Table of contents for 28 May 2025 in MCN

‘Aprilia trusted me. I’ve tried as hard as I could’ MARCO BEZZECCHI, P70 MOTOGP Bezz of British With enough drama to put a TV soap to shame, last Sunday’s British MotoGP had it all: heartbreak, shock and intrigue. In the end, it was Italian Marco Bezzecchi who rose to the top at the high-speed Northants circuit. The wins comes at just the right time for Aprilia, whose struggles of late have prompted talk that currently injured world champion, Jorge Martin, could enact a rumoured get-out clause in his contract to leave the factory team. Those ideas seemed to gain traction after Bezz’s success prompted team boss Massimo Rivola to say: “This is a message to Jorge. Our bike can win.” PAGE 70 TOP STORY Future superbike With the rules of…

Ducati are recalling certain Panigale V4 models built between June 2024 and January 2025, after a defect was discovered in the rear brake hose where heat damage could cause a sudden loss of braking. The issue affects bikes sold across multiple countries, with Ducati pulling bikes from customers as a precaution. Owners can check Ducati’s recall site using the code CR285. Head to Sammy’s for a classic day Classic bike enthusiasts are invited to descend on the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum on June 1 for the VJMC Day and Japanese Bike Bonanza. Organised by the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club, last year’s event saw 500 machines on display – and this year could be even bigger. Entry is free, with courtyard parking from 10am and a prize-giving from 1.30pm. VJMC members…

● tice begins at the TT ● 50th anniversary of the event ● Bob McIntyre leads the charge In 1957, the Isle of Man TT races were celebrating their 50th birthday – having started in 1907. Competition was split between the 37.73-mile Mountain course we know today, as well as a smaller 10.79-mile Clypse circuit. Much like today, riders on the bigger track would set off at 10 second intervals, however the Clypse events would feature a mass start – with dead engines for the bikes, and clutches in on the sidecars. Amazingly, the Senior feature race was pencilled in for eight laps of the Mountain on Friday, June 7 (today it’s six) and – although we didn’t know it at the time – that year’s event would see the…

Ruroc x Iron Maiden EOX £499 Brit firm Ruroc has teamed up with rockers Iron Maiden to release a limited-edition collection featuring artwork from two of the band’s iconic albums. Piece of Mind and Writing on the Wall adorn the range-topping EOX, which features a carbon fibre shell and provision for an integrated Cardo intercom. ruroc.com Oxford Omega 1.0 Air gloves £49.99 Ideal for the summer, these short cuff sports-styled gloves have extensive mesh panels and a moisture wicking lining to help your hands breathe on the bars. Construction is a leather and textile hybrid, with a PU knuckle protector that earns them a CE 1 KP certification. Includes touchscreen-compatible fingers. oxfordproducts.com REV’IT! Sand 5 H2O jacket £439.99 The fifth generation of REV’IT!’s all-season adventure jacket benefits from significant upgrades…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews ‘Potholes pulped my berries…’ I rode my Z1000SX six miles to the local supermarket to buy a few things and put them in my topbox. On the way back the road surfaces were so bad that the groceries suffered badly. My blueberry carton split, and the fruit was pureed. On two occasions, I felt a jarring jolt through the bars as the front wheel disappeared into yet another pothole. Assuming this to be the front suspension bottoming out, I have since raised the front preload tension from factory settings. Andrew Coe, N Lincs Continuing our partnership with Zerofit – King of Baselayers® – we are changing up the prize for the winner of the weekly star letter. The Heatrub Move Baselayer (£40 RRP) is twice as…

This year’s TT has the makings of being a real classic. We’ve got Michael Dunlop having swapped from Honda to BMW, Peter Hickman and Davey Todd in their all-new team… and then you’ve got Dean Harrison who’s going to be up there on the Honda, like he always is. This time of year always brings back great memories from when I did the TT. I was a newcomer in 2009 and then I did it again in 2010. I was obviously nervous, but it was an excited nervous, whereas I think riders that have been doing the event a long time maybe contemplate it all that bit more. I can remember just being so excited – it still blows my mind that someone will close public roads to let you…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Readers Rob and Keef The ride WW1 Battlefields and the Netherlands When to do it Spring to autumn How many miles? Around 2000 Tell us about the trip… My friend and I made a promise after he joined the Navy a few years ago that once a year we’d always plan a tour somewhere to ensure we stayed in touch, not just via WhatsApp but the old-fashioned way. So this year with my friend being in the Royal Navy based in Scotland and me in South Wales, we needed a start point and a journey we could complete within seven days. We decided that the Netherlands would be our starting point as a ferry for him from Newcastle and me from Harwich would mean we…

