Bike news

Year: ALL

Cruise brothers! Harley-Davidson launch updated Street Glide and Road Glide tourers for 2024

24 January 2024 by Nye Davis

Harley-Davidson are expanding their lineup for 2024 with the introduction of two new ‘bagger’ models – the Street Glide and Road Glide – with both arriving in dealers this month. At the heart of...

Harley-Davidson launch new line of special edition CVO models for 2024

24 January 2024 by Dan Sutherland

Harley-Davidson have added two new top-spec specials to their 2024 line-up, announcing a £23,495 CVO Pan America adventure bike, alongside a £38,995 CVO Road Glide ST bagger cruiser. Standing for...

Exclusive interview | MCN chats with the designer behind the bikes in Netflix film The Kitchen

24 January 2024 by Dan Sutherland

Royal Enfield have bagged a starring role in new Netflix film The Kitchen, directed by Black Panther and Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya alongside Kibwe Tavares. Read sister title Empire’s review of The...

MotoGP runner-up Jorge Martin is Guest of Honour at February’s Devitt Insurance MCN London Motorcycle Show!

24 January 2024 by MCN

Devitt Insurance MCN London Motorcycle Show MotoGP fan favourite and 2023 World Championship contender Jorge Martin will storm the Devitt Insurance MCN London Motorcycle Show on Friday, 16th February, as the show’s Guest of Honour, giving...

Come and work for MCN | Turn your passion for motorbikes into a career you'll love!

23 January 2024 by Gareth Evans

UPDATE: Applications for these roles are now closed. Ever fancied working for MCN and turning your love of motorbikes into a career? Well now is your opportunity because we’re hiring! We’ve got...

Bosch bring scaled-back versions of lean-sensitive electronics to smaller and cheaper bikes

23 January 2024 by Phil West

We’ve become used to sophisticated electronic safety aids, with lean-sensitive cornering ABS, traction control, and even radar-guided cruise control now becoming part of everyday biking lingo. But...

Stark’s surging production | Electric bike builder ramps up production to meet rising demand

22 January 2024 by Nye Davis

Barcelona based electric motocross manufacturer Stark Future have announced a dramatic scaling up in production. CEO and founder Anton Wass reported a large increase in the number of units...

Centennial celebrations | BMW achieve highest ever sales figures on 100 year anniversary

22 January 2024 by Nye Davis

BMW Motorrad helped celebrate their 100-year anniversary by achieving record sales across 2023. The Bavarian manufacturer delivered 209,257 motorcycles and scooters to customers globally last year,...

Meet the duo helping to support our BSB superstars through their charity efforts

22 January 2024 by Nye Davis

Die-hard British Superbike (BSB) fan Shane Farrow and his pal Stephen Thomas have set up a fund to assist young racers hit by financial difficulty. “We aim to help a lot of the younger...

Hybrid future | Getting under the skin of Kawasaki’s pioneering new hybrid powertrain

22 January 2024 by Ben Purvis

Hybrids may have become commonplace in cars over the last 25 years, but the difficulties of incorporating the idea into motorcycles mean Kawasaki’s achievement in creating the world’s first ‘strong...

Naked aggression | Krämer launch Hooligan racer based on top-spec GP2-890R

19 January 2024 by Dan Sutherland

German race bike firm, Krämer Motorcycles have launched a limited-run Hooligan naked bike based on their flagship £28,600 GP2-890R. Powered by KTM’s 889cc parallel twin engine from the 890 Duke R...

How to: Restore tarnished alloy

18 January 2024 by Bruce Dunn

I don’t think there’s a more satisfying job to do in the garage than restoring an alloy part – scrubbing away all those years of muck to make a part look like new again is highly rewarding. The...

Dream ride: Find the Gap

18 January 2024 by Geoff Tompkinson

America certainly knows how to do breakfast. Sitting inside Pete’s Coffee Shop in Knoxville, Tennessee, a banquet of eggs-over-easy, crispy bacon, pancakes with syrup, orange juice, toast and jelly...

Big read: Forget Rossi v Marquez or Bridewell v Irwin – the rivalry between Schwantz and Rainey was on another level

18 January 2024 by Stuart Barker

It’s now more than 30 years since Kevin Schwantz won the 1993 500GP crown, his only world title before retiring early in the 1995 season. But he won far more than races and a world title during...

The MCN Test: Tiger hunting

18 January 2024 by Jim Moore

Of all the adventure bike sub-classes – and there are many – the middleweight sector is perhaps the most important. With machines ranging in capacity from 700 to 900cc and prices starting at under...

Roads insight: Grave concern for Irish road racing future

18 January 2024 by Stephen Davison

During the past week Northern Ireland’s Ulster Grand Prix, the fastest road race on the planet, has been cancelled for the fifth year in a row. The Tandragee 100 had already been called off for...

Biking Legends: Jonathan Rea

18 January 2024 by Emma Franklin

With six back-to-back titles, Jonathan Rea is the most decorated World Superbike champion in the sport’s history, setting all-time highs for race wins (119), points scored (6172.5), podiums (263) and...

Bike thief brothers spared jail following 'incredibly dangerous' police pursuit

17 January 2024 by Dan Sutherland

Two brothers, who attempted to evade Nottinghamshire Police on a pair of stolen motorcycles by riding into oncoming traffic, have been handed suspended prison sentences in court. Related: Get...

