They're still hairy but they're not bikers any more.

Not real bikers, any way.

GET used to athletes getting a bit up themselves in a summer of self-love after Lee Merrien's performance in the London Marathon.

The trouble with Titanic, the latest drama from Julian Fellowes, is that it just didn't float the boat.

MELVYN Bragg's BBC2 series on class has made for strange viewing.
He's an amiable sort of chap, that's for sure, but he does go on a bit about his working class roots.

CARLOS Checa has taken the win in the second World Superbike Championship race at Phillip Island.

But it was Max Biaggi who stole the show by finishing second after working his way back through the pack from dead last after a running off the track in the first lap.

And Brit Tom Sykes took a hard-fought third after seeing-off Jonathan Rea's Honda over the line.

MAX Biaggi has won the first race of the 2012 World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island by seven seconds.

The Aprilia Racing Team rider led for most of the 22-lap race after Carlos Checa crashed out from the lead on Lap Six.

Second was the BMW Motorrad of Marco Melandri with Team Effenbert Liberty Racing's Sylvain Guintoli third.

TODAY'S Superpole session at Phillip Island has been cancelled following a fatal accident in an earlier support race.

It is believed Australian rider Oscar McIntyre was killed in a collision during the earlier Australian Superstock race.

Superpole was delayed as medics and police attended the scene but after an hour race chiefs decided to abandon the session completely.

CHAZ Davies is out of this weekend's World Superbike Championship opening round after shattering his wrist during second qualifying at Phillip Island.

Davies highsided his Parkingo MTC Aprilia RSV4 Factory machine at Turn Two of the Australian track, just moments after securing his place in Superpole.

It is believed he suffered a broken left radius in the crash, and immediately withdrew from further proceedings.

In the land of celebrity architects George Clarke is king.

SAMURAI of Slide Noriyuki Haga will ride for Guisborough-based Swan Yamaha this season after inking a deal to replace the injured Ian Hutchinson.

After weeks of gossip and rumours, the Japanese hotshot has today revealed he will return to Yamaha power to contest the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship.

Nitro Nori comes to the UK with a total of 43 World Superbike Championship wins, finishing title runner-up three times and securing third a further four times.