Tabla de contenidos para 22 January 2020 en MCN

Croydon-based customisers deBolex have made quite a name for themselves over the last few years by producing beautiful, handbuilt café racers – and now they’ve done it again. This time, though, the machine they’ve created has been based on a rather unusual bike: Kawasaki’s ZRX1200R. The big Zed was produced between 2001 and 2007 as a modern take on the ‘Eddie Lawson replica’ AMA superbike and powered by a 1164cc inline four which was good for just over 120bhp. “We wanted the bike to have that classic super bike feel but with our unique design touches,” says Calum Pryce-Tidd, Founder of deBolex. “As with all our projects that means a lot of metal shaping.” A signature of deBolex’s bikes is their hand-formed bodywork and what you see on this machine…

Legendary Italian marque MV Agusta turns 75 in 2020 and is celebrating it birthday with a series events this June. Best known now for their exotic multi-cylinder superbikes, the first MV98 was produced in 1945 before they went on to dominated GP racing in the ’50s, ’60s and early ’70s with Giacomo Agostini alone delivering 13 world championships and 10 TT wins. Official celebrations will be held in Varese, Italy on June 20 and 21 with details to follow in due course.…

More than 170 bikers have joined the #ride5000miles group since the beginning of December 2019, taking advantage of the amazing advice and brilliant routes shared by their fellow enthusiasts. “It’s bloody brilliant,” David Mosley told MCN. Having joined around four weeks ago, he added: “It’s hugely encouraging and incredibly supportive. Everyone seems to be on point.” With a full year of fun ahead, riders like David are already making plans to take on new challenges in 2020, inspired by posts shared by the proactive members of the 14,500-strong Facebook group. “Joining the group has exponentially increased my mileage,” the Somerset-based Technical Director continued. “I went to West Bay in Dorset recently and I wouldn’t have done without the group. I also did a 180-mile round trip to Loomies Café to…

Cadent, the UK’s largest gas network, have turned to motorcycles to help in the detection of leaks. Due to the speed required, especially in built-up areas, Cadent have been trialling the use of motorcycles as rapid response vehicles, with the result being a 50% drop in response times to incidents. The engineers on the bikes have enough tools to be able to safeguard life and property in an emergency and the trial has been so successful they’ve ordered two more. Why can’t more people see sense, eh?…

Car senses motorcycle Lidar (NOT radar) system on car ‘senses’ the approach of a motorcycle. Risk calculated The system then calculates the risk based on speed, distance etc of bike or bikes. Impact avoided If driver attempts to pull into path of motorcycle the system activates an emergency stop. Bosch have created a new set of sensors for vehicles that could stop bikers being knocked down by cars for good. Research by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) undertaken a few years ago found that over 60% of all motorcycle accidents take place at a junction, when a car driver fails to spot an approaching biker and simply pulls out in front of them – the textbook ‘SMIDSY’. Now Bosch’s latest tech aims to eliminate this sort of accident forever.…

With new styling reminiscent of bigger, more powerful Zeds, improved tech and yet still a reasonable, sub-£7K price, the updated 2020 Kawasaki Z650 remains a great introduction to bigger-capacity bikes. Despite a slight loss in peak torque, the now Euro5-compliant twin has lost none of its character while the new TFT dash, LED lights, tweaked bodywork and improved pillion comfort are all welcome. That said, it’s let down by its tyres, costs £300 more (£400 in white or black) and taller riders may find the riding position too cramped. Tech spec What it costs £6649 On the road cash price…

Reader Andrew Smith The Ride We were based in Fort William for five nights and made it to Applecross, John O’Groats, Uig on the Isle Of Skye and Campbeltown. Miles 1100 Time required Four days Don't miss this “Highlights were taking the Ferry from Mallaig to Tour Skye and the twisting road to Campbeltown.” WE ARE SAILING This is the ferry which took us from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye. It is a pretty scenic journey. TIME OUT My BMW takes a well-earned rest at the top of the challenging Bealach na ba road. EPIC ROADS Another shot from Bealach na ba which winds through the Applecross peninsula. GREAT COMPANY Nigel, Ed and I enjoy a quick stop for tea and cake at Eilean Donan Castle on the way…

