MCN Fleet
These are the 11 new-for-2021 bikes that will be joining this year’s MCN long-term test fleet. From off-roaders to nakeds, superbikes to adventure machines, our team of highly experienced riders will be taking them on road, track and dirt – hopefully both at home and abroad – to cut through the marketing hype and find out just how well each one performs.
Along the way we’ll be testing tyres, kit and hard-parts, speaking to experts and owners, logging every tank of fuel and enjoying each and every mile in order to bring you the most thorough review possible. And if you own one of these models, please get in touch with us and we’ll compare notes.
To read each bike's full review, click on the images below. We will continue to update these pages as the year progresses. There will also be plenty of posts to social media, our #ride5000miles page and videos on our YouTube channel.
Click on the pictures below:
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MCN Fleet 2021 videos
View a selection of expert video reviews of some of our long-term test bikes from their respective launches.
Triumph Trident 660
Ducati Multistrada V4 S
Aprilia RS660
Check out previous MCN Fleets below:
MCN fleet: 12 months with the 2017 KTM Duke 125
10 December 2017 by
It’s a bittersweet ending after 12 months with KTM’s 125 Duke. Related: 2017 KTM Duke 125 review on MCN Our time together has seen me develop my riding and enjoy most of what biking has to offer.
MCN Fleet: 7500 mile service for V-Strom 650
08 December 2017 by
The V-Strom headed to Suzuki for its 7500-mile service the other day and I was quite proud as the bike clicked 7503 as I rolled up to Suzuki’s Milton Keynes workshop! Sad, I know, but that was...
MCN Fleet: Suzuki GSX-R1000R end of term report
08 December 2017 by
After 11,000-miles, four sets of tyres, a new chain and sprockets, two oil and filter changes, six trackdays and trips to Mettet, the Nurburgring and Aragon, it’s time to say goodbye to my...
MCN Fleet: 8000 miles with the Triumph Bobber
04 December 2017 by
My time with the Triumph Bobber has come to an end. It arrived in the middle of May with just a couple of hundred miles on the clock, and leaves having covered over 8000 miles. If you've read any of...
MCN Fleet: Four maxi scooters in one week
01 December 2017 by
When I tell people I’m MCN’s Office Manager, they assume I’m tied to my desk and most of the time I am but not this week. My daily ride is a Honda X-ADV and over the last seven days I’ve had the...
MCN Fleet: New rubber for V-Strom 650
30 November 2017 by
I’ve just reluctantly parted ways with my trusty Metzeler Roadtec 01s after almost 4000 miles on the V-Strom. I can see why they’ve been named tyre of the year in the MCN awards for the last couple of...
MCN Fleet: Suzuki V-Strom 1000 XT arrives for winter
30 November 2017 by
Having spent the summer of 2017 riding 6500miles on BMW's excellent R1200GS Rallye, I've now swapped it for Suzuki's V-Strom 1000 XT – making the move from boxer twin to V-twin, and a...
MCN Fleet: Metzeler ME888s transform the Street Glide
30 November 2017 by
One of my big criticisms about the Street Glide was the tyres. In the dry they were fine and if I wanted to do thousands of miles, I’m sure they’d have managed it but in the rain they were pants. The...
MCN Fleet: BMW R1200GS Rallye reaches the end of the road
29 November 2017 by
I’m not a monogamous rider. It doesn’t matter how good a bike is, I really struggle with the concept of only having one. I currently own four (a Ducati 996, Suzuki GSX-R750 ‘Slabby’, Honda VFR800FiW...
MCN Fleet: R6 Dyno results
28 November 2017 by
Just check out that power curve! A full race Akrapovic exhaust system has transformed my R6. Peak power is up 7bhp and torque has increased from 45.51ftlb to 47.38ftlb. This may not sound much,...
MCN Fleet: Triumph Bobber takes to the night
28 November 2017 by
I can’t really remember the last time I went for a ride just for the sake of it. It certainly hasn’t been in the past 12 months. It's a terrible confession to make, I know, so having realised this,...
MCN Fleet: BMW R1200GS Rallye's rubber rings
27 November 2017 by
I’m not shocked very often these days. But Pirelli’s Scorpion STR Rally rubber has absolutely blown me away over the last couple of months. They appear to suit BMW’s GS Rallye so well that it makes...
MCN Fleet: The Suzuki GSX250R hits 5000 miles
24 November 2017 by
After four and a half months of daily commuting, weekend rides, pillion passengers and long-distance motorway stints, the Suzuki GSX250R has finally surpassed the #ride5000miles goal. In that time,...
MCN Fleet: Festive fairy looking for fun on the X-Adv
22 November 2017 by
I don’t want to upset anyone but I’m going to drop the ‘C’ bomb, not that ‘C’ bomb, the Christmas one! I was rooting through my dressing up box the other day and found my fairy outfit. I realised...
MCN Fleet: The Triumph Bobber has some competition
20 November 2017 by
When Chief Road Tester Michael Neeves rode the Triumph Bobber for the first time at the end of 2016, he was incredibly impressed. Fast forward to the back end of 2017 and the Triumph Bobber was...
MCN Fleet: Has my Suzuki GSX-R1000R got better with age?
