Retro

YAMAHA: XSR900 GP honours Rainey’s riding return

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Mark Lancaster

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14th July 2025

In celebration of a racing legend, on 11th July, Yamaha Motor Europe has presented a unique custom-built XSR900 GP model to 3-time 500cc World Champion, Wayne Rainey in close collaboration with Yamaha Motor US. The occasion marked Rainey’s third time riding Yamaha machinery since his race career-ending accident in 1993. During that time, the racing…
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NEW helmets for Norton

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Mark Lancaster

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11th July 2025

Norton Motorcycles has launched its Hedon for Norton helmet collection, in partnership with Hedon. The collection, named Series 1, will feature two full-face styles. The Series 1 – Glass Fibre helmet features a full glass fibre shell, while the Series 1 – Carbon Fibre features a full carbon fibre shell. Both helmets have platinum, black and red…
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KIT TESTED: Weise Detroit jacket and Ruroc AT4.0 Track helmet

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Mark Lancaster

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14th May 2025

Dave Manning reports back on leather and lid… While I do have textiles, and find them near perfect for riding in inclement weather, I still like to pull on a leather jacket and jeans when the mercury is high enough and we’re not inundated with precipitation. And they do favour the look that matches the…
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KIT: ROADSKIN SUMMER GLOVES **NEW**

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Mark Lancaster

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4th April 2025

Roadskin has announced the launch of the Roadskin Summer Motorcycle Gloves, the ultimate blend of style, performance, and safety for riders who demand the very best. Crafted with premium materials and cutting-edge design, these gloves redefine summer riding, offering unparalleled comfort and protection without compromising style. Engineered for Comfort and Durability The Roadskin Summer Motorcycle…
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ARCHIVE: Rainey Reigns

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Mark Lancaster

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23rd September 2024

VJMC’s Steve Cooper remembers… With the YZR finally in fine fettle, Yamaha looked to be in with a shot of reclaiming the title Rider coach, trackside fettler and GP guru Kel Carruthers had gone but Yamaha was still in dire need of reclaiming the prestigious Number One plate. As was always the case, ‘more power’…
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TESTED: Yamaha XSR 900 GP

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Mark Lancaster

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2nd September 2024

Rolling the dice down the retro route, Yamaha’s hit the jackpot with its latest old-school themed offering… The core of the XSR is Yamaha’s polished and proven CP3 triple motor that boasts a tidy 119bhp and claims 93Nm of torque to back things up. The engine is a direct crossover part with the new MT-09,…
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NORTON: Expansion plans announced

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Mark Lancaster

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17th July 2024

Norton Motorcycles, part of the TVS Motor Company Group, announced its investment and growth plans to prepare the company for international expansion. Hosting a contingent of international journalists at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, members of Norton’s senior leadership team – Sudarshan Venu, Dr Robert Hentschel and Richard Arnold – shared the brand’s vision and…
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Ducati’s Scrambler brand goes back to the future

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Alan Dowds

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9th June 2023

Bolognan firm’s trendy sub-brand launches new bikes for 2023 at high-end Soho event Back in the early 2010s, lots of firms were launching new retro bikes. But Ducati went one better, launching an entire new retro-cool brand in 2015. The Scrambler range owed its style to the legendary Scrambler singles of the 1960s and 70s,…
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New Dates for Bristol Classic Bike Show 2021

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Sam Hewitt

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20th November 2020

The traditional curtain-raiser to the classic season – the Bristol Classic Bike Show – is for one year only switching to a new summer date to try and beat the COVID-19 pandemic.
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New Dates for Classic Dirt Bike Show 2021

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Sam Hewitt

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19th November 2020

The UK’s biggest and best classic off road show is getting a new date for one year only, as the scene aims to fight back against the COVID-19 pandemic.
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NEW Retro Arai Rapide Neo helmet unveiled in Japan

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Alan Dowds

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27th December 2018

Japanese lid-gurus unveil 80s-inspired helmet YOU might have noticed that things have been a little quiet round here this week. Yes, we’re all living das Yuletide dream, visiting the rellies, eating our own bodyweight in Hotel Chocolat finery, and pouring unfeasible amounts of lightly-adulterated ethanol down our necks. Luckily though, the lovely folks in Japan…
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NEW 2019 TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN LAUNCHED

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Alan Dowds

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7th December 2018

Tasty 1200 retro roadster has 96bhp motor with all the 60s style OKAY, THIS is a little outside our normal brief. But the new Triumph Speed Twin that’s just been released has a certain je ne sais quoi about it (it was launched in Paris…), so we’re having a bit of a look. On the…
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Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 Breaks Cover

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7th October 2010

A little disappointedly, we’re likely to see the new Aprilia Dorsodura 1200 before we get a V4 version of the Tuono. We shouldn’t be too upset, however, because the bigger Dorsodura promises to be a lot more bonkers than its baby brother.
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