjorn
Gunnarsson. 26 Davy Morgan. 27 Jim Hodson. 28 Hudson Kannaugh. 29
Mark Parrett. 30 Colin Stephenson. 31 Sam West. 32 George Spence. 33
Paul Shoesmith. 34 Nuno Caetano. 35 James Shipley. 35 Allann Venter.
37 Adrian Harrison. 38 Timothee Monot. 39 Paul Baleta. 40 Xavier
Denis. 41 Andrew Soar. 42 Matthew Rees. 43 Robbin Harms. 44 Chris
Petty. 45 Richard McLoughin. 46 David Madsen-Mygdal.
SUPERSPORT: WEDNESDAY
1 Ivan Linton Kawasaki 57:06.070
2 James Hillier Kawasaki 57:09.945
3 Michael Rutter Paton 57:43.318
4 James Cowton Kawasaki 58:05.032
5 Jamie Hamilton Kawasaki 58:15.457
Pos Rider Machine Race time
6 Daniel Cooper. 7 Michael Russell. 8 Mark Miller. 9 Conor Behan. 10
Daniel Webb. 11 Derek McGee. 12 James Ford. 13 Tuukka Korhonen.
14 Bjorn Gunnarsson. 15 David Johnson. 16 Adrian Harrison. 17 Maria
Costello. 18 Jamie Coward. 19 James Shipley. 20 Paul Shoesmith.
21 Xavier Denis. 22 Michal Dokoupil. 23 Ben Rea. 24 Chris Petty. 25
Paul Baleta. 26 David Madsen-Mygdal. 27 Anthony Redmond. 28 Dave
Moffit. 29 Brian McCormack. 30 Wayne Axon. 31 Ian Pattinson. 32 Alan
Bud Jackson. 33 Tim Sayers. 34 Jack Hunter. 35 Daniel Harrison. 36
Billy Cummins. 37 Paul Duckett.
LIGHTWEIGHT: FRIDAY
1 John McGuinness Honda 01:09:23.903
2 James Hillier Kawasaki 01:09:38.117
3 Ian Hutchinson Kawasaki 01:09:44.730
4 Guy Martin BMW 01:09:52.148
5 Michael Dunlop BMW 01:10:03.010
Pos Rider Machine Race time
6 Conor Cummins. 7 Peter Hickman. 8 Bruce Anstey. 9 David Johnson.
10 Michael Rutter. 11 Dean Harrison. 12 Gary Johnson. 13 Dan Kneen. 14
Martin Jessopp. 15 Alan Bonner. 16 Russ Mountford. 17 Daniel Cooper.
18 Daniel Hegarty. 19 Sam West. 20 James Cowton. 21 Ryan Keeton. 22
Jamie Coward. 23 Ian Pattinson. 24 Brian McCormack. 25 Mark Parrett.
26 Paul Shoesmith. 27 Kamil Holan. 28 Nuno Caetano. 29 Christopher
Dixon. 30 Rafael Paschoalin. 31 Brandon Cretu. 32 Tom McHale. 33
Michael Russell. 34 Allan Venter. 35 Bill Callister. 36 George Spence.
37 David Hewson. 38 Andrew Soar. 39 Colin Stephenson. 40 Mark
Goodings. 41 Alan Connor. 42 Xavier Denis. 43 Steve Heneghan. 44
David Madsen-Mygdal. 45 Anthony Redmond. 46 Philip Crowe. 47 Paul
Duckett. 48 Matthew Rees. 49 Fabrice Miguet.
SENIOR: FRIDAY
1 John McGuinness Mugen 18:58.743
2 Bruce Anstey Mugen 19:02.785
3 Lee Johnston Victory 20:16.881
4 Guy Martin Victory 20:38.987
5 Robert Wilson Sarolea 21:15.256
6 Michael Sweeney Notts Uni 30:56.695
Pos Rider Machine Race time
TT ZERO: WEDNESDAY
1 Ben Birchall/Tom Birchall LCR 58:24.971. 2 Dave Molyneux/Ben Binns
Suzuki 58:32.555. 3 John Holden/Dan Sayle LCR 58:44.836. 4 Conrad
Harrison/Milke Ayl Shelbourne Honda 01:00:00.881. 5 Ian Bell/Carl Bell
LCR 01:00:58.065. 6 Matt Dix/Shaun Parker Baker Yamaha 01:01:51.854.
7 Wayne Lockey/Mark Saye Ireson Honda 01:02:37.392. 8 Steve
Ramsden/Matty Ra LCR 01:02:52.696. 9 Robert Handcock/Aki Aalt
Baker 01:03:03.752. 10 Tony Baker/Fiona Baker Suzuki 01:03:14.313
SIDECAR: WEDNESDAY
TT GOSSIP
20 years of podiums for Molyneux
Hero of the Zero. McGuinness lapped at 119mph on the Mugen Shinden electric bike
Anstey airborne in the Superbike TTDebut win for Lintin in the Lightweight
Hutchy goes on a TT nature trail
Hutchy smoked his
rivals then gave
the fans a good
smoking after the
Superstock TT
#MCNwednesday
69 BUYING & SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
intense racing as TT 2015 comes to a close
MEMBER
“I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I had a lot of fun out there,” McGuinness said. “I remember sitting on the bank with the missus in 1990 watching Hizzy doing the first 120mph on a RC30, so we are not a million miles away. Whether you like it or whether you don’t, whether you call it a TT or you don’t, they are calling it a TT and I will take it as a TT. It’s my 22nd win and 119mph on a 260kg bike with loads of lead and batteries on it is amazing.”
Second Supersport TT: Hutchy again as Guy sneaks a podiumBingley Bullet Ian Hutchinson com-pleted a stunning TT 2015 hat-trick with victory in the second 600cc race on the Team Traction Control Yamaha R6. Jubilant team boss and Prodigy frontman, Keith Flint punched the air
with delight as Hutchy crossed the line.“I am speechless, I’m just so proud,”
the rock star said as he embraced Hutchy in the winner’s enclosure. “It’s a massive thing for me. This means more than people could ever imagine.”
“It’s amazing to have a guy like Keith involved in racing and to be so genu-inely passionate about it,” Hutchinson said after his 14.8-second victory over Bruce Anstey.
“I asked him at the Donington World Superbike round if he fancied doing the TT with a week to go and I think he was gobsmacked. Now he’s won two TTs!”