17 November 2017 by
With over 11,000-hard miles under its belt it’s fair to say my Suzuki is well and truly run-in. To see if it’s any faster with age and if the extra 7bhp from the race can makes a difference, I took it...
MCN Fleet: New rubber for the X-ADV & new gear for me!
15 November 2017 by
I'd ridden 6000 miles on the OE Bridgestone tyres and there were signs of wear and tear. There was still plenty of rubber but the blocky tread pattern had squared off. With the front wheel from a...
MCN Fleet: New tail tidy for the RS
13 November 2017 by
The time has finally arrived to start swapping a few bits and adding accessories on the Street Triple RS. I’ve gone for the common mods most will do when they purchase a new bike including the Arrow...
MCN Fleet video: How am I finding the Suzuki GSX250R?
08 November 2017 by
Between weekend blasts, long trips and rides to and from the office, I find myself using my long-term Suzuki GSX250R almost every day. In the four months we have spent together, I have come to know...
MCN Fleet: First winter morning ride for the V-Strom
06 November 2017 by
So, we’ve been saying that winter is coming for a while but I was definitely a little surprised to peel back the curtains to the first frost of the year this morning! I know it’s November, but the...
MCN Fleet: Getting in the zone on the Bobber
03 November 2017 by
I had one of those rides last night. You know, the kind where everything is just right. Yes, it's November, and it was dark, but that didn't matter. I've made no secret of the fact that I've struggled...
MCN Fleet: V-Strom 650XT the ideal workhorse
31 October 2017 by
Working as MCN’s British Superbike reporter takes me here, there and everywhere. Not only do I get to head out to 12 rural destinations in far-flung corners of the UK (and the Netherlands), I’m often...
MCN Fleet: BMW R1200GS Rallye hits 5500miles
30 October 2017 by
Five months have passed pretty rapidly with the Rallye, all to the sonorous soundtrack of a hard-working boxer twin exercising with the sort of aerobic exertion that any triathlete would be happy...
MCN Fleet: Arrow exhaust for the RS
29 October 2017 by
Just recently I’ve taken the plunge and gone for an aftermarket exhaust on the Street Triple RS. The £615 price tag makes it a hard move but the design is perfect as you'd expect from Arrow. Not only...
MCN Fleet: Time our R6 got a full Akrapovic system
24 October 2017 by
The craftsmanship in the Akrapovic headers is stunning. They’re feather-light and beautifully made. I fitted the slip-on Akrapovic end can (£323) a few months back. Now it's time to add the ‘optional...
MCN Fleet: BMW R1200GS Rallye gets protected
23 October 2017 by
Buying bike accessories that you can’t see somewhat smacks of the emperor’s new clothes – but I can assure you there a) are actually products in these photos, and that b) they work really rather...
MCN Fleet: Is the GSX250R any good on track?
23 October 2017 by
I’ve spent the majority of my time with Suzuki’s GSX250R exploring its surprising ability to cover big miles. However, although the A1 is mighty fun, when an opportunity came to take the 250 on...
MCN Fleet: What's Suzuki's GSX-R1000R like on tour?
22 October 2017 by
My GSX-R1000R is an unashamed track bike, but despite its appetite for tarmac-demolishing speed and full-lean lunacy, most superbikes like this are ridden on the road, with the odd of...
MCN Fleet: Winter is coming for the V-Strom!
19 October 2017 by
Winter is coming! There’s no doubt about it, the nights are drawing in, the clocks go back next week, the temperature is plunging, the grey murky days arriving and this morning we had our first fog of...
MCN Fleet: Be safe, be seen on the X-ADV
19 October 2017 by
Today is the first day I’ve felt fully justified for having the fog lights fitted to the Honda X-ADV. With the trees rapidly going from summery green to autumnal brown the change of the season is...
MCN Fleet: More standard boots for the 250
16 October 2017 by
With the clocks nudging 3500 miles on my Suzuki GSX250R, it was time for some new rubber. After months of commuting, leisure rides and even an afternoon on track, the rear OE IRC RX-01 Road Winner had...
MCN Fleet video: BMW R nineT Racer - the story so far
16 October 2017 by
MCN's Senior Editor, Matt Wildee has been living with BMW's new-for-2017 R nineT Racer this year. With all the style of a Savile Row suit, Matt describes what it's like to live with the boxer twin...
MCN Fleet: Am I a Marquez Fan?
05 October 2017 by
I’ve been interested to find that there’s a thriving community of Honda X-Adv riders out in the wider world. The bike seems to be very well received on the continent and one particularly active group,...
MCN Fleet: Time to tweak the Bobber
29 September 2017 by
It seems to have been a hectic time for myself and the Triumph Bobber recently, with plenty of longer trips putting more miles on the bike and seeing it blast through the #ride5000miles goal with...
MCN Fleet: Suzuki GSX-R1000R summer trackday heaven
29 September 2017 by
Welcome to the Ring There’s nothing quite like the soul-shaking rush of the Nurburing’s play-an-play Nordschleife, to kick off a summer of trackday fun. I’ve been addicted to the...
MCN Fleet: Bargain suspension tweak transforms R nineT Racer
28 September 2017 by
I’ve enjoyed my time with the beautiful, characterful R nineT Racer. When I took possession of the bike I wanted to accentuate the ‘Racer’ part of its character. My idea of heaven on a motorcycle is...