2008

KTM RC8 track verdict: "It will be the bike to beat"

KTM RC8 track verdict: "It will be the bike to beat"

MCN Chief Road Tester Trevor Franklin has just sampled the awesome new KTM RC8 on track at Ascari in Spain. This is what he says… Vide: KTM launch the RC8 superbike KTM RC8 test first...

Video: First impressions and action from the KTM RC-8 launch

Video: First impressions and action from the KTM RC-8 launch

MCN Chief Road Tester Trevor Franklin is at Ascari in Spain where he has just had his first go aboard KTM’s stunning, all-new RC8. Check out the video below to see Trev’s first impressions of the...

MCN Daily 25/02//08: Your daily video motorcycle news

In episode 50 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news show we have the world’s first ride of the new KTM RC8, Troy Bayliss leads the World Superbike Championship after the first weekend and MCN gives James Toseland a good send off  Subscribe to this podcast with RSS  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three minutes then email us here to let us know...

World first test: KTM RC8 lives up to the hype

World first test: KTM RC8 lives up to the hype

MCN Chief Road Tester Trevor Franklin is at Ascari in Spain where he has just had his first go aboard one of the most eagerly awaited bikes of the year – KTM’s stunning, all-new RC8. This is what he...

KTM RC8 World first test: first thoughts - it's a sure success

KTM RC8 World first test: first thoughts - it's a sure success

MCN’s Chief Road Tester Trevor Franklin is in Spain testing KTM’s first superbike the RC8. This is an exciting new era for the Austrian manufacturer with its race-style dash and multi-function...

KTM RC8 test: First sighting

KTM RC8 test: First sighting

MCN Chief road tester Trevor Franklin has just arrived in Ronda, Spain for the first ride of the long-awaited KTM RC8 sports bike. Checking in to the hotel Trev spotted the bike on display in the...

MCN Daily 21/02//08: Your daily video motorcycle news

In episode 48 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news show we hear that road pricing trials have been delayed, we test the new BMW F650GS and its a good day for the Brits in World Supersport  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three minutes then email us here to let us know what you think of the new show.

Husqvarna 2008 supermoto model launch

Husqvarna 2008 supermoto model launch

Michael Neeves, Senior Road Tester, is out in Spain testing the 2008 Husqvarna Supermoto range at a cart track in Benidorm and here’s his first impressions. “The big news is their new SM510R which is...

Do you own a Victory Vision?

Do you own a Victory Vision?

MCN is putting together a test of large capacity, super-comfy touring motorcycles, such as the BMW K1200LT, Honda Goldwing, Harley-Davidson Electra Glide and a Victory Vision. If you happen to live in...

First ride: BMW F650GS takes to the road

First ride: BMW F650GS takes to the road

BMW has launched it’s new F650GS in South Africa and MCN Road test editor Phil West has just ridden it. Don’t be fooled by the name the motorcycle is actually based very much on the F800GS two...

MCN Daily 20/02//08: Your daily video motorcycle news

In episode 47 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news show we have an exclusive first ride of the new BMW F800GS, Uk representatives recommend non-slip manhole covers and did Valentino Rossi make the right decision switching to Bridgestone tyres  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three minutes then email us here to let us know what you think of the new...

First ride: BMW F800GS on and off-road

First ride: BMW F800GS on and off-road

MCN road test editor Phil West is out in South Africa to ride the new BMW F800GS on the roads around Durban in South Africa. He has just ridden the bike for the first time and phoned in to give us his...

Video: Aprilia Mana vs. Suzuki SV650, Honda Silver Wing and Piaggio MP3

Aprilias’s 850cc V-twin Mana is the world’s first fully automatic motorcycle but does it live up to Aprilia’s claim of it being every motorcycle you’ll ever need, rolled neatly into one package? Watch the video below to see as we pitch it against the best-selling-middleweight of last year the Suzuki SV650 Sport, a conventional two wheel scooter in the Honda Silver Wing and the three-wheel Piaggio...

Picture special: Confederate F131 Hellcat Combat roams London

Picture special: Confederate F131 Hellcat Combat roams London

This week MCN’s Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves has been riding the £50,000 Confederate F131 Hellcat Combat, which is now available in the UK as an official import. The Confederate F131 Hellcat...

Video: KTM Duke 690, 690 Enduro and 690 Supermoto in action

MCN Roadtester Adam Child was in Spain last week for the launch of the new range of bikes from KTM powered by the LC4 690cc engine and you can see the video action here. Check out the video below to see the KTM Duke 690, 690 Enduro and 690 Supermoto in action.

MCN Daily 08/02//08: Your daily video motorcycle news

In episode 39 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news show we hear that motorcycle casualties have risen in the past year, we report back from the world launch of the Triumph Speed Triple and Chaz Davies continues to impress  Subscribe to this podcast with RSS  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three minutes then email us here to let us know what you...

First impressions from the Triumph Speed Triple launch

First impressions from the Triumph Speed Triple launch

Triumph’s class-leading Speed Triple has received a subtle but significant makeover. Here’s what Roland Brown thinks of the result from the world launch in the Canary Islands. “The old phrase ‘if it...

MCN Daily 07/02//08: Your daily video motorcycle news

In episode 38 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news show we hear that a survey claiming 38% of all motorcycles are untaxed may be flawed, we test four new 2008 1000cc bikes and Jorge Lorenzo beats his Yamaha team-mate to top the time sheets on the final day in Sepang  Subscribe to this podcast with RSS  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three...

Video: 2008 1000cc superbike track and road test

Video: 2008 1000cc superbike track and road test

We’ve had all the top 2008 1000cc sports motorcycles out on track and on the road to bring you this years superbike test. We’ve put together a selection of videos below detailing how the Honda...

