First rides & tests

Year: ALL

Poll: Which bike is the world's best all-rounder?

30 March 2009 by James Keen

The world’s best all-rounder motorcycle is identified once and for all in the April 8 issue of MCN. What do you think will win and why? Let us know by voting in our poll and commenting on this...

Top 5 supermoto sportsbike-beaters

27 March 2009 by James Keen

KTM’s new SMT could be the bike UK riders have been waiting for – it combines sports bike style specs and performance with the comfort and practicality of a tourer or commuter, but it’s not the only...

Video: Ducati Streetfighter first ride

27 March 2009 by MCN

The Ducati Streetfighter is Ducati’s answer to bikes like the Triumph Speed Triple and Honda CB1000R. Watch the video for Marc Potter’s report from the world launch and his verdict on how the new...

Ducati Streetfighter world first ride - UPDATED

25 March 2009 by Marc Potter

The Ducati Streetfighter is one of the liveliest bikes Ducati currently makes. And since it comes out of the same gates as the Hypermotard and super powerful 1098R, that really is saying something.

Poll: What do you think of the Honda DN-01?

24 March 2009 by James Keen

What do you think of the Honda DN-01? Have your say in the online poll below. Honda’s odd-ball DN-01 costs a whopping £9,223 OTR. For the same cash or less, you could pretty much have your pick of the...

Video: 1000cc superbikes test part 2 - on the road

17 March 2009 by James Keen

The 2009 Yamaha R1 blitzed the competition in our 1000cc track test last week, but how will it fair in the place that matters for most – on the road? Watch the video to find out. Video: 1000cc...

The evolution of the Honda Fireblade

13 March 2009 by James Keen

Since it’s arrival in 1992, the flagship Honda Fireblade has continued to re-invent itself and stay at the forefront of sportsbike development. In 1992, the original Fireblade moved the goal posts by...

5 of the best factory streetfighters

12 March 2009 by James Keen

Streetfighters have come a long way. What started out as a cheap way to make your crash-damaged sportsbike road legal again has evolved into a whole sub-culture and motorcycle genre. Here’s some of...

Video: Yamaha R1 v Honda Fireblade v Suzuki GSX-R1000 v Ducati 1198 v Kawasaki ZX-10R

10 March 2009 by MCN

In this week’s MCN we have the 2009 1000s track test where we reveal which litre supersports machine can cut it best on the circuit. Watch the video for some action footage from the track test and...

5 of the funkiest single-cylinder street bikes

05 March 2009 by James Keen

A few years ago it looked like the single-cylinder street bike was making a comeback. In 2006 Yamaha released the MT-03 and Derbi brought out the gorgeous Mulhacen. More recently in 2008, KTM gave us...

5 of the best big-bore bruisers

04 March 2009 by James Keen

Kawasaki recently revealed their new for 2009 Kawasaki ZRX1200. The good news is that the bike had been brought up to date with fuel injection and revised suspension, new six-speed gearbox and...

Video: 2009 Yamaha V-Max takes to the drag strip

03 March 2009 by MCN

Yamaha is claiming 197bhp from the new Yamaha V-Max and 123ftlb of torque. To see if the V-Max is as fearsome as the figures suggest, we took it to Santa Pod drag strip. Tempted by a new V-Max? Sell...

Video: Yamaha V-Max tears up the tarmac at Santa Pod

26 February 2009 by Marc Potter

Yamaha’s new V-Max is the most powerful production motorcycle we have ever put on our dyno. The new 2009 Yamaha V-Max made a whopping 184bhp at the rear tyre, and 116ft lb of torque. In numbers it...

Video: Honda Fireblade ABS v non-ABS

24 February 2009 by MCN

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Feb 25th, MCN road tester Michael Neeves and two MCN readers put the ABS Fireblade up against the non-ABS version. The two MCN readers were taken to Bruntingthorpe...

Video: KTM 990 SMR takes on road and track

24 February 2009 by MCN

The KTM 990 SMR is the track-ready version of the standard SM. MCN’s Adam Child has ridden the bike at the launch and you can read his full road test in this week’s MCN, on sale February 25th. Watch...

Test ride a bike... or just bimble on it

22 February 2009 by okmate

Went to Dobles to have a test ride on a Fireblade as part of the Honda weekend promotion. But the bike had only done 280 miles and the salesman asked if i could keep it under 6000 rpm as it was still being run in. Now, i know some could say that whilst away from the shop who is going to tell what revs you were doing, but i kept my promise to the salesman. However, what is the point of having a...

Take a test ride and win with Honda this weekend

21 February 2009 by James Keen, Sam Pinney

Anyone who test rides a Honda this weekend has a chance to win a new bike. To be eligible you just have to book online and take out a bike any time between Friday 20th and Monday 23rd February.