Guy Martin's latest tumble | TT star crashes out of Mablethorpe beach race

17 January 2024 by Nye Davis

Lincs truck fitter, road racing legend, and enigmatic TV personality Guy Martin, recently added to his list of dramatic list of spills, confirming in a statement that he crashed out whilst taking part...

Keeping our furry friends safe | Britain's rural road signs refreshed to protect wildlife

17 January 2024 by Nye Davis

In a bid to reduce road traffic collisions and better protect Britain’s wildlife population, the Department for Transport (DfT) have announced plans to refresh the small animal warning...

Husqvarna update 401 and 125 Vitpilen and Svartpilen singles range for 2024

16 January 2024 by Dan Sutherland

Husqvarna Motorcycles have kicked off their 2024 campaign with a radical redesign of their small capacity Svartpilen and Vitpilen range, marking the biggest change to the single-cylinder line-up since...

Bike sales figures take a plunge - MCIA reveals figures dip against previous year

16 January 2024 by Phil West

New bike sales in 2023 concluded with a slight decline on 2022 figures, according to new data released by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA). But despite the downturn, bosses say there are...

Radar revolution | Verge give you eyes in the back of your head with new tech

16 January 2024 by Dan Sutherland

One of the fastest-growing trends in premium motorcycle design is radar technology, with Ducati, BMW, Yamaha, KTM, and now Finnish firm Verge installing dedicated systems to improve rider...

Keeping up with the Foggies - New docu-series dives into life of superbike star

15 January 2024 by Dan Sutherland

Four-time WSBK champion and ‘King of the Jungle’ Carl Fogarty is to star in a new docu-series called ‘Bike Club’. The 13-parter, featuring bite-sized episodes lasting 10-15 minutes, will stream on new...

Crackdown - South Yorks Police get tough on anti-social riders with 5k hours of patrols

12 January 2024 by Phil West

Police in South Yorkshire have been ramping-up high visibility patrols, including their off-road bike team, to tackle anti-social behaviour. Since July 2023, the force say more than 5000 hours of...

Hero's welcome - Indian motorcycle manufacturer sets sights on European market

12 January 2024 by Dan Sutherland

Indian low-capacity motorcycle specialists, Hero MotoCorp, have confirmed an expansion into Europe for 2024 alongside well-established MotoGB as their distribution partners. “We’ve got the...

Japanese classics auctioned - Two rare predecessors of Suzuki and Kawasaki up for sale

11 January 2024 by Phil West

Two rare predecessors of the first production Suzuki and Kawasaki motorcycles are among the stars of a classic motorcycle auction in April. Related: Rare Brit sidecars in upcoming auction A...

Cornwall cameras vandalised: Police make two arrests after speed cameras cut down

11 January 2024 by Phil West

What’s being described as ‘mindless vandalism’ to two speed cameras has prompted Cornwall council and police to issue a joint statement. Officers were called at 3.10am on Wednesday January 3 to a...

Hands on: Stoppers seized? Here’s how to overhaul your bike’s calipers

11 January 2024 by Bruce Dunn

If you use your bike during winter you can’t avoid exposing it to the worst road conditions. The damaging effects of rain and filth will be catalysed by road salt, resulting in a perfect...

Expert guide: The best used first-generation digital superbikes are worth a dabble

11 January 2024 by Jon Urry

Led by the BMW S1000RR, which set the tone for things to come in 2010, the digital revolution has gathered pace at an incredible rate and led us to where we are now – riding bikes that are lightyears...

Big Chilly Willy: Over 800 bikers turn up for air ambulance ride out

11 January 2024 by Phil West

Over 800 bikers braved the January cold to take part in a charity ride out to raise thousands for the local air ambulance charity. The tenth annual Chilly Willy took place on Sunday, 7 January and...

Inside story: Step inside the dream factory at Thornton Hundred

11 January 2024 by Emma Franklin

If you saw the workmanship of the be-winged, carbonclad, stretched-out and supercharged Triumph Speed Triple RR on the MCN Dream Garage stand at last November’s Motorcycle Live, you might be surprised...

The MCN Test: Pocket Rockets - ZX-4RR vs ZXR400

11 January 2024 by Carl Stevens

Legendary: that is one way to describe Kawasaki’s mighty ZXR400. A true 90s gem that was as explosively exciting as it was agile, powered by a ballistic little screaming, inline four. Not only...

The world's greatest bikes #10: Kawasaki ZXR750

11 January 2024 by Jon Urry

Remembering the glory years of the World Superbike championship, thoughts turn to the ultra-exotic money-no-object homologation specials such as Honda’s RC30 or RC45, Yamaha’s YZF-R7 or Ducati’s...

MotoGP insight: The Making of Martin

11 January 2024 by Neil Morrison

Whether or not you’re a fan of the bullish swagger and fast talk, few could deny that Jorge Martin was the standout star of 2023. Back in August MotoGP was in danger of cruising to a snoozy...

Trick Tuaregs tackle the desert - Aprilia set sights on rally success at Africa Eco Race

11 January 2024 by Phil West

Following their increasing success in MotoGP, Aprilia have stepped up their involvement in desert rallies with this – the latest factory racing version of their parallel twin Tuareg 660 adventure...