First rides & tests

Year: ALL

First Ride: Triumph 2014 Thunderbird Cruisers

10 February 2014 by Phil West

Triumph’s two new 2014 Thunderbird-based cruisers, the ‘Road King’ style LT bagger and the fat, reto-styled Commander, are currently being put through their paces for the first time by MCN Executive...

BMW R1200GS Adventure launch today

24 January 2014 by Michael Neeves

MCN is at the launch of the new BMW R1200GS adventure in southern Spain today. Based on the liquid-cooled, face lifted R1200GS which arrived in dealers last year, the new Adventure version has a new...

BMW R nineT launch today

23 January 2014 by Michael Neeves

MCN is at the launch of BMW’s beautiful new retro-style R nineT in southern Spain today. Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves will ride the new machine, which is powered by the six-speed, 110bhp, 1170cc...

New Honda Fireblade takes on rivals

22 January 2014 by MCN Staff

With over 210,000 bikes sold since 1992, the evergreen Fireblade is one of the most successful road-going superbikes ever. Honda has upgraded it for 2014, so how has it changed and how does it stack...

Video: KTM 1290 Super Duke R group test

10 January 2014 by MCN

Triumph’s Speed Triple is MCN’s long-standing king of the traditional naked litre-class bikes, free of traction control and rider modes. At the other end of the spectrum is Aprilia’s Tuono V4R, which...

KTM Freeride E first ride

28 December 2013 by Andy Downes

It’s safe to say that, so far, sales of electric motorcycles in any class have been almost inconsequentially small. But, on the basis of a short test on a pre-production KTM Freeride E motocross bike,...

Jaw-dropping 1970s KR750 replica is actually a usable ER-6f

26 December 2013 by MCN

The flash of green and bare alloy emerges from a London side street. The rider, black visor down, looks both ways, and accelerates into a gap in front of a red bus. The bike is obscured by traffic.

Agility Motors Saietta R first ride

22 December 2013 by MCN

With the ‘throttle’ wide open through a corner as the rear tyre scrabbles for grip, there is no exhaust roar. The unlikely combination of near-silent running and high performance is almost enough to...

First Ride: Honda Fireblade SP

16 December 2013 by Michael Neeves

I’m currently at the launch of the new Honda Fireblade SP at the Losail circuit in Qatar. The standard Fireblade has been updated for 2014 with engine and riding position tweaks, but Honda are...

Video: NEW 2014 V-Strom 1000 Suzuki's Back!

11 December 2013 by MCN

After teasing with images and pre-production models of their new 1000 adventure bike for over a year, we finally got the chance to ride Suzuki’s new V-Strom. With a sub £10k price and ABS and traction...

Suzuki V-Strom 1000 launch

04 December 2013 by Adam Child

MCN Senior Road Tester Adam Child is currently at the launch of Suzuki’s all-new V-Strom 1000 Adventure in Almeria, Spain. The new adventure bike is expected to arrive in dealers for early February...

Video: Kawasaki Z1000 first ride

28 November 2013 by MCN

The Z1000 has been the most serious Japanese ‘super naked’ since 2003, and Kawasaki have determinedly reinvented it ever since. For 2014, it’s re-styled and eschews electronics in favour of...

Video: Ducati Panigale 899 fights Suzuki and Triumph

27 November 2013 by MCN

Ducati’s eagerly anticipated ‘baby’ Panigale 899 is the new challenger in the middleweight sports bike division. We pit it against the class leading Suzuki GSX-R750 and the hugely capable Triumph...

Triumph Bonneville owners needed!

12 November 2013 by MCN News

MCN is on the hunt for owners of Triumph’s Classic range. Specifically we’re looking for current owners of the Bonneville, Scrambler, and Speedmaster. We’ll be using the information to help with our...

MV Agusta Rivale 800 first ride

24 October 2013 by MCN

MV Agusta’s new £10,499, supermoto-style rival to Ducati’s Hypermotard, the Rivale 800, is currently being put through its paces for the first time by MCN Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves in the...

2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke official first ride!

17 October 2013 by MCN

KTM’s long-awaited, all-new 1290 Super Duke is finally being put through its paces at the world press launch in Spain by MCN Senior Road Tester Adam Child. Here are his first impressions: “KTM may...

Video: Ducati 899 Panigale first ride

16 October 2013 by MCN

Two years after the launch of the 1199 Panigale, Ducati has done the inevitable, replacing the ageing 848 with an 899 Panigale. Producing a middleweight mirroring its flagship model is a trick Ducati...

Staff Blog: Time for a new shoe

11 October 2013 by Liam Marsden

I’ve covered a lot of miles on the Judge this year – approaching 8000 – and I’ve only just replaced the rear tyre. In truth it could have done with a change 2000 miles ago as it was starting to square...

