2012

Year: 2012

Month: ALL

Honda CBR600F 12 month report

07 July 2012 by Anonymous

I bought my CBR exactly 12 months ago and have done nearly 20,000 miles on it in all weathers. It was a split choice between a the CBR or an ER6 – I think I made the right choice. You can ride around town at 15mph or go a bit crazy at the top end. At a regular 75-80mph I get 55 mpg and 180 miles to a tank. At 5’8 it’s a perfect fit. I have fitted a Power Bronze screen on it as the original was too...

Video: Extreme adventure test - part two

06 July 2012 by MCN

We took the BMW R1200GS, Yamaha XT1200Z Super Tenere, Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 and KTM 990 Adventure on an off-road adventure and to really test their abilities, we enlisted Stan Watt, who finished...

MV Agusta F3 fuelling problem fixed

04 July 2012 by MCN

The MV Agusta F3 was one of the most eagerly anticipated sports bikes in recent years, but when it was launched back in February it was a huge disappointment. Chronic fuelling problems and poor...

Kawasaki ER six month appraisal

02 July 2012 by DazLoczy

I’ve had the ER6n for over six months now and it’s just gone through its 4000 mile service with no issues. The only thing to note is I’d overfilled it with oil which seemed to have a slight affect on...

Tom Sykes' Kawasaki WSB bike ridden

28 June 2012 by MCN

Tom Sykes’ works Kawasaki ZX-10R broke the WSB record earlier this year by clocking an astonishing 211mph at the end of Monza’s long straight. But what does a 240bhp, 210mph-plus superbike feel like?...

New radial Continental tyres for your classic tested

22 June 2012 by MCN

German tyre firm Continental have spent the last year developing a radial tyre to fit common classic bike wheel sizes, with the aim of revolutionising the performance of older machines. On the basis...

Video: Smart money superbikes

20 June 2012 by MCN

The 1000cc sports bike class has ripped in two and there are now two distinct camps. In the ‘extreme’ corner there’s the super-powerful, electronically-enhanced superbikes, like the Aprilia RSV4, BMW...

Smart money superbikes - the best used examples

15 June 2012 by MCN

Adventure bikes for me please

14 June 2012 by james stewart

I’ll confess I’m a GS Adventure rider, but I have got my eyes on a shiny new 990 at the moment – awaiting test ride, then I’ll make the choice. My GS has been nothing but bullet proof. I know it has a few achilles heels, such as the sidestand switch but overall I have a big grin when I get home from a ride. I recently took it off-road at the Walters Arena during the Touratech Adventure Travel...

Video: Extreme adventure test - part one

11 June 2012 by MCN

Four bikes. A Dakar hero. 100+ miles off-road. Just one question: can adventure bikes live up to their billing? We took the BMW R1200GS, Yamaha XT1200Z Super Tenere, Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 and...

Extreme adventure test - which would you choose?

08 June 2012 by Michael Guy

Designed for travelling to the remotest corners of the globe, big bore adventure bikes have become the must have biking accessory in recent years. While for many, adventure bikes represent comfort, on...

Video: Husqvarna TE310 longterm review

08 June 2012 by MCN

Based on the super-light TE250, the Husqvarna TE310 sits squarely between the 250 and the monstrous TE449. Husqvarna have bored and stroked the 250 engine ou tto 302.44cc to create a bike that is just...

Piaggio X10 first ride

07 June 2012 by MCN

The Piaggio X10 is not dirt cheap: the £5,000 you need to score one will seem like a lot to plenty of bike riders, who inevitably consider what motorcycle they could get for that money, but against...

Video: Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts bikes ridden

24 May 2012 by MCN

The Barry Sheene bike we have here is a square-four 1975 Suzuki RG500 XR14. Sheene won his first ever GP on it and the ’76 and ’77 world championships. In the yellow corner is an inline-four-cylinder...

Jay Leno on the Mission Motors Mission R

18 May 2012 by MCN

American comedian and chat-show host Jay Leno has recently ridden the Mission Motors Mission R electric bike on the road in the US. The Mission R uses a lithium ion battery and makes a claimed 160bhp,...

Video: Ducati 1199 Panigale vs BMW S1000RR and Aprilia RSV4

11 May 2012 by MCN

It’s a sad fact for speed freaks that superbike sales have slipped in recent years, while things like naked and adventure bikes are on the up. So can one of the most exciting, talked-about motorcycles...

WSB homologation specials at a glance

11 May 2012 by MCN

Britain has always loved World Superbikes: not just the racing, but the limited edition models that manufacturers produced to let them to compete. To celebrate 25 years of WSB, we’ve got the top five...

Video: Ducati 1199 Panigale onboard the Isle of Man TT circuit

27 April 2012 by MCN

MCN Senior Road Tester Adam Child will compete in this year’s lightweight TT race aboard a Kawasaki ER-6 with help from road racing expert Ryan Farquar. Child – or Chad as he’s known at MCN – has been...