NATHAN MILLWARD Age 39 Height: 5ft10in How long have you been riding? 23 years Occupation Motorcycle tour guide Current bike Royal Enfield Himalayan First bike Kawasaki AR50 I like big and small bikes equally. All serve their purpose and have pros and cons: I’ve taken a BMW R1200GS around Australia, ridden a Royal Enfield Himalayan back from Bulgaria, and taken a Husqvarna TR650 around Ireland. The Moto Guzzi’s price attracts – dealers do them for £1500 under list – and it has real-world attributes such as shaft drive, large 23-litre fuel tank and cruise control. I like that it’s a bit different to the more obvious choices too. I did consider a Yamaha Ténéré 700, but I don’t need that much off-road capability and feel the Guzzi will be the…

Arguably the most loved and inspirational Japanese bike of all – Yamaha’s RD350LC – went on sale for the first time 40 years ago. And while the abilities of the 47bhp stroker twin are now the stuff of legend, the story of its creation - and of the British influence on it - is less well known. Back in the late 1970s UK motorcyclists and the bikes available were very different. With teens-to-30-somethings dominant, the then 250 learner law made quarter-litre bikes hugely popular. At the same time lightweight sportsters were invariably air-cooled two-strokes such as Yamaha’s RD400 or Kawasaki’s KH triples with marginal twin shocks and single discs. But the LC was about to change all that. In 1978 Yamaha was faced with a double dilemma: first, its RD250/400…

‘Why not just fit some taller handlebars?’ It’s unfortunately something we’re familiar with. A customer comes into our showroom and says they want to part-exchange their sportsbike – not because they don’t love it, but because advancing years and cluttered roads mean they’re looking for something kinder on joints. Most leave with a supernaked or large-capacity adventure bike. Nowt wrong with this, of course. But what many don’t know is there’s all manner of bolt-on parts that could see them get many more years of enjoyment from a GSX-R or R1. The biggest problem is clip-on bars that are too low. No bother. German firm LSL make high-quality ‘Tour’ conversion kits to raise a sportsbike’s clip-ons above the top yoke, with a less extreme angle (it comes complete with longer…

‘Each brand had their own valve system’ All of the Japanese manufacturers had their own version of variable exhaust valves fitted to their small capacity two-stroke race replicas and off-road style bikes. But they all did it slightly differently, the principle was the same but the architecture of the mechanism was different – as the picture below proves. So bear this in mind if you’re servicing or fault finding, and get the information specific to your bike from a service manual. Another point to make clear is that the majority of these valves work with actuation from a servo or stepper motor, the signal for which comes from a solid state black box or the ECU. In other words, if the mechanical side of everything is in good condition and…

Kawasaki Racing Team – Jonathan Rea & Alex Lowes Aruba Ducati – Chaz Davies & Scott Redding Pata Yamaha – Michael van der Mark & Toprak Razgatlioglu BMW Motorrad – Tom Sykes & Eugene Laverty Honda Racing Corporation – Leon Haslam & Alvaro Bautista GRT Yamaha – Federico Caricasulo & Garrett Gerloff Ten Kate Yamaha – Loris Baz Barni Ducati – Sandro Cortese * GoEleven Ducati – Michael Ruben Rinaldi Orelac Kawasaki – Max Scheib Brixx Ducati – Sylvain Barrier Motocorsa Ducati – Leandro Mercado * Replaces injured Leon Camier…

One man that could wreck Marquez’s title challenge is Marquez himself. In 2019 he crashed 14 times, down from 25 in 2018, but there is no doubt that it is starting to take its toll. Both shoulders have been operated on and he is at risk of serious damage. A career-ending injury would not come as a shock. Marquez may also take the bait and change teams. Fans have long called for Marquez to “challenge himself’ by switching and join Ducati or KTM. Manufacturer moves can go either way, just ask Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.…