KEY TO THE AREA ■ SOUTH WEST ■ CENTRAL ■ NORTH & SCOTLAND ■ SOUTH EAST Wednesday May 28 BIKE MEETS ■ Sycamore Cafe, Great Billing, Northants 4pm 9pm www.facebook.com/SycamoreForestCatering ■ Huggys Speedshop, Mallory Park, Leics. From 10am www.huggysspeedshop.co.uk ■ Wheels Cafe, Sykehouse, South Yorkshire. 5.30pm-8.30pm 01405-5785635 ■ Bike Night, Seaways Fridaythorpe, East Yorks 4pm-8pm mike@seawayscafe.co.uk ■ Squires, Newthorpe, West Yorks www.squires-cafe.co.uk ■ The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Flints 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 ■ English Riviera Bike Night, Paignton, Devon 6pm £2 cash only ■ Loomies Moto Cafe, West Meon, Hants. Open till 9pm www.loomiescafe.co.uk ■ The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey. From 10.30am-1pm Facebook: Pathfinder Cafe MOTOCROSS ■ Rhayader MC & LCC Ltd, Cwmythig Hill, Rhayader, Powys info@etjames-sons.co.uk RACING ■ IOM TT, Isle of Man www.iomttraces.com RALLY ■ Big Knock Diesel Motorcycle Rally,…

JOIN THE MCN PIT STOP BREW CREW www.motorcyclenews.com/pit-stop ‘Swooning in Scotland’ JIM KELL This was taken on the NC500. It was tremendous (apart from campervans!) with constant stunning scenery and roads designed for bikes, a great time was had. ‘Tea @ the Shee’ ANDREW CHISHOLM Following a cracking ride round the north of Scotland my R1250GSA has ticked over 10,000 miles. What a machine. ‘Cafe cruising’ MATTHEW ANTHONY I went to the Old Stores Motorbike Café with mum and dad. My bike is the Honda CL500 and the Triumph Bonneville is my dad’s bike. ‘Who needs roads?’ LEWYS PRIEHS A few mates and I went green laning around mid Wales. The scenery was stunning and the sun was shining. ‘Stop off and see Sammy’ PETE JACKSON I can recommend Sammy’s…

‘Chasing tenths…’ The M1000RR is blisteringly fast in a straight line and has the stopping power to back it up, while offering a sense of poise and confidence from its chassis that is crafted for chasing tenths with a set of sticky, slick tyres. Coupled with an even more complex electronics strategy, it offers a superbike-esque window of performance with a huge safety net if needed, in a package that you can ride to and from a trackday. Yet the changes are about evolution; for a mere mortal, there isn’t a drastic improvement to the older model, or even the S1000RR, unless you really are chasing small improvements on track. THE FACTS £32,850 (£40,540 as tested) BMW M1000RR…

‘Aiming at the elite’ Triumph have utilised all of their know how and engineering prowess from other racing projects such as Moto2. And if the success of their MX bike is anything to go by, their rivals should be taking the new duo very seriously indeed. Triumph were under no illusions about the level of the elite competition and have seemingly done everything right to not only match, but beat the best. THE FACTS 450 £10,395/250 250 £9795 Triumph TF 450-E/Triumph TF 250-E Triumph TF 450-E Triumph TF 250-E…

‘You don’t have to super-size’ Honda sell two other Forza options – the Forza 350 and Forza 125. The 350 costs £5999 while the 125 is £5399, both have been updated for 2025 and feature the new 5in dash with connectivity as well as an electronically-adjustable screen, keyless ignition, HSTC and USB-C port. When it comes to the X-ADV, you can downsize to the ADV350, which isn’t quite as radically-styled with less obvious off-road influences. Costing £5999, the ADV350 features the 5in TFT with connectivity, keyless ignition, long-travel suspension and HSTC and is powered by Honda’s 330cc single. Yamaha have an extensive range of MAX scooters. The smallest is the XMAX 125, which comes in standard form for £5501 or Tech MAX+ for £6151. Both use the same motor but…

