Table of contents for 19 March 2025 in MCN

‘I’m a little bit older and wiser these days’ FOGGY ON TEAM MANAGEMENT, P62 THE BIG TEST Tempted by a Tiger? But not sure which one to go for? If the launch of Triumph’s new Tiger Sport 800 has left you feeling a little confused about whether you’d be better off spending the extra £2000 to access the bigger bike’s additional 32bhp or keep your cash and opt for award-winning all-rounder, the 81bhp Tiger Sport 660 (which has been updated for this year with cruise control and more) we have the answers… PAGE 35 NEWS CCM build for the future British bike builders CCM open up about how making strategic redundancies at the Bolton-based firm is helping them navigate the recent turmoil in the bike market. However, MD Jason Broome…

On February 25, the UK Government announced they would be rolling out £120million of additional funding to support the acceleration of electric vehicle uptake – with the motorcycle industry retaining a £500 plug-in grant for another year as part of this. The money is part of a larger £2.3billion pot to support drivers, businesses, fleet vehicles, and more – with UK motorists buying 382,000 electric cars across 2024 ahead of a total combustion-engine phase out by 2030. The picture in the motorcycle industry looks rather different though, with no fixed phase out dates yet established, sales continuing to struggle, and increasing calls for a more open-source approach allowing other technologies as an alternative to pure electric machines. “It is really important that the inertia and uncertainty regarding our role in…

SAVE £2700 £15,299 KTM 1390 Super Duke R KTM’s bonkers 1390 Super Duke R combines superbike power with bags of supermoto attitude. It’s equally at home on the back wheel as it is rubbing shoulders with fully faired machines on track. Despite the serious performance, however, the big orange V-twin is surprisingly unintimidating to ride and totally refined too. motorcycles.juddracing.com SAVE £1700 £8499 Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE Packing well-sorted ergos, a smooth motor, capable suspension, and an off-road friendly wheel set, it’s ready for global adventures. suttonmotorcycles.com • Engine 776cc • Power 83bhp • Weight 230kg • Seat height 855mm SAVE £1700 £12,899 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition Building on the already very capable standard Norden, the Expedition comes with longer travel suspension, revised wind protection and soft panniers. motorcycles.juddracing.com •…

● Hailwood plans F1 parade lap at TT ● Tape’s up for a new speedway season ● Malcolm Rathmell wins in trials On March 20, 1974, not only could you pick up MCN for just 7p, but you would be treated to the marvellous headline of Ago gets the Bird! Nowadays when we think of Giacomo Agostini we think of him as a much-loved legend, but after he won at Daytona, he came back to his home turf in Italy to boos and jeers, as he made his Italian debut on a Yamaha at Moderna after he had ‘defected’ from the Italian MV Agusta team. Electric Puch Maxi Although politicians think that battery power is the next progression for motorcycles, Austrian brand Puch had the idea back in 1973. But…

A petition urging the Government to reverse its decision to prevent motorcyclists from accessing bus lanes by default has gained over 11,000 signatures just one week after going live. Launched by the Motorcycle Action Group, the appeal takes aim at the Government after it rejected a call to open bus lane usage to all two-wheeled traffic, following a Department for Transport (DfT) online consultation. Visit petition.parliament.uk/petitions/712763 to add your name.…

‘More than a little bit of a Diavel’ I remember the hoo-ha in 2010 when Ducati announced at the Milan Show that they were making a cruiser. There was angst from many Ducatisti (the collective noun for fans who get a bit over the top about the brand) that the Bologna firm could even consider sullying their sporting heritage by making a cruiser. Whatever next? Panniers for your Panigale? But then details about the Diavel emerged and the disparaging voices quickly quietened down. I’ve not done that many miles on a Diavel (or Dave, as I always call them) but I have a bit of a soft spot for this oddball. The fact that Ducati stuck a fruity 160bhp sportsbike engine in a bike with a low-slung chassis and then…