Circulating with Hutchy, Guy Martin grabbed a tow on his Smith’s Triumph that helped him get the better of Hillier (Quattro Plant Muc Off Kawasaki) in their battle for third spot, 17 seconds behind Anstey. It was Martin’s 16th TT podium finish without a win.
Second sidecar TT: Birchall’s double delightBen and Tom Birchall made it a double on their Manx Gas LCR Honda outfit in the fastest sidecar TT of all-time.
The Mansfield brothers followed on from their success in Monday’s race by taking a start-to-finish win but local hero Dave Molyneux and passenger Ben Binns (DMR Suzuki) pushed them all the way. On the final lap the Manx veteran established a new lap record of 116.785mph, just two thousandths of a second faster than the Birchalls, as they surpassed Nick Crowe’s 2007 mark.
“Dave is the man to beat around here,” Ben Birchall explained. “I got sight of him on the third lap and that kept me going. I was getting a sniff of his brakes and could see the dust he was leaving behind. That stopped me from making mistakes.”
Lightweight TT: 120mph lap on a commuter bikeIvan Lintin took his maiden TT win in Friday morning’s three-lap Lightweight race on the RC Express ER6 Kawasaki.
The Lincolnshire rider held off the challenge of James Hillier (Quattro Plant Muc Off Kawasaki) who raised the lap record for the class to over 120mph. Lintin also broke the old record on the final lap as he beat the Ringwood rider by 3.8 seconds but Hillier was three thousandths of a second faster at 120.848mph. Michael Rutter was third on the ILR Paton.
Lintin said: “I can remember when I came to the Manx GP and I was doing 116mph on my 600. I thought ‘flipping heck how do you go any faster around here?’ and now we are doing that and a lot more on a commuter bike. It should have panniers and a top box on it!”
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70 SPORT ROADS | ISLE OF MAN
If 2015 was the year of the come-back for Ian Hutchinson and JohnMcGuinness it was also the year ofthe breakthrough into the top levelof TT racing for James Hillier andPeter Hickman.
“Yes, I guess it was,” Hillier agreedon the morning after the SeniorTT. “Things just gelled for me and I
Hickman and Hillier make the step up to join the 131 and 132mph TT club
‘Things just gelled. I moved out of my comfort zone and
on to the next level’JAMES HILLIER
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.
moved out of my comfort zone and on to the next level.”
The Quattro Plant Muc Off Kawasaki star enjoyed a stellar 2015 TT, finish-ing third in the opening Superbike TT and runner-up to Ivan Lintin in the Lightweight race after setting a new lap record for the twins class. He was on the podium again in Friday’s Senior, finishing second to John McGuinness and posting a 132mph lap on his ZX-10R.
“One of the best things is that I did it by myself,” the 30-year-old said, referring to the criticism that his pre-vious fastest TT laps have come when
he has run in the wheel tracks of John McGuinness. “I am proud of that,” he went on. “You have to do it on your own but there is still time to be made up. I am strong on the first sector and I led to Glen Helen in most races but I have to go quicker over the mountain. I will concentrate on that section next year.”
Hillier’s comment reflects his pre-cise approach to TT racing. “I think you have to be methodical because it is such a long course and big event,” he said. “You have to work your way through it and if you do, the finished product will be so much better. Some
people go fast quickly but it is sketchy fast. You have to try to be safe.”
Earning his living as an electri-cian and selling bike gear through his website, www.yourmoto.bike, Hillier is confounding the experts by largely confining his racing to the TT.
“I just do what I enjoy,” he says. “At home I do enduros and trials. Short circuits just don’t appeal. I think it proves that you don’t have to be out on a bike all the time like some people say.”
Peter Hickman is another rider who is turning the perceived wisdom sur-rounding TT racing on its head. The
Louth man became the fastest new-comer in Mountain course history with a lap of 129.104mph in 2014. In 2015 Hickman left the experts, who say you need years to learn the 37¾-mile course, scratching their heads with a stunning 131.626mph lap in the Senior on his superstock-spec Briggs Equipment BMW S1000RR.
“I came thinking that perhaps I could crack 130 this year but not 131,” Hickman smiled afterwards. “I did a 130.4mph from a standing start, then a 130.5 on lap two, but words can’t describe how it felt to do the 131 on a
BREAKTHROUGHS
STEPHEN DAVISONAT THE ISLE OF MAN
ROADS REPORTER
D
Hickman flew on
the superstock
BMW to set a
131.626mph lap
Hillier joined
McGuinness and
Hutchy on Senior
TT podium
#MCNwednesday
71 BUYING & SELLING SPORT June 17 2015FEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES
‘I should’ve cracked
on more but to be
honest that’s as hard
as I could have gone’GUY MARTIN
‘We have exceededwhatever we weregoing to do when
we came’MICHAEL DUNLOP
TT 2015 will be a meeting Guy Martin and his Tyco BMW team-mate, William Dunlop, will want to forget.
“I’m not doom and gloom but look at the facts, we’ve not had the best of race weeks,” Martin admitted after a tough week that once again saw him fail to realise his dream of winning a TT.
The fast-talking truck fitter’s Superbike TT lasted less than four miles before his S1000RR ground to a halt with an electrical problem at Glenlough. William Dunlop managed a fifth place finish in the six-lapper, more than two minutes behind race winner, Bruce Anstey.
Things went from bad to worse for the Northern Ireland-based squad when the Ballymoney rider was ruled out of action for the rest of race week after he sustained broken ribs in a crash dur-ing a practice lap on Monday. Martin inherited the Victory electric bike that the injured Dunlop was to ride in the Zero TT, and finished fourth.
With so much expectation on the Tyco squad’s TT performance after the shift from Suzuki to BMW machinery during the winter, Martin’s seventh place finish in Wednesday afternoon’s Superstock event offered little comfort.
The 33-year-old had been putting in a strong performance before his S1000RRwas slow to start following the fuel stop.Guy’s pitlane gremlins had struck ear-lier when the Lincolnshire racer wasdocked 30 seconds for speeding dur-ing a pitstop on the Smith’s Triumphduring the opening Supersport race.Martin regrouped to take his 16th TTpodium with a third-place finish inSupersport race two.
With controversy raging aroundMichael Dunlop following his de-fection from Milwaukee Yamaha toBuildbase BMW during TT practice, theBallymoney star struggled to make theimpact he desperately wanted duringrace week.
