Bike news

Whitham considers a return to British superbikes

Whitham considers a return to British superbikes

World Supersports rider Jamie Whitham was in our VIP Lounge on Thursday lunchtime answering your questions on everything from filling his pants on the grid to how he got a scar on his chest. He...

The CCM Roadster with 65% more power

The CCM Roadster with 65% more power

Mick Keogh has managed to squeeze an extra 65 per cent more bhp from a CCM Roadster, giving it 78bhp. Makes you wonder what he’d do with a Hayabusa… Devon-based Mick, of tuning firm Sportax, is still...

The best of the best

The best of the best

More than 50 crack pilots apply to join the Red Arrows every year. Only three of them are successful. Those who do succeed become part of a flying legend which has been wowing crowds all over the...

Swindon Speedway meet off

The torrential rain the Swindon area has seen in the last 24 hours means Friday night’s home Knockout Cup meeting with Exeter has had to be called off. The semi-final tie will now be staged on Sunday, August 12 at 6.30pm.

Carmichael in stunt action

Carmichael in stunt action

Watch Kevin Carmichael abuse a Suzuki at the GSX-R Festival.

Buell’s Firebolt radical? We’ve seen it all before

Buell’s Firebolt radical? We’ve seen it all before

When Buell released its new Firebolt two weeks ago, it came with a host of unusual features. But how many of these are actually new? Is the bike a radical machine bristling with 21st Century concepts,...

First ride on the Hodgson Replica 996S

First ride on the Hodgson Replica 996S

Marc Potter has been riding the Hodgson Replica 996S and you can read his first test verdict here. Next week you’ll be able to see video of Hodgson himself on the bike on the Isle of Man. And the WSB...

Revealed: Suzuki’s giant trailie

Revealed: Suzuki’s giant trailie

We’ve been talking about it since 1999, now Suzuki has finally given it a name and a finished form, and here it is: the XF1000L. Our artist’s impression is just as you’ll see the bike when it is...

How good is your lid?

How good is your lid?

Does your lid fit brilliantly or let too much wind noise in? Is it easy to change the visor? Do the vents work? Are the fasteners easy to use? Tell us and tell the world by writing a review.All you...

The new look of the R1

The new look of the R1

This exclusive drawing is the most accurate impression yet of how the new Yamaha R1 will look for 2002. It’s based on detailed information from the factory. Only the colour-scheme is likely to change.

Benefit from Ray’s advice

Benefit from Ray’s advice

Ray Stringer was in our chatrooms at 1pm on Thursday to dish out valuable advice on tyres, suspension and engine tuning. He answered close to 60 questions in the 45-minute session ranging from how to...

Brands WSB: the way you saw it

Brands WSB: the way you saw it

Here are just some of your pictures from the experience that was Brands Hatch World Superbikes. If you’ve got some to add, send them by email to david.cushman@emap.com. We’ve got 10 copies of The...

The Sahara and back in six days

The Sahara and back in six days

We rode to the Sahara and back on a BMW R1150GS, Aprilia CapoNord and Triumph Tiger 955i. Here’s the day-by-day story… This was originally updated daily, which is why you’ll find the final day at the...

Crescent GSX-R750 Parts List

Crescent GSX-R750 Parts List

Forks: Factory Showa/Ohlins, £12,000/£1500; Shock: Factory Showa, £5000; Swingarm: Factory Suzuki, £3000; Magnesium yokes: Factory Suzuki, £1000; Handlebars: Factory Suzuki, £400; Front brakes: AP...

Don’t believe everything you read about speeding

The police and media seem all too willing to believe in the big, bad menace of speeding motorcyclists… so much so that they’ve really ended up with egg on their faces this time. Chelmsford newspaper the Essex Chronicle ran a story about a rider caught doing 137mph on a local road, and got so indignant about it that they ran a " comment " column about it, berating the rider and insisting he be...

Feel the speed in a Hayabusa outfit

Feel the speed in a Hayabusa outfit

A Hayabusa feels shatteringly fast from the relatively high position of the rider’s seat. Imagine what if feels like from that Tarmac-level outfit? Sidecar firm boss Phil Ball has been dreaming of...

Ray Stringer’s live advice clinic

MCN:- I own a 2000 CBR600FY, I’m 6′ 1” tall and weigh 13 stone. I find that to prevent the bike from wallowing in bends I have to increase the rebound damping so much it becomes uncomfortable the rest of the time. Would different springs to suit my weight help? RayStringer:- Yes. Yeah, if you went to a proper weighted spring but you’d probably want more compression damping on there more than just...

