August

Confessions of a Jag driver - an apology

Hello all, Er yes that’s right, I drive an old Jag so you’re probably wondering what I’m doing here but hopefully you can hear me out as I have a brief (if fairly tedious) story I felt the need to share, about a recent run-in with a big chap on a green sports bike. But before I start I just wanted to say that I have nothing against bikers, in fact generally admire and respect them, and were it...

Jail for mobile phone drivers who kill

Jail for mobile phone drivers who kill

Drivers who kill while using a mobile phone face jail under new careless driving laws from today. The laws allow prison sentences for drivers who kill while preoccupied with ‘avoidable distractions’...

Custom Jaguar motorcycle built by fan

Custom Jaguar motorcycle built by fan

Gadget website T3 has unearthed these pictures of a custom motorcycle designed around the iconic Jaguar logo. See the original story here at T3 The bike has been designed and built by a Jaguar fan...

Charity Auction: Signed James Toseland & Leon Haslam merchandise

Charity Auction: Signed James Toseland & Leon Haslam merchandise

Superstar racers James Toseland and Leon Haslam have very kindly donated signed merchandise for auction in aid of the Childrens Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle. MotoGP rider James...

Drain cover thefts put bikers at risk

Drain cover thefts put bikers at risk

Motorcyclists’ lives are being put at risk by large scale thefts of manhole covers, it was claimed today. Non-slip man hole covers get green light At least 50,000 covers have been stolen in a year...

Thames Valley Police to remove speeding campaign posters

Thames Valley Police to remove speeding campaign posters

Officers stand proudly in front of a “motorcycle safety” poster showing a small boy clutching a crash helmet and wondering where daddy is. And perhaps we should take it as sign of the level of thought...

Naked 600's from China

Naked 600's from China

The dragon moves the tail. Within a short time three of the greatest Chinese manufacturers could introduce their “weapons” for a massive attack on the European and Japanese motorcycle industry. The...

H-D Cafe Racer: Beast of the East!

H-D Cafe Racer: Beast of the East!

I loved the Hogbitz H-D cafe racer you featured a little while ago- here’s my Hot Rod Motorcycles version! It’s a ’93 883cc Sportster bored out to 1200cc, with a Manx replics steel tank, exhaust...

Cyclists

I keep reading about these damn cyclists trying to put us off the road. The thing is they have no right- we pay road tax, they don’t! If they damage their bike on a pothole they claim from the council as well as us tax payers do, and what right have they got to go through red traffic lights? Police turn the other cheek, but if we broke that violation we would get the book thrown at us!

Honeymooning with MCN

Honeymooning with MCN

On my honeymoon in Mexico last month and alone at last in the jacuzzi… me and MCN….

Motorised Unicycle - Looks great!

Have you guys seen this before? Its a Motor-unicycle, quite impressive if it’s a practical way of getting about. Not sure you’d get your knee down though! Click here for the full story

The story of my Bimota Vdue

The story of my Bimota Vdue

Bimota always borrowed someone elses engine, put it in their own design and ended up with something special. A few years ago they wanted to build a GP replica bike and decided on something quite...

Taiwanese researchers unveil air-powered motorcycle

Taiwanese researchers unveil air-powered motorcycle

Researchers at the National Central University in Taiwan has developed a motorcycle that can run on compressed air, as oppose to petrol. Jem Stansfield’s similar air-powered bike Researchers Yu-Ta...

Are you the biggest biking family in Britain?

Are you the biggest biking family in Britain?

Motorcycle insurance provider Bennetts is looking for Britain’s ultimate motorcycling family, for use in an upcoming marketing campaign. Compare insurance quotes here Bennetts would like to hear...

Power-sliding on a scooter!

Check this mad scooter rider, who somehow manages to back-in and power slide his humble Vespa!

Gatecrashers Dirt Bike CLub

Gatecrashers Dirt Bike CLub

Here’s some photos of us on the road between Sort and Ribes de Fraser, in the Spanish Pyrenees, where we were dirtbiking for a week.

Grand Prix Legends offers discounts at open day

Grand Prix Legends offers discounts at open day

Mail order merchandise specialists Grand Prix Legends is offering big discounts on Belstaff motorcycle jackets to anyone attending their open day on August 23. The firm has arranged the event at it’s...

Advanced Stop Line trials for motorcycles

The boffins at TRL (working for DfT) are looking for sites to trail advance stop line for shared use by motorcycle’s and push bikes: click here to read the article

130mph rider jailed

130mph rider jailed

Police have released video of a motorcyclist fleeing at over 130mph after the rider was caught and jailed. Christopher O’Donovan was already banned from riding when he overtook an unmarked police car...

Richard Brunstrom to go next year

Richard Brunstrom to go next year

Controversial chief constable Richard Brunstrom has announced his intention to retire by Christmas next year. The head of North Wales Police, who has publicly attacked motorcyclists in his online...