The 26-year-old’s campaign wasblighted by the injuries he picked upafter being knocked off his BuildbaseBMW in Sunday’s opening Superbikerace. Backmarker Scott Wilson crashedat The Nook just as Dunlop caught himon the final lap. Wilson’s Honda skittledDunlop, leaving the Irishman with aninjured shoulder and leg.
Limping heavily throughout raceweek, last year’s four-time win-ner’s best performance came in theSuperstock race where he finishedsecond on his MD Racing BMW.
“I just struggled all the way,” Dunlopsaid after the race.“The first couple oflaps weren’t too bad and I just triedto push on. I said to myself come on,we will dig deep here. I knew I had topush in the first lap and I did, and thenit just fell apart from there. The bodyhas just had enough.”
When he pulled out of Wednesday’sSupersport race after a single lap, ru-mours circulated that the Ballymoneyman had gone home, but he appearedon the line for Friday’s Senior race.
Dunlop in a sling after Friday’s Senior
A personal best lap for Guy still wasn’t enough to take his maiden TT victory
“I do think that the bike is betterthan that, better than third place,” hesaid afterwards.
“It does go like shit off a shovel. Ithink I should have just got my fingerout of my backside and cracked on a bitmore but to be honest that’s as hard asI could have gone.”
INJURY-HIT MICHAEL DUNLOP STRUGGLES
A TT TO FORGET FOR MARTIN AND TYCO
DELIVERsuperstock bike. I am really, really happy.”
It was the culmination of an im-pressive TT race week for the lanky BSB star as he posted performances that will put him firmly in the sights of the big teams for next season.
His eighth place finish in the opening Superbike race was eclipsed by his pace in the Superstock race, earning him an impressive fifth place overall. “I didn’t realise just how close I was to a podium finish in that race,” Hickman explained. “I ended up 20 seconds behind third but I actually lost 16 seconds in the last sector because I was running out of petrol.”
Having only acquired a Trooper Beer liveried MV Agusta 675 for the Supersport races just as TT practice began, the 28-year-old steered the Valmoto-prepared machine to an 11th place finish with a 126mph fastest lap.
But Hickman saved his best to last, posting his first 131mph TT lap and finishing seventh in the Senior.
“It is only year two for me and I am still learning,” he said. “I have been back over to the Island three or four times during the winter to do laps in the car just to make sure I still remember where I am going and I will definitely be back again next year. The TT is part of me now.”
on the Buildbase BMW to become the second fastest rider ever around the Mountain course. The 26-year-old appeared at the prize-giving with his right arm in a sling as his collected his fifth place award.
It was scant consolation for the man who has won eight TT races in the last two years, especially after his deci-sion to abandon the uncompetitive
Martin told MCN he was enjoying the TT, walking his dog Nigel to help him relax between races.
Although Guy managed a lap of 132.398mph in Friday’s Senior, he never looked likely to challenge the leaders, eventually finishing almost 30 seconds behind winner John McGuinness.
Milwaukee Yamaha R1 in practice week.“The team I came with wasn’t giv-
ing me the tools to do the job,” he said. “These boys (Steve Hicken’s Buildbase squad) came and we took two bikes out of the back of a van. We have exceeded whatever we were going to do when we came. It’s funny how one mistake at the start of the week can wreck your two weeks. I came here fighting fit. Not through my own fault I went down and we have just been struggling ever since.”
In spite of his injuries, and riding the S1000RR superbike that he had only completed two laps of practice on, Dunlop posted a final lap of 132.515mph
www.motorcyclenews.com
72 SPORT
TT legend, John McGuinness demon-strated why he is still the King of theMountain by winning last Friday’sSenior race. The Honda racing starequalled Mike Hailwood’s record ofseven Senior wins as he smashed theoutright lap record to win his 23rd TT.
“The real John McGuinness turnedup today,” the 43-year-old smiled ashe savoured his moment of glory witha pint and a pizza. “I gave everythingtoday. There was 19 years of TT experi-ence ploughed into those laps. If anyonecould do more, then they could have it.”
On the day, no-one could do more.McGuinness bounced back from thewrist injury that had destroyed his 2014season to prove he is still the master ofthe toughest motorcycle race on theplanet. The Morecambe Missile was adifferent man in the Senior race to theone that he admitted had “doubtedhimself” after finishing fourth in theopening Superbike race a week earlier.
“I was putting a lot of effort in butdidn’t feel I was getting anywhere,”McGuinness said. “But I knew therewas no reason why I couldn’t win.”
Intensely focussed on the start line,McGuinness immediately took thefight to his rivals. First down BrayHill on the factory Fireblade, he waslying second with just three secondscovering the leader, Ian Hutchinsonand third-placed Michael Dunlopwhen the red flags came out follow-ing Jamie Hamilton’s crash at Cronky Voddy (see right).
In the restarted four-lapper, theHonda man’s charge was even moredominant. Once again the pace wasnothing short of extreme. Less than asecond split early leader James Hillier,McGuinness and Hutchinson beforeMcGuinness moved to the front at the
struggling Hutchinson for second spot.Behind the leaders Guy Martin
showed that he still is one of the fast-est TT racers by also breaking throughthe 132mph barrier on lap two to securefourth spot on the Tyco BMW. MichaelDunlop joined the 132mph club withthe second fastest Mountain courselap of all time at 132.515mph on theBuildbase BMW to finish fifth.
But the day belonged to a resurgentand triumphant McGuinness. He im-mediately paid tribute to his Hondacrew and highlighted some key changesthey had made to the bike between theSuperbike and Senior races.
“We changed the rear tyre com-pound,” McGuinness explained. “Weput the slightly harder rear tyre onwhich is the tyre Bruce won on in thefirst race. We thought there is nothingelse we can do. The Honda might not bethe fastest bike but it’s not the slowestand it’s a sweet-handling thing. I knowhow it reacts to everything.”
Undoubtedly the change that madethe greatest difference was to the manrather than the machine. Aware thathis critics had written him off after hisdesultory performances earlier in theweek, the 43-year-old used the slightsto fire himself up. “When I read thatI was 16-to-1 with the bookies for theSenior I was really pissed off. I knewthere was no reason why I couldn’t doit the way I had in 2013.”
McGuinness added the Senior victoryto the win he had taken on the Mugenearlier in the week in the Zero electricbike TT, bringing him to within threevictories of Joey Dunlop’s all-time tally.
