Britain’s first female speedway professional is planning to embark on 14 enduro ride across Africa. Katie McAuley, 37, was a top level amateur motocrosser before taking up speedway and eventually riding professionally for the Hackney Hawks in the early 1990s. Now a children's nurse at South Tyneside Hospital and the mother of two children, Katie has decided to take on ...
- Motorcycle News
- General news
- 25 July 2011
Lewis jacket, £99.99Miles covered/time: 40,000 miles /12 years What’s good: Simple classic looks that don’t look out of place in the pub, and robust construction that has withstood a couple of low speed slides. It was good value too – the 1999 price escapes me, but I remember this Lewis jacket was about the same as a midrange Frank Thomas, which would ...
- Motorcycle Products
- Leathers, jackets & suits
- 22 July 2011
Shoei X-Spirit I Lawson replica, £389 (other design from £299.99 at www.mcnshop.com) Miles covered: 50,000/five years What’s good: Comfort, fit and finish are all as you’d expect of a top-end Shoei – ie excellent – but you can say the same of equivalent Arais. What differentiates the two for me is the Shoei’s slightly more spectacle-friendly shell shape (wider at ...
- Motorcycle Products
- Helmets
- 22 July 2011
Vyrus are testing their new Moto2 bike at Misano, so Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves has joined the Italian firm to ride the innovative bike on track. Here are his first impressions: 'This is one of the most unconventional Moto 2 machines made so far. It has a carbon fibre monocoque chassis, hub centre steering and a Formula One style ...
- Motorcycle News
- New bikes
- 20 July 2011
This grainy picture is the first ever shot of the new Triumph Daytona 675. It was one of four pictures – including a much clearer side-on shot you can see in tomorrow’s MCN – taken by an MCN reader near Triumph’s Hinckley factory. As you’ll see in tomorrow’s paper, the 675cc inline triple sportsbike has undergone a comprehensive overhaul – the ...
- Motorcycle News
- New bikes
- 19 July 2011
This astonishing picture by James Wright of Double Red illustrates just how hard Simon Andrews and his PR Racing Kawasaki hit the tyre wall at Snetterton last weekend. Not only has the front of the bike been torn from the frame, it's then been fired 50-60ft up in the air. The bike itself reached a height of 15ft. Andrews was ...
- Motorcycle Sport
- British Superbikes
- 06 July 2011
MCN's senior reporter Andy Downes is in Germany for the launch of a range of as yet undisclosed BMW technology. Though some will inevitably be pie-in-the-sky concept ideas, it's thought much of the technology will appear on 2012 and 2013 models. Downes said: "I’m about to go into the main presentation and I’m expecting a lot of innovations to do ...
- Motorcycle News
- New bikes
- 01 July 2011
MCN’s Executive Editor Phil West has flown to Croatia for the launch of Suzuki’s much anticipated, updated V-Strom. He’s just phoned through this brief report: "My first thoughts are that in the flesh the bike looks significantly better than the photos, with new clocks and body work. It actually looks rather classy in comparison to the old model. I’m due ...
- Motorcycle News
- New bikes
- 29 June 2011
Arrow exhaust for Moto Guzzi V7 Classic, £857Miles covered/time: 500/one month What’s good: They look a darn site better than the originals – the titanium finish is superb, the quality is top notch, and their simple styling matches the bike. What’s not: They’re so quiet. Having lived with Ducatis for the last few years I’ve become accustomed to the ear-bleeding ...
- Motorcycle Products
- Exhausts
- 27 June 2011
Plastech plastic repair, £11.32 Time repair has held since use: Two weeks (so far) What’s good: You can mend fairings and lugs properly with no special tools. On my old VFR, I ground a V into the back of the crack, squirted in some of the plastic repair kit’s powder followed by the liquid, repeated that cycle until the crack was ...
- Motorcycle Products
- Parts & accessories
- 22 June 2011