Akrapovič have wasted no time in launching a new system for Yamaha’s incoming R9 supersport bike. The R9 is powered by Yamaha’s 890cc CP3 triple and is yet to appear in UK dealerships. It was launched to the international motorcycle press just two weeks ago in Spain, with Chief Road Tester Michael Neeves awarding it a maximum five stars. The new Racing Line system, produced partially in titanium, has been inspired by exhausts already built for Yamaha’s R6, R7, and R1. Priced at £1799 through performanceparts-ltd.com it promises a boost in performance whilst continuing to adhere to Euro5+. Both the outer sleeve and end cap of the muffler are titanium, with a link pipe, headers, and pre-muffler all made from stainless steel. It replaces the standard, underslung system and gives…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com THE WORLD’S WARMEST BASELAYER® www.zerofit.co.uk Rider briefing just before my sixth birthday. Zoltan Tasnady Me on the left with my brother and my mate Piers on the right. This must have been back in 1978. Darren Hemsworth Riding down from Cumbria for my first bike to feature in Performance Bikes reader’s special page. Harry Hawkins Ah those were the days! A little off-roading on a mate’s RL250 at a place known as ‘the clay pits’. Kevin Fox 1965 Triumph Bonneville… got an ex-demo deal and it cost me $1800. Steve Benjamin Yamaha DT125LC from 1987. Loved that bike and rode it to death. Sold it on to a mate’s girlfriend! Philip Tonks This was my Yamaha DT50M which I had at the age…

So my mate Foggy is going to be running a BSB team in 2026, which is brilliant and about time that he got involved. The series is high profile and while he’s always been linked to the world championship because he’s one of our great champions, why wouldn’t he want to be involved in a truly competitive British series? If he goes in with the right attitude, then I think he’ll really enjoy being part of the paddock and I think the paddock will warm to him. It’s great for BSB. It’s a time where there isn’t as much money and we’ve lost a couple of teams so it’s good news for the series from a sporting perspective and also profile. The man behind the deal is a big Ducati…

1 March 22 Easter egg run Unicornz and Riders (PE12 9JB) are hosting an Easter egg run this weekend to support fundraising at a local school. You’re welcome at the diner from 9.30am with the rideout happening at midday. Easter egg donations are welcomed. www.facebook.com/Theunicorndiner 2 March 23 Huddersfield autojumble Huddersfield auto retro jumble is back after being cancelled in February. Located in the Old Market Building (HD1 1RY) it’s a spectacular location and is readily attended by large crowds and stall holders. Doors from 9am, so get in and hunt down those bargains. phoenixfairs.jimdofree.com 3 March 22-23 Santa Pod Santa Pod will be buzzing this weekend. With Run What Ya Brung on Saturday, you can take your bike down the quarter mile and test your nerve, with Straightliners holding…

Steering sounds like an easy skill to master, but it often limits the progress of road riders. If you don’t understand exactly how to steer faster, you’ll struggle to ride faster and – more importantly – you can get yourself in trouble if you need to avoid something in a hurry. MCN’s latest video in our Secrets of Better Riding series – created with National Highways’ BikerTek initiative – is the perfect place to start if you want to take your steering to the next level. It’s presented by Giles Lamb, a coach with Rapid Training and ex-motorcycle traffic cop. “The first thing we need to understand is counter-steering,” says Giles. “In its most basic form, this means you push the left bar to go left, and the right bar…

THE MCN TEST ⚫ THE HOTTEST BIKES ⚫ EVERY WEEK £10,995 (£11,095 in this colour) Triumph Tiger Sport 800 ⚫ 798cc liquid-cooled 12v DOHC triple ⚫ 113bhp @ 10,750rpm ⚫ 214kg (wet) £8995 (£9095 in this colour) Triumph Tiger Sport 660 ⚫ 660cc liquid-cooled 12v DOHC triple ⚫ 81bhp @ 10,250rpm ⚫ 207kg (wet) The arrival of Triumph’s new Tiger Sport 800 as a ‘big brother’ to the already excellent Tiger Sport 660 (as launched in 2022) raises some rather obvious questions. Namely: Considering that, both visually and in terms of spec, the two sports-tourer/all-rounders not only look very similar, but are also based on the same engine with very similar cycle parts, how different are they exactly? And, with the full knowledge that the 660 is already rated as…