“We are real close to Joey’s recordnow,” he reflected. “To match Joey’s26 and hang my boots up would be agreat thing to do. It’s still three winsand I’m getting older and these boysare coming stronger and stronger. Idon’t want to retire, I just love racingmy bikes too much. It won’t let go ofme this TT track, it’s got hold of me. It’slike a drug and won’t let go. We’ll see!”
-year-o e es e oo es o a e s unn ng en or w n an new ap reco
‘When I read that Iwas 16-to-1 to win
the Senior I wasreally p****d off’
JOHN McGUINNESS
Bungalow. Laying down the fastest ever standing start TT lap at 131.850mph,McGuinness led Hutchy by 1.2 secondsby the start of the second circuit.
The atmosphere amongst the throngsof fans around the 37 ¾-mile coursewas electric as it became obvious theHonda star was on a flier. A massivecheer greeted McGuinness as he pulledinto Gasoline Alley to refuel at the endof lap two. Despite slowing for his pitstop, the Honda rider set an incrediblenew outright lap record of 132.701mph.
“I don’t know where that lap camefrom,” McGuinness said after the race.“I was concentrating so hard becauseI knew that if you get caught withyour pants down by just by 1/10th of asecond you are done. The boys got mein and out of the pits fantastically andI just gave it everything I could. Thereaction from the pits felt like it didwhen I broke the first 130mph lap. The
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A slick, calm pitstop allowed McGuinness to maintain his race leadHonda Racing’s Fireblade isn’t the quickest but it’s sweet-handling A popular result for a popular rider. Fans greet the winner on his return
STEPHEN DAVISONAT THE ISLE OF MAN
ROADS REPORTER
atmosphere on the grandstand and the reaction from everyone on the third lap was phenomenal. I was nearly crying.”
It was the turning point in the race. Unknown to McGuinness, his main rival’s challenge was already falter-ing. Hutchinson had lost vital seconds when he outbraked himself at Signpost on his way to the pit stop and by Glen Helen on lap three McGuinness had a 12-second cushion.
From that point on the Morecambe man made hay while the sun shone on the Mountain course. A 23-second lead at Ballaugh on the final circuit dropped to 17 by the flag as James Hillier banged in a 132.414mph lap to overhaul the
SENIOR TT SENSATION
ROADS | ISLE OF MAN | SENIOR TT
A
#MCNwednesday
73 BUYING &SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
‘It was a smallrattle at first butthe exhaust had
blown the pipe off’IAN HUTCHINSON
Only three more to go for Joey’s recordCelebrating with wife Becky, son Ewan and daughter Maisie Some had written him off but McPint knew he’d be back on top
Northern Ireland’s Jamie Hamilton, who crashed at Burnside on the sec-ond lap of the Senior TT, was airlifted to Nobles hospital and has since been transferred to Liverpool. The 24-year-old is described as being in a critical but stable condition.
Manx Grand Prix winner Roy Richardson also remains in hospital with serious leg injuries sustained in a practice crash at Ballagarey.
HUTCHINSONCHANCES OF FOURTH WIN EXHAUSTED
INJURED RIDER UPDATE
Ian Hutchinson was bitterly disap-pointed at not being able to add a superbike race win to his Superstock and double Supersport hat-trick in Friday’s Senior.
“I feel a bit flat not being able to finish the race, racing,” the 11 times winner said after having to nurse his PBM Kawasaki home with a broken exhaust header pipe.
“I made a little mistake coming into Signpost. I was braking with the throt-tle still open and it was just pushing me forward and I had to do a U-turn. I lost about 10 seconds there to John. I got the hammer down and was really enjoying riding until it sounded like the engine was starting to go. It was a small rattle at first but the exhaust had blown the front pipe off. Eventually it just went totally flat and took the power out of it.”
Hutchy’s dreams of a fourth win went
up in a cloud of exhaust smoke
The 2015 Senior race saw lap
times take a significant step
forward. Since John McGuinness
broke the 130mph barrier in 2007,
speeds have inched up slowly in
tenths or hundredths of a second.
Unfavourable conditions and
the lack of development of new
machinery have been blamed.
8.8 seconds divide a 131 from a
132mph lap and 2015 saw four
riders – John McGuinness, Michael
Dunlop, James Hillier and Guy
Martin – join the first man to break
the 132mph barrier, Bruce Anstey,
at the new benchmark.
Other riders who set notable
personal bests this year included
BSB star Peter Hickman with
131.626mph on the Superstock-
spec Briggs Equipment BMW during
the Senior.
David Johnson became the ninth
quickest TT racer of all-time and the
fastest ever Australian around the
Mountain course with an impressive
131.595mph on the Smiths BMW.
132 THE NEW BENCHMARK
ATS THE ODDS
John McGuinness broke the outright
lap record by over three seconds
www.motorcyclenews.com
#MCNwednesday
75 BUYING &SELLING SPORTGARAGEFEATURESNEW BIKESTHIS WEEK June 17 2015
Ticket Current MCN
Price Offer Price
■3dayadultadmission £85 £70
■3daychildadmission
(11–15yrs) £20 £15
■Sundayadultadmission £70 £60
■Sundaychild(11–15yrs) £20 £15
■3dayadultadmission
andgrandstand £100 £90
■3daychildadmission
andgrandstand £50 £40
■Sundayadultadmission
andgrandstand £90 £80
■Sundaychildadmission
andgrandstand £40 £35
Generaladmissionfor all children aged 0–10 years is
FREE of charge.
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Redding: ‘It’s home’
“Going back to Silverstone means alot. It’s our home GP, and I love ridingthere in front of the British crowd. Ijust really hope that I put on a goodshow, and it would be awesome toget a good result at Silverstone,” saidScott Redding
“I’m trying to understand the bikeas much as I can so that I can put on agood performance there. I’ve had somegood results over the last few years, andit would be a shame to let that drop, soI’m just trying to find a good rhythmbefore Silverstone, because for me it’sone of the best races of the season, soit’ll be really interesting to get there.”
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Sam Lowes moved into third in theMoto2 championship standings afteranother solid result in Catalunya. TheEnglishman was fourth for the thirdconsecutive race, and his consistencycompared to last year’s erratic seasonhas been a revelation.
Having been a serial crasher last yearin Moto2, Lowes has been able to ironout his mistakes and ride to the limit inraces without overstepping the mark.
“This was another really good week-end and we’ve made so much progresswith the bike, especially in the heat. Ithink that we’re really strong right nowand I can’t wait for Assen. I love thattrack and I’m really confident aboutmy chances there.”
