Have a perusal at the British-made range at mtcexhausts.co.uk, or give Martin a call on 01704 893337.

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Lightech is Italy’s premiere manufacturer of specialist parts, and is the choice of of World SBK and GP champions including Leon Haslam, Troy Bayliss, Michel Fabrizio, Tony Elias, Carlos Checa, Casey Stoner..to name just a few.  Take a look around any of the race paddocks and you’ll see Lightech with many top teams – Althea Honda, Tech 3 Yamaha, Honda Gresini, Ducati Corse, BE1 Triumph etc. We like it rather a lot too, and you’ll see plenty on test on our longtermers throughout 2010.

The current Lightech catalogue contains over 7,000 parts from ergal nuts and bolts up to lightweight aluminium wheel racks, Lightech’s patented ‘TrackSystem’ rear sets, lightweight chain adjusters, magnesium and ergal brake & clutch levers, quick release fuel caps, frame sliders, paddock stands, carbon fibre mirrors and much more.

They don’t hang about either, and there’s already lots of parts for BMW’s S 1000 RR, the 2010 Yamaha R6, 2010 Kawasaki ZX-6R, Aprilia’s RSV4, and the Ducati Streetfighter.

For more information contact: MOTO.GB DISTRIBUTION on  0845 094 1934, visit them online at MOTO.GB.

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I was in dire need of some new riding jeans, and got hooked on the idea of some Draggin numbers after seeing their mint advert with some absolute honey barely containing her arse in a pair – the power of advertising eh?

On top of that (and I’d like to be), our Ad Manager Charlie has got a whole wardrobe full of ‘em and swore they were great. He was right too.

I’ve got a pair of the ‘Biker’ jeans, which are kind of classic in style, and I’m well impressed. The build quality appears to be very good, as do the quality of the materials used. The Kevlar panels are thick and extensive, and the fit is great, even on an odd shaped fatty like me. They’re comfortable too, and smart enough to ride to the pub and enjoy a few lemonades without looking like the Terminator, or sweating your gonads off in leathers.

I hope to never try their crash performance, but in every other way I’m impressed with them – recommended.
Moby

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Let’s talk about winter boots. Now I know we’re out of the depths of winter, and summer seems like it’s well and truly here, so you’re probably thinking, “Why the hell is he banging on about winter boots?” I guess I just wanted to shout about them, really. My longterm Alpinestar S-MX Plus boots gave up the ghost during the darker months, so I replaced them with the Alpinestars S-MX R.

They’re a racy waterproof boot that offers reasonable protection, with a sporty fit. These’ve been great at keeping my feet dry on the wet days. Alpinestars also do a Gore-Tex version, so they would no doubt keep your tootsies warm too. Now though, they’re understandably making my feet sweat like a bitch, so maybe I should look at putting my feet back into some summer boots.

Anyway, I just wanted to show these little gems some lovin’ and say they would be well worth a look come winter 2009.

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I was a bit worried that Arai might have cocked it up, because the old RX7 was fantastic, and the new one – while it looks very similar – is actually completely different, including a new shell shape. I needn’t have worried: it’s a definite improvement over the old RX7.

It feels like it wraps round the base of your skull more, so you feel your head is entirely enclosed, the bigger visor aperture is actually quite noticeable, and the overall fit is even better than it was. Although it’s heavier, it doesn’t feel it because the weight is carried low down. The GP is slightly bigger than the Corsair due to the demands of Snell, as the GP will have the new Snell 2010 approval on it as well as ECE 22.05.

There’s much less wind ‘whistle’ on the move. Clearly at road speeds, I’ve not felt any on the aerodynamic benefits of the new fin, but I actually think that’s the least important of the changes, other than the cool factor and marketing spiel. I’m really impressed, and relieved. It’s certainly a case of the best getting better.

The only downside is that I look like a policeman at the moment.
Moby

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They do lack a little in protection, although they have got carbon knuckle and finger protection. The weather riding qualities are great, they keep my mitts warmish and bone dry. The visor blade on the left thumb does actually work and the mix of leather and textiles allow for good control and wear.

Find out more at Moto-direct.co.uk

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The step up from the Metzeler Racetec slick I’d used the previous time out, let alone any treaded tyre, is too great to fully understand without more time. On one hand, I felt like I was going fast and I was pleased with my pace (1m13s) and positions, but on the other hand, I never seemed to be pushing the tyres that hard. It was a strange sensation.

The sizes look weird compared to road tyres – 125/80 and 195/65 – and they made me worry about what they’d do to the balance and handling of the bike. I’ve experienced race tyres that steer so fast it’s scary and tie bikes in knots. They’re surprisingly neutral though. The only real negative is that you’ll struggle to fit standard tyre warmers round them.

Dunlop have more intimate knowledge of more circuits than anyone, so they can always give good advice on compound choice and set-up. For my event, they weighed up the bike, expected temperature, and track knowledge, and selected a soft 6178 front and a relatively hard 7704 rear. They worked perfectly, and the wear patterns backed up the choice. I was impressed to see the amount of personal advice being given out from the Dunlop truck through the day.

Technically, these slicks are similar to the D211GPs that impressed me so much at Pembrey earlier in the year, and Dunlop pride themselves on that rapid transfer of technology from prototype Superbike slicks to production treaded Supersport hoops. The fronts use Triple-Tread Compound, with the stronger centre compound also running underneath the soft edges to provide extra stability.

The rear slicks are also dual compound, though the

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Time for a reset, then, in the form of both a new publisher and developer. Milestone developed last year’s underwhelming SBK 08, which promised a lot, but ultimately failed to deliver either gameplay or graphics. We were a bit concerned when we found out that this engine was forming the backbone of the code in MotoGP 08. But we needn’t have worried, because things have moved on a long way since then. The Milan based programmers have been busy producing what may be the most enjoyable realistic motorbike game ever to have been released on a console.

