A couple of years ago I asked an MCN work experience girl what she thought of motorcyclists. I was hoping she’d use words like ‘cool’, ‘exciting’, perhaps even ‘sexy’ but instead she said, “They’re all old blokes... you think they could be a bit of alright and then they take their helmets off... and they’re all my dad’s age.” She ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 24 April 2013
My longterm Harley-Davidson Street Bob Dark Custom has turned up this morning. No camp metal flake, trinkets or radio here! Old Skool chopper styling looks ace but it could do with some louder pipes and those chrome bits have to go... BLOG13 | STREETBOB13
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 17 April 2013
The ‘fine-handling scooter’ ethos has kept the T-Max on the top of the sales charts since it first appeared in 2001 but MCN’s world first test suggests its reign may be limited – by concentrating on performance, Yamaha is lagging seriously behind rivals in terms of practicality. There’s no doubting the T-Max’s performance though. The T-Max still offers handling and ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 29 December 2011
Riding a motorcycle from Peterborough to Brussels and back in a day in November is no picnic. The 600 miles aren’t the issue, but being cold is. Even with good riding kit, draughts start to creep in and on a long trip, once you’re cold, you’re cold for a long time. To prepare the Tiger I wired in a connector ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 23 December 2011
After being enthralled by the round-the-world tales in our free Adventure supplement a couple of weeks ago I was inspired to do something similar on the Tiger 800. The journey needed to be epic and daring, the destination exotic and unusual. One night over dinner all options were examined with my partner and pillion, Nicola. Would it be the Road ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 07 September 2011
Last weekend I fitted an eSystem chain oiling system to my long term Triumph Tiger 800. Unlike traditional vacuum valve operated oilers, Scottoiler’s eSystem uses a small electric pump to dispense measured droplets of oil to the chain Pic 1a It’s a complex piece of kit that uses a dashboard, temperature sensor and accelerometer to control flow. You can throw ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 15 June 2011
I've now had the Tiger 800 for a month and when it's not being thrashed on a group test or chasing Ross Noble across the UK, I've been riding it on my 30 mile commute every day. Here's what I've discovered so far… The engine is a gemThere's not much more that can be said about Triumph's triple cylinder engine. ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 03 June 2011
This is the new shortie-friendly version of last year’s Sportster XL883L and comes with a bigger 17 litre tank, new seat, longer travel rear suspension, new five spoke wheels and fresh paint. It’s powered by the same easy-going, tractable 883cc V-twin as last year’s bike, which is no bad thing. Find a Harley-Davidson for sale Sitting astride the bike, the seat ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 14 September 2010
Before you start, the soft finish of the engine paint marks easily so remove watches, rings etc. When you reach the point of removing/replacing the header pipes use rags/bubble wrap to protect engine cases. Removing the stock pipes1. Unclip and disconnect the lambda wiring from both downpipes.2. Remove seat (press in the two tags underneath the seat pan front) and ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 29 July 2010
I’ve been riding the XR1200 for a few weeks now and even though I’m smitten with it there’s still room for improvement. The first thing I’ve changed is the levers. The original Harley levers had a bizarre dog–leg shape that meant the backs were very close to my knuckles. Every time I changed gear I had to nearly remove my ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 14 July 2010