You say… Scott Enlow ‘What’s disturbing is how good a fake it is. Someone either stole some tooling and moulds or invested a ton of money in making them.’ Daniel Cleave ‘I was lucky my Rossi rep was genuine! There are a lot of replicas that look like mine. Rule of thumb is… If itseems too good to be true, it probably is a fake!’ Mike Lloyd ‘I have bought online, because I got a significant discount. My AGV Corsa-R was £700 retail... I paid £380 for it online from a reputable dealer in a sale they were having.’ Wayne Sowerby ‘More likely the styling has been imitated. Does that make it a fake? Both are helmets, one massively overpriced, have you tested them back to back?’…

WEDNESDAY 22ND Gawsworth of Jesters Bike Meet, The Harrington Arms, Gawsworth, Cheshire Entry 7pm Info 07843-223593 w w w.gawsworthjesters.org.uk SATURDAY 25TH Tailoring & Made to Measure Day, Bike Stop, Stevenage, Herts. Entry Book an appointment Info w w w.bikestop.co.uk Ton Up Winterbolt, Ace Cafe, Stonebridge, London Entry 7pm Info 020-8961-1000 or w w w.london.acecafe.com SUNDAY 26TH Malvern Drive-In Classic Car & Motorcycle Autojumble, The Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs Entry 9am-2pm. Adult £7, child (7-14) £2.50, under 7s free w w w.classicshows.org Normous Newark Autojumble, Newark Showground, Newark, Notts Entry General admission from 10am. £7 w w w.newarkautojumble.co.uk…

The Met’s anti-theft recommendations haven’t changed but as they’re simple and effective, it’s worth a reminder: LOCK Always apply the steering lock and place a disc lock on the front wheel to stop your bike being wheeled away. CHAIN Put a chain through the rear wheel and where possible, run that either through a ground anchor or around a fixed object. COVER Seems basic but if thieves can’t see the bike or the security, they’ll just move on to something else – it also prevents thieves ‘going shopping’.…

Some people make a tidy living importing bikes from the United States. There’s much to like: the bikes are generally low mileage and in good cosmetic condition, especially if from sunny, warm states. Harleys and Gold Wings are common. Most, though, are Japanese classics from the 1970s and early 1980s, and even if defunct they’re useful as parts sources. If you’ve ever had a yen to own an old air-cooled Z1000, this is where I’d look because Kawasaki continued to build them in its plant in Lincoln, Nebraska, as late as September 2005 as police bikes. They then replaced these CHiPs-style bikes with 1400GTRs, but took them out of service because they weren’t as reliable! And these ex-police bikes are sensational bargains. For a start, they’re ludicrously cheap, as little…

YAMAHA FIZZY Back in good old 1985 as a 16-year-old on my excellent 1977 Yamaha FS1-E which gave me my love for bikes. Julie Taylor YAMAHA DT75 Not the best picture in the world, but here I am having a blast on my Yamaha DT175MX back in around 1982. John Clarke KAWASAKI GPZ500S My Kawasaki GPz500S back in about 1997. This was my first big bike complete with a stylish Arai helmets sticker on the bodywork. Caroline Passey BMW SPECIAL I saw the DGR in 2016 and thought I’d like a bit of that, so got a beat-up old K100 to convert then passed my test! Wayne Pollard KAWASAKI ZX-6R Me and my 1998 Kawasaki ZX-6R in the back garden. Of course it’s always very important to wear a helmet…

Is it time to stop calling them ‘retros’? I think it might be. The term fitted 30 years ago when Kawasaki fed us Zephyrs with ancient engines, and the period feel of the reborn Triumph Bonneville in late 2001 guaranteed the tag. We’ve moved on, mind. Moto Guzzi may call their V85 TT a ‘classic travel enduro’ and the Scrambler 1200 XC is described as ‘a major step forward for Triumph’s incredible custom classic’, but don’t be sucked in. With polished dynamics, refinement and full-on electronics, simply branding these two as retros is selling them short. They’re thoroughly modern adventure bikes. You forget about cooling fins and Bonnie tanks as soon as you crane a limb over the Scrambler. The colour TFT dash overflows with data, can supply navigation info…

