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2012

Video: Extreme adventure test - part two

06 July 2012 by MCN

Video: Extreme adventure test - part two

We took the BMW R1200GS, Yamaha XT1200Z Super Tenere, Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 and KTM 990 Adventure on an off-road adventure and to really test their abilities, we enlisted Stan Watt, who finished...

Exotic Bimota DB1R up for grabs

06 July 2012 by MCN

Exotic Bimota DB1R up for grabs

The Ducati-based, Tamburini-styled DB1 has long been one of the most desirable of Bimotas, but the ultra-rare DB1R racer, built in conjunction with the Ducati factory, powered by a Ferracci-tuned...

Rieju MRT50 Pro Competition - the world's fastest 'standard' 50

06 July 2012 by MCN

Rieju MRT50 Pro Competition - the world's fastest 'standard' 50

Making 15bhp from a tuned 50cc engine, the Rieju MRT50 Pro Competition should be the fastest 50cc bike on the road. To put that into perespective it makes the same power as the four-stroke Aprilia RS4...

Daft insurance quote!

06 July 2012 by courier steve

Has anyone else had an insurance quote for as high as mine?. I’ve had a quote come through on my mobile from Telebikes for £91,665.75. I’m not a high risk rider, in fact I own a Kawasaki Z1000 on an 03 plate that has a Meta alarm, disc lock and ground anchor. I have a clean licence and have been riding with a full licence for many years now. For a 47-year-old married bloke £91,665.75 is a lot of...

New BMW F700GS and F800GS revealed

05 July 2012 by Liam Marsden

New BMW F700GS and F800GS revealed

BMW has revealed the new F700GS, which is actually just an updated F650GS, as well as an updated F800GS. The new bike is essentially a restyled and updated F650GS, with the capacity staying the same...

SMIDSY driver cleared over rider’s death

05 July 2012 by Steve Farrell

SMIDSY driver cleared over rider’s death

A motorist who pulled out on a motorcyclist has been cleared of causing the rider’s death by careless driving.  Driver Ian MacIntyre, 58, was found not guilty after a jury heard he simply didn’t see...

MCN’s classic bike ride from Lands End to John O’Groats

05 July 2012 by MCN

MCN’s classic bike ride from Lands End to John O’Groats

MCN’s Michael Guy is preparing to ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats onboard a 1960 Ariel Arrow and will be joined by his father, Don riding a 1960 Ariel Leader. Both machines are 250cc 2-strokes...

Ducati GT1000ss special

04 July 2012 by mark mcclean

Ducati GT1000ss special

Ducati never made a big twin street scrambler in the 1970s like Triumph, BSA, Norton, etc so when the Sport Classic range came out I thought it would be a good place to start. My engineer friend Roger...

MV Agusta F3 fuelling problem fixed

04 July 2012 by MCN

MV Agusta F3 fuelling problem fixed

The MV Agusta F3 was one of the most eagerly anticipated sports bikes in recent years, but when it was launched back in February it was a huge disappointment. Chronic fuelling problems and poor...

You ask/You answer: When will I have enough experience?

04 July 2012 by MCN

You ask/You answer: When will I have enough experience?

I ride a Kawasaki ER-6 and passed my test six months ago. When do I know I have enough experience to handle my dream bike, the BMW S1000RR? Your advice could help. Leave a comment below and we’ll...

Poll: What will be the highlight of your biking summer?

04 July 2012 by MCN

Poll: What will be the highlight of your biking summer?

Assuming it actually stops raining and we have a summer, what are you most looking forward to? What will be the highlight of your biking summer? pollcomment

Poll: Would you buy an MV Agusta?

04 July 2012 by MCN

Poll: Would you buy an MV Agusta?

Next week’s MCN (out July 11) features the world first ride of MV’s new Brutale 675. It’s a three-cylinder, 120bhp naked bike that’s pitched at Triumph’s Street Triple R. Price is expected to by under...