COLIN GAUCI, 58 “In 1975 I was an eight-and-a halfyear-old schoolboy in Uxbridge. My dad was in the air force at RAF Uxbridge, the camp used to organise events and one of them was to Wembley to see some guy called Evel Knievel. I was like ‘Yeah, brilliant.’ At the time I had a racing bike which I not long after took off the drop bars and put cowhorns on. Everyone did… “So, there was a coach load of us. I went with dad, mum wasn’t interested. I’d always loved bikes and cars but all I knew was there was a show involving motorcycles and some guy was going to jump a load of buses… I’d no idea who he was. He wasn’t a name for me until that jump.…

Cleaning carburettors is a very rewarding task and certainly shouldn’t be ignored. The transformation of a bike that coughs and sputters or has issues into one that runs smoothly is nothing short of magic, all thanks to a diligent helping of elbow grease and a little bit of time. Recently, I had the pleasure of working on a 1990 Yamaha TDR250 that needed its carbs sprucing. While the bike ran fine, it was reluctant to start when it was hot. I stripped the carbs down and found that the main jets and nozzles were clear, but the tiny pilot jets were blocked. The small bore brushes I typically use for cleaning jets were too large, so I had to improvise. I pulled a length of wire from a steel brush…

MCN Sports Editor reports from the island The first scheduled practice laps of TT 2025 were cut short on Monday as rain and strong winds hit the Island. Race organisers were able to close roads at 10am on Monday as planned with the newcomers Mitch Rees and Barry Burrell setting off on their maiden TT laps. Heading off behind rider liaison officers Milky Quayle and Johnny Barton their laps were affected by rain, but they were at least able to get their first taste of the Mountain circuit. Smile on their face Former BSB man Burrell said his rookie lap was enough to boost his spirits: “I’m a bit of a miserable bastard at the best of times, but I was half way round the lap with a smile on…

Reporting direct from the British MotoGP round 1 Making the difference It’s been said for the last few years that Quartararo has made the difference by dragging results out of a bike which wasn’t competitive. He was to Yamaha what Marc Marquez was to Honda. The Yamaha is a much-improved bike this year, but Quartararo is still head and shoulders above his three comrades. Teammate Alex Rins sits 17th with a best result of 11th, while Jack Miller is 16th. Miguel Oliveira is still adapting, having missed four GPs. Of course, Miller is new to Yamaha but still has a top-five finish in 2025. 2 Red hot one-lap pace Quartararo is fast becoming the qualifying king of 2025. He’s now celebrated three consecutive poles for the first time since the…

BMW say that the design emphasis for the concept was focused on aerodynamics for high top speeds, and cornering velocity – hence the lack of road-going necessities at this stage, as well as the bike being equipped with a new-look back end that shares more than a passing resemblance to the Ducati Panigale V4R. Interestingly, the front winglets are now smaller than on the current iteration of the M1000RR and S1000RR – with subtle secondary fins now protruding either side of the gold-trimmed headlights like eyelashes for some additional top speed stability.…

SAVE £3304 £9695 Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE Suzuki’s middleweight is fun, solid, easy, well-suspended and nicely finished. It combines genuine off-road ability with a silky-smooth engine and sorted ergonomics, making it perfectly adept at tackling everything from the morning commute to round-the-world escapades. With more than three grand off, this one’s a lot of bike for the money. www.wheelsmotorcycles.co.uk SAVE £2086 £11,494 Kawasaki Versys 1100 S Kawasaki’s Versys is a no-nonsense tall rounder, offering ample touring performance, excellent comfort and proven reliability. wheelsmotorcycles.co.uk ● Engine 1099cc ● Power 133bhp ● Weight 257kg ● Seat height 840mm SAVE £1000 £9295 Triumph Street Triple 765R More refined, intuitive and sharp handling than ever before, Triumph’s latest Street Triple R is nigh on impeccable for real world blasts. www.carlrosner.co.uk ● Engine 765cc ●…