Ducati 1199 Panigale Tricolore first ride

20 April 2012 by Michael Neeves

If you’re fortunate enough to be able to stump up the £23,495 for the Tricolore version of the Ducati 1199 Panigale, you’re in for a treat. Not only do you get this sexy colour scheme included in the...

Supermotos - impractical?

17 April 2012 by sliabhrossa

I disagree with the continuous comments I read in MCN of supermotos being impractical. I live in the real world with a real budget, I have a Honda XR650R supermoto with USD forks and yokes from a CRF,...

Zero S: A big step forward for electric bikes

12 April 2012 by MCN

Zero’s latest S-model roadster is not just the best electric motorcycle yet to go on sale, it’s proof that battery-powered bikes could be a force in the near future. The comprehensively revamped...

Video: Foggy Petronas FP1 ridden on the road

05 April 2012 by MCN

The road-going Foggy Petronas FP1 looks like a well prepared Superbike and it’s a case of the more you look, the more you see. It’s all about the detail and this bike is blessed. The ultra clean and...

Inside this week's new-look MCN: Foggy Petronas FP1 ridden on the road!

04 April 2012 by MCN

10 years after its launch, we’ve finally ridden it. Revealed in 2002, the Foggy FP1 was set to spawn a superbike dynasty to rival Ducati. The first 150 road bikes were built, but never ridden. Until...

Inside this week's new-look MCN: Time up for the R1200GS?

04 April 2012 by MCN

Three all-new rivals, including Triumph’s eagerly-awaited Tiger Explorer, make the adventure bike class more competitive than ever. But which is best? We took the Triumph Explorer 1200, Ducati...

KTM 450RR Dakar bike ridden

30 March 2012 by Michael Guy

It doesn’t look like a bike that’s just finished the Dakar – it’s clean and there are only minimal signs of wear. A closer look tells you that the built to order factory KTM 450RR has seen some action...

Aprilia SRV850 ridden

30 March 2012 by Steve Farrell

Super scooters have re-ignited the top speed battle between manufacturers – a battle which has been largely irrelevant for motorcycles since hyperbikes such as Suzuki’s Hayabusa started cracking...

KTM 690 Duke Track first ride

30 March 2012 by MCN

Hook sixth gear, crouch down as small as possible and focus on the small strip of white paint at the side of the track. Wait, wait, wait… Sit up, brake, down three gears, let clutch out, as possible...

MV Agusta F3 vs rivals at a glance

29 March 2012 by MCN

MV Agusta’s new F3 is one of the most eagerly awaited bikes of 2012, but since its launch storm clouds have been gathering. Is the beautiful Italian simply too track-focused and rough around the edges...

Video: Ducati 848 Streetfighter longterm report

28 March 2012 by Michael Neeves

Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves has just taken delivery of the Ducati Streetfighter 848 he’ll be running this year. After his time spent with the 1098 version in 2009, the Streetfighter is one of...

Video: BMW C600 Sport and C650GT ridden

22 March 2012 by MCN

BMW’s new C650GT and C600 Sport are the first £9.5k step-thrus, and though MCN’s first ride proves their general competence, it’s difficult to see how they’re worth twice as much as BMW’s own F650GS...

2012 Aprilia Dorsoduro ridden

19 March 2012 by Adam Child

Aprilia’s revised exotic Dorsoduro 1200 has lost weight, gained some Italian ponies and now has a three-way traction control as standard. If you thought the Supermoto scene was drying up you’d be...

Video: Bimota DB9 Brivido CS first ride

16 March 2012 by MCN

The Bimota DB9 Brivido is the Bimota version of the Ducati Streetfighter. The bike uses the 1198cc V-twin engine from the Ducati Diavel and features no electronics like the Diavel. The CS version you...

Aprilia SRV850 first ride: "like something made as a dare"

15 March 2012 by Steve Farrell

The new Aprilia SRV850 is the most powerful scooter yet – and nearly £2000 cheaper than BMW’s C650 GT. The SRV850 is a restyled and re badged Gilera GP800 with the same chassis and 839cc V-twin...

Bimota DB9 Brivido first ride: 'One of my top bikes of 2012'

14 March 2012 by Michael Neeves

We had to twist Bimota’s arm really hard to let us ride their new DB9 Brivido. After a few months of emails and phone calls trying to set up this test, we decided to bite the bullet and literally turn...

BMW C650GT first ride: “takes scooter equipment to a new level”

12 March 2012 by Steve Farrell

The BMW C650 GT is one of the most sophisticated scooters yet – and the first to cost over £10,000. I’ve just ridden the new super scooter at the launch in Madrid. With heated seat and grips, ABS and...

MV Agusta F3 vs Triumph Daytona 675R at a glance

09 March 2012 by MCN

The new three-cylinder 675cc MV Agusta F3 is the lightest, most powerful and electronically advanced supersport machine on the road, but does all that make it any better than the Triumph Daytona...