In your MCN this week: New XSR900 GP blows our socks off

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Dear MCN reader,

This week has felt like a massive uncorking of pent-up biking pressure – both in terms of new bikes and racing. The first explosive release came when our man Carl first swung his leg over the new Yamaha XSR900 GP and gave us the news we’d all been hoping for: It’s great. I honestly can’t remember the last mid-market new bike that managed to get so many bikers so universally excited. As someone who bought a brand-new TRX850 in 1997, you can imagine that I’m rather keen to grab the keys, too.

The wildfire of interest that was sparked when Yamaha first unveiled their new XSR900 GP

was a very pleasant shock, even to them. The wildly evocative Marlboro-aping paintjob, cute retro half-faired Imola-esque styling, all married to the now legendary CP3 inline triple felt like a recipe that could only result in a tasty cake. But what looks good in the flesh and on paper isn’t always so good once the starter button has been pressed, and you head out on the road. But while the past is littered with such fails, the XSR900 GP isn’t going to join them.

If you’re looking for something at the more extreme end of the scale, you’re going to love the new BMW M1000XR, its extraordinary aggression and surplus of power and complexity. Bikes this extreme shouldn’t be so usable. We take a deep dive into the latest M-bike.

Also on test this week are five new Indian Scouts, that really do deliver on their promises and the new Husqvarna Svartpilen 801, which is a brilliantly mellow maniac with lashings of individuality and style.

BSB’s coming home…

The other big climax this week came when Marc Marquez finally arrived back at his pre-accident level of aggression and obvious talent, only to be given a firm tyre in the shoulder by Pecco Bagnaia. I’ll be honest, I didn’t see that level of fight and pace coming from Pecco in such a pressured scenario. And it was great to see, wasn’t it? You can hear what Mat Oxley and John McGuinness think in this issue, too.

I said a couple of weeks back that it was a shame many UK fans’ interest had waned in the post-Rossi era, and that their timing couldn’t have been worse – and this is exactly why. MotoGP is exploding with talent (both new and revived) right now – as all four of this weekend’s races demonstrated with crystal clarity. Astounding.

And with BSB coming home to the fabulous Oulton Park this weekend, it’s the perfect time to hop on the bike and go and see some racing action in the flesh, too.

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 – MCN’s Skills School

Going in a straight line gets you places, but going around corners is what biking is all about, isn’t it? This week we kick off a new 8-part series with Rapid Training to give your riding skills a firm tickle and brush-up in the hope that you’ll have the best, and most rewarding, summer of riding ever.

2 – Insurance rip-off?

One of the biggest threats to biking right now is the high price of insurance, with some dealers reporting that customers are cancelling purchases after they’ve received astoundingly high quotes – especially for those living in major cities. But is there hope lurking on the horizon? We investigate.

3 – Handy summer deals Winter gloves are a godsend in terms of thermal protection, but the devil’s work in terms of feel. And in summer they’ll turn your hands to a sweaty mess. As the mercury finally starts to rise, it’s time to ensure you’ve got some proper summer gloves. Try these hot deals to keep your hands cool

4 – Get fit to ride

You don’t have to shell out a grand on gym membership and buy Lycra to get yourself a bit more bike-fit this summer. All you need is a guiding hand and the desire to get more enjoyment from your bike time. We’ve enlisted an ex-Gladiator’s for our new series aimed at helping you get fit to ride.

5 – MotoGP explodes into life

Forget boxing matches, this is the MotoGP fight we’ve all been so desperate to see. MotoGP needed the touch paper to be lit, and it certainly was at the weekend as an on-form Marc Marquez buried his Jerez demons with a stunning display of pace. But Bagnaia was having none of it. So, what next?

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