‘Silence can be a red flag’ Another day, another message from a rider asking me to check a Facebook ad – this time for the ‘Armoured Collection’ from a business claiming to operate out of Ontario, Canada. The promo video boasts ‘CE Level 1 & 2 Viscoelastic Armour’, and ‘DuPont Kevlar Lining’ – but no mention of the garments themselves being CE-certified. That’s a problem. EU and UK regulations require full garment testing and certification, not just for the armour. I wasn’t the only one with concerns. For weeks others had been asking similar questions and received no answers. Neither did I. Silence is often a red flag for non-compliance. So, I contacted the UK importer. To their credit, they responded quickly, said they would contact the Canadian company, and…

‘Oh yeah - bagger me up baby!’ Just when I thought MotoGP couldn’t get any more exciting, Harley-Davidson have announced that there will be six rounds of a one-make series held alongside the action in 2026. And the bikes racing will be factory-prepared Road Glides! I’ve said for ages that the FIM needs to start thinking outside the box and while I understand that pillion racing might have a few drawbacks, I firmly believe that a tarmac-based adventure bike championship would be hysterical (on semi-knobbly tyres, obviously). And I’d certainly pay to watch baggers race. I know there is an instant reaction to snigger when you talk about a racing Road Glide, but the factory-prepared bikes are insane. Despite weighing 280kg, they kick out over 200bhp and can top 186mph.…

Q ‘He indicated and slowed’ In March I was stationary at a junction ready to turn left into a main road. A car approaching from the right was indicating left and it looked like it was slowing so I assumed he was going to turn into the road that I was exiting. However, as I pulled out he knocked me off. His insurer claims the accident was 100% my fault. How is this right when he was indicating to turn left and slowing down? Ingo, email A There is well documented case law on accidents like yours but the case of Winter v Cotton is closest to your incident circumstances. That case involved a slowing down vehicle that was indicating just like in your case. Winter relied on the misleading…

I’ve been out with Honda this week on a trip in Europe. The idea is three countries in three days and it’s been amazing. We’ve ridden through Italy, Slovenia and Croatia and the riding has been so cool. I’m essentially a guide and we’ve been taking social media influencers out, so riding with them all day. There are riders from all over really, France, Italy, Spain and it’s been cool! I’ve been riding a Honda Africa Twin which is ideal really. It’s been a pretty good way to spend a week! I’d normally be getting ready to head out to the TT like I have been the past years doing the commentary and bits for TT+ but unfortunately that’s not happening this year because I’ve been contracted to another job.…

1 May 26-June 7 IOM TT The best-known road race in the world is back. Riders will take to the streets of the Isle of Man and put everything on the line for the chance to be crowned victorious. If you can’t make it to the island, why not grab a Live Pass online? It’s £23.99 and means you won’t miss a minute of the action. www.iomttraces.com 2 May 31-June 1 MotoFest weekender Although the Coventry MotoFest isn’t back in full swing this year, there is still plenty going on. The classic vehicle displays and live motorsport are still yours for the taking as well as the ride-in – although this year, there will be other traffic to contend with, so be aware. www.coventrymotofest.com 3 May 31 Run What Ya…

Emma’s Café Although not part of the Triumph dealership, Emma’s sits next door to Pure Triumph and is a great spot for some grub and a meet up, with plenty of events happening too. Pure Triumph, George St, Woburn, Milton Keynes MK17 9PY www.facebook.com/StopnStuffTriumphWoburn Chas Mann Motorcycles The Mash, Lambretta, used bike dealership and workshop has a cracking café upstairs with bands and rideouts happening all the time. 71 The Green, Birmingham B38 8RU chasmannmotorcycles.co.uk Factoryheads Café Housed in the Superbike Factory at Donington Park circuit, it’s the perfect blend of metal, racing and great grub. Donington Park Circuit, Castle Donington, Derby DE74 2RP www.facebook.com/factoryheads…