First impressions: KTM 690 Enduro

First impressions: KTM 690 Enduro

MCN Road Tester Adam Child is currently riding KTM’s brand new 690cc LC4 range out in Almeria, Spain, these are his first impressions. “The first bike of the new family is the 690 Enduro and although...

Video: Onboard with the 1000cc group test

Here’s a little taster of our forthcoming 1000cc group test. First MCN senior road tester Michael Neeves pushes the GSXR1000 and Honda Fireblade to the limit around Almeria. Then watch the ZX10 flat out as MCN road tester Adam Child, rides back in the UK, check out how twitchy the bars are on our test track.   To see the full 1000cc group test featuring these bikes grab a copy of the next...

Picture gallery: KTM 990SM, Ducati Hypermotard and BMW HP2 Megamoto

Picture gallery: KTM 990SM, Ducati Hypermotard and BMW HP2 Megamoto

In the January 30 edition of MCN, we brought you the three-way supermoto test between the KTM 990SM, Ducati Hypermotard and BMW’s HP2 Megamoto. Here we have more pictures of the beautiful giants for...

Video: Big Supermoto group test

KTM has updated it’s big supermoto this year giving it the 990cc engine so we put it up against it’s main rivals, the Ducati Hypermotard and the BMW Megamoto to see how it got on. Check out the video below to see the bikes in action. The slippy the conditions at the test track resulted in some impressive rear wheel slides.

Video: Ducati 1098R launch

Ducati’s new 1098R is the closest thing the Italian firm has ever produced to a full-blooded World Superbike racer. Costing £24,000 it has a 186bhp, 1200cc engine, top quality cycle parts, and for the first time ever on a road bike: traction control.   Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves travelled to the Ducati’s world launch in Jerez to check it out. Read his full report in this week’s MCN...

Wallpaper gallery: Ducati 1098R

Wallpaper gallery: Ducati 1098R

In this weeks MCN Michael Neeves tests Ducati’s 1098R with traction control and 180bhp. The 1098R is the first road bike to feature a true traction control system, which has eight programmable...

Video: BMW's G450X off-roader in action

The January 30 edition of MCN features the first test of BMW’s new off-roader, the G450X, but the bike has already been in action at several races throughout 2007. Check out the video on the right to see highlights of BMWs win at the incredible Erzberg Enduro in Austria. The video starts with clips of the HP2 riping up the quarry course, but skip to 1:40 to see the little enduro in action on some...

MCN Daily 29/01//08: Your daily video motorcycle news

In episode 34 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news update we see Michael Neeves have the first ride on the Ducati 1098R, Ken Livingstone suppressing evidence on bikes in bus lanes and Brandshatch gets a revamp.  Subscribe to this podcast with RSS  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three minutes then email us here to let us know what you think of...

Video: Onboard 2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R

For the first time you can see video evidence of how wild Kawasaki’s new ZX-10R is flat out. Watch the new Kawasaki rev out in top gear as it bounces of its speed limiter and check out how much the bars move as the bike twitches over the bumpy test track. Then watch as it takes on Yamaha’s R1, which comes out on top in a simple flat out run. You can read the full test of all this year’s 1000cc...

Ducati 1098R first riding impressions

Ducati 1098R first riding impressions

MCN Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves has just been riding Ducati’s brand new 1098R superbike at its world launch at Jerez in southern Spain. This is what he has to say: “Ducati is back to its...

MCN Daily 24/01/08: Your daily video motorcycle news

In episode 31 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news show we get sneak spy shots of Triumphs new 1700cc cruiser, Dani Pedrosa’s fireball crash leaves him with a broken hand and Honda WSB riders get out on track for the first time.  Subscribe to this podcast with RSS  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three minutes then email us here to let us know...

Fireblade gets ready to take on its rivals

Fireblade gets ready to take on its rivals

The waiting is finally over. We’ve finally got our hands on one of the first new Honda CBR1000RR FireBlades in Europe, and that means we can get to work on seeing which of the 1000cc Japanese...

Gallery: 08 R6 v 07 R6

Gallery: 08 R6 v 07 R6

You have to look close and closer still at the new R6 and the one it supersedes to spot the differences, but they are there and we have had them out on a track to find them. Wether the new R6 is...

Video: BMW R1200GS Adventure v KTM 990 Adventure

There is only one bike that can really take on BMW’s new R1200GS Adventure and that’s the KTM 990 Adventure. And what better way to test them than to tackle a bit of off-road in the Cairngorms mid winter. Check out the video below to see how our team got on with the long ride north and the frozen conditions when they got there.

Video: Kawasaki ZX-10R v R1

Check out the first monster battle of 2008. In this video we pitch the new Kawasaki ZX-10R against the Yamaha R1; our superbike of choice for 2007. The ZX-10R has already ripped up the rule book by producing a staggering 170bhp; 8bhp more than the R1. It also flew down our test track at a genuine 184mph, in the wet! But for this test we take both bikes to Brands Hatch and put them through their...

MCN Daily 11/01/08: Your video motorcycle news update

In episode 25 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news show we hear about Troy Bayliss injuring himself in testing at Phillip Island, the new Kawasaki ZX-10R making 170bhp at the rear wheel and riders are facing lower legal alcohol limits than car drivers under new proposals.  Subscribe to this podcast with RSS  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three...

Britain's got biking talent winner ridden

Britain's got biking talent winner ridden

The Carole Nash ‘Britain’s Got Biking Talent’ competition that MCN ran last year pulled in over 4500 examples of specials and restored classics. Michael Neeves tried out the winning 170bhp Kawasaki...