The all-new GSX-R1000 will be available to test ride from a series of biker cafés this year, as Suzuki embarks on a summer tour of some of the most popular haunts in the country. Starting at the Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum, Scotland, on June 3, the tour takes in seven weekends, ending at Suzuki’s local bike café, the Super Sausage in Towcester, on September 30.

The new GSX-R1000 features a host of MotoGP-derived technology, including a clever variable valve timing system that gives the new sportsbike both 202hp and 117.6nm of torque. It gets a 10-stage traction control system governed by an inertial measurement unit that also controls rear wheel lift under braking. There are also three power modes and ABS, while the GSX-R1000R also gets launch control, lean angle-sensitive ABS, and a bi-directional quickshifter and auto-blipper, plus Showa’s race-proven Balance Free suspension.

Suzuki’s demo fleet will also feature the new V-Strom 650, which gets more power and torque for 2017, plus a two-mode traction control system – which can also be turned off – and a new design, as well as the bigger V-Strom 1000, which features lean angle-sensitive ABS and a two-mode traction control system.

Joining Suzuki’s GSX-S range for 2017 is a new GSX-S750, which takes its engine from the iconic GSX-R750. It gets the same dash and three-mode traction control system as the bigger GSX-S1000 and GSX-S1000F, and all three will be available to test ride as part of the café tour, along with the SV650 middleweight naked.

Suzuki GB marketing manager, Rob Cooper, announced the tour, saying, “This is the third year of our biker café tour, which has proven both immensely popular and successful over the last couple of years. By visiting the cafés we’re getting out there and bringing our bikes to a wider audience. As a result, we’re making the test ride experience even easier, and spending time with people we’re perhaps not currently seeing at other events or in dealerships. We’ve cherry-picked some of the most popular destinations across the country, and will be running two-day events at all of the cafés on the calendar. We’re now looking forward to the first event next month.”

Those wishing to book a test ride in advance can do so by clicking here.

Suzuki’s café tour dates:

3-4 June – Green Welly Stop, Tyndrum, Scotland

24-25 June – Super Sausage Café, Towcester

1-2 July – Squires Café Bar, Newthorpe, Leeds

15-16 July – Hartside Top Café, Alston, Cumbria

29-30 July – Loomies, West Meon, Hampshire

5-6 August – The Café at Llandow Circuit, Llandow

30 September – 1 October – Super Sausage Café, Towcester

Knox Scarlett skinny motorcycle jeans are made from a superior stretchy 10oz Cordura® denim woven with COOLMAX® All Season for comfort, and treated with a Durable Water Repellency (DWR) finish for practicality on the bike.

Cordura® Denim is 4 times stronger than regular 100% cotton denim and offers far better wear and tear resistance. 

A Dupont™ Kevlar® lining offers high abrasion-resistance, and the Knox® CE approved MICRO-LOCK knee and hip armour guard against impact. A 'smart system' holds the knee protectors against the knees when riding, and is also adjustable. 
A unique feature to Knox denims, the knee armour is accessed from the outside by a discreet zip, so when off the bike it can be removed in seconds, without having to take off the jeans or pull the protector out of its lining.

The jeans are tailored for a slim, but not tight fit, and a lightweight stretch cotton lining offers comfort, breathability and natural antibacterial qualities. 

Knox Scarlett jeans come in classic Blue denim, and in a range of UK sizes from 6-20, with a 32” leg length, and easy-to-alter hem. They retail at £159.99 including VAT.
Knox Scarlett skinny jeans key features:
Stretch 10oz Cordura® denim construction,woven with COOLMAX®
Water repellent finish
Tailored for a slim fit
Seamlessly part lined with DuPont™ Kevlar® fabric for abrasion coverage
Lined with lightweight stretch cotton for comfort, breathability and natural antibacterial qualities
Includes removable Knox® CE approved MICRO-LOCK knee and hip armour
Adjustable knee pocket to give precise knee armour fit
Invisible pockets with external access for easy adjustment and removal
YKK Zips
Colour – Blue Denim
Sizes: 8 Sizes UK 6-20
Leg Length: 32” with easy-to-alter hem

See more here

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As they canvass for the forthcoming election, the political parties are failing to address a major issue for voters: the poor state of the road network.