THE MCN TEST ● THE HOTTEST BIKES ● EVERY WEEK £14,403 Yamaha TMAX Tech MAX ● 562cc paralel-twin, liquid-cooled, DOHC 8v ● 46.9bhp @ 7000rpm ● 221kg kerb weight £11,499 (£12,699 Special Edition) Honda X-ADV ● 745cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, SOHC 8v ● 57.8bhp @ 6750rpm ● 237kg kerb weight £10,699 Honda Forza 750 ● 745cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, SOHC 8v ● 57.8bhp @ 6750rpm ● 236kg kerb weight It’s not hard to see why maxi scooters are such a Marmite option. When you look at the cold, hard facts they initially appear hard to justify. The TMAX Tech MAX is £14,403, which puts it on the same level as a Tracer 9 GT, while the Forza 750 and X-ADV are £2300 and £3100 more respectively than an NC750X DCT, which uses…

‘Better, but too costly’ It’s easy to dismiss maxi scooters but if you give one a chance they can actually be quite eye-opening, especially the X-ADV as it manages to merge all the good bits of a scooter in a package that won’t look too out of place at a bike meet in the way a traditionally-styled big scooter might. It won’t appeal to everyone but the X-ADV is an oddly entertaining bike that is also big on practicality and this combination has seen it Honda’s second best-seller in Europe. That said, it lacks the all-encompassing fairing that makes maxi scooters so good for straight-line riding. If you are after a ‘trad’ maxi scooter, it’s hard to justify the TMAX’s extra cost over the Forza. The Yamaha is a classier,…

‘It used inclined twin shocks for the first time on an off-roader’ In a world dominated by big four-stroke adventurers, there’s no better time to remember the very first ‘big trailie’ - Yamaha’s XT500, as launched nearly 50 years ago at the end of 1975. It was the XT which became an instant hit both on road and dirt. It was the XT which won the first two Paris-Dakar Rallies, so leading to the first ‘Dakar Replica’, the 1983 XT600 Ténéré, (in turn prompting whole families of ‘Dakar reps’ and Ténérés). And it was the XT which sold so well, particularly in France, it fostered a whole new fashion. Which makes it all the more surprising that the XT came at a time when, with the last BSA B50 having…

Fifty years ago this week, the world stopped to gawp at possibly the most famous motorcycle stunt of all time – legendary showman Evel Knievel’s attempt to jump 13 London buses on his Harley XR750 at Wembley Stadium. Taking place on Monday, May 26 1975 in front of a packed live audience of 80,000 and a global TV audience of millions, the show was Knievel’s first in the UK after becoming a superstar phenomenon over the previous decade in the US and was designed to kick off a European tour. Instead, the climax of the two-hour show saw him crash spectacularly after landing short, be helped to his feet and grasp a microphone to declare to a shocked crowd: “You are the last people in the world who will ever…

RATINGS Exceptional Very good Good Average Poor ● Jacket fit and comfort rated ● Design, construction and CE scores rated ● Each jacket used for hundreds of real-world miles 1500 miles ON TEST Spada Turbine Bomber Jacket £349.99 ‘Dambusters vibe’ Tested by Adam Oldfield for nine months The Spada Turbine makes a strong first impression. With its classic flight jacket styling, supple black leather, and timeless lines, it feels like a step up from previous Spada offerings. It fits true to size with space to layer up, ideal for spring and autumn rides. A clever two-option zip with perforated holes allows airflow if you want a summer breeze. It’s AAA-rated and offers impressive protection with CE Level 2 TetraHex armour throughout. The armour feels rigid when cold but softens as…

BRUCE DUNN MCN’s expert technician Get healthy carbs Ten easy steps to clean running and a smooth throttle response 1 Remove and clean the carbs First up, remove the carburettors from the bike and place them in a metal tray to allow any remaining fuel to drain out; you can assist this by turning the carbs on their side. Once the fuel has fully drained, stand them upright and clean muck and grime from the exterior by spraying with carb cleaner then scrubbing with a nylon brush. BRUCE’S TIPS As you open the diaphragm cover, watch out for the spring 2 Remove the covers With the exterior now fully clean, it is time to remove the tops of the carburettors. These plastic covers secure the spring-loaded diaphragms in place, so carefully undo…

