February
Benelli boss speaks exclusively to MCN
25 February 2001
NOBODY outside the factory has ridden the Benelli Tornado yet but it’s already one of the most desirable bikes on the planet – and that is just for starters, according to Benelli president Andrea...
The choice is no longer so clear-cut
25 February 2001
HERE in Britain, we have a history of favouring one type of bike over any other. More than any other riders in Europe, we choose to spend our money on sports bikes and superbikes. But now the first of a new breed of motorcycle has arrived, which could change all that. Say hello to Yamaha’s Fazer 1000 (see road test on page 24). It’s cheaper than a full-on superbike, but it still offers awesome...
Forget Bodie and Doyle, the real professionals are here
25 February 2001
EVERY discipline has its crack troops, who are called into action for the key projects.You want to send specialists behind enemy lines to disable their radar systems? You need the SAS. You need to...
25 February 2001
INSURANCEThe bike falls into the group 16 category in the UK, which means that certain types of cover in certain parts of the country for some riders isn't available at all from a handful of firms, making shopping around for quotes essential rather than merely advisable.MODEL VARIATIONSWhen buying a ZX-9R, potential purchasers essentially have a choice of two main model types - the pre-1998 "B"...
Ducati plans Foggy rep Monster
25 February 2001
DUCATI bosses in Italy have confirmed they are working on a Monster tribute to four-times WSB champion Carl Fogarty based on the latest S4 version of the bike.It uses a 916cc water-cooled motor making...
Honed to perfection
25 February 2001
HAVING honed and refined the FireBlade over the eight years since its introduction in 1992, Honda entered the new millennium with perhaps its most radical incarnation of the model yet.Although always...
All these first tests coming soon
25 February 2001
MCN’S Marc Potter will ride Ducati’s new 996R on Wednesday March 7, becoming one of the first people outside the factory to do so.And we’ll be bringing you his first reactions on that very day.In the next fortnight you can also look forward to the world’s first tests of the Aprilia CapoNord, Kawasaki RZX1200S and ZR7S and Piaggio’s new 500cc super-scooter, the X9.Keep checking back with...
Piaggio reveals 250… and promises a 500 to follow
25 February 2001
PIAGGIO is launching a 250cc scooter next month called the Jupiter.Powered by a Yamaha YP250 Majesty engine it will be in UK showrooms by April.A 180cc version and a 500cc one will follow later this...
The meanest green machine
25 February 2001
KAWASAKI’S Ninja nine has enjoyed a cult following amongst the big cube cognoscenti, not just for its sheer performance but also for its styling and brute-force engine. Determined not to let their...
Can we take the politicians seriously this time?
18 February 2001
REMEMBER the promises the Labour Party made before it was elected? All that stuff along the " Bike to Basics " line. Well, unfortunately, the party itself doesn’t. After a landslide...
More Gatso cameras looming
18 February 2001
EVERY police force in the country could soon be allowed to use money from speeding fines to pay for thousands more speed cameras. Following similar pilot schemes involving eight police forces around the country, the Association of Chief Police Officers has announced plans to spread the scheme nation-wide. Richard Brunstrom, chief constable of North Wales and ACPO co-ordinator of the scheme, said: ...
ZX-9R to power new musclebike
18 February 2001
KAWASAKI is planning to launch a naked musclebike using a retuned version of the ZX-9R’s 144bhp engine. The 899cc four-cylinder engine could be tweaked to make more torque than the ZX-9R’s formidable...
Honda reveals street-savvy new look for Valkyrie
18 February 2001
THESE pictures give the first clue as to how Honda’s gigantic Valkyrie cruiser could look after next year’s planned revamp.Two different prototypes of the bike - also known as the F6C - have gone on...
Triumph’s Daytona gets 147bhp
18 February 2001 by
A BRITISH-built superbike with the potential to take on the best Japanese and Italian machines is enough to get any rider’s mouth watering. And Triumph reckons its new 955i Daytona is exactly...
A Triumph to make Italy tremble – but not Japan
18 February 2001
TRIUMPH publicly unveiled to the world this morning the long-awaited successor to its 955i triple – and immediately told riders looking for something to humble a GSX-R1000 to look elsewhere.The...
There can be only one
18 February 2001
AUSTRALIAN firm Hunwick Harrop has released full details of the Phantom 1500 cruiser. The bike, which is to go on sale over the Internet towards the end of the year, is the first in a range due for...
Have your cake. And eat it
11 February 2001
THREE-and-a-half hours ago, this bike was sat in the palm-shaded car park of a Sicilian hotel. Its futuristic, angular lines and silver colourscheme couldn’t have been in starker contrast to the...
Gilera plans September unveiling for 600
11 February 2001
GILERA is expected to unveil a new 600cc sports bike at the Milan Show in September. Italian scooter giant Piaggio, Gilera’s parent company, has confirmed plans to reveal its first big bike since the...
Don’t call me boring
04 February 2001
THE sound of a race bike at full chat is pretty exciting when you’re stood behind one as it flies past in a race. It’s even better if you manage to wangle your way into the paddock and get behind one...
Defy convention
04 February 2001
IT’S not every day you get the chance to ride two new British motorcycles for the first time. And when they’re bikes like this, it’s an even more novel experience. The latest models from...
Kawasaki’s big-bore response
04 February 2001
KAWASAKI is working on a tourer which is destined to rival Yamaha’s all-new FJR1300. A new bike, thought to be called the ZZ-R1200, will be 2002’s answer to Yamaha’s 145bhp tourer, which has attracted...