Having spent last week testing inSpain, Lowes will test again this weekto evaluate a host of new parts includ-ing new front forks.
“In the test I’ll use the new front forkswhich Johann Zarco (Moto2 champi-onship leader) has been using and theyshould be an improvement. Our bike isreally good at the moment, but we needto make some steps with it because it’sa bit too sensitive to conditions. In therace I felt that I had the grip of the Kalexbikes for the first 13 laps but after thatI started to lose time. We’re definitely making progress though.”
RELIABLE LOWES UP TO THIRD IN TITLE CHASE
#MCNwednesday
77 BUYING &SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
Danny Kent stamped his authorityon his Moto3 title challenge with atactically brilliant win in Sunday’sCatalunya GP. Having dominated inAmerica and Argentina, slugged outa win at Jerez and having shown greatmaturity in France and Mugello to fin-ish fourth and third, the Brit got backto winning ways in Spain.
In a class filled with riders who seemto struggle to plan from one corner tothe next, Kent sets his race plan 24 hoursin advance and more often than notthis year he’s been able to enact it. Thatmaturity, confidence and guile has al-lowed him to stretch his championshiplead to 51 points from Enea Bastianini.
Kent’s plan at Catalunya was to tryand break away if he could, otherwisesettle back and conserve tyres and pushto get to the front on the last lap Unable
to break away, Kent found himself atthe very back of the lead group startingthe final lap. Lesser riders would havepanicked – but not Kent.
Speaking to MCN, he said: “The lastfew races have been difficult becauseit could have been anyone’s race withthe long straights, so you need to putyourself in the right position at theright time. Maybe my experience ishelping me because I’ve always beenputting myself in the right place. Nor-mally I improve in the second half ofthe season and that’s where most ofmy favourite tracks are, so hopefullywe can get even stronger.”
Kent has consistently been able toout-ride and out-think his rivals ontrack, making him a formidable propo-sition for the future.
“I think that it’s everything – myapproach, my fitness and my mentalstrength. That’s why we’re so strong atthe end of races and it lets me ride fastbut still think about what’s happening.That’s why we can fight in the race and still come out on top ”
Switched-on Brit shows he can win in any situation with a brilliant last-lap performance
DANNY KENT
STEVE ENGLISH
AT CATALUNYA
MOTOGP REPORTER ‘Normally I improvein the second half, sohopefully we can get
even stronger’DANNY KENT
After a tough last
couple of races,
Kent finds his way
back to the top step
Lowes put in
another solid
weekend in
Spain
Kent put himself
in the right place
at the right time in
Catalunya
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www.motorcyclenews.com
78 SPORT MOTOGP | ROUND 7 | CATALUNYA
Bradley Smith stamped his authority at Tech3 securing an impressive fifth place at Catalunya last Sunday. While the performance itself failed to grab the headlines, its significance cannot be underestimated.
Rewind 12 months and Smith was fast gaining a reputation as a prolific crasher, but now he is delivering results week in, week out – even at difficult tracks such as Catalunya where many
After crashing out during the race Espargaro said that he was at a bit of a loss to explain his lack of form.
“I have to adapt more to the bike than the bike to me,” said the Spaniard. “I have a black and white riding style and sometimes that’s a problem. I’m not adapting to the Yamaha. This year I’m not fast. But I don’t know what to think. I’m lost.”
Smith’s form has made life very difficult for Espargaro, and while the Spaniard has a factory Yamaha contract the summer will be pivotal in seeing which Tech3 rider is now in favour with Yamaha. Smith’s mature approach to the race was the polar opposite to the
In-form Brit heaps the pressure on team-mate Espargaro in battle for 2016 contract
‘We’re 21 points ahead of Cal in the championship so our satellite battle
is a bit stronger’BRADLEY SMITH
of his rivals faltered (see p80-81).As a result the British rider now holds
a 21-point lead over Cal Crutchlow in the battle to be top satellite rider, but far more important than that, Sunday showed the advantage he now holds over his factory-contracted Tech3 team-mate, Pol Espargaro.
Having finished ahead of him in all but one race so far this season, it’s clear that Smith has taken on the role of the leading rider in Tech3, while Espargaro has struggled. The speed, consistency and maturity that the Spaniard showed last year is a thing of the past and he is now over-riding his M1 in a bid to make it work.
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attacking Espargaro. Smith was cau-tious with his set-up to avoid the pos-sibility of crashing and he was able to take advantage of a sensational start to pick his way through the pack and
eventually finish fifth. His decision to set the bike up to give as much feedback as possible clearly paid off.
“At the end of the day you’ve got to keep racking up points,” said Smith. “There’s not a lot to write home about but in terms of the points that we have and our consistency, it’s been a very solid performance. We keep setting the bike up so that I’ll know what’s underneath me. We went ultra con-servative with the front end and that hampered us a bit in terms of outright performance but it gave us a lot of feel-ing in the front and I’d know when it was about to tuck.