Poll: Why are bike deaths falling?

04 July 2012 by MCN

Poll: Why are bike deaths falling?

A previous MCN story reported that motorcycle fatalities fell by 10% last year despite an increase in use, according to government figures. There were 362 motorcyclists killed in road accidents in...

Destination dealer: Thunder Road Motorcycles

04 July 2012 by MCN

Destination dealer: Thunder Road Motorcycles

ADVERTISING PROMOTION Voted best dealer in Wales, Thunder Road is number one for Honda and Suzuki. Thunder Road has over 500 new and used bikes in stock at their two stores in Bridgend and Cwmbran,...

Win VIP Brands Hatch BSB tickets with WD-40

04 July 2012 by Marc Abbott

Win VIP Brands Hatch BSB tickets with WD-40

MCN and WD-40 Specialist are giving one reader the chance to win a VIP day for themselves and a guest at the Brands Hatch GP round of British Superbikes on July 22. The competition celebrates the...

'Romantic' f**k up

03 July 2012 by theguywitha50

Thinking you’re cool because you’re 16 and have a bike that’s not a scooter, getting on it backwards so you can make out with a girl sitting pillion. Lets just say she isn’t speaking to me and no other girls want to hop on. It’s such a shame people were trying to see what we were up to and saw the whole event. I think the guys on the scooters are cooler than me now since their centre stands stop...

Jul 4 Bikes on TV

03 July 2012 by Alison Silcox

Jul 4 Bikes on TV

KEY TO CHANNELS.   DRT – Discovery Real Time  DSC – Discovery Channel   DHD – Discovery Channel HD   EXS – Extreme Sports Channel  EUR1 (2, HD) – Eurosport 1 (2, HD) MOT – Motors TV   CH4 – Channel...

New MCN July 4: New BMW F700GS

03 July 2012 by Liam Marsden

New MCN July 4: New BMW F700GS

In this week’s MCN, out July 4, we have all the information on the new BMW F700GS and F800GS. With the Triumph Tiger 800 eating into BMW’s market share, the German manufacturer has revamped its...

Kawasaki ER six month appraisal

02 July 2012 by DazLoczy

Kawasaki ER six month appraisal

I’ve had the ER6n for over six months now and it’s just gone through its 4000 mile service with no issues. The only thing to note is I’d overfilled it with oil which seemed to have a slight affect on...

Ducati stars line-up for Festival of 1000 Bikes

02 July 2012 by Andy Davidson

Ducati stars line-up for Festival of 1000 Bikes

Ducati’s greatest stars, including Carl Fogarty, Neil Hodgson and Marco Lucchinelli will be among the highlights at this weekend’s Festival of 1000 Bikes at Mallory Park. Some of the Italian marque’s...

Too many bikes?

01 July 2012 by Paul

Too many bikes?

I’ve been riding for 41 years now and have owned 30 bikes – some for six months and a couple for siz years. I can never decide on the perfect garage, but it’s been fun trying!

Brotherhood of bikers!

01 July 2012 by richie lake

I want to thank a true biker who showed the real brotherhood of biking. I had just filled my Suzuki to the brim with petrol and pulled out of the station. When I turned right, the steering felt really stiff. At first I thought the steering damper had snagged. A few hundred yards later, the smell of petrol was overwhelming. I glanced down thinking I had left the cap open only to see petrol pouring...

Unique Kawasaki Streetfighter, my first big bike.

30 June 2012 by Owen Byrom

Unique Kawasaki Streetfighter, my first big bike.

In 2010 I was casually browsing eBay for a project 600 that I could use after I’d passed my test. I was looking for a bike I could use every single day and I believe I found that very bike when I...

Cagiva Elefant 900 - less than 30 left

29 June 2012 by MCN

Cagiva Elefant 900 - less than 30 left

With just nine Cagiva Elefant 900s left on the roads of the UK, plus a further eight tucked away in people’s garages on a SORN, you might reasonably expect the Cagiva Elefant, one of the original...

