2013
True or false? Electrically heated clothing is for wimps
15 January 2013 by
There's a long standing debate in the MCN office about heated clothing. While heated grips are seen by most as acceptable, if not a necessity, for winter riding, plug-in clothing brings a different...
If you could only do one track day this year, it would be at...
15 January 2013 by
It's almost summer, and with it, a return to on-track action, both racing and trackdays, with most of the UK circuits now offering at least some trackdays. Will you be taking on a track this year? And...
MCN's Michael Neeves rode to Africa on a sportsbike, and to Ibiza on a naked bike - but what would you have ridden?
15 January 2013 by
Our senior road tester Michael Neeves has done a lot of miles this year - he's ridden to Ibiza for a summer holiday, and even to Africa, just to prove he could! But Neevesy's choice of bike wasn't always conventional. He rode his long term test Ducati 848 Streetfighter to Ibiza, while the Africa trip was done on a Ducati Panigale and a BMW S1000RR; hardly touring bikes! Is he mad, taking bikes so...
Jan 16: Bikes on the Box
15 January 2013 by
KEY TO CHANNELS. DRT - Discovery Real Time DSC - Discovery Channel DHD - Discovery Channel HD EXS - Extreme Sports Channel EUR1 (2, HD) - Eurosport 1...
The ultimate BMW HP2 Sport
15 January 2013 by
You either love the idea of trying to make a twin-cylinder air-cooled engine that's based on an old 1923 knocker go like the clappers, or you don’t. If you don’t, life is simple: you buy a Fireblade...
Colin Armes – 02/09/1931 to 20/12/2012
14 January 2013 by
Colin Armes, who sadly passed away on December 20th 2012, was one of the country’s leading road race organisers. After an initial taste of marshalling at the Manx GP in 1958 (when on...
Britten V1000 in New Zealand
12 January 2013 by
In 2008 my wife and I were on a cruise around New Zealand and Australia and one of the ports of call was Christchurch. We visited the Canterbury Museum and I was thrilled to see the gold plated Jawa...
Ten minutes with Andy McNab
12 January 2013 by
We thought and thought but couldn’t remember the last time we’d met an SAS hero biker. So before he left us, we bombarded McNab with questions for a further 10 minutes. MCN: Are motorcycles...
DSA video explains new licence rules
11 January 2013 by
The Driving Standards Agency has released a video on new motorcycle licence rules coming into force on January 19. The three-minute video explains the minimum age limits for different types of...
Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport unveiled
10 January 2013 by
Triumph has unveiled its new Tiger Sport 1050, which was first spotted by MCN in March 2012, and again in a more finished form in November. Power is improved by 10bhp over the outgoing model (now up...
Video: Britten V1000 ridden
09 January 2013 by
The ultimate nonconformist race bike, the Britten V1000 was hand-built by a dedicated team led by maverick engineer John Britten in New Zealand in the early '90s. Only 10 bikes remain, and after a...
The rules: Riding for the SAS
09 January 2013 by
Enduro riding over rocky savannah and scrub requires stamina, bravery and skill. Dodging bullets from guerrilla soldiers takes some cajolies too. Luckily, most of us have never had to do both at...
New MCN Jan 9: World Exclusive KTM 1190 Ridden
08 January 2013 by
In this week's MCN, out January 9, we ride KTM's new big bore trailie, the 1190 Adventure R, the venerable 990's replacement. MCN becomes one of an exceptionally exclusive club as we travel to New...
You Ask/You Answer: Which exhaust?
07 January 2013 by
I've just got my first 'big' bike – a 2002 Honda CBR900RR-2 – which is currently completely standard, and I really want to pull some power out of the motor. I've got a Power Commander for it, and am...
Jan 9: Bikes on the Box
07 January 2013 by
KEY TO CHANNELS. DRT - Discovery Real Time DSC - Discovery Channel DHD - Discovery Channel HD EXS - Extreme Sports Channel EUR1 (2, HD) - Eurosport 1...
Should Suzi Perry be doing MotoGP instead of F1 in 2013?
07 January 2013 by
Suzi Perry will be presenting the BBC'S F1 coverage in 2013. Suzi has previously presented the BBC's MotoGP coverage, before stepping down in 2010. pollcomment
MCN quiz of the year – the answers
07 January 2013 by
Have you been wracking your brains since the fiendishly tough MCN Quiz of the Year got your grey matter churning, while you simultaneously tried to pickle it with Christmas cheer? Well, the pain is...
Nominations released for Irish Motorcyclist of the Year
07 January 2013 by
Seven racers have been shortlisted for the Enkalon Irish Motorcyclist of the Year, in association with Adelaide; Ireland's most prestigious motorcycle racing awards. The seven have been nominated by...
Rossi Fan RIP
03 January 2013 by
On the 2 December 2012 my son Connor, 21 was killed in an RTA. He was a passenger in a car. He owned a blue and white Yamaha R125 and his passion was bikes, Valantino Rossi, Moto GP, Xbox, a game of...
You Ask/You Answer: What armour do I need?
03 January 2013
"I've been riding for 8 years, and all my kit has some form (or in some case, foam) of armour in the arms, legs, shoulders, back areas. I find some of it uncomfortable, and am surprised that the one...
Are off-road skills really transferable to road riding?
03 January 2013
More and more of you are taking to the mud, with enduro and motorcross training days full to capacity across the country and new schools launching all the time. Many riders swear by the skills they...
Should there be just one UK rider federation/action group?
03 January 2013
News this week has emerged that the BMF has lost their vital European lobby after falling into arrears with their fees to the Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations, the central body which...
If helmets weren’t compulsory would you still wear one?
03 January 2013 by
Despite studies showing time and time again that helmets save lives, there is still a strong lobby, especially in the USA, who argue that the decision to wear one should be left to the rider and not imposed by law. Indeed, some states have repealed their mandatory helmet laws as recently as this year, with Michigan making helmets optional in April, to considerable public outcry. In the UK,...
Bikers recognised in New Years Honours List
02 January 2013 by
Motorcycle dealer and long time backer of motorcycle racing Colin Appleyard is one of four people from the motorcycle world honoured by the Queen in the New Year's Honours list. Appleyard has been...
New MCN January 2: Biking's Endangered Species
02 January 2013 by
In this week's MCN, out January 2, we look back on the air-cooled bikes of yesteryear, as the death knell for them finally begins to ring. We have an exclusive interview with Kevin Schwantz where the...