Video: KTM's Uncrashable Bike: New Bosch ABS

09 October 2013 by MCN

The world’s first cornering ABS brings the ‘uncrashable’ bike one step closer, and it’s standard on KTM’s 1190 Adventure from 2014. We take a look at one of the biggest breakthroughs in biking for...

Video: Yamaha XV950 group test

09 October 2013 by MCN

Yamaha’s new XV950 joins Triumph’s Speedmaster in gunning for the Harley-Davidson 883 Iron. Is the Hog’s time up? We pit the three machines against each other to find out.

Staff Blog: Leave it, Lock it, Love it!

09 October 2013 by Alison Silcox

Travelling into London for a mini-adventure at the weekend I needed to make sure I’d got a way to secure my bike and also relieve myself of having to carry too much cumbersome luggage around with...

Video: KTM 1290 Super Duke R prototype ridden

09 October 2013 by MCN

MCN take a quick spin on the prototype KTM 1290 Super Duke R – and it reveals a surging powerhouse of an engine under that minimal bodywork

Ducati 899 Panigale first impressions

08 October 2013 by MCN

Ducati’s new ‘baby Panigale’, the 899, is currently being put through its paces for the first time at a very wet Imola in Italy by MCN Senior Road Tester, Adam Child. Here are his first...

Staff Blog: New Dog, Newer Tricks

04 October 2013 by Steve Hunt

I’ve been riding a ‘big bike’ for twelve months now and the last eight of them have been spent working for the world’s largest motorcycling publication. I am very aware of how enviable a position this...

Staff Blog: Well, that’ll be autumn then!

03 October 2013 by Alison Silcox

Riding in this morning I’ve had to give in and fully kit up in cordura. Looking out of the bedroom window at 7.30 it was really quite murky and living in the middle of a housing estate if it’s murky...

Video: Café Racers Get Serious

01 October 2013 by MCN

Café racers are a growing market segment in the UK, and have just been boosted again with the arrival of the new Royal Enfield Continental GT. But how will this new Indian import fare against the...

Staff Blog: Are you a year round Yamaha Fazer8 rider?

25 September 2013 by Alison Silcox

Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis will remember I recently requested your top tips for winter riding. Thanks to all those who replied to the blog and took the time to e-mail me, I’m...

Staff Blog: To Jet Wash or Not to Jet Wash?

25 September 2013 by Alison Silcox

I lent my bike to a colleague last week for the MCN Awards ride out and after an awfully wet ride down to the venue in Dorking, followed by a couple of hours riding through the Surrey Hills, the bike...

Video: New Kawasaki Z1000SX first ride

25 September 2013 by MCN

Kawasaki’s underrated Z1000SX sports-tourer may have arrived quietly in 2010, but thanks to its blend of Z1000 fun, ZX-10R performance, upright comfort and impressive value, it’s proven a big hit. One...

Video: KTM 390 - Headbanger?

24 September 2013 by MCN

We go to Box Hill to find out if the funky KTM single can lay claim to being the new hooligan on the block. Is the KTM the modern-day equivalent of those 250/350cc two-strokes and 400 two-strokes, we...

Staff Blog: A Week of Two Wheels but not the Motorised Kind!

20 September 2013 by Alison Silcox

I’ve not turned a wheel on the Yamaha Fazer8 for the last couple of weeks. Instead of being power assisted I’ve been producing my own power and cycled, along with a group of ten family and friends,...

Video: Royal Enfield GT Continental 2013, First Ride

17 September 2013 by MCN Staff

Indian-owned Royal Enfield is aiming to join the big boys on the global stage. There’s a new factory, ambitions to double production and plan to grow exports with a family of mid-range, affordable,...

Royal Enfield Continental GT first ride

11 September 2013 by MCN

The Royal Enfield Continental GT is currently getting its world first ride in and around London in the hands of MCN Executive Editor Phil West. Here are his first impressions: “At first glance the new...

Staff Blog: Triumph Street Triple R at Silverstone

10 September 2013 by MCN

Two years ago, MCN Consumer Editor Tony Hoare almost died after an accident at Cadwell Park. He hadn’t been back on track since, until he took his Triumph Street Triple R for a trackday on the...

Staff Blog: Night Riding Fun

09 September 2013 by Alison Silcox

Is it just me or do your skills sharpen as you ride in the dark and your speed increase? Riding the 50 miles from Silverstone to home the other night I really enjoyed the dark journey. The lights on...

V-twin sports bike owners needed!

04 September 2013 by MCN

V-twin sports bike owners needed! MCN are looking for owners of some v-twin sports bikes upcoming test. Specifically we’re looking for owners of: Aprilia Falcos Suzuki TL1000Rs Honda VTR1000F...