2008

Website launched to help bikers who are victims of theft and fraud

Website launched to help bikers who are victims of theft and fraud

A new website has been launched, which aims to help motorcyclists who have been victims of theft or fraud. www.motorbikecrime.com has been created by Phil Swift, the insurance industry’s claims expert...

LCC Cyclists breaking the law

LCC Cyclists breaking the law

Two LCC (cycling campaign) cyclists were cycling at speed on the pavement of Lewisham High St which is pedestrian only. They ignored my request that they should not be cycling on the pavement. Both...

MCN in Las Vegas

MCN in Las Vegas

Me on my honeymoon in Las Vegas August 2008, on top of the stratosphere catching up on the lastest news in MCN.

Aprilia lift the veil on the new RSV4

Aprilia lift the veil on the new RSV4

Aprilia have revealed the first official pictures of their road-going 1000cc V4 supersports machine, the RSV4. The Aprilia RSV4 is powered by an engine developed and built in-house by Aprilia. This...

Aprilia RSV4 launch teaser

Aprilia RSV4 launch teaser

MCN News Reporter Chris Newbigging is in Rome right now at the launch of Aprilia’s new RSV4 and he’s just sent through this camera phone shot  and some info on the bike as a little teaser. Click here...

MCN in Maldives

MCN in Maldives

Enjoying the hot weather on summer island in the maldives, having a good read of MCN!

Kawasaki reveal 2009 motorcycles: ZX-6R, ER6, three new VN1700 cruisers and the KLX250

Kawasaki reveal 2009 motorcycles: ZX-6R, ER6, three new VN1700 cruisers and the KLX250

Kawasaki have revealed a bunch of new 2009 motorcycles, including the new ZX-6R, a sharper ER6-f and ER6-n, three different versions of the new VN1700 cruiser and an enduro-style KLX250 to tempt...

Three new Kawasaki VN1700 cruisers

Three new Kawasaki VN1700 cruisers

KAWASAKI has taken the wraps off the 2009 bikes including the new ZX-6R, ER6-f and ER6-n, three new cruisers and a new KLX250 enduro-style machine. Full details are in the September 24 issue of...

Kawasaki gives ER6 sporty makeover

Kawasaki gives ER6 sporty makeover

Kawasaki has taken the wraps off the 2009 bikes including the new ZX-6R, ER6-f and ER6-n, three new cruisers and a new KLX250 enduro-style machine. Full details are in the September 24 issue of...

No nods, why?!

I have been riding my 125cc for about 3-4 months now and everyone I have been nodding at on a motorcycle (2 wheels and an engine) has not nodded back. Is this because I only ride a 125cc, or is it because others riders are rude?

Britain's Got Biking Talent with Carole Nash: Voting now closed

Britain's Got Biking Talent with Carole Nash: Voting now closed

Voting has now closed in MCN’s Britain’s Got Biking Talent contest with Carole Nash. Your votes have been cast and the 12 bikes you chose from the 50 finalists will now feature in the 2009 Carole...

Motorcycles to get speed limiters

Motorcycles to get speed limiters

Motorcycles will be fitted with speed limiters linked to satellites to prevent them ever exceeding the limit under plans announced by Government. The devices could take control from riders by...

Helmets Off!

Helmets Off!

Yet another petrol station is insisting on all motorcyclists removing their helmets before filling up with petrol, I got caught today. It is the Budgens Local Total garage on The Broadway,...

London borough mayor passionate about motorcycles

London borough mayor passionate about motorcycles

Britain’s youngest borough mayor has a dark secret. He’s mad about motorcycles, and wants to do all he can to encourage people to ride. Andrew Johnson, 28, is the mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham...

Friday funny: Road testers busted for Terrorism!

Friday funny: Road testers busted for Terrorism!

You’d expect road testing motorcycles to be a fairly glamorous affair, with the only dangers being the danger of riding a motorcycle close to its limit, but I bet you never thought road testers would...

Fuel prices down at supermarket forecourts

Fuel prices down at supermarket forecourts

Up to three pence a litre is being taken of petrol by several supermarkets. Anti-bike petrol stations Pro-bike petrol stations Morrisons were the first to slash three pence off a litre of both...

Yamaha extends 'More to Play With' finance offer

Yamaha extends 'More to Play With' finance offer

Yamaha has extended its ‘More to Play With’ offer to Monday 1 December and also added more motorcycles to the scheme. View Yamaha motorcycles for sale The current offer of three and-a-half years...

BMW Off Road Skills hosts Fifth Gear off-road challenge

BMW Off Road Skills hosts Fifth Gear off-road challenge

Six-time Dakar competitor and Chief Instructor of BMW Off Road Skills, Simon Pavey, recently invited TV’s Fifth Gear presenters Vicki Butler-Henderson and Tiff Needell to compete in an off-road...

Free Parking for Bikes....

I notice a lot of bikes either parking on the roadside, or paying to use a private car park in Cromer (North Norfolk). Obviously, these pour souls do not realise that North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) do not charge bikes to park in their pay & display car parks, even if you take up a car space when the bike spaces are full. If you’re coming to N Norfolk, as a lot of bikers do, then please...

