2008

Year: 2008

Month: ALL

Avon unveils new VP2 tyre

24 November 2008 by Michael Carroll

Add some British flair to your Japanese sportsbike with the latest rubber from Avon Tyres. The firm will launch its first multi-compound tyre, the VP2, in 2009 to replace its current Viper...

Two men found guilty of Gerry Tobin murder

24 November 2008 by Liam Marsden

Two bikers have been found guilty of murdering Gerry Tobin in a shooting on the M40 after last year’s Bulldog Bash. Dane Garside, 42, of Coventry and Simon Turner, 41, from Nuneaton have both been...

X-Lite unveils new Carl Fogarty replica

24 November 2008 by Michael Carroll

A replica of Carl Fogarty’s famous racing lid is among a new range of classic replicas launched by X-Lite on its X-801RR helmet. Riders include Marco Lucchinelli, Renza Pasolini, and Franco Uncini. It...

RiDER Power: The world's best handling motorcycles aren't sportsbikes

24 November 2008 by James Keen

In the 2008 RiDER Power survey, the bikes rated highest for handling and suspension aren’t Japanese. Even more surprisingly, they’re not even sportsbikes… As Ben Miller writes in this month’s RiDE...

Heated grips

22 November 2008 by gscottbrown01

Does anyone have a good alternative to these Oxford heated grips, which while being hot are very difficult to operate and mine frequently cut out?

Dangerous trucks ok, small plates no!

22 November 2008 by tobytruck

While insisting that there should be a crackdown on foreign trucks travelling in Wales, North Wales police Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom has warned that any action should not deter trade from the region. Speaking to a group of cross-party ministers of the Welsh Assembly, Brunstrom said: “Something like 1% of lorries on our roads here in the UK are registered in other European countries, but...

North Cape in Winter

21 November 2008 by marcus Kingma

R1 Sjaak & Marcus Kingma (MC King) went to the North Cape on February 2008 for KiKa (Children’s Cancer). From Oslo to The Cape they drove on Ice and snow. Only 20 people did it before on two solo motorcycles in winter. Normally the Cape is closed for four months.

Did I deserve it?!

20 November 2008 by GixxerDream

I know you hear this a lot but i just wanted to be heard. I am not a fan of the police but i have my reasons. In july 2007 i was convicted of dangerous driving. I was out for a Sunday ride (on my own) and fancied a wheelie. Thought nothing of it till i got a letter two weeks later. I had been reported. Cutting a long story short I was in and out of court for 10 months and ended up with a £400...

Ewan McGregor’s Moto Guzzi for sale

20 November 2008 by Chris Newbigging

Ewan McGregor is selling his Moto Guzzi California to raise money for children’s charity UNICEF. McGregor picked the bike up personally from the Moto Guzzi factory and rode it back to the UK, but is...

Video: Ducati 1198 first ride

20 November 2008 by Trevor Franklin

Just as we were all thinking the Ducati 1098 was the best V-twin ever, out of nowhere Ducati’s 1198 appears and you can see it here in our video. MCN senior road tester Trevor Franklin travelled to Portugal’s Circuito de Algarve to get the first ride of Ducati’s 1198 to see if bigger does mean better. Watch the video below to see how the motorcycle got on and read the full article in MCN,...

The PB100: 6 - 1998 Yamaha R1

19 November 2008 by Performance Bikes

The 100 bikes to ride before you die, brought to you by the guys at MCN’s sister title, Performance Bikes. It stunned the senses… In the 1990s the FireBlade was the sportsbike to have. Fast, agile and...

Police stopping bikes on Edgware Road

19 November 2008 by Anonymous

Police have blocked off bus lane in Edgware road W9 all day to stop every bike that passes (except AA and own bikes). They hide behind large white van and then step out to pull in the bikes. Any problems found, they confiscate the bike. I have seen two large vans full of bikes being driven away – replaced by another straight away. Still there now….(can’t take photo as I’m emergency service...

MCN in Fiji

19 November 2008 by steve booth

Me on the remote south pacific island of tokoriki, fiji, when the wife caught me reading my ‘porn’ as she calls it. Well, a man has his needs…..

New MCN 19 November: Hyde Harrier Bonnie is back!

18 November 2008 by James Keen

In this week’s issue of MCN, we have details of the new Norman Hyde Bonneville-engined Hyde Harrier, take a test ride on the Ace Cafe Racer and reveal the tech secrets behind Aprilia’s V4 WSB bike.

Vaillante MotoGP

18 November 2008 by Oberdan Bezzi

Between fiction and reality. The new French team for 2010 World MotoGP Champhionship. The VAILLANTE MotoGP V4 will be equipped by pneumatic valve engine, chassis completely in carbon fibre and...

