2001
Forget the GSX-R and R6, this CBR is the ultimate 600
25 November 2001
A HONDA CBR600 that costs £17,000 might sound a bit pricey – but its maker reckons this one’s a bargain. And as that maker is the Castrol Honda World Supersport team, and the cost of the parts and...
Counting the cost
25 November 2001
On paper, the Fazer’s £7799 rrp doesn’t compare well with the £5995 Honda. Even with £500 lopped off, the Yamaha will still cost £1300 more. But the reality is rather different. A quick flick through...
Hodgson joins Radio Four for a week of Biker Tales
25 November 2001
RADIO 4 the station better known for The Archers and the shipping forecast are lining up a week of famous, infamous and just plain extraordinary riders. ” Biker Tales ” begins on Monday 3rd December...
Longterm test: Aprilia RSV-R
25 November 2001
We’ve all had moments when we wish the ground would just open up. Like when you’ve spent the last five minutes saying what a tosser your boss is, only to find him standing behind you. Or when you’ve...
Oi, you at the back
25 November 2001
Bikes in this class are bound to spend at least some of the time with a pillion on board, so we did a lap of the lakes to check out the pillion seats with our tester Kev Smith bringing up the rear: HONDA VFR: " THERE’S two grab handles which give your hand plenty of room, but you get much more support from the Triumph’s single handle. The pegs are really low (10mm lower than the previous bike)...
Bostrom and Bayliss 998 replicas ready for Europe
25 November 2001
Ducati have already unveiled the Ben Bostrom replica 998 in the US, but now it’s coming to Europe, and so is World Champion Troy Bayliss’s replica. But while we’ll be getting the 136bhp 998S engine,...
Four stroke Yamaha gives Max power in tests
25 November 2001
MAX BIAGGI and Malboro Yamaha team mate Carlos Checa have spoken to MCN after wrapping up their behind-closed-doors test of their new four stroke GP bike. Checa and Biaggi were joined by test rider...
Yamaha Fazer and Honda Hornet: head-to-head
25 November 2001
Not many boxing matches are as one-sided as the punch-fest a few days ago when Brit hero Lennox Lewis made Hasim Rahman eat canvas in fine style. This fight certainly seems a lot more evenly-balanced...
European champion James Ellison tests a Superstock Blade, R1 and GSX-R
25 November 2001
We all know people who excel at things that the rest of us find difficult or impossible. They’re the ones who are born with the co-ordination to play a blinding round of golf, the drive to become a...
Ladies: Vote for your hunkiest rider of the year
25 November 2001
LAST month, male motorcyclenews.com users had their chance to vote for the Brolly Babe of the Year. The response was huge but it seems our female visitors felt a bit left out so we’ve decided to give...
First shots from Yamaha’s four stroke GP test
25 November 2001
This stunning shot is one of the first pictures to emerge from Yamaha’s secret test of their new four stroke GP bike, the M1. It was snapped by our photographer while Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa and...
Councils improve bike bay security
25 November 2001
LOCAL authorities are finally beginning to actively tackle bike theft by installing more ground anchors in bike parking bays. We reported last month that a new report had highlighted the worst areas...
Join the champions at the biggest off-road event of the year
25 November 2001
The second annual Dirt Rider Expo kicks off at the National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry on Thursday, November 29 to Sunday, December 2. The show, already established as the...
Fazer 1000 prices tumble
25 November 2001
WHEN we tested Yamaha’s Fazer 1000 alongside the new Honda Hornet 900, the big question was whether the Yam was worth £1800 more than its new rival. Thanks to motorcyclenews.com you don’t have to ask...
Le Mans, Spa and Bol will go ahead in 2002
18 November 2001
Thousands of British race fans will be delighted to hear that endurance racing’s big three 24-hour races are set to go ahead – even though they have been axed from the official world championship. Le...
Babe of the Year revealed
18 November 2001
ITV2 might be running its Miss World vote at the moment, but we reckon they’ll be hard-pushed to come up with a line-up as hot as our Babes of the Year. We asked you to browse through the honeys who...
Wow! Look what Yoshimura has done to the GSX-R1000
18 November 2001
Yoshimura’s new Tornado S-1 is based around the MCN Award-winning Suzuki GSX-R1000 but little of the original remains untouched. The engine’s compression has been raised from 12.0:1 to 13.2:1 by...
First test and video: Honda’s new VFR versus Futura and Sprint ST
18 November 2001
We’ve come to the Lake District, home of wet weather and stunning roads to put the newest Honda VFR through its paces against two of its stiffest competitors. Aprilia’s V-twin RSV Mille-powered Futura...
Angels with dirty jeans
18 November 2001
From stockbrokers to Hell’s Angels… Get a Harley, and you’re in the gang…
Aprilia set to launch Blue Marlin
18 November 2001
APRILIA has seen the light and is due to put the gorgeous Blue Marlin into production in 2002. The firm intends to make an announcement about its decision at the Bologna Show next month, but spokesman...
Watch the test
18 November 2001
To watch the video test and see Marc Potter give you his verdict on the bikes, click on the links on the right of the page.
Carnell-City offer help to Bikes-uk customers
18 November 2001
Those of you who bought service plans with Bikes-uk before it went into receivership are being offered help by Carnell-City. Britain’s biggest chain of dealers is opening up its loyalty service...
New firm GluGlu gives us dirt-track style
18 November 2001
Japan is being swept by dirt-track mania, and here’s the cash-in from new firm GluGlu. Taking their styling cues from the all-American XR750 flat-track racer, and popular 70’s colour schemes, dirt-track bikes for the road are proving to be big business. GluGlu uses current production bikes as the donors, namely the Yamaha TRX850 and SRX400/600 as well as the Suzuki Katana 250. There’s even a race...
Make Ally Pally your New Year’s resolution
18 November 2001
IF the NEC show simply whetted your appetite and you’re looking for another chance to see the best in biking then get down to London at the end of January. The Road Racing & Superbike Show, or Ally Pally Show, will be on from January 26 to February 3. Held at the Alexandra Palace in London, and now in its 23rd year, it is the South’s premier bike show. Over 63,000 visitors attended last year and...
Longterm test: Yamaha Tmax
18 November 2001
Being fairly liberal-minded, I do my best to understand the actions of other people. Even when they seem completely unreasonable, I exercise caution before judging them. I may not have all the facts.
Ducati launch Bayliss rep
18 November 2001
Ducati is going to launch a road-going replica of World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss’ machine. It will be a 998 with the red Infostrada paintscheme, not the silver one the Aussie rode in the final...
Careers CD is just the job
18 November 2001
IF you’ve got a kid who’d like to make a career out of motorcycling, or if you’re a youngster who’d like to yourself, the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI) is offering a helping hand in the form...
Riding the World Superbike Championship 996 of Troy Bayliss
18 November 2001
There probably isn’t a bookie alive who’d give low odds against staying onboard a world championship-winning bike with about 190bhp at the rear wheel in the pissing rain. And the 50-1 against would...
The racing Harleys
18 November 2001
The 1968 Low Boy factory racer. See, not all Harleys are built for 60mph.