Motorcycle Test...

Well….a week after the “powers that be” swallowed their pride and admitted they were not ready to implement the new test, the DVLA can still not issue a test date to anyone who had a pre-booked test aranged at one of their new test centres….and they will not be issuing till at least next monday… Oh and by the way, if you had booked the new test at the new test cost, £80, you will not be getting a...

Drunk drivers less dangerous than texters

Drunk drivers less dangerous than texters

Drivers who write text messages at the wheel are more dangerous than those who drive while drunk or on drugs, according to research from the RAC Foundation. The skills of 2000 motorists aged 18-24...

submersed in MCN

submersed in MCN

I am based in China as a submersible pilot! I look forward to a good read of MCN after a 300 meter dive in the South China Sea. I can’t get MCN over in China, but my wife buys it for me every week so...

Practise what you preach

There has been lots of talk lately about speed cameras and Police using dodgy tactics to catch speeding drivers, but I question why Norfolk Police have stopped using Hi Visibility vests when doing speed checks! Passing them today on the A47, 2 officers had set up a speed check on the side of a busy dual carriageway both dressed completely in black!! Does this mean they no long practice what they...

New helmet tests flawed

New helmet tests flawed

New official helmet tests have focused on hitting helmets in the wrong place, MCN can reveal.  They include more impacts to the side of the helmet than required by European standards because testers...

Latest 2009 Aprilia RSV4 spy shots

Latest 2009 Aprilia RSV4 spy shots

Aprilia’s new RSV4 superbike has been spied days before its official launch in Rome this weekend. The new pictures from the ApriliaNews Blog show a finished road bike minus a few pieces of trim –...

New Yamaha Aerox

New Yamaha Aerox

I stumbled across this image, does anyone know anything about it? Is it the new Aerox?? I really like it, it’s about time Yamaha updated the Aerox. Anyway I thought MCN readers might be interested.

BMW Reliability? A fallacy!

Having read various recent articles over the reliability (or otherwise) of BMW’s, I thought I would add my brief contribution. Having suffered the delights of BMW car ownership some years ago (poor service, poor build qulity, major reliability issues), for some strange reason I decided to forget all those memories and purchase an R1100SS from a BMW franchised dealer. 800 miles on the clock, owned...

Dickerson’s Vincent Rapide to be auctioned

Dickerson’s Vincent Rapide to be auctioned

The Vincent Rapide ridden by land speed record chaser Marty Dickerson is due to be auctioned in Los Angeles in October. The American took two Class C land-speed records at Bonneville on his Rapide,...

Protect your baby with an intercom

I had my garage broken into and had my sons Suzuki DR350 stolen, so I went to buy an alarm but on the way got chatting to a mate… Between us we came up with the simple idea of using baby intercoms, so in the event of some lowlife breaking in your shed or garage, you have a far better chance of catching them! The good news- we recovered the bike in the end!

Free in this week's MCN: Why Rossi is the greatest

Free in this week's MCN: Why Rossi is the greatest

In this week’s edition of MCN, we have a free 8-page supplement on why Valentino Rossi is the greatest racer of all time, by the man he arguably stole the crown from- Giacomo Agostini. Click here to...

More BMW Quality Issues

I had a BMW R1150GS and within 12 months I had to have the front wishbone replaced due to corrosion. On the same bike some months later the fuel gauge failed. Also had to have this replaced. So I decided to upgrade and purchased the R1200GSADV… with less than 2000 miles on the clock the fuel gauge failed. Took it to the BMW dealer who supposedly fixed it and…of course…they had not! Unfortunately...

George White offering amazing deal on Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8

George White offering amazing deal on Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8

If you’re in the market for a Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8, then you’re in luck. Motorcycle dealer George White has an amazing finance offer available on the GSX-R1000 to beat the credit crunch. Suzuki...

New MCN September 17: Worlds first test of Triumph Street Triple R

New MCN September 17: Worlds first test of Triumph Street Triple R

In this week’s Motorcycle News, we bring you the World’s first test of the new Triumph Street Triple R. The Standard Triumph Street Triple is already regarded as a brilliant motorcycle, so will the...

Bikes on TV: September 17-23

Bikes on TV: September 17-23

KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT – Discovery Real Time DRTE -Discovery Real Time Extra DSC – Discovery Channel  DHD – Discovery Channel HD EXS – Extreme Sports Channel MM – Men and Motors MOT – Motors TV   SS1...

Tribute to Rollie Free

Tribute to Rollie Free

Here are some pics of my tribute to Rollie Free’s land speed record run. On September 13th 1948, he achieved 150mph. On September 13th 2008… I managed a pretty good speed 🙂

Top 10 33bhp bikes

Top 10 33bhp bikes

If you’ve just passed your test in the UK and you’re under 21 or chose to take the A2 license, then you’re restricted to a bike with a maximum of 33bhp for the first 2 years. But don’t despair, we’re...