Destination dealer: Brian Gray's Powerbiking

29 June 2012 by MCN

Destination dealer: Brian Gray's Powerbiking

ADVERTISING PROMOTION Located an easy five minutes from junction 4 of the M40, Brian Gray’s Powerbiking is celebrating 40 years in business this year. Now a solus Yamaha dealer, the Tardis-like...

Tweaks to Suzuki motocrossers

29 June 2012 by Steve Farrell

Tweaks to Suzuki motocrossers

Suzuki has updated its RM-Z250 and 450 competition off-roaders with new piston and suspension components for 2013. Pistons have been made lighter, improving throttle response according to Suzuki.

Theft victim’s website to catch culprits

29 June 2012 by Steve Farrell

Theft victim’s website to catch culprits

A motorcyclist has set up a website showing CCTV footage of his bike being stolen in the hope it will lead to the thieves’ capture The website shows an hour-long theft of a £10,000 Triumph Daytona...

Rider deaths fall - again

29 June 2012 by Steve Farrell

Rider deaths fall - again

Motorcycle fatalities fell by 10% last year despite an increase in use, according to government figures. It’s the second major drop in two years, after rider deaths fell 15% in 2010. There were 362...

Tom Sykes' Kawasaki WSB bike ridden

28 June 2012 by MCN

Tom Sykes' Kawasaki WSB bike ridden

Tom Sykes’ works Kawasaki ZX-10R broke the WSB record earlier this year by clocking an astonishing 211mph at the end of Monza’s long straight. But what does a 240bhp, 210mph-plus superbike feel like?...

Get set for Goodwood this weekend

28 June 2012 by Marc Abbott

Get set for Goodwood this weekend

It’s the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend! The historic Sussex venue will be alive to the sounds and smells of two-stroke, and home to some of the most popular and successful racers of all...

Swindon's new 'motorcycle village'

28 June 2012 by Marc Abbott

Swindon's new 'motorcycle village'

Blade Group, who bought up all the George White franchises last year when the mega-chain went bust, have announced the opening of a new ‘motorcycle village’ on Swindon’s Elgin Road. The Blade Group...

Video: World Ducati Week 2012

28 June 2012

Video: World Ducati Week 2012

The biggest-ever World Ducati Week has just closed with 65,000 Ducati fans from all over the world enjoying four days of bikes and getting close to racing stars like Nicky Hayden, Troy Bayliss and...

Bike theft and thieves caught fully on film but no arrests

28 June 2012 by sovrec

The theft of a Triumph Daytona 675 has been caught on CCTV fully showing all the thieves faces, their work, technique and their getaway (on a bike which can be hot wired unbelievably). Despite compiling this evidence, the rider has not seen any action by the police. Just how much more you could put in their lap to wrap up a case I cannot imagine. The victim has put an outline of the case and...

Spied: New Ducati Hypermotard and Multistrada?

28 June 2012 by MCN

Spied: New Ducati Hypermotard and Multistrada?

A second spy shot of a new water-cooled Ducati Hypermotard testing near the Bologna factory in northern Italy has led Ducati insiders to hint there will be two new bikes arriving. The prototype...

Updates for 2013 Husqvarna off-road range

27 June 2012 by MCN

Updates for 2013 Husqvarna off-road range

Husqvarna has revealed updates to two of its biggest selling enduro bikes along with a host of smaller changes to the rest of the range. The TE250R and 310R both get a new cylinder head and throttle...

See Schwantz lead legends at Festival of 1000 Bikes

27 June 2012 by Marc Abbott

See Schwantz lead legends at Festival of 1000 Bikes

Headlining the list of the great and the good riding at next weekend’s Vintage Motorcycle Club’s Festival of 1000 Bikes, held at Leicestershire’s Mallory Park, is the one and only Kevin...