BMW team up with Garmin to create motorcycle-specific sat-nav

BMW team up with Garmin to create motorcycle-specific sat-nav

BMW has teamed up with satellite navigation firm Garmin to create a bike-specific sat-nav unit. Shop for GPS systems The Zumo BMW’s Navigator III, in the GPS range and features full European maps,...

Remove my helmet? seriously?

Remove my helmet? seriously?

I read the MCN story about petrol stations & supermarkets asking motorcyclists to remove their crash helmets… but I never thought I’d see this discriminatory policy being adopted by a shop which makes...

Mammoth release new security devices

Mammoth release new security devices

Mammoth has expanded its range of security devices by launching a new lock and chain and a new disc lock. View locks and chains for sale here The Thatcham-approved lock and chain feature 12mm...

Picture gallery: Harley Davidson cafe racer

Picture gallery: Harley Davidson cafe racer

This motorcycle may look like a classic British cafe racer, but it is infact a Harley Davidson 883R Sportster. Harley Davidson specialists Hogbitz will take your 883R Sportster and add £3000 worth of...

Bikes on TV: August 13-19

Bikes on TV: August 13-19

KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT – Discovery Real Time DRTE -Discovery Real Time Extra DSC – Discovery Channel  DHD – Discovery Channel HD EXS – Extreme Sports Channel MM – Men and Motors MOT – Motors TV   SS1...

Win a place on the Ron Haslam Race School with MCN and Bridgestone

Win a place on the Ron Haslam Race School with MCN and Bridgestone

**This competition is now closed** MCN has teamed up with Bridgestone to give away eight places on the Ron Haslam Race School testing out their BT-016 tyres on Wednesday 20th August at Donington...

British troops warned over reckless motorcycle riding

British troops warned over reckless motorcycle riding

Multi-million pound ads warning troops of the dangers of riding motorcycles recklessly have been posted on YouTube. You might have thought riding a bike would be the least worry for a soldier who’s...

Undercover?

Travelling east on A55 (Bangor to Conwy) last weekend I noticed a large Van (Renault Traffic I think) parked near the westbound carriageway. It was painted all over in a bizarre DIY sort of urban camouflage scheme, I assumed it was ‘hippies’ or gap year students doing their thing, until I saw the rear doors which were all white, with dark windows and broad red and yellow diagonal stripes on the...

New MCN August 13: Ducati asks: "Do you want a naked 1098?"

New MCN August 13: Ducati asks: "Do you want a naked 1098?"

In this weeks MCN, Ducati’s boss Gabriele Del Torchio wants YOUR decision on whether or not Ducati should build a naked 1098, seperate from the Monster range and much more like an Aprilia...

Britain's Got Biking Talent - time is running out

Britain's Got Biking Talent - time is running out

Entrants are flooding in for MCN’s Britain’s Got Biking Talent – and here’s a selection of some of the best so far. View the current entries here They’re just a small hint at of the level of...

Damage done to biking by excessive speeders

Anyone heard this? A speeding biker from Whitstable has been disqualified from riding and driving a vehicle for two years after riding at 146mph – the highest speed recorded by a mobile safety camera in Kent & Medway. Is it any wonder some of us feel persecuted by the Government & Police when there are riders out there who do this? The damage done to biking by riders who do this is immesurable.

Motorcycling Dog

Motorcycling Dog

This picture was taken by a pal in Canada. No further comment needed!

Bike oil rip off?

I often wonder why bike oil is more expensive than car oil? We as bikers often pay a premium for our oil in comparison with car oil. What is the difference between synthetic bike oil & synthetic car oil? If you walk into any bike dealers & ask for a type of oil that they would recomend, they will always point you to the oil they have in stock (what a coincidence). The fact is, sticking a photo...

Top marks for Scottoiler

A week ago I emailed Scottoiler Ltd to ask for some advise because my scottoiler, which is about 10 years old, started dumping all it’s oil very quickly. They replied the next day saying that as it was old if I sent it back to them they would replace it with a new one at a greatly reduced price. It came 2 days later and is on and works fine, top marks to scottoiler ltd scotland and the staff!...

Disgusted by the public opinion of bikers

I just wanted to tell you about my complete disgust with people’s (drivers) opinions about bikers. I work for the Highways Agency so I want to remain anonymous. The region where I work we can get 2 or 3 bike crashes in 1 month, were as we can get up to 20 car crashes in one eight hour shift, but as soon as we get a bike crash the blame is straight away put on the rider, even if it’s not their...

Pics from our 3,500 mile roadtrip

Pics from our 3,500 mile roadtrip

Here’s a few pics from the trip my mates George, Sam, Rod & myself did in June this year. We covered 3,500 miles over 2 weeks starting in Northern Ireland, taking in Northern France, the Swiss Alps...