“If I had the chance to do the race
SMITH STEPS UP WITOP FIVE FINISH
STEVE ENGLISH
AT CATALUNYA
MOTOGP REPORTER
CATALUNYA 14/06/15
Jorge Lorenzo25 points
Dominated to take his
fourth win in a row
Valentino Rossi20 points
Needs to qualify better to
challenge for the win
Dani Pedrosa16 points
Welcome result after
major arm surgery
1
2
3
MOTOGP
RACE TOP SPEEDS
CHAMPIONSHIP MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP MOTO2 CHAMPIONSHIP MOTO3
FINAL POSITIONS FINAL POSITIONS FINAL POSITIONS
MOTOGP TOP SPEEDS
FASTEST RACE LAP
LAPS LED THIS SEASON
POSITIONS
1’42.219Marquez
Gains& losses(gridvfinish)
Ridersafter 7rounds Ridersafter 7rounds Ridersafter7rounds
MOTOGP MOTO2 MOTO3
213.57IANNONE
MPH
213.50mph
213.57mph
211.39mph
211.33mph
211.14mph
210.40mph
Iannone
Pedrosa
Rossi
Dovizioso
Smith
Redding
Circuit lap record:
Marquez 1’42.182
■ Length: 2.937 miles■ Corners: 13 – 5 left, 8 right■ Longest straight:
0.651 miles■ Race conditions:
Dry 28° air temp,46° track temp
CHAMPIONSHIP DASHBOARD
MOTOGP
1 LorenzoYamaha
2 RossiYamaha
3 PedrosaHonda
4 IannoneDucati
5
2
7
7
35 Smith
Yamaha
6 VinalesSuzuki
7 ReddingHonda
8 BradlYamaha
9 PetrucciDucati
10 BautistaAprilia
3
4
7
7
7
GP qualifying
Moto2 race
Moto3 race
1’40.546(A Espargaro)
1’46.474(Rins)
1’50.606(Vazquez)
QMarquez
QRossi Q Lorenzo
1 Lorenzo SPA 42’53.208
2 Rossi ITA +0.885
3 Pedrosa SPA +19.455
4 Iannone ITA +24.925
5 Smith GBR +27.782
6 Vinales SPA +29.559
7 Redding GBR +36.424
8 Bradl GER +42.103
9 Petrucci ITA +49.350
10 Bautista SPA +52.569
11 Miller AUS +53.666
12 Laverty IRL +55.765
13 Baz FRA +55.832
14 Di Meglio FRA +1’09.037
15 De Angelis RSM +1’25.263
16 Barbera SPA +1 lap
DNF A Espargaro SPA 20 laps
DNF Hayden USA 13 laps
DNF Melandri ITA 6 laps
1 Rossi ITA 138
2 Lorenzo SPA 137
3 Iannone ITA 94
4 Dovizioso ITA 83
5 Marquez SPA 69
6 Smith GBR 68
7 Crutchlow GBR 47
8 Vinales SPA 46
9 P Espargaro SPA 45
10 Pedrosa SPA 39
1 Zarco FRA 134
2 Rabat SPA 94
3 Lowes GBR 80
4 Luthi SWI 78
5 Rins SPA 74
6 Folger GER 66
7 Morbidelli ITA 62
8 Simeon BEL 49
9 Salom SPA 36
10 Kallio FIN 35
1 Kent GBR 149
2 Bastianini ITA 98
3 Oliveira POR 77
4 Vazquez SPA 76
5 Fenati ITA 75
6 Vinales SPA 64
7 Binder RSA 57
8 Quartararo FRA 54
9 Bagnaia ITA 50
10 Antonelli ITA 42
1 Zarco FRA 41’15.487
2 Rins SPA +0.426
3 Rabat SPA +1.115
4 Lowes GBR +3.914
5 Salom SPA +7.080
6 Luthi SWI +7.383
7 Folger GER +8.839
8 Morbidelli ITA +10.352
9 Aegerter SWI +10.638
10 Baldassarri ITA +10.730
11 Marquez SPA +11.052
12 Kallio FIN +16.338
13 Corsi ITA +16.649
14 Syahrin MAL +19.584
15 Simon SPA +19.657
16 Schrotter GER +19.966
17 Pons SPA +27.233
18 Krummenach SWI +30.281
19 Shah MAL +30.344
1 Kent GBR 40’59.419
2 Bastianini ITA +0.035
3 Vazquez SPA +0.600
4 Antonelli ITA +0.687
5 Oliveria POR +0.827
6 Navarro SPA +0.913
7 Vinales SPA +8.871
8 Fenati ITA +8.917
9 Binder RSA +11.068
10 Oettl GER +14.968
11 Martin SPA +16.596
12 Locatelli ITA +17.340
13 Ajo FIN +19.086
14 Quartararo FRA +19.320
15 Herrera SPA +19.366
16 Danilo FRA +22.257
17 Tonucci ITA +23.345
18 Masbou FRA +26.414
19 Loi BEL +27.080
Pos Rider Nat Race time
Pos Rider Nat Points Pos Rider Nat Points Pos Rider Nat Points
Pos Rider Nat Race time Pos Rider Nat Race time
QDovizioso
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
BRIT WATCH
CALCRUTCHLOWQUALIFIED 9TH
RACE - DNF
‘The twoYamahas, Marcand me had thestrongest paceover the race. I’mdisappointed notto take advantageof that position’
EUGENELAVERTYQUALIFIED 22ND
RACE 12TH
‘We made achange in warm-up and it helpedgive me morefeeling. In the raceI struggled withthe rear pumpingand lost time’
SCOTTREDDINGQUALIFIED 14TH
RACE 7TH
‘The positive is Iwas able to holdonto the secondgroup for muchlonger. We needto work on thesecond half of therace now’
JOHNMCPHEEQUALIFIED 11TH
RACE DNF
‘I was trying togain as muchground as I couldbut I lost the rearand highsided. Iwas riding 100%and sometimesthis happens’
1189
40
4
MELANDRI’S APRILIA FUTURE IN JEOPARDY
#MCNwednesday
79 BUYING & SELLING SPORTFEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES June 17 2015
again I probably wouldn’t be that conservative but we ened up with a good fifth position and we’re 21 points ahead of Cal in the championship so our satellite battle is a bit stronger. We’re one point behind Marc Marquez and he’s had all sorts of problems but at the end of the day in racing you have to finish the race.”
Marco Melandri’s future at Aprilia was cast into doubt over the week-end with the Italian squad report-edly coming close to splitting with him before Sunday’s race. Ulti-mately Melandri rode in Catalunya but his performance was the latest in a sad run of form for the former 250cc world champion.
Team boss Romano Albesiano told MCN it was tough seeing Melandri riding so poorly: “We know how good he can be. Even last year in WSB he was able to beat Laverty and Baz but now he looks like a normal rider. After Mugello we had a meeting because that race was very poor and we tried to see
how we can improve. When he is riding well he’s still one of the best riders so we need to make sure that he finds that improvement now.”
Over the course of the weekend MCN learned that test rider Michael Laverty had been brought to Spain as a reserve rider for the team in case there was any potential of a split with Melandri.
Laverty has tested the bike ex-tensively and played a key role in bringing on new parts that have helped improve the performance. On Sunday Alvaro Bautista was able to show how much progress has been made, with the Spaniard finishing tenth.
TH
Clever set up and
a mature ride saw
Smith finish fifth
STEVE ENGLISH
AT CATALUNYA
MOTOGP REPORTER
www.motorcyclenews.com
80 MOTOGP | ROUND 7 | CATALUNYASPORT
Marc Marquez’s crash in Sunday’sCatalan Grand Prix has all but ruledhim out of retaining the MotoGP crown.The Spaniard’s third non-score of theseason leaves the reigning championnow trailing Valentino Rossi and JorgeLorenzo by almost 70 points, with his100% commitment and all-or-nothing
All-or-nothing Spaniard leaves home race with no points as chances of retaining his
‘I can fi nish the race 20 seconds behind but you know it is
not my style’MARC MARQUEZ
It’s glory or gravel for Marquez in 2015
2S
NA
P
OVER-STEPPING THstyle coming back to bite him in 2015.