The weather we’ve had so far in practice week just knocks the morale out of it, especially as the weeks leading up to it have been sensational. I’ve been mowing my grass, getting a tan and living the dream – we’ve not seen a drop rain for weeks. The NW200 was fabulous and when I arrived at the TT last Wednesday I was laying in the sun on the grass, but the closer we got the more wet and windy it’s become. You can’t believe it. Selfishly if I had two laps practice I could race. I don’t mean to sound blasé, and I know that’s not the case for everyone. In reality the programme will get moved around and we’ll get to a position where people have qualified and…

Pedro Acosta’s media debriefs at Silverstone were tense. The mood was one of anger as he expressed his frustration at the current state of KTM’s MotoGP project. Acosta qualified 14th before taking a single point with ninth in the Sprint, followed by a salvage job of sixth on Sunday. The Spaniard wasn’t shy in sharing his anger at KTM’s lack of performance, and rear grip, afterwards. “It’s not what I wanted, it’s not what I want for my career and it’s not what I’m working for,” Acosta said after the Saturday Sprint. “For this, I think everyone should make a big step soon – really soon.” Things didn’t improve on Sunday. “It was a race of hopelessness,” Acosta said. “I don’t accept [this situation] and I’m not patient. That’s it.…

There weren’t any celebrations at Yamaha on Sunday night but at least their riders and engineers know the YZR-M1 has regained the speed to win a MotoGP race. Because Fabio Quartararo would’ve won the race (which would’ve been Yamaha’s first win since Germany 2022) but for his ride height device going AWOL. And Quartararo’s Silverstone speed was no fluke, because on Saturday the Frenchman had scored his third consecutive pole position, the first time he’s started from pole three races in a row since 2022. So, might Yamaha reconsider their decision to replace the current inline-four MotoGP bike with an all-new V4? No. Quartararo’s current speed isn’t the result of an engine boost to match the more powerful Aprilia, Ducati, Honda and KTM V4s. His M1 was the slowest bike…

MV Agusta are shutting their Centro Ricerche Castiglioni design studio – which has birthed bikes including the F4 and Superveloce – as they move all design and development to Varese. The decision comes after the firm cut ties with KTM and returned to full Sardarov family ownership. No jobs are being lost, with MV promising a streamlined future focused on “Motorcycle Art”. Electrifying profit record for Stark Swedish electric off-road brand Stark Future have posted record results in April – reporting €18.3m (£15.4m) in revenue for the month with €2.8m (£2.3m) earnings before tax. CEO, Anton Wass, said: “This comes barely two years after SF’s first commercial sales, remarkably faster than incumbent EV leaders, and more resembling the growth rates of some of the most successful tech firms.” Long Way…

Motorcycle racing royalty joined thousands of fans in Ballymoney, Co. Antrim to pay tribute to five-time Formula One world champion and 26-time TT winner, Joey Dunlop, on a special day of remembrance. The legendary road racer lost his life in a crash in Estonia on July 2, 2000, with the 25th anniversary marked by a special event in his hometown on Saturday, May 24. Dubbed the Joey 25 celebration, the event was organised by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council with a host of leading riders from past and present taking part in a special parade through the streets on 25 of Dunlop’s race bikes. Michael Rutter, Ryan Farquhar and Ian Lougher flew in by helicopter from the Isle of Man TT paddock to join a star-studded line-up that included…

HJC C10 Inka helmet £64.99 Top deals for under a ton When it comes to new bike kit there’s not much you pick up for less than £100 – or is there? This week we’ve been trawling the net for the best deals on bike kit across the board, and have found some cracking offers on helmets, tools and accessories, all for under a ton. Whether it’s a waterproof roll bag, electric air pump or a top offer on oil, there’ll be something here to make life easy on your wallet. The C10 is HJC’s entry-level lid, but it’s much more than just a budget buy, as shown when MCN Editor Emma Franklin awarded it five stars for quality and value after 1100 miles on test. Emma praised the HJC’s…