Your pictures of the stars

Your pictures of the stars

All the pictures of the riders and legends that were at the Kent track

First test of Foggy rep Monster S4

First test of Foggy rep Monster S4

According to the crowds at Brands there is only one Carl Fogarty. Fortunately there is more than one Fogarty replica. First there was the 996SPS Foggy rep. Now there is the Monster S4 Foggy rep. So...

Strange but true…

Strange but true…

Here’s our latest round-up of motorcycle related oddities from around the planet. If you know of one worthy of inclusion in our next collection, e-mail jon.urry@emap.com GERMANY: SPOTTED in German...

Win a WSB video signed by Foggy

Since early Monday morning you’ve been e-mailing in your pictures of the racing, stars, babes and casualties of Brands Hatch WSB. Now’s your chance to win a copy of the History of the World Superbike Championship video simply by picking which submitted picture you like best. We have five copies signed by Carl Fogarty. Four will go to the people who sent in the pictures which get the four highest...

What the parts will cost you

What the parts will cost you

It’s difficult to justify forking out the price of a three-bedroomed semi in Accrington for a road bike, let alone a machine you’d have trouble using outside a track and which is destined to see...

Your pictures of the fans

Your pictures of the fans

A selection of the best pictures of the crowds and atmosphere at Brands Hatch

Ask Schwantz

Ask Schwantz

We’re interviewing GP legend Kevin Schwantz on Wednesday, and here’s your chance to take part. If you have a question, e-mail it to us now and we’ll put the best of them to the man himself. E-mail...

Your pictures of the ladies

Your pictures of the ladies

All the pictures of the lovely ladies that provided such a distraction from the racing.

The new bikes of 2002 brought together

From now until the big bike shows of Autumn, you’ll find an ever-growing section on motorcyclenews.com bringing together all the new bikes of 2002. Each time we break news of a 2002 bike, we’ll also add it to this new section. That way you can see all the bikes together. Why not check it out now? There may be some you’ve missed from the Gilera 600 and 2002 FireBlade to a Laverda scooter and...

TT pubs open all hours

TT pubs open all hours

If you want more reasons to go back to the TT after this year’s cancellation, how does 24-hour drinking grab you? After years of experimenting with longer opening hours at weekends, the concept of...

NORTON COMMANDER

NORTON COMMANDER

THE British motorcycle industry’s broad expanse of flesh has long been pock-marked by the scars of many a cosmetic disaster. Who would want to remember, yet who can possibly forget the Norton Hi-rider...

Brands Hatch Sunday road and weather report

Brands Hatch Sunday road and weather report

THE roads near Brands Hatch are busy, but not as bad as last year. That’s the report from the Kent police, who have learned lessons from last year to manage the traffic and hopefully avoid the worst...

Kawasaki ZRX1200R

Kawasaki ZRX1200R

1 All it needs is Eddie Lawson on board to match that classic colour scheme 2 The screen is about as aerodynamic as a house, but it keeps some wind off 3 The suspension is the stiffest of the three –...

Aprilia MOTO 6.5

Aprilia MOTO 6.5

IN the 1990s, when designers became demi-gods, it was no surprise that adventurous Aprilia should commission the pre-eminent doodler of that decade, Philippe Starck, to design a bike. The result...

Suzuki GSX750F

Suzuki GSX750F

THE 1989–1997 model was almost instantly dubbed ” The Teapot ” when its overly-organic styling was revealed to a categorically nonplussed public. When a bike is not only named after a hot beverage,...

BIMOTA MANTRA

BIMOTA MANTRA

IT seems a little cruel to come down hard on the Bimota Mantra, now that the Rimini firm has closed its factory gates for the last time. But with a motorcycle so astonishingly odd-looking as this...

MOTO GUZZI CENTAURO

MOTO GUZZI CENTAURO

A duck-billed platypus of a bike. Named after a mythical beast that was half-horse/half-human, the Centauro was more half Quasimodo, half Pat Butcher. The bulky one-piece tank/body device cloaked a...

Whit drums up support at Brands

Whit drums up support at Brands

THE usual “Saturday night at Brands” drunken revelry was kicked off last evening with a marathon gig by Jamie Whitham’s band the Po Boys. Playing a two and a half hour set to a crowd of nearly 5000...

More Sunday scenes from Brands

More Sunday scenes from Brands

COULDN’T get along to Brands today to sample some of its legendary atmosphere? Here’s a few pictures to let you know what was going on off (and above) the track. Don’t forget you can send us your own...