With all the nostalgia for the RD350LC, it’s all-too-easy to overlook its little brother, the RD250LC – but in many ways it’s the more significant bike. Built to adhere to the then learner law which restricted novices over 17 to 250s as long as they’d a provisional licence, L-plates and helmet (no CBT back then), the RD250LC was the ultimate example of the breed – so much so it killed it off entirely. By being identical to its bigger brother, bar cylinder bore, single horn and front disc (and smaller master cylinder to match), rear wheel and 4L1 instead of the 350’s 4L0 engine/frame number prefix, the 35bhp 250LC was the fastest learner bike around – for just £1030. And, with headlines of it being the first ‘100mph learner bike’…

RATINGS POOR ★ AVERAGE ★★ GOOD ★★★ VERY GOOD ★★★★ EXCEPTIONAL ★★★★★ Sena Momentum Evo £455 Tested by Jordan Gibbons for 4 months, 3000 miles This the second generation of Sena’s smart helmets. As the Evo model, it integrates all the functionality of their 30K intercom, which includes clever tech such as smartphone connections, Bluetooth intercom, Mesh networking and even an old-school FM radio. By neatly integrating it into a helmet, not only have Sena created excellent sound quality but the microphone is great too – I’ve taken calls at motorway speeds without the other people on the phone knowing. It’s got an amazing battery life (17 hours) and will recharge in just over two hours. As a helmet it does a perfectly reasonable job. The padding is comfortable and…

JIS screwdriver Got a Japanese bike? You’ll need get yourself a set of these in order to prevent doing damage to your Japanese Industry Standard screwheads. Don’t scrimp, your bike will thank you for making the investment in the right kit. T-bars, 10mm and 12mm A nice set of T-bars will help you spin off your pulley bolt and then tighten it up again later with speed and ease. They are handy for all manner of other maintenance tasks on your bike too. Metric spanners, 8mm 10mm and 12mm Grab these to help adjust your cables, as well as removing the cylinders from the bike. A quality set of spanners should be the centrepiece of any bike toolkit. Allen T-bars, 4mm and 5mm You’ll want to have 4mm and 5mm…

Factory Yamaha rider Jamie McCanney made a brilliant Dakar debut to come 15th. The 25-year-old Manxman did exactly as he intended – to finish and kick off a strong Dakar future. He was also sixth on the final stage. He said: “I went from starting the first week in the mid-30s to lining up behind last year’s winner for the final stage. I learnt so much but my main goal was to cross the line and I managed that.” The only other Brit to finish from the nine starters was Craig Keyworth who did a brilliant job on his Adventure-Tech Husqvarna to finish in 81st place with a best stage result of 67th.…

Marc Marquez has returned to the track for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery at the end of November – however, the 26-year-old decided on four wheels not two! The eight-time world champ uploaded pictures of himself onto Instagram in one of Fernando Alonso’s go-karts with the caption “New stimulations for the shoulder!” Meanwhile, the Spaniard has also been nominated in the Sportsman of the Year category for the Laureus World Sports Awards. The ceremony takes place in Berlin on February 17.…

MOTOGP Alex Marquez joins his brother at Repsol Honda this year. Marc has always said that Alex was the faster of the two, and now we’re going to find out if he was right. KTM’s production line of young riders brings Brad Binder to MotoGP in 2020. Binder is a Moto3 champion and a proven winner in Moto2. MOTO3 Rossi’s influence continues in Moto3 with VR46 Academy member Celestino Vietti. The Italian was Rookie of the Year in his debut campaign, ending the season with three podiums and sixth overall. MOTO2 Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Jorge Martin are riders to watch. Both are Moto3 champions and are expected to fight for the intermediate crown in 2020. Expect to see Luca Marini in the premier class too, under the wing of…

Indian have expanded their European flat-track series with four rounds including a corker in the UK. The three classes (750cc plus road bikes, Open Pro Class and Pre 1975 Vintage) will serve up some spectacular sliding at May Hells Race, Holland on May 2-3, Greenfield TT, Lincolnshire, on June 6-7, Wheels & Waves, Spain on June 13 and at Krowdrace in Germany on September 18-20. The UK round features a bone-jarring jump section to wow the crowds. The series is run in conjunction with the Dirt Track Riders Association with big money up for grabs in the Indian races.…