‘Better… and best' Unusually, this test wasn’t designed to discover which bike was best – more to delve into the details of two very similar machines. After all, we’ve already given both 660 and 800 five-star ratings. The big revelation was that they’re more different than any of us expected. The 660 is such a cohesive all-rounder, with enough sportiness and spec for a great price, it makes a compelling case for being the best ‘first big bike’ and, by doing so, usurping Yamaha’s Tracer 7. Better still, for 2025 it has been improved with cruise control, quickshifter and Sport mode. The 800 raises the bar further still. It may look like the 660, but its performance, roadholding and braking are at another level entirely. Best of all it delivers…

RATINGS Exceptional Very good Good Average Poor 5 months ON TEST Kriega Roam Tool Roll £109 ‘The only tool roll you’ll need’ Tested by Adam Oldfield for five months / 2800 miles / Two breakdowns Nobody wants to suffer a mechanical issue when they are out and about on the bike – but it’s good to be prepared all the same. This Kriega Roam Tool Roll is an outstanding choice for those who demand a well-organised and durable tool solution. Developed in collaboration with Roland Sands Design it strikes a fine balance between utility and aesthetic appeal. The collaboration adds a touch of heritage-inspired design, adding to its look without sacrificing function. One of the standout features of this tool roll is the abundant storage space, and if you find…

Pretty much all modern bikes have ABS as standard – and if it’s fitted to your machine, it is important to ensure you understand the procedures involved in bleeding the brakes and consult a workshop manual. While the steps for bleeding brakes with ABS are generally similar to those without, the process can be more complicated and may require access to the ABS control unit. For the best advice regarding anything related to ABS, consult a qualified technician or your supplying dealer as they are now more complex than ever. If your bike does not have ABS, then this guide is perfect for you. Changing the brake fluid should ideally be done every two years, and it’s important to understand that brake fluid is not used in the same manner…

Jake Dixon had said we would not see the best of him and his new Marc VDS team in 2025 until May. Yet the Englishman produced his most dominant Moto2 performance to date in just his second race to remind Manuel Gonzalez and Aron Canet he will be a threat in this year’s championship. The 29-year old was a model of understatement through preseason, insisting he would collect points in the early races as he got up to speed with the all-new Boscoscuro chassis for this year. Even on Saturday in Argentina, after producing a race simulation that morning which no other rider could match, Dixon was adamant a top five was the ultimate aim for the following day. Yet once he assumed control of the race at the first…

No one is surprised by Ducati’s domination, but what’s happened to the manufacturers that were expected to mount a stronger challenge to the Bologna brand? Yamaha was wildly hyped following pre-season tests at Sepang, where Fabio Quartararo was third fastest, only two tenths slower than the fastest Ducatis. Now the factory stands bottom of the constructors’ title chase. Sepang was a mirage – a super-grippy track allowed Quartararo to use the bike’s corner-speed advantage. At the Thai and Argentine GPs the inline-four M1 was back to where it’s been the last few years – sometimes fast in qualifying, but struggling when it’s in the pack, battling with V4s. Yamaha needs to admit that the M1 is already at its limit and focus resources on completing the bike’s V4 replacement. Last…

V YES Marc Marquez is dominating and doing so with ease. It’s been too easy and he’s made everybody else look average at best. Brother Alex is the only rider within touching distance and credit to him. He’s doing a fantastic job, but you can’t see him sending it down the inside of Marc in a do-or-die fight now, can you? Pecco looks defeated and they haven’t even battled each other yet. He’s not even close. Pecco’s Ducati empire is slowly swaying towards the other side of the garage. He’s 31 points behind. 31! That gap will increase after trips to Marc’s beloved COTA and Ducati-favourite, Qatar. Bagnaia can’t beat Alex, and lost to Morbidelli. He’s lost at sea, whilst Jorge Martin won’t be back anytime soon. He’ll be 100+…