Decades of under investment has resulted in a deteriorating local road network riddled with potholes. The bill to restore the road network to a decent standard is £12 billion because successive governments have failed to provide the funding to carry out the necessary levels of road maintenance. Continued cutbacks in local authority funding means that the situation can only get worse.

“The political party that commits to real investment in our local road network would gather significant approval from voters,” said Howard Robinson, Chief Executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA).

RSTA is calling for the investment of an additional 2p per litre of the existing fuel duty to fix the plague pf potholes. This would provide an extra £1 billion to fix roads.

“A further £1 billion annual investment would certainly help local authorities tackle the damage done by under-investment by successive governments,” argued Robinson, RSTA. “The poor state of our roads is a major social and economic issue. Voters should make it a political issue too asking the party activists and parliamentary candidates what their political party plans to do to increase investment in road maintenance.”

Bideford Bike Show
The Big Barn Rally
RBLRB Day in aid of the Poppy Appeal @ Ace Cafe
Erskine Motorbike Meet
Fallen Angels 'Tarts in Tartan' Rally
Kilt Ride
Rotary Club of Sowerby Bridge (RCoSB) 3rd annual Classic Bike and Scooter show
Pendle Powerfest
No Bull just Beer and Bikes Show
Margate Meltdown Run
Renal Ride
The REALLY Rally
Trikefest
Warrington Wheels Youth Motor Cycle CompetitionMACH 2 - The Motorbike Festival
Cheshire Classic Car & Motorcycle Show

See more details on the main WHAT'S ON section for May here -
www.thebikerguide.co.uk/bikerralliesshowmay.html

Weekly Bike Nights - www.thebikerguide.co.uk/bikemeets.html

POSITIVE RACE FOR SAM LOWES WHO EARNS HIS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

In the midst of an exciting comeback ride that had taken him from the 18th spot on the starting grid all the way to eighth place, Aleix Espargaró was forced to throw in the towel just five laps from the end due to a breakdown - currently being investigated by the team - that shut down the V4 on his RS-GP.

It was a race that, even with the unlucky outcome, confirms all of his value and that of his Aprilia that had never had a similar problem in two seasons and that had served him so well, allowing him to catch up position by position and lap at increasingly interesting times. As has happened in the past, the second half of the race was becoming the hunting grounds for Aleix, motivated to reap those results that had seemed to be within reach on several occasions in this first part of the season. Even in the morning Warm Up session, Espargaró had ridden an RS-GP that seemed more and more convincing just behind the leaders.

And so it was Sam Lowes who brought home points for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, finishing thirteenth after a race that fully confirmed the progress the English rider had demonstrated throughout the French weekend.

ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"It was a difficult race. Starting so far back does not make things easy. Battling for the top 10 demands maximum concentration. I have to give 100% the entire weekend. In the race I was competitive. After overtaking Miller I was making up ground on Lorenzo and lapping very fast but unfortunately the engine failed just a few laps from the end. A real disappointment. We are working much better than our position in the standings would lead to believe. Unfortunately, this is part of racing. The team and I will continue to give 100% and to work nonstop as we have up to now."

SAM LOWES
"Besides the position today, the gap from the top 10 is important, as it has narrowed compared to the last races. Obviously we need to keep improving. The difficulties were foreseeable because we are in MotoGP, but things are moving in the right direction. I felt good in the race. Only toward the end did I feel the tyre wear since I had to stress it more that some of the other riders who were ahead of me. With the tests next week, where we will have a lot to try, I hope that I'll be able to take another step forward before Mugello, a home race for Aprilia."

ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
"The performance was definitely positive. Aleix was catching up steadily even if we paid the price in the race for less than brilliant qualifying. We need to improve this aspect as well as performance in the first part of the race. Overall, we had good performance here too and now we need to solidify that with results that are clearly within our potential. Sam did well, riding a good race this time in the mix with the others, demonstrating consistent progress throughout the weekend."

FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
"Aleix was really riding a great race, decidedly solid. Unfortunately, he started too far back because of practice being conditioned so much by the weather and that kept us from being out front straight away. But he was doing a really important comeback ride. We have never had a problem like this, but these things happen in racing. Now we need to react because we are truly not far at all from the leaders."