Forced out of the way

18 November 2008 by richlees2001

Was riding to work and coming to one of the left hand corners that make the whole trip worthwhile. I was close to the white lines giving myself the maximum view round the corner. And what did I see coming towards me at a great rate of knots with the blues and twos flashing, but our friendly boys in blue! They were in the wrong lane and showed no signs of trying to slowdown. I had to change my...

Image gallery: Ace Cafe Racer

18 November 2008 by James Keen

In this week’s edition of MCN, road tester Adam Child takes a ride on the gorgeous Ace Cafe Racer created by custom bike builder Nick Gale. In case the road test left you wanting more, here’s some...

Aprilia RSV4: Your questions answered!

18 November 2008 by Andy Downes

If you’ve got a question for the designers, engineers or bosses at Aprilia about the new V4 RSV4 superbike then now is the time to ask as MCN is heading out to the factory for a visit later this week.

Ducati 1198/1198S first ride!

18 November 2008 by Trevor Franklin

MCNs Chief Road Tester, Trevor Franklin, is at the launch of Ducati’s new 1198/1198S at the Circuito de Algarve near Portimao, Portugal, here’s what he has to say: “While the new 1198 retains the...

New Helmet

18 November 2008 by lyndon bishop

This is Rhys Bott, age 5, trying on my new Rossi face helmet!

Official BMW sketches show Lo-Rider's customisation potential

17 November 2008 by Chris Newbigging

BMW is choosing from twelve designs for the Lo-Rider concept, official sketches reveal, and the concept is designed to make personalising your bike easier than ever. BMW gave MCN access to the twelve...

Video: BMW S1000RR in action

17 November 2008 by Andy Downes

BMW has released another video of it’s road-going S1000RR superbike – this time undergoing testing at the Spanish Albacete circuit. The bike is covered in contour-deflecting black and white camoflage...

Marked police car crashes with fireblade

17 November 2008 by Graham James

Motorcycle ctashes with marked police car and the police are looking for anyone who saw the motorbike being driven prior to the accident… What about anyone who saw the police car being driven? See this link for the full story.

Story of a very cautious female 40 year old

17 November 2008 by paula

Great story from the ’19 year old idiot’. Well, I’m the complete opposite! I’ve just bought a Honda cbr125 in red and black. I’ve passed my test, but I’m only a size 8 and 5ft 1, so even though I...

Crashing

16 November 2008 by john welly

I remember getting my first real bike a Yamaha RD250 when i was seventeen many moons ago, I would always ride it with trainers on, not a good idea.. I only had this bike for a week when coming up to a set of lights. I stopped but unfortunately my laces got caught around the gear lever and brake lever and I went down like a sack of you know what, to the amusment of traffic and passers by! Highly...

Suzuki SRAD is a great bike

14 November 2008 by twopoke

I read the latest PB100 article on the Suzuki SRAD. I agree, the SRAD is a great bike, I’ve had 2 600 srads converted, one to the 750 and managed to squeeze a 2001 1000cc motor in my second. The...

another unmarked police camera van in derbyshire

14 November 2008 by dazgtti

I’ll keep it short but sweet, I was in the local supermarket filling station in ripley derbyshire when i spotted what appears to be another unmarked police camera van with all the facilities for speed trapping. The vehicle i saw was a dark green mercedes sprinter with black metal racking on the roof with the registration FJ51 NJZ whick was in front of the blue van you mentioned in an earlier...

Friday funny: Amazing motorcycle control

14 November 2008 by Liam Marsden

If you ever thought you were fairly good at slow speed riding, think again. You’re probably not as good as these guys. The riders in question are Japanese police officers, showcasing their skills in public.

Special paint for Aprilia Dorsoduro

14 November 2008 by Michael Carroll

A UK Aprilia dealer has taken matters into its own hands, after the factory refused to produce a Dorsoduro 750 in red and white. Aprilias for sale Dorset-based Motosport Aprilia has made the Red...

Showcase cinema Leeds- helmet trouble

13 November 2008 by BMW_Mick1962

I recently ran up against a blatant example of discrimination. On Tuesday this week (11th) my partner and I went to the Showcase cinema in Leeds to see the new Bond film. Having paid for the tickets and refreshments we were told on trying to go through to the screen itself that we were not allowed to take our helmets in and that they would have to be left with the staff. I questioned this and the...

Reflections of a 19 year old idiot.

12 November 2008 by Chris H

My brand new Yamaha YZF R125. Lying there on its side, back wheel spinning slowly, no more than six hours old and already dead at the end of a yellow streak of paint and plastic. What did they teach...

In the year 2525 if man is still alive...

12 November 2008 by Anonymous

I was woken from my cryogenic sleep and allowed to go for a walk. I wandered down to where I could see a crowd looking over a concrete fence. Over the fence the was an empty road. I asked the guy next to me what was happening. “We’re waiting for the race” he said. “What race” I asked. “The Cop Race” he said “Is someone racing the cops” I asked “Naaaa the coppers race each other, we’re only...