Stuart Higgs (BSB Race Director) “Carl put Superbike racing on the map, so it’s fabulous that he’ll have a presence in BSB. He’s such a formidable personality and has done so many things beyond racing that have been well received in mainstream media, so it’s great for the championship. “He’s an all-round guy. I’ve known him for many years, and the important thing is that I don’t think he goes into anything unless it’s a serious project. “The weapon of choice is a Ducati and they’re synonymous with each other. We also know what a Ducati is in current Superbike racing, and with his management, experience and ability to draw the best resources in, the expectations will instantly be very high. “It’ll be good to see how they mix it…

Love him, hate him, think he’s a superhero or a villain… Carl Fogarty setting up a team to race in BSB is absolutely brilliant for the job. Whatever people think, he still draws the crowd – hopefully he’ll have chilled out a bit, enjoy spending time in the paddock and be at the rounds. He’s a great frontman and he knows that any good team needs everything from the right people, the right infrastructure and the right rider. I’d certainly listen to what he had to say if I was his rider sitting on the superbike grid. I know things have moved on but when it came down to it, he was a winner. Foggy raced against some big-hitters – Haga, Corser, Slight, Edwards, Russel, Kocinski and he battered them…

Challenges aside, CCM are positive about the future. “We’ve got nothing to hide. The wolf’s not at the door, and we won’t be closing anytime soon,” says boss Jason Broome. “We’re actually planning on doing a little more this year. We might be sitting on 30 or 40 unsold bikes, but that isn’t going to kill anybody, and at the rate we’re selling those, we’re pretty good overall.” The Bolton-based marque have also cut lead times on new machines dramatically, moving away from their traditional made-to-order approach that previously left customers facing wait times approaching two years. “We’re now in a position where we can offer bikes with a much quicker turnaround,” said Broome. “If a customer walks into one of our showrooms and wants a Maverick, but prefers it…

February’s new motorcycle registration figures continued to perform poorly compared with previous years, falling over 30% short of the numbers achieved last year. A total of 3215 bikes were registered during the second month of the year and much like in 2024 larger, more premium machines struggled to find buyers. All areas witnessed a significant slowdown in sales, with the decline showing a similar trend to that seen in January, which saw the worst result seen for the month since 2021. The MCIA (Motorcycle Industry Association), who publish the figures, say that these results were expected and largely due to approximately 8000 bikes that were pre-registered ahead of the introduction of Euro5+ in December 2024. Tony Campbell, CEO of the MCIA, said: “We fully expected the market drop to continue…

Ducati’s foray into motocross has hit another milestone as their Desmo 250MX secured the team a podium at its racing debut. Competing in the Italian Prestige MX2 Championship, the Team Beddini Factory Racing bike was piloted by Alessandro Lupino, who took third in the second moto. Lupino sits third in the standings with 290 points. The next round is at Mantova on March 29-30. Furka Pass is true riding nirvana A new study has crowned Switzerland’s Furka Pass as the most enjoyable motorcycling road in the world, with the UK’s own Hardknott Pass in the Lake District taking 22nd place. Taking into account road conditions, weather, and the views on offer, 60 of the most iconic roads were compared. The study was carried out by confused.com, which placed Hawaii's Hana…

Motorsport fans with £64,999 burning a hole in their back pocket are in with the chance of owning a bona fide piece of superbike royalty as a 1995 Honda RVF750 RC45 race bike goes up for sale. Available through The Bike Specialists in Sheffield, the 1990s Honda is no ordinary RVF – it’s an ex-V&M Racing machine with a glittering career spanning both short circuit and road racing competition. Honda’s RC45 is hardly run-of-the-mill, having been produced as a factory-built homologation special to compete in the World Superbike Championship. This particular bike competed between 1995-1997. It was originally run by Steve Ward in Castrol colours during the 1995 season, before later switching to its current V&M Racing livery, backed by Jack Valentine and Steve Mellor. In 1995, it bagged a…

