RIDE BETTER!

Welcome to part one of our three-part series on how to ride your modern classic better! Messrs Niall Mackenzie and Neil Hodgson give us some tips on survival out on the road and on track. Part one: preparation, the basics and urban riding…

- NIALL MACKENZIE, NEIL HODGSON, BERTIE SIMMONDS

NIALL MACKENZIE

Former 250 and 350cc British champion, seven times 500cc GP podium finisher and three-times British Superbike champion (1996-1998.)

BIKES OWNED INCLUDE: Yamaha FS1-E, Yamaha RD400, Yamaha RD350LC, Honda TL125S, Yamaha YZF-R1

NEIL HODGSON Neil was 1992 125cc British champion, former 125cc GP rider (1993- 1994), 500cc GP rider (1995), 2000 British Superbike champion and 2003 World Superbike champion.

BIKES OWNED INCLUDE: Ducati 999 FILA replica, Ducati Desmosediciwww.classicmechanics.com / 37

Every day should be a school day, right? That’s what my old boss once told me and I still stick to it…

Every time I do anything, be it in the office or throwing a leg over a bike, I’m prepared to learn something new. It’s the best way… Car drivers may be blinkered, think they know it all and not want to move forward from passing their very basic test, but the stats show that bikers young and old (yes, like us) often want to engage in advanced riding, or track instruction to get the best out of our bikes, be they old or new.

Many of us have been riding for many years; the fact that we are still here says we’ve been doing something right. But old dogs can learn new tricks, and what better ‘old dogs’ to give us some tips and tricks than Niall Mackenzie and Neil Hodgson.

Now, I’ve been lucky enough to have ridden with Niall, a former 500cc grand prix rider and three-time British Superbike champ, on track and road and I can honestly say I’ve learnt a lot from the Old Trout. Whether it was in the fast group at a Donington Park track-day or a wet, nasty ride to Barry Island 20 years back on a Yamaha YZF750 and a Suzuki TL1000S, watching a racer’s smooth skills out on the road can help big time…