In your MCN this week: Biking’s new hero middleweights

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Dear MCN reader,

We are genetically, or perhaps just socially, conditioned to be constantly looking for something better. And there’s nothing wrong with that. We’d all still be riding around on horses if someone hadn’t come up with wheels, engines, traction control and refined crude oil. But there’s been a quiet, but very evident, backlash against simply wanting ‘more’ from the bikes we ride.

A craving for simplicity and purity led to an explosion in the retro sector over the last decade, while it largely continued the pattern of being completely wedded to big capacity bikes. Now, there’s a growing tide of riders – young, middle-aged, and ‘highly experienced’ – who are waking up to the myriad benefits of putting riding fun and accessibility over capacity, complexity and cost.

This week’s 400s test proves that this isn’t about compromise, it’s about choice. And with the major manufacturers now creating tantalising bikes in the sector, is it time you gave one a test ride?

A 400cc bike was considered to be a completely normal big bike just a few decades ago. Now, most bikers consider them to be small capacity offerings. But that doesn’t mean they’re short on benefits. And it seems that thousands of riders are getting seriously turned on to their benefits, with sales growing strongly in the sector – bolstered heavily by the arrival of Triumph’s Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X. This week, we pitch the new Triumph Speed 400 against key rivals – Husqvarna’s Vitpilen 401 and Royal Enfield’s HNTR 350. Let’s all get naked.

And if you to want a few more cubes to play with, we ride the ultimate evolution of Yamaha’s mid-size adventure offering this week – the fully-kitted Ténéré GYTR. It’s really rather good, too. And if that’s still not enough, we also put the new Honda Africa Twin ES DCT though it’s semi-automatic paces this week.

Coming up next week…

And finally, make sure you grab next week’s MCN on May 22 – it comes with an unmissable huge 32-page Isle of Man TT Preview and a bank-balance-worrying new 32-page edition of our What Bike? buyer’s guide, which features 99 of summer’s hottest brand-new bike deals.

Enjoy the issue!

Richard Newland, MCN Editor

You can read all of this week’s new edition without even going to the shops by getting full access with a Digital Subscription or an MCN Premium Subscription where you’ll also receive your newspaper delivered FREE to your door and exciting rewards and discounts to enjoy!

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1 – Meet Mr Protection

Meet Gabriele Mazzarolo. You might never have heard his name, but you’ve certainly heard of his company, and possibly even own a stack of its products. Gabriele is the tireless driving force behind the global protection firm, Alpinestars. Far more than just ‘the boss’, he’s the firm’s guiding light.

2 – Cutting the Ninja

Bimota have a long and illustrious history of taking other manufacturers’ engines and creating something verging on magic with their own chassis and cycle parts. And that history is particularly long with Kawasaki. Could their new ZX-10RR-engined WSBK racer spell the end of the Ninja.

3 – The ultimate Ténéré

If you want to buy a brand-new Yamaha Ténéré 700 in 2024, there’s a bewildering amount of choice on offer. And this new GYTR option is born directly out of rallying, a temple to the world of off-road riding. And most interesting, you can simply cherry-pick and fit the bits you most want or need.

4 – Covering your back

Everyone needs a great do-it-all biking jacket. Maybe even two. But they’re not cheap if you want to keep pace with the very latest kit on offer. If you’re happy to be a few months behind the curve, though – there are some stunning bargains to be had. This week we round up seven of the hottest.

5 – Breaking the rules

MotoGP is determined to never stand still for too long, and that means evolving the rules on a fairly regular basis. With key changes coming into effect in 2027, MCN goes under the skin of the primary differences. Will aero stay? What will the capacity be? And will the racing be better – or worse?

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