In your MCN this week: Retro rivals go head-to-head

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Dear MCN reader,

Super-nakeds are so super now that you might be left wondering where your superbike’s fairing has blown off to. But there is a sub-breed of big-capacity naked roadsters that offer superb engine and chassis performance, without quite so many of the bells, whistles and throttle-induced whiplash injuries. This week, we’ve grabbed the new BMW R12 nineT, the successor to the massively popular R nineT, and pitched it against its biggest rival – the understated Triumph Speed Twin 1200. So, which one of these retro rides deserves your attention – BMW or Triumph?

And if you prefer your naked offering a bit smaller, lighter, with modern styling and A2 licence compliant, then you need to read our tests on the new Kawasaki Z500 and TVS Apache RTR310 – both in this edition.

Pulling the plug on electric?

The ebb and flow of positivity around electric bikes has reached a new low when it comes to ‘big bikes’. So, is this the low ebb that always precedes the tsunami’s approach, or is it simply the end of the road for anything other than first-mile-last-mile urban transport solutions?

We’ve ridden every major electric bike at MCN (and plenty of minor ones), the sort of powerful and well-spec’d machines that many people would love to have us believe are the future of motorcycling. And some of them are really very good. In fact, some of them are worth buying. The problem is, that’s not happening. In fact, fewer of us than ever are taking the EV gamble and surrendering ICE for angry electrons feeding whistling motors.

If you can afford to drop a decent chunk of cash on a leisure bike that typically racks up less than 100 miles per outing, during which you enjoy A- and B-road scything on a tide of torque and effortless chassis characteristics, then I’d defy you not to derive huge enjoyment and pride out of owning something like the latest LiveWire One. It’s superb.

But if your circumstances are anything else, it’s a tough sell. MCN gets under the skin of what’s going on with the bikes that were heralded as the future of two wheels. Get the full story now.

Enjoy the issue!

Richard Newland, MCN Editor

You can read all of this week’s new edition without even going to the shops by getting full access with a Digital Subscription or an MCN Premium Subscription where you’ll also receive your newspaper delivered FREE to your door and exciting rewards and discounts to enjoy!

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1 – MV’s big adventure

Fans of the Cagiva Elefant got very twitchy when MV revealed their LXP Orioli to the sound of wallets snapping shut and grown bikers crying. But all is not lost. This week they reveal the more affordable new Enduro Veloce, the bike we’ve all been waiting rather impatiently for. Dive into the detail.

2 – Hunting Hornets

The middleweight A2 licence category is bursting with options now, and the latest bike to join the ranks is the new Kawasaki Z500 – a bike that’s got Honda’s CB500 Hornet firmly in its sights. Has the baby Zed got what it takes to tackle the sector’s most popular and accomplished model?

3 – Facing his demons

In a world of ever-more sanitised PR-savvy racing greats, the maverick renegade is a vanishing breed. And Andrea Iannone vanished for four years thanks to a doping ban. But he’s back, now in WSBK, and he’s astounding us all with his results. But how does he view his return? We ask him.

4 – Kicking prices down

Your feet have to put up with a lot as a biker. Not only do you rely on them to operate two core controls, but they also give you stability on the bike. So, putting your feet in a great pair of boots has a real impact on every mile you ride. So we’ve tracked down this week’s seven best boot bargains.

5 – Testing times in BSB The BSB circus rolled into the East Midlands over the weekend as riders and teams got to grips with their latest machinery at Donington Park. And the fallout is fascinating. Not only was Glenn Irwin immediately back at the sharp end, but Kyle Ryde made an emphatic dent on the time sheets.

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