Video: KTM 990 SMT first ride

20 February 2009 by MCN

The all-new KTM 990 SM-T uses the firms 990cc LC8 engine to give the SM-T the fun factor of a large supermoto, while the seat and fairing gives it all the practicalities of a tourer. Whether you want...

Video: 2009 Yamaha R1 vs Honda Fireblade

19 February 2009 by MCN

Michael Neeves says the new Yamaha R1 engine with crossplane crank gives the bike all the top-end rush of an inline-four, with the low down grunt of a twin and at the launch of the bike in Australia,...

Ducati Multistrada replacement: top 5 rivals rated

17 February 2009 by James Keen

Ducati’s new practical superbike – the Multistrada replacement – will enter one of the fastest growing segments of the motorcycle market. Will it have what it takes to edge out the competition?...

Launch report: KTM 990 SMR

17 February 2009 by Adam Child

KTM has billed the KTM 990 SMR as the world’s fastest supermoto, Chad is out in Portugal putting the bike through its paces on road and on the Portimao track. KTMs for sale Here are Chad’s first...

Launch report: Ktm 990 SMT

16 February 2009 by Adam Child

The KTM 990 SMT supermoto isn’t just new for 2009, it’s an entirely new concept combining the exciting performance of a Supermoto with practical touches such as a taller screen and a fuel tank bigger...

5 of the best retro-cool roadsters

13 February 2009 by James Keen

Classic bikes are cool, but breaking down by the side of the road isn’t. If you want that old-school look without the oil leaks, why not try a modern day retro roadster instead? You get the image and...

New Yamaha R1 starts to edge out Honda Fireblade

12 February 2009 by Marc Potter

Our world first test of the 2009 Honda Fireblade against the 2009 Yamaha R1 is taking place in the South of France right now. We took the first bikes in the country, strapped them in a van and drove...

Cynic wanted to help test the new ABS Honda Fireblade

10 February 2009 by Alison Silcox

MCN was looking for a cynical reader who thinks that the ABS braking system on the new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade won’t work. Michael Neeves, Senior Road Tester, will be testing the bike at...

2009 Budget naked test: Which would you buy?

09 February 2009 by James Keen

In this week’s issue of MCN the latest budget naked bikes are put to the test in a road trip to Ramsgate. See how the Kawasaki ER-6n compares to the Suzuki Gladius, Yamaha XJ6 and Ducati Monster 696.

Video: Triumph Daytona 675 2009 v 2008

09 February 2009 by MCN

Triumphs quest for domination of the 600cc supersport category took another leap forward with the introduction of the 2009 Daytona 675. While at first glance the new 675 looks identical to the...

Video: 600cc Supersport track shootout

09 February 2009 by MCN

The 600cc supersport class is one of the most fiercely contested, with bikes such as the Honda CBR600RR and Triumph Daytona 675. The supersport shootout at Calafat had one aim – to find out which...

Launch report: KTM RC8R

07 February 2009 by Trevor Franklin

KTM’s new RC8R is one of the best sports bikes on the planet, says MCN’s Trevor Franklin who has just ridden the bike in Portugal. The new bike is the long-awaited ‘R’ version of the already popular...

Top 5 naked roadsters for under £3k

05 February 2009 by James Keen

A budget naked middleweight is the swiss army knife of bikes. If you need one motorcycle capable of commuting, touring and weekend scratching then they offer a good compromise between practicality and...

Supersport 600 shoot-out: What will be king of the track 2009?

02 February 2009 by James Keen

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Wednesday February 4th, the latest crop of middleweight supersports bikes fight it out to see which will be crowned king of the track for 2009. What do you think...

The peak of 1000cc lunacy for under £5k

29 January 2009 by James Keen

In a recent article in Bike magazine, tuning expert Mark Brewin argues that sportsbike development peaked in 2005. So why spend close to £10,000 on a new litre bike when you can buy one of...

Video: Suzuki Gladius launch teaser

24 January 2009 by MCN

MCN Road Tester Adam Child is in Fuerteventura, putting the new Suzuki Gladius to the test in town and on the surrounding mountain roads. The stylish Suzuki Gladius is the replacement for the...

Video teaser: Supersport 600 track shoot-out

22 January 2009 by MCN

Adam Child is just outside Barcelona putting the latest crop of middleweight supersport bikes up against each other in an epic race track shoot-out. The Yamaha R6 may have won last year, but this time...

Video: 2009 Yamaha R1 tested

20 January 2009 by MCN

Michael Neeves says the new 1000cc R1 engine with crossplane crank gives the bike all the top-end rush of an inline-four, with the low down grunt of a twin. Neevesy tested the all-new 2009 Yamaha R1...

Video: 2009 Yamaha R1 first impressions

19 January 2009 by MCN

MCN Road Tester Michael Neeves is at Eastern Creek, Australia testing the latest incarnation of the Yamaha R1. Here’s his trackside first impressions on the new flagship supersports model. Itching to...