Marc Potter's review of 2016

By Marc Potter

marcpotter Tested every new bike since 1994, loves anything on two wheels, runs Potski Media, ex-BikeSocial boss. Recently discovered elbow-down riding - likely to end in tears.

Posted 30/12/2016 14:58 UK

Former MCN editor Marc Potter started the year as BikeSocial's boss and ended it in a new 'Editor at Large' role. One thing that hasn't changed though is Potski's ability to break the biggest stories, ride the hottest bikes and meet the biggest names in the industry, so it's no wonder picking his best bits from the year was another tough, tough task...

Best bike I rode

Controversial I know, but if there was one bike I could ride again it would be the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro. It’s a bike that come the end of the world I can just get on and ride to the safety of the jungle. Or nip to the shops. Maybe I’ve been watching too much of The Walking Dead.

Product of the year

My Bell Custom 500 helmet. I never used to like open face lids, but then I rode Route 66 and fell in love with my Bell. I now use it loads in the summer and even sometimes in the winter when I’m ‘off duty’.

Scariest moment

Riding priceless world superbike and Superstock TT-winning bikes is one special thing, but doing it on a track that you haven’t ridden in 15 years is terrifying. But what a day I had once I finally got my head down, going balls-out into the first corner from the pits at Jerez to keep the tyres hot. I needed more than three laps on Jordi Torres’ world superbike BMW S 1000 RR to get my head round the way it rode with its split throttles cutting between two and four cylinders though.

Best Bike Social moment

Look, we’re ruined in this job sometimes, but riding as part of the event at The Goodwood Festival of Speed on Honda’s BSB bike was one of those pinch me moments. The Bennetts track day at Silverstone on June 15 was also special as my whole team was around, I got to ride a Bennetts Suzuki BSB bike, and watch Scott Redding scare people on our long-term Ducati 1299.

Cal gets a lot of stick because he speaks his mind, but nobody can ever take those wins away from him

Marc Potter

Best sporting moment

Cal Crutchlow winning in MotoGP in the Czech Republic was special, but to do it in the dry, and to hold-off and extend his lead on a fighting and fit Valentino Rossi at Phillip Island was truly special. Cal gets a lot of stick because he speaks his mind, but nobody can ever take those wins away from him.

Low spot

Buying a 'running' Honda Vision Met-In for my twin boys (aged 12), at the Stafford Show and finding out it may have run, once, just not any more.

Looking forward to...

The TT always, but especially this year with all the new bikes coming – the Blade, Suzuki, R6.

MotoGP is going to be epic with Lorenzo on that Ducati and Maverick Vinales being so fast in testing on the Yamaha. Personally I’m excited and terrified to be trying to carve out a year with my new business, Potski Media. But more than anything I’m excited that I still appear to get away with being paid to do skids and wheelies. Hopefully.

Ambition for 2017

Buying an actual new motorcycle, yep, I have my order in for a Ducati Desert Scrambler. Signed, sealed, but not yet delivered. To be fair the bikes won’t be ready until end of March though. Got some big features and world exclusives I’m working on right now for the summer. But, closer to home, I also promised my twins we’d get out riding more with their lads on their CRF100, and that I’d make more time riding with my old man who got back into biking a couple of years ago and just bought a Triumph Bonneville T100. All of this depends on the success of my new business, Potski Media, of course!