‘Inner linings are essential’ “Those outer-layer materials and the fitted impact protectors; they are what make motorcycle clothing protective, right?” My response is a qualified ‘yes’, because the contribution made by the lining shouldn’t be overlooked. Even where the outer layer of garments has not been holed, abrasions to the skin can occur. These issues were identified as skin shear injuries by Dr Roderick Woods, who was responsible for much of the science that still influences motorcycle clothing standards. Caused by ‘micro movements’ of the lining over the surface of the skin, they could be reduced or prevented if the lining remained relatively static on the rider’s skin but was free to move against the back face of the outer layer materials. Skin shear injuries are generally superficial, but they…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews STAR LETTER IN ASSOCIATION WITH Fast Freddie and that HRC 250 turbo… I really enjoyed reading the flashback to 1985 in last week’s issue. Some years ago I attended a launch event for Freddie Spencer’s autobiography Feel. After giving a fascinating talk about his life and career Freddie then invited questions from the audience. I asked him if it was true that Honda had built a 250 turbo GP bike, and if so did he get to ride it? He chuckled and said he had indeed seen the engine running on the dyno but it kept blowing up, so he never got to experience the bike itself. Peter Spiers, Watford Continuing our partnership with Zerofit – King of Baselayers® – we are changing up the prize…

THE FACTS ‘Corner speed makes it a real smile machine’ Just a few months after one lucky MCN winner picked up the keys to their brand new motorcycle, we’re about to make dreams come true once again. This time you’ve got the chance to win our reigning Sportsbike of the Year, the Suzuki GSX-8R, simply by ticking a box when you get a bike insurance quote with us. It’s as simple as that – just head to MCNCompare.com to be in with a shot. Not only will you be smug in the knowledge you’ve found a great deal on your insurance, but you’ll also enjoy the tantalising prospect of potentially becoming the owner of this sensational parallel-twin performance bike. A worthy winner Want to know why we named the GSX-8R…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday March 19 BIKE MEETS ■ Amici Coffee Biker Night, Girtford Bridge, Beds www.amicicoffee.co.uk ■ Chequered Flag Cafe, Darley Moor, Ashbourne, Derbyshire 5pm-9pm darleymoorcentre.co.uk ■ Huggys Speedshop, Mallory Park, Leics. www.huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 ■ Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, West Yorks www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ Loomies Moto Cafe, West Meon, Hants www.loomiescafe.co.uk ■ Ryka's Cafe, Box Hill, Surrey 5pm-9pm www.rykas.co.uk ■ The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey. Facebook: Pathfinder Cafe RIDEOUTS ■ Burgess Hill & DMC, Burgess Hill, Sussex 7pm burgesshillmc.com TRACKDAY ■ No Limits, Brands Hatch Indy, Kent £129 www.nolimitstrackdays.com Thursday March 20 BIKE MEETS ■ Vic Bikers Pub, Coalville, Leics www.vicbikerspub.co.uk ■ MAG Bike Night, The Market Elsecar, S Yorks. 01226…

FIRST RIDE Triumph’s most powerful and technologically advanced Speed Triple to date is now the only Speed in the Hinckley firm’s range, with the departure of the half-faired RR model. Its claimed 181bhp and 94lb.ft are complemented by a set of semi-active springs courtesy of the latest Öhlins Smart EC3 technology, which offer electronically adjusted rebound and compression and constantly adapt to suit the rider input. To find out if the changes have worked, we nipped to Portugal to spend a day on the undulating Portimao circuit, as well as another on the challenging mountain roads surrounding the track. 1 Smooth operator One of the Speed Triple’s best bits is the engine. Its rich, velvety induction roar remains audible at almost any speed, while it has a savage linear drive…