The Xtron jacket’s extensive labelling fails to mention whether the whole garment has been tested to new, legally required PPE standards. Under new rules, all motorcycle clothing placed on sale after April 2018 is classed as Personal Protective Equipment and must be tested to a new standard – EN 17092 – for abrasion and burst strength. ‘Items must be tested as a whole garment’ Under the new PPE Regulation 2016/425 each item must have a fixed-in CE label featuring a motorcycle pictogram and the standard number (EN 17092 for jackets, trousers and suits; EN 13634 for boots; EN 13594 for gloves). In addition to this, a Declaration of Conformity must be made available to the consumer, either in the garment handbook or tags or on the manufacturer’s website. Whilst UK…

A Dutch company are building ‘new’ Triton-style café racers. The original Tritons built from the 1960s and 70s used Norton featherbed frames and Triumph Bonneville engines. These new bikes from Icon Motorcycles won’t have the Triton name, but will follow the same formula. “It’s a replica of the famous Norton featherbed frame of the sixties,” said Wouter Pullens of Icon Motorcycles. The bikes will use Triumph’s air-cooled 900cc engine from the 2015 Thruxton. They are expected to cost £15,000-£20,000.…

It’s that time of year when Bonhams put on their Las Vegas auction, arguably the biggest classic bike sale of the year. And among the star lots is a 2006 Ducati Paul Smart 1000 LE that’s still in the original delivery crate. The limited edition flagship of Ducati’s pioneering 2006 ‘Sport Classic’ family was inspired by the bike Smart rode to victory at the 1972 Imola 200 and this zero-mile example is estimated to fetch £19-£25,000. But as we’ve seen road-going models fetching £20,000, with two keen bidders it could easily cruise straight past that. But the real star of the auction is this (below) 1940 Crocker ‘Big Tank’. Al Crocker made speedway racing bikes in the 1930s on America’s West Coast before turning to road-going V-twins. When this Big…

A recently filed patent has revealed that Kawasaki are working on direct injection on both naturally aspirated and supercharged engines. On a conventional motorcycle engine, the fuel is injected close to the throttle butterfly, while on a direct injection system fuel is sprayed straight into the combustion chamber. This set up is quite common on cars as it can help produce a cleaner running engine, however the high pressures involved have made it difficult on motorcycles. Kawasaki have designed a system that uses twin injectors and pumps. The first injector sprays directly into the combustion chamber, using a mechanical fuel pump that runs off a camshaft. A second injector nearer the throttle body will enable the system to keep up at higher rpm. The patent suggests they could use this…

Q Was I half to blame for the accident? I have received a liability offer in my compensation claim which resulted from a filtering accident. The offer is 50% in my favour, meaning I am 50% to blame. My solicitor thinks I should accept it but how do I know what is right as I think it was mainly the car driver’s fault. I was doing no more than 20mph on a 30mph road when he pulled out on me. Bruno, New Malden ‘Factors include the speed of the traffic on the road’ A Without seeing the papers in your case I cannot be specific. But, factors in determining the basis of a liability split in filtering accidents include the speed of the filtering motorcycle, the speed of the traffic…

‘My overarching memory was the heat! It’s just a crazy place. I’d never been to India before and I was nervous about the riding. It would be going well and I’d think ‘huh I can do this’ then a cow would step out, or there would be a huge drop in the middle of the road. ‘The Dawn Ride was fantastic as the mist came off the fields. There was an avenue of palm trees at one point, then there would be a row of shops, people sitting outside on little chairs – it was very special. ‘My favourite part of the experience was how chilled out everyone was. UK events and people are always trying to be cool and present this image but it’s nothing like that at Rider…

Messy and noisy they may be, but a chain and sprockets are still the most efficient way of delivering power to your bike’s back wheel… at least they are if properly looked after. The owner of a 2018 Yamaha MT-09 obviously did not subscribe to this simple mantra and his bike gave the lads at Stevelin Motorcycles in Ramsey a bit of a shock because the chain was in one hell of a state. ‘It was so loose I could unhook it with my fingers’ Mechanic Steve Powell told us: “The Yamaha had racked up 17,000 miles pretty quickly because the owner rides 40 miles every day to and from work – which is fine if you keep up with basic chores.” A chain’s tension should be checked every couple…