Throughout the weekend Marquez said that he had no regrets about his ap-proach to racing and that his mentality is completely correct for how he wants to race. That ‘win-it-or-bin-it’ ap-proach has come under fire throughout this season, and when he lost control of his Repsol Honda under braking, narrowly missing rival Jorge Lorenzo in the early stages of last weekend’s race, it once again cost him dearly.
After he clashed with Rossi in Argentina, Marquez refused to admit
that it was a mistake to have pushed over the limit, while in Mugello he put his crash down to tyre wear and having to ride on the limit. But his crash on Sunday was simply an unforced error.
“When I’m riding alone in practice I can go wide or tight when I slide,” said Marquez. “When I was behind Lorenzo I braked at the same point but I had the slide and it was difficult to stop the bike. Then I saw Lorenzo in front and had to decide to go in or go wide. I saw that to go in was too dangerous for us both, so I decided to go wide.”
These mistakes have effectively costhim any chance of winning a third MotoGP title, and having fallen so far behind, Marquez said the title was now “difficult” for him to win. When asked to assess his tactics in races, Marquez stood his ground about his approach.
“Today I took the risk and people asked ‘why don’t I finish the race’. Sure I can finish the race 20 seconds behind them but you know it is not my style. Yesterday I say that now I am at the point where I need to take risks if I want to win this championship.
CATALAN CALAMITY
#MCNwednesday
81 BUYING & SELLING SPORT June 17 2015FEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES
title begin to bite the dust
‘I’m really happy with my performance. It
was a difficult race’ANDREA IANNONE
You’re only as good as your last race is an old racing adage and it’s currently very apt at Ducati. At Catalunya both Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone had their most difficult weekends of the season. Dovizioso crashed out of a safe podium finish with Iannone sal-vaging fourth in a race where some of his faster rivals crashed.
Last year Catalunya was a very dif-ficult race for Ducati too, so last week-end’s reault was not totally unexpected. However, with Yamaha having been so
The track surface came under fire afterSunday’s Catalan Grand Prix with therace becoming a war of attrition, withplenty of crashers and riders complain-ing of an acute lack of grip. While thesafety commission has recommendedthat the track be resurfaced it will fallon Dorna to ensure that this happensin time for next year.
The slick track offered so little gripthat despite the traditional searingtemperatures of the Spanish summer,Bridgestone were forced to bring tyrecompounds as soft as they dared to tryand generate grip for the riders. Thismeant that the tyres were working atthe extremes of their operating windowin terms of performance, temperatureand longevity.
“We’re having to use the softer com-pounds here in the hot temperaturesbecause it’s how we can get grip,”Bradley Smith told MCN. “It’s gettingto the point that it’s risky, and with theamount of crashes in the race it’s be-coming a safety issue. That’s how hardit is to ride on that track at the momentand if there was rain it’d be so slick thateveryone would have crashed.”
The track surface is old and nearingthe end of its lifespan, but when it’s
Crashing out of a safe Catalunya podium wiped the smile from Dovizioso’s face
Marquez wrestled the RC213V out of the gravel, but retired to the pits
Iannone stayed upright to take fourth
Cal couldn’t blame the track for his crash
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CRASH FRENZY SPARKS SAFETYCONCERNS OVER SLIPPY TRACK
DUCATI’S DISAPPOINTING RACE
E MARCNow it will be really difficult for the championship but the next target is to try to find the way, or find the level, to be as close as possible to both Yamaha riders.”
Despite the crash however,Marquez did have some positives to take from his home race.
“When I started the race I felt strong behind Jorge, but we still have this problem with corner entry - I’m happy because this weekend we did make a step forward - but the problem is still there.”
That problem is still a lack of feel under braking and an inability to match the corner speed of the Yamaha. Improving the bike under braking will be key to bridging the gap to the curently dominant M1s of Lorenzo and Rossi.
Marquez has always said that he’d rather crash out of a race giving it 100% rather than be beaten. During his first two seasons in MotoGP he’s been able to achieve unbelievable success taking that approach, but in 2015 that is no longer the case.
WHAT CAUSED THE KEY CRASHES?Cal Crutchlow
“At the end of the day it’s a racing
incident. He (Aleix Espargaro)
didn’t mean to knock me off , but
he got a bad start and needed to
make up time and positions to be
the hero of his home GP, but he
never fi nished the race anyway.”
Nicky Hayden
“I made a small mistake and hit
the bumps on the way into turn
fi ve and I lost the front.”
Andrea Dovizioso
“In turn four I was a little bit faster,
and when I lost the rear with the
traction control at the maximum
it wasn’t enough to save me.”
Aleix Espargaro
“All race I was battling with the
front and I felt the bumps. I just
lost the front.”
combined with the effects of hosting events such as Formula 1 it gives the added challenge of bumps and rip-ples on the surface. The track is used for almost 12 months of the year and it has become clear that work needs to be done.
dominant it’s clear the Italian squad has lost ground since the development war got fully underway.
The performances of the GP15 is still very competitive and both riders felt that there were plenty of positives to take from Catalunya, but a solitary fourth place finish by Iannone wasn’t enough to keep them in title contention. Dovizioso, who rarely crashes, was a victim of the difficult track conditions and carried too much corner speed and crashed out of the race on lap six.
For Iannone, coming away with solid points was a major positive on a week-end where he struggled throughout.
The Italian also made the surprising admission that last year’s bike felt better and had more grip than the much-hyped 2015 bike.
“I’m really happy today for my per-formance,” said Iannone. “It was a re-ally difficult race and a really difficult weekend. Generally I’m happy for the result and it’s important for the cham-pionship. I think last year the bike had more grip than the GP15. For sure it had other problems with the turning, but at this track especially it had more grip. This weekend the bike was slid-ing and spinning too much and it was impossible to save the tyre.”
www.motorcyclenews.com
82 SPORT MOTOGP | ROUND 7 | CATALUNYA
OF SPAINJorge Lorenzo joined an elite group ofMotoGP riders on Sunday by scoringhis fourth premier class victory in arow – a feat previously achieved onlyby Valentino Rossi, Mick Doohan, AlexCriville and Marc Marquez and showsjust how special Lorenzo’s form hasbeen of late.