1 Work out how you steer Knock 20 percent off your normal speed so you’ve got plenty of head space, ride normally and concentrate on how you steer. Feel what you are doing as you turn in. Are you gently pushing the inside bar? Or pulling on the outside one (which some riders prefer)? Are you making multiple inputs throughout longer corners? Build up a picture of where you’re at. Only then can you improve. 2 Experiment with push angle Different bikes require different body positions to steer effectively. Find a quiet road and try pushing down on the forks to turn. Then try the same thing with your forearms at 45-degrees to the road, and finally push with them parallel to the road. Be careful with the last test…

‘The TL’s V-twin enabled riders to channel their inner hooligan’ THE FACTS The TL1000S was a breakthrough for Suzuki during the late 90s. This was the era of the Ducati 916, which was a dream superbike for many, however at £12,000 it was largely out of reach of the masses. Therefore, Suzuki set their sights on building an affordable, sporty V-twin with a compact set-up. Yet, while the TL1000S was an engineering achievement, this was also the reason for its undoing… Released in 1997 and priced at a tantalising £7999, Suzuki used an aluminium tube-trellis frame to house the 996cc V-twin, which originally produced 125bhp. The TL’s powerplant enabled riders to channel their inner hooligan as the 76lb.ft of torque soon sent the front-wheel skyward with a crack of the…

BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician Top up your stops How to change your motorcycle’s brake fluid in ten simple steps 1 Prepare to change your fluid Changing the brake fluid is a task that needs to be done fairly regularly; typically, it’s recommended every two years or after a certain mileage, but check your manual. This task can be done easily, and handy kits are available to make things even easier. This is the Oxford Products Solo kit, but other solutions like vacuum pumps are also available. BRUCE’S TIPS Some brake pads have a handy wear indicator groove 2 Check the pads Before changing the fluid, check your brake pads as low fluid levels could mean your pads have worn below the specified service limit (typically between 1mm and 1.5mm). If the…

‘We weren't expecting it' “We’re trying to make Jake very calm and to not overdo it, or try to achieve something that isn’t possible during the weekend. Keep the mistakes to a minimum and finish every race. When all the package works, he’ll fight for victory. When it doesn’t, he must fight for P8 or wherever. With a crash you can lose confidence. Also, the team needs as much information as possible with this bike because it’s new. It’s unbelievable to win in just his second race with the Boscoscuro. We weren’t expecting to be at this level already. In Thailand we had more problems but it was very clear what was wrong. Here we arrived with something different and he made a big step. Looking ahead, we have to…

For the first time in a long while we saw a Honda on the front row before getting a top six finish thanks to Johann Zarco. There are a number of reasons for this, first of which is the track is a bit special. There is a lot of long hard acceleration whilst at lean angle, as well as some key braking areas like the double left-handers. The circuit has an average speed of close to 110mph so it’s fast, but it’s not necessarily a BHP track due to the fast corners and acceleration being done at lean angle. Instead the perfect bike here has good throttle connection to keep the slip level exactly where it needs to be. The rider also needs to be able to use rear wheel…

Paddock insider delivers his verdict on round two Marc Marquez wins. Alex Marquez finishes second. Eat, sleep, race, repeat. Two rounds in and that’s the story of 2025 so far, with a pair of brothers from a small town some 60 miles outside of Barcelona dominating the world of MotoGP. It took 76 years for Marc and Alex to become the first siblings to finish first and second in a premier class race in Thailand’s season opener. They’ve now done it twice in a fortnight, with another crushing 1-2 in Argentina showing that this year’s MotoGP title fight could be a battle raged between contenders from just one household. 1 Where are the others? So far, nobody has got close to laying a glove on Marc and Alex. Marc is…

EXCLUSIVE Bringing you the latest from the BSB paddock The Bennetts British Superbike Championship paddock will have a little extra star power in 2026 with four-time World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty launching his own team. Fogarty joins with businessman Lee [Lecha] Khouri, who also runs the Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati team in the Australian Superbike Championship. Fogarty will run the all-new Panigale V4 R next season, while forming a partnership with Jackson Racing. It’s a huge coup for BSB – not only due to Fogarty’s legendary status within motorcycle racing, but also because he’s a mainstream figure now due to his victorious stint on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2014. “I am really excited… the King returns,” Fogarty told MCN. “I’ve been saying for the past…

