MCN Fleet

It’s been an interesting month getting to know the Racer and its off-beat, retro charm. I’ve had my eye on the Racer ever since I first saw it at the Intermot show in Germany at the end of last year.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m in love with my 2002 Honda Fireblade. It’s the definitive real-world 1000cc sports bike. The 954 model Blade is comfortable, practical and stonking good value right...

First impressions count and after my first hectic week of riding the Honda X-ADV I’ve grown rather fond of the quirky, slightly odd looking machine. I say machine because I still haven’t worked out if...

The first two weeks with my long term Triumph Bobber have gone incredibly fast and the odometer is already reading over 1300, so the Bobber is well on its way to reaching the #ride5000miles goal. Here...

The SuperSport had me riled. I couldn't wait for it to arrive and I was counting down the seconds... When it did finally arrive… at 4.26pm, by the way, I spent 10 minutes just walking round it soaking...

A few good mates and me went to see the Le Mans MotoGP at the Bike Shed in Shoreditch at the weekend.  You might think the trendy bike shop is all about hand-built retros, flat whites and...

With its sporty profile, the Ninja 650 quite understandably comes without a centre stand. This can be a bit of a problem when it comes to maintaining the chain. A quick look on the R&G website...

I've had my GSX-R1000R for a couple of weeks now, but before we mention anything else I think we need to address the big grey elephant in the room: the Suzuki’s exhaust can. Some say you can see in on...

Last month I asked for advice on which upgrades I should fit to our 2002 Honda Fireblade, and you didn’t disappoint. With over a hundred responses on email and social media the suggestions ranged from...

I’ve just clocked up 1700 miles on the V-Strom 650XT so my #ride5000miles challenge is coming along nicely. It’s funny, the more I get used to the V-Strom I keep starting to think it can be a little...

What do you want to know about the Ninja 650? I’ve done just shy of 3000 miles on the Kawasaki Ninja 650 now so am building up quite a good idea of what the bike is like to live with every day. In the...

I remember when MCN Deputy Editor, Richard Newland, gave me the news that KTM wanted to loan me the 2017 125 Duke. I instantly said 'yes' and then waited patiently for it to arrive at the MCN...

The Metzeler Roadtec 01 tyres that replaced the OE spec Dunlop Sportmax D214s have completely transformed the Ninja 650. I decided to change tyres after finding the standard D214s to be lacking in...

The V-Strom headed back to Suzuki for its 600-mile service on Thursday, although by the time I’d reached Suzuki GB HQ in Milton Keynes the odometer was reading well over 800 miles – I’ve got right...

With 600 miles under the Street Glide’s belt, the Harley is proving itself to be a capable cruiser First impressions last, so the old saying goes, and my first impressions of the Harley-Davidson...

Earlier this week, I took delivery of Suzuki’s V-Strom 650XT and from my first impressions after clocking up 230 miles over the past few days I can tell we’re going to get along. As I explained the...

The Ninja 650's been through its first service, so now I’m finally able to unleash the little animal onto the roads. With no regard for frugal riding or self-imposed rev limitations, it was time to...

I’m still one month away from R6 ownership as Yamaha’s all-new YZF-R6 was only launched to the world two weeks ago.However, I was lucky enough to spend a day testing the new R6 in Almeria, Spain so...

A couple of weeks ago I got my hands on the new Triumph Street Triple 765 RS and was instantly blown away. From the second I put my leg over the bike it felt like home. Everything is just placed...

Twenty five years ago, give or take a week, I was handed the key to the first Honda Fireblade into the country. For those pre-internet times, the hype around the bike had been borderline hysterical...

I'm counting down the days until I take delivery of the new Triumph Bobber as my longterm test bike for 2017 and despite more red crosses appearing on my calendar, it's not getting any easier. The...

To say I’m excited about the impending arrival of my longterm KTM 1290 Adventure S is an understatement. Having got up close and personal with the model at the MCN London show in February, I was...

This year’s all about fun and frugal commuting in almost equal measure. The GSX is the smallest bike I’ve spent time with since passing my test more than 20 years ago but having enjoyed Yamaha’s MT-03...

MCN have taken the plunge and bought a 2002 Honda CBR900RR Fireblade for this year's long termer fleet. After an online poll and much deliberation over the last few weeks we looked at a...

Sometimes you read a job ad and it feels like it’s been written for you. Everything they offer, you want and everything they want you to have done, you’ve done. That’s how I felt when I first read...

We’re still waiting for our R nineT Racer to arrive, but I’m lucky enough to have ridden the Racer on a couple of occasions and it’s going to be interesting getting to know BMW’s beautiful...

Having spent the last few years riding A2 licence friendly bikes, I was keen to step up to something a bit more substantial for 2017. As soon as I saw the fleet MCN had secured for the months ahead,...

My first week with Kawasaki’s Ninja 650 has been purely about running the bike in and getting it to its first service as quickly as possible so I can start having some proper fun on it – resulting in...

It won’t be long before I take delivery of Suzuki’s long-awaited GSX-R1000R. I was also thinking about choosing the new Blade and Ducati SuperSport as my MCN long-term test bike for 2017, but I reckon...

The first thing that struck me about the new Ninja was just how pretty it is. Kawasaki have really hit the nail on the head with the design, it looks absolutely fantastic. When has a budget bike ever...

We’ve decided on a 2002-03 Fireblade as our second hand long term test bike this year. The 954cc model came top of our poll earlier this month (with 31% of the vote) closely followed by the 998cc...

MCN has joined the electric revolution by spending the summer months with the stunning Energica Eva naked bike. The £27,999 Eva arrived from the Italian factory, via UK importers Moto Corsa, this...

I’ve always had a soft spot for a Harley, so I was really excited to find out that I’d be testing a Street Glide.  The 2017 Street Glide is fitted with a Milwaukee-Eight, H-D’s first new big-twin...

I’m really looking forward to my time with the Ducati Multistrada 950. Some people baulk at the idea of the model with the smaller engine, saying it won’t live up to its big brother’s level of...

I first saw the Honda X-ADV in the flesh at the Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle Show in February, it was swamped by interested punters and I was at the front of the queue itching to have a closer...

The new Ninja 650 instantly grabbed my attention when it was revealed at the Intermot show last year with the completely new styling and frame making this machine much more than just a re-hashed...