Away from bikes, PVD’s benefits have been clocked already. Originally developed for scientific and industrial purposes, this ultra-precise method is now used everywhere from surgical tools to smartphone cases, jewellery, home fixtures, and even the anti-reflective lenses on sunglasses. It is also widely used in the automotive sector to enhance both the performance and durability of components. For example, it’s commonly applied to engine parts such as piston rings, valves, and camshafts to reduce friction, improve wear resistance, and extend service life under high-stress conditions.…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com THE WORLD’S WARMEST BASELAYER® www.zerofit.co.uk My grandfather, Reg Penton, aged 18 on his 2 1/4 Royal Enfield at Croft House in Pangbourne, in about 1924. Bruce Dunn My first new bike with Dave on a Superdream, Lyle on a GT250 and Tim on a Superdream with fairing. Richard King 1980 and my First new "big bike" the Suzuki GSX750. Richard King Last day at school in 1973 on my 1950 BSA A7. My first big bike after passing my test on a Yamaha YG1 F. Steve Knight Parents had taken out a savings policy when I was born and it paid out on my 16th. I spent it on a motorcycle! Simon Hunt Have owned 38 bikes since the mid 80s but this…

THE DETAILS ● Monday-Saturday 9am-4pm ● facebook.com/refuelmcw ● 3 Quorn Way, Grafton Street Industrial Estate, NN1 2PN What better place for a biker-friendly café than in a motorcycle showroom? Not only are you surrounded by brand new bikes and gear to gawp at, but the smell of fresh rubber mixed with cooking bacon is a delicacy most of us can identify with. Inside Motorcycle World in Northampton, a dealer for Honda, Indian and used motorcycles, sits Refuel Coffee Shop, run by rider and biking socialite Lynis Byford. “I had been a supervisor at a community café,” she explains. “I really fancied it because I’m a biker and I love going to talk to biker groups too. Once I got here, I was straight onto those groups telling them to come…

FIRST RIDE The M1000RR is BMW’s homologation special, racing-ready sportsbike that forms the basis for their superstock and superbike racing machinery. And it means business; last year saw BMW take their first World Superbike title with the M1000RR, and for the 2025 model, they’ve sharpened things up even further to stay on top. The motor, exhaust, aero package and the frame have all been modified for the 2025 model, with an updated electronics package too, in order to keep everything in order. But just how much difference does this make to an everyday rider rather than a race legend? We’re here at the BMW’s world launch at Cremona, Italy, to find out… 1 It packs so much go The previous M1000RR is definitely no slouch, but for 2025, BMW have…

GET FIVE ISSUES FOR JUST £5 Subscribe to MCN now at: greatmagazines.co.uk/mcn-offer ‘Nothing has even come close to this RR’ See the video www.youtube.com/@motorcyclenewsdotcom The only thing louder than the sound of my nervous, pounding heart is the blistering echo of over 240bhp warming up in front of me. This isn’t just any day at work; I’m fully kitted up in my leathers, sitting in double-WSBK champ Toprak’s very own BMW chair in his corner of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK garage. I can’t touch the floor in his seat, so I’m swinging my legs to ease the tension; there are five mechanics working on his factory World Superbike M1000RR in front of me, and I’m starting to get a bit of a sweat on from the Italian heat. It’s…

Honda’s XL500S arrived a in 1979 along with five smaller capacity variants that ranged from 75cc-250cc. At its heart was an air-cooled 497cc, SOHC, four-stroke single whose four valves, compared to the Yamaha’s two, helped it produce 32bhp at 6500rpm and 27lb.ft torque at 5000rpm. The Honda matched or beat the Yamaha elsewhere, too, with leading axle forks with 224mm of travel, twin rear shocks, a 9.8 litre tank and an even bigger 23in front wheel. Although capable, the XL500S wasn’t quite enough to usurp the Yamaha, was outshone by a more enduro version, the XL500R (which morphed into the XR500) and was dropped in 1982 to be replaced by a 600.…

Mar 25, 1967 Ascot Park, California Knievel’s first televised jump in the late 1960s was also his first on a Triumph motorcycle, appeared on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and saw him jump a 650cc Bonneville T120 over 15 cars. September 24-26, 1967 San Francisco A series of jumps spanning three days of action which magnified the Knievel story, the first was over three motorcycles, then over a huge Triumph banner and finally over a Volkswagen bus and van. December 31, 1967 Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas Knievel’s longest jump so far – 141 feet over the casino fountains – after arranging himself for it to be filmed. He crashed spectacularly, spent 29 days in a coma and awoke to international fame. February 1971 Ontario Motor Speedway Used as the climax…