Since the Spanish Grand Prix atJerez, Lorenzo has led every lap, 103in total, and stalked down Rossi inthe title chase. Now there is just asingle point separating the Yamahateam-mates. The momentum is withthe Spaniard, but he knows that thecoming two races will be crucial indeciding the ultimate destination ofthe 2015 MotoGP crown. Going into thesummer break, which kicks in after theAssen and Sachsenring rounds, withrace-winning momentum is going tobe key with both Rossi and Lorenzodesperate to have their name at thetop of the leaderboard.
It seems incredible now, but justfour rounds ago Lorenzo was a riderunder intense pressure to perform onhis factory Yamaha R1 – even more sowhen you consider his appalling yearin 2014. Lorenzo had a miserable racein Argentina and had looked to havelost all of his confidence. However, a
mented about Rossi’s greatest strength.“Valentino almost always improves
something on Sunday,” said Lorenzo.“He’s a Sunday rider. He gets muchmore victories than pole positions.Always in the race he’s very strong,very consistent. Luckily for me I’malso very constant and focused. TodayI had to risk a lot to win.”
When the subject of the title fightwas broached Lorenzo was keen tostress that he’s focusing on the racesrather than the championship rightnow and that it’s far too early to ruleout Marquez or Dovizioso from thefight at the moment.
“This is the seventh race and wehave not yet reached the middle of thechampionship. We have seen Dovi andMarc have problems in the first part ofthe championship and the same couldhappen to us in the second half of theseason,” said Lorenzo. “At the momentwe are very constant. Vale and myselfdon’t crash so much, but there’s alwaysa risk we could crash three times andlose a load of points.”
While it’s possible that the Yamahariders could hit trouble at one of theupcoming races, their form has beensublime and Lorenzo is now lookinglike the man that was so dominantin 2010 and 2012 when he won hisMotoGP titles. Whether it’s his victorycelebrations on Sunday or the bravadohe’s been showing in parc ferme, he’sbeen keen to make the point that he isa man to be feared.
Four wins in a row as Lorenzo closes in on Valentino
VALENTINO ROSSI
‘The rules meanyou have a lot ofbikes capable of
one fast lap’
dominant win at Jerez put a spring in hisstep and his form since has been breath-taking. The contrast between the wayLorenzo and his team-mate, ValentinoRossi, have gone about their racing thisyear has been stark. Where Lorenzowins by dominating the timesheets allweekend, Rossi is a notoriously slowstarter – only finding the necessarypace come race day.
It’s not something that’s been loston Lorenzo and after the race he com-
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More champagne for Lorenzo but he
knows the Assen round will be crucial
Rossi has the race speed but he needs to improve on his miserable qualifying
Narrow escape for Lorenzo
as Marquez almost takes
him out, see p80
TITLE FIGHT IS ON
STEVE ENGLISH
AT CATALUNYA
MOTOGP REPORTER
Rossi still has the cunning to winFor most riders, suffering a
fourth consecutive defeat to your
team-mate could be enough to
leave you feeling pretty anxious,
yet Valentino Rossi left Spain
with plenty of reasons to feel
optimistic. Yes Lorenzo is on a
great run of form but the most
important thing for Rossi is that he
still leads the championship.
It may be by the slender margin
of one point but it still gives him
enough reason to think that he
has some momentum on his side.
Lorenzo has been at his best and
still hasn’t been able to overcome
the deficit. How has it been possible
to keep the Spaniard at bay? Put
simply, Rossi has consistently found
a way in 2015 to get the job done on
Sunday. He’s not shown anything
particularly impressive during the
early stages of any race weekend
but by race day when it really counts
he’s always ready to fight.
Lorenzo’s qualifying performance
and front row start was the
foundation of his win, while Rossi’s
all-too-familiar third row start was
#MCNwednesday
83 BUYING & SELLING SPORT June 17 2015FEATURES GARAGETHIS WEEK NEW BIKES
‘Luckily for me I’m very constant and
focused. I had to risk a lot to win’
JORGE LORENZO
Aleix Espargaro gave Suzuki their first pole position since Chris Vermeulen at the Dutch TT eight years ago but his home race will be one he looks back on with disappointment after crashing out. Within the team, however, there was plenty of positives with Espargaro’s crew chief, Tom O’Kane, saying that overall this was a hugely important step for the team.
“I think that Aleix is being very hard on himself and he can’t see the positives of what he achieved this weekend. His pole lap was fantastic and unfortunately at the start we just didn’t have enough acceleration to stay in the leading group and he dropped back through the pack. He was trying to recover that lost time and he used his front tyre too hard and that’s what caused him to crash.
“I think that if he had been able to take it a bit easier and conserve that tyre he would have been very strong. His pace was solid and he would have been in a safe top four place at the end of the race and maybe able to challenge Pedrosa for third.”
Suzuki brought an engine upgrade with them and while it allowed them to get closer to the other factories in terms of outright top speed it still left them lagging behind their rivals in acceleration and until they can solve that, startline problems will continue to beset their chances of a podium MotoGP finish.
Suzuki’s performance is improving fast
Historic poll but Espargaro crashed out
With 2014 champ Marquez out of form Rossi is the only man who can fight Lorenzo
SUZUKI TAKE FIRST POLE SINCE 2007
the reason for his defeat. Rossi
is determined to address this
weakness in his title challenge as
it has been the difference between
winning and finishing second or
third in recent weeks.
“It’s a shame this time because
I had the potential for a top five
qualifying position. The other
problem is that with the rules
(allowing softer tyres for the non
full factory bikes) you have a lot
of bikes that are fast for one lap.
But at the same time Jorge has my
bike and my tyres and he is able
also to put fast qualifying laps
together. So we have to work like
this, too.”
Rossi is no longer the dominant
force he once was but he’s more
skilled, and crucially smarter,
than ever before. The manner in
which the Italian consistently finds
a way to solve problems during
a race and keep his lap times
consistent has been the reason for
his renaissance. And with Honda
struggling and Ducati dropping
back a bit in the last two races,
Rossi knows he is the only rider
capable of going toe to toe with
Lorenzo for the title.
HUTCHY IT COULD’VE BEEN 4 GUY I NEED TO CRACK ONp68 p71
Rossi and Lorenzo celebrate
with race boss Lin Jarvis
and general manager
Kouichi Tsuji
BRIT THINKS HISWAY TO WIN
KENTSHOWSCLASS
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MOTOGP SPECIAL
Spaniard wins fourth race in a row but Vale still tops title table
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