This is the first console game that has managed to capture the sensations of riding a motorcycle, let alone racing one. You actually feel the mass and momentum of the bike as it banks through the corners, the horizon shifting with your lean angle, the rear tyre braking away as you get on the gas too hard.

The bike physics are superb, with attention to detail. This isn’t a case of cartoon stunts, but of finite control inputs having a very real effect on the stability and pace of your machine. Ride sloppily, and pay the price with poor traction, highsides, and lowsides.

Sadly, your bike and rider both escape damage in any off, which detracts from the sense of realism. We’d also like to see tyre wear over a number of laps to keep you on your toes in the closing stages of a race. It’s an oversight that’s surprising, given the game’s simulator approach to the sport.

The Career mode sees you start in 125s, then earn your way up to 250s and ultimately, GPs as you open up opportunities to race for different teams. Each series does feel distinct, with Stoner’s Ducati coming across every bit the animal you’d imagine it to be. There’s a real sense of development through the ranks, even if the game does fall short of what we’ve now come to expect from the likes of Race Driver: Grid.

As you’d expect from the official game of the 2008 season, all the riders, teams and tracks from this year are in the game, including Indianapolis, and the night race at Qatar. The circuit detail is impressive. You’d expect the layout of the racetrack itself to be accurate, but they’ve also managed to capture the individual feel of each circuit, with varying track widths, background detail and convincing elevation changes.

Each of the bikes and riders are well enough presented, even if the leathers do look artificially shiny. The animation is generally decent, but the highlights style replays are disappointing, even compared to the PlayStation 2 standard set by Gran Turismo.

If the pure racing action gets a bit old, Milestone have also included challenges, that see you complete a specific task such as an overtake, or go for a win from way down the field with some last lap heroics. OK, it’s still ‘just’ racing, but the goals do give a slightly different flavour to the action.

The controls work well, with throttle on the right analogue trigger, which allows you to dial in any given percentage of power. Just as in the real world, this is crucial, because you will go down if you gas it too hard on the way out of a turn.

There’s independent control over front and rear brakes, with the all-important front on the left analogue trigger. Again, this means that you can apply as much or as little front brake as you like, and practice progressive braking into a turn.

Unfortunately, the rear brake is mapped to a button, which is either full on, or off. The only way you can effect control over it is to tap the button, which is a slightly crude workaround. At least the physics engine is quite forgiving to accommodate control inaccuracies over rear wheel grip.

Rider weight distribution is disappointing though, and it’s nigh on impossible to wheelie or stoppie, which feels alien after the stunt-driven antics of earlier instalments in the series.

It may sound daunting to biking virgins or gaming noobs, but MotoGP 08 manages to be playable to both novices and TT veterans alike by offering a genuinely worthwhile range of difficulty options in terms of physics, handling and how well your computer controlled rivals race.

Things get really interesting when you set the other riders to anything above Medium difficulty, which is when they start behaving like real racers. By the time you hit Champion mode, you’ll be lucky to keep them in sight for a whole lap.

You can race from one of several different points of view. Placing the camera behind the bike may make good results easier to achieve, with its line-of-sight advantages, but it’s the on board cockpit view that offers the full experience. We’re just disappointed there isn’t an option to use the right stick to look around, so you can see your opponents alongside you. It’s almost standard in racing games now, and a glaring omission here.

The sound is the real weak area of MotoGP 08, with thin engine notes, dull spot effects and a general lack of authenticity that lets the game down. The predictable music is thankfully limited to menus and replays, leaving you free to hear the bikes on track around you while you’re racing.

In fact, MotoGP 08 suffers from flat presentation, uninspired menu screens and it generally lacks options. You get the feeling that the development team is passionate about bikes, but that they could do with someone from an experienced publisher like Capcom making sure the game gets the final polish to make sure it shines. With any luck, that’s exactly what will happen if the series gets another outing next year.

So what we have here is a game that doesn’t look or sound as good as it could, lacks a sense of occasion, and just doesn’t add up to a top drawer game. On paper.

The reality is that when you shed all the dead weight and get stuck into the racing itself, MotoGP 08 is not only on the top step of the podium, it’s in a class of its own.

MotoGP 08 is available now for PS2, PS3, Xbox360 (version tested), and PC, with a Wii version to follow. Find out all about the game on their website at Capcom-europe.com
Taks

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I ride everyday, rain or shine, but that doesn’t mean all my bikes have to conform to the same demands. While I have scant regard for wrapping myself up against the weather, my more delicate machines need a little bit more love.

Even though I keep all my bikes in a dry garage, I still ensure they get an extra layer of protection, and for that I use Oxford’s brilliant Dormex bike covers. The Dormex is for indoor use only, and provides a breathable dust cover, which allows air to circulate, but keeps dust and dirt off your bike. It has elasticated bottom for a snug fit, and a strap to keep it securely in place. They’re soft but tough, so it won’t damage your bike, but you ‘re also unlikely to ever need to replace it.

The bike under the cover in the picture is my 900SS, which will only be subjected to the rarest of outings over winter – keeping the salt at bay.
I also keep my non-runners and resto projects under wraps, ensuring that there’s no build up of dust and grime over long periods of inactivity, which could cause scratches when eventually washed off, or aide the retention of corrosion-causing moisture.

If you hibernate one or more of your bikes, or have a garage-queen that rarely sees daylight, they’re a good investment.
Moby

£16.99 (Medium)
£21.99 (Large)
Oxprod.com

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