A North Wales café popular with bikers won’t be opening for the new season. Located on the Horseshoe Pass in Llangollen, the Ponderosa Café closed for maintenance in November, but will now not re-open. Owners Simon and Sam Clemence said: “It is with a heavy heart we announce that the Ponderosa shall not be re-opening. A big heartfelt thank you goes out to the biking community for their unflinching support.” Ready for WOR A new grassroots hare and hounds enduro series has been announced for 2025, with WOR Enduro Sports confirmed as the promoter. Called the NORA Motorsport British Hare & Hounds Enduro Championship (BHHEC), the series will consist of seven rounds, featuring venues across England and Wales. Riders of all levels – from juniors to adults – will compete…

As well as being a simpler solution than changing the whole refuelling infrastructure, second-gen biofuels compare well with EVs in terms of environmental impact – with EVs having a production carbon footprint up to 80% higher than a comparable ICE machine. “There aren’t enough resources to electrify the whole fleet,” Sustain’s David Richardson points out. “There are around 40 million vehicles in the UK. Trying to replace all of them with EVs would be impossible.” An EV’s carbon payback period, assuming it runs on renewable energy, is around 30,000 miles – stretching much longer in countries with fossil-based grids. By contrast, a combustion motorcycle (or car) running on sustainable fuel is already a lower-carbon option from the outset, with a much longer period before it becomes less efficient than the…

Q ‘Was I partly to blame?’ Back in October I was out for a ride and was on a country road when I had an accident with a stationary car. The car was parked just around a sharp bend and I didn’t see it until it was too late. I had various injuries but luckily nothing too serious, but my bike was a write-off. My insurer has said that the accident has gone down as my fault, which seems unfair due to where the car was parked. I was not exceeding the limit and the car was left in a dangerous place. Can I claim compensation? Ian H, email A Rule 243 of the Highway Code states that a driver should not stop or park on a bend. However, it…

I had a really good year in 1985 competing the 125 British championship. I finished second, but when the bike kept going, and I stayed on, I was far quicker than Rob Lowe who was the bloke that won it. Then the decision was, what next? Going to Europe all came about through a mate of mine called Pete, he was an ex-racer and a bit older than me. He basically laid out my choices for 1986 and said I shouldn’t do the 125 British championship again, so my options were to either go and buy a big 750cc Suzuki or Yamaha and race in Superstock, or go abroad. That planted the seed in my head about racing in Europe and I just thought ‘why not?’. Back then it was…

Notice something new? Now that we’ve had out first blast of sunshine we wanted to introduce you to our brand-new initiative – MCN Pit Stops. In association with Oxford Products, MCN Pit Stops showcases the best motorcycling destinations be they cafés, pubs, restaurants, campsites, hotels, mechanics, dealerships, museums – you name it! So, if you’re out on the road and are in need of anything, you should be able to find it here. We’re super excited to help you discover everything you need for a great ride out all in one place, and of course, get out and see them for ourselves too. We’ve even got a Facebook group so you can chat with like-minded bikers and share the latest spot you’ve visited. Plus, we’re always looking for recommendations so…

JOIN THE MCN PIT STOP BREW CREW www.motorcyclenews.com/pit-stop ‘Peaky blinder’ KEVIN FOX Another glorious day, best make the most of it… Yondermann for a brew, Winnats Pass and CMC to book the bikes in for Yamaha TPS safety recall. ‘Posting Pit Stops’ MICHAEL LEE I’ve just joined the MCN Pit Stop Facebook group and made one recommendation for a Pit Stop as well! My suggestion is Café19 at Calver Crossroads, Peak District. ‘MCN recommends…’ HARRY HAWKINS I stopped at Orton Scar Cafe after it was featured in MCN the other week. VJMC Tiddler Run was this week's dinner stop. Great roads for the MBX! ‘New blood’ EMMA JANE First time out, at last! Went to the new café that has sort of taken over from The Food Stop at Quatt.…