MCN’s website has expert opinion and buying advice on hundreds of used bikes, regularly updated and packed with insight. Here are three of the latest – visit motorcyclenews.com for dozens more. 2008-2017 Honda CB1000R Owners’ rating Despite a Fireblade-derived engine, the CB never set the naked bike world on fire. That said, 36 owners have left reviews online and most praise reliability, engine and chassis. 2003-2006 Kawasaki Z1000 Owners’ rating The reinvented Zed arrived with cool Manga-style looks and funky stacked exhausts. Disappointingly low-spec suspension and brakes blot the Zed’s copybook slightly. 2007-2012 Suzuki B-King Owners’ rating The 15 owners who have left reviews online love Suzuki’s Hayabusa-based naked – especially the engine. Poor brakes and heavy handling drag its overall score down. Find your perfect partner at: motorcyclenews.com…

There’s tight, and then there’s attempting to repair a broken dipstick with a bit of heatshrink tubing. It’s the latter that left one mechanic shaking his head in disbelief when an Aprilia RS4 125 rolled into his workshop for a spot of TLC. “It came in for a couple of small things – just to adjust the chain and check the oil level – nothing more than that,” said Mark1 Motorcycles boss Mark Stanford. The job took a turn for the worse, however, when the Edinburgh shop owner discovered that the oil dipstick had been hastily bodged back to life with heatshrink, giving it all the rigidity of a wet noodle. Worse still, it was now the wrong length for the job. “We knew there was some oil in there…

Goes behind the headlines from the British MotoGP round ‘You always need to have this underlying belief’ Australia has a new hero to cheer as Senna Agius confirmed his thrilling potential by triumphing in the Moto2 race of the decade at Silverstone. And it’s fair to say this was in the pipleline after the 19-year old took a massive step in just his second full season at World Championship level. Agius’ route to success has been unconventional to say the least. Stints in the Asia Talent Cup (2006) and Junior GP (2020-21) largely passed without incident. But both he and bike-mad family – dad Jonno named him after his F1 idol, plus brother Joel was a 125cc wildcard at Phillip Island – were committed to making this work. Senna moved…

At the heart of the MotoGP paddock for more than 35 years Down the order on Saturday, down the road on Sunday, and dropping down the charts, Pecco Bagnaia’s Silverstone drove him even deeper into the slough of despond, as his prospects of competing with his troublesome teammate took another blow. It’s bad enough to be stricken with a recalcitrant new Ducati, simply not as good as last year’s model, so that privateer riders can beat him. Worse still that Marc Marquez can find ways to ride around the bike’s problems. And even, now and then, VR46 man Fabio Di Giannantonio on the only other GP25. Seven races in, the 28-year-old might have hoped for a change in fortune, after qualifying on the front row (ahead of Marc) for the…

Franco Morbidelli says Silverstone was like a life story after so many ups and downs. The VR46 man was taken out by Aleix Espargaro on the opening lap, with his bike leaking fluid and bringing out the red flags. He made the restart and tussled with Marc Marquez in a fight for the podium, losing out on the last lap in a situation which Morbidelli believes he’s quite strong in – a head-to-head match. Miller to Suzuka for factory squad Popular Aussie Jack Miller enjoyed a fruitful Sunday with Yamaha at Silverstone but the good news didn’t end there. He will now represent the Japanese manufacturer in an official capacity at this year’s Suzuka 8-Hours in August. It’s Miller’s first outing at the blue ribband event since his debut with…

At the centre of grand prix racing since 1996 TOP STORY Are you watching, Jorge Martin? The message to Aprilia’s absent A-lister could not have been clearer after the Noale factory’s British Grand Prix race week started turbulent but ended jubilant. Marco Bezzecchi’s Silverstone victory lifted some dark clouds hovering over Aprilia in the wake of the bombshell reports that reigning World Champion Martin is looking to quit at the end of 2025. Martin has participated in only one of the opening seven rounds of an injury-ravaged year. Despite such a lack of seat time on the RS-GP, it’s reported he wants out because he’s been unconvinced by Aprilia’s competitiveness, with Bezzecchi no higher than sixth prior to the Silverstone round. So Bezzecchi’s first win since the Indian GP in…