‘A serious contender’ The new Speed Triple 1200 RS is a bike to be proud of. At £17,495 otr it’s an undeniably expensive piece of kit, but it feels like an expensive piece of kit – equipped with all the right designer brands in all the right places, and a velvety three-cylinder exhaust note that eggs you on to chase the revs round the dial wherever you can. The addition of semi-active Öhlins suspension takes the Speed Triple away from a hard-edged focused naked, into a jack-of-all trades that would almost certainly thrill on the occasional trackday, and settle down into a comforting, compliant roadster when you’re out on a Sunday blast. The tweaks to the riding position make it a wonderful place to sit, and as a highpowered road…

‘Your cheap ticket to ride’ If you’re looking for the last word in refinement and luxury from your middleweight adventure bike, CFMoto’s updated 700MT isn’t it, but it does have a few aces up its sleeve. Its steering might be on the slow side, the riding position is cramped for a taller rider and it has a basic, utilitarian feel, but it performs flawlessly and grows on you the longer you’re in the saddle. It’s still swift, despite its Euro 5+ power loss, corners confidently, has powerful brakes, has a bigger tank range than before and shorter riders will appreciate the new lower seat. It’s well built and comes equipped with the kind of creature comforts you’d have to pay extra for on a more premium machine, too. Best of…

Make sure you don’t miss an episode by heading to bikertek.co.uk #1 Reading the road The better we are at reading the road, the faster and safer we can be. This video explains how to use visual limit points to improve your cornering, how to scan without getting overwhelmed by information and how to use peripheral vision. #2 Braking We go to an airfield to prove how much more effective your front brake is compared to the rear, then head onto the road to explore how braking interacts with steering, when to use the back brake and why expert riders use their brakes more, not less. #3 Overtaking Light, fast and slim, motorcycles are overtaking weapons. But they can get us into trouble. We highlight the main overtaking risks, and…

Suzuki weren’t the only firm muscling in on the V-twin craze… Honda got in on the act during the mid/late 1990s with the VTR1000 FireStorm. The bike had the same 98mm bore and 66mm stroke as the Suzuki but that aside, everything else was different. The FireStorm wasn’t as exciting as the TL, nor as innovative, but it was safe, in terms of engineering and road manners. With 97hp, it was down on the power compared to the TL too. Unusually for Honda, build quality wasn’t perfect and there are well-documented issues, including the camchain tensioners which could spiral into more troubles, such as the valve timing going out.…

There’s being money smart, then there’s straight-up lunacy – and trying to eke out more life from your threadbare motorcycle tyres by gluing rubber strips to their non-existent tread falls firmly into the latter camp. Mark Stanford, owner of Mark 1 Motorcycles, deals with his fair share of interesting repair attempts, but the work done to this Yamaha Vity 125 by a so-called professional motorcycle courier may take the prize. “It’s unbelievable what people will do to try to save some money,” said Stanford. “Basically, a courier came pushing his bike in asking if I could fix the puncture on his rear tyre. He’d only brought it in because it had become so thin that it wouldn’t hold air anymore, not because it didn’t have tread on it. “Obviously, it…

At the heart of the GP paddock for more than 35 years Sunday’s Argentine GP saw The Marvellous Marquez Armada reinforce 2025’s new normal. But third went to the wrong Italian. Franco Morbidelli, from eighth on the grid, had stormed past teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio and Honda rider Johann Zarco by lap three. Then he immediately blustered by long-term close friend and ally Pecco Bagnaia on the fourth of 25 laps. Using his unusual choice of a soft rear tyre (Di Giannantonio was the only other top-tenner not on medium), he said: “I knew I had to make as many positions as possible in the beginning of the race.” A gap of a second to the two leaders would gradually stretch to almost five. More important for Morbidelli was what…