2017

Year: 2017

Month: ALL

Scott Flying Squirrel: '50 years ahead of its time'

25 October 2017 by Alan Seeley

For those coming of age as road riders in the early 1980s, the bike we all wanted above all others was a Yamaha RD350LC, the two-letter acronym denoting Liquid Cooled. This, we thought in our youthful...

Classic Bike Live 2017

25 October 2017 by MCN News

This really is your last reminder to head to Peterborough Arena on the weekend of October 28/29. They’ve finalised the running order on the Classic Bike stage, marked out the display areas and made...

2017 scooter of the year: Yamaha TMAX DX

25 October 2017 by Adam Child

Yamaha have sold over a quarter of a million TMAX maxi scooters since its inception in 2001, making it their best selling bike to date. For 2017 the big scoot gets a new aluminium chassis with revised...

Battle of the Kings custom competition returns

25 October 2017 by Liam Marsden

Harley-Davidson’s Battle of the Kings custom competition is returning for a fourth consecutive year, and this time around the theme will be the 115th anniversary of the iconic American brand. The...

Honda’s Neo Sports Café is nearly here

25 October 2017 by James Archibald

Alongside the much-anticipated release of their new Gold Wing today, Honda have also whetted our appetite for new machinery with the unveileing of their Neo Sports Café Concept at the Tokyo Motor...

News podcast episode 17: New bikes from the Tokyo Show

25 October 2017 by MCN News

Welcome to the latest episode of the MCN News Podcast is an online offering from MCN, discussing the latest news in the biking world. The MCN News Podcast is available regularly via Soundcloud and the...

KTM sign deal with CFMoto

25 October 2017 by Liam Marsden

KTM have signed a deal with Chinese manufacturer CFMoto to set up a joint venture business. The deal was signed to improve KTM’s access to the Chinese market, with an eye on manufacturing bikes using...

2017 bike of the year: Triumph Street Triple RS

24 October 2017 by Michael Neeves

Triumph’s mighty Street Triple has come a long way from the decade-old 675cc original. That 2007 machine was a succes from the moment it hit showrooms and it got better through every revision and...

Exciting race machinery at Motorcycle Live

24 October 2017 by Liam Marsden & James Archibald

The GSX-R1000 that Michael Dunlop took to a win at this year’s Isle of Man TT in the Senior race will be the star attraction of Suzuki’s display at the NEC show in Birmingham next month. Sat alongside...

Yamaha FS1-E: 'They could hit 55mph'

24 October 2017 by Tim Thompson

“I don’t care much for Fizzys. It goes back to 1980 when I became faintly repulsed by their clumpy rubber bicycle pedals and puny frames and pathetic small-bike looks. I loathed the way they herded...

Harley-Davidson sales and profits fall

23 October 2017 by Liam Marsden

Harley-Davidson’s sales for the third quarter to the end of September 2017 fell by 6.9% worldwide compared to the same period last year. In the U.S sales were down 8.1%, slightly better than the...

Honda CR500: 'It was so far ahead of its time'

22 October 2017 by Dave Thorpe

‘Tire and it would bite you’ Dave Thorpe, three-time World 500cc MX champion “The CR500 has a reputation as being an animal, but when you are thinking straight and everything is together, it’s a...

Suzuki GT750: 'Luxurious, heavy and refined'

21 October 2017 by Richard Lindoe

‘It sounded so innocent at low rpm’ Richard Lindoe, 1970s two-stroke expert “The Kettle was released at a time when the other Japanese manufactures were making big capacity two-strokes and it was...

Cagiva Mito: 'As desirable as any superbike'

20 October 2017 by Matt Wildee

‘The ultimate L-plate racer’ Matt Wildee, MCN Senior Editor “With 23 years of continuous production (well, as continuous as Cagiva get), the Mito is the planet’s longest-running stroker and for the...

Honda N.S.C teased ahead of Milan Show

20 October 2017 by Liam Marsden

We’re less than a month away from most of the 2018 models being unveiled at this year’s Milan Show, which means we’re smack bang in the middle of teaser season, and the latest manufacturer to give us...

Video: Kymco tease two new scooters

20 October 2017 by Liam Marsden

Another day, another teaser. Just show us the bikes already! The latest video to grace our screens comes courtesy of Taiwanese manufacturer Kymco, who will be unveiling two new scooters at the...

Honda NSR500: 'The NSR was light, agile and edgy'

19 October 2017 by MCN News

‘It went from 50bhp to 150bhp in just 100rpm!’ Wayne Gardner, 1987 500GP champion. “There was nothing like riding a racing two-stroke. I only ever rode Honda 500s in my GP career and they were so...

Make the most of the Oakdene Cafe

19 October 2017 by Justin Hayzelden

About 5 miles from Brands Hatch racing circuit, on the A20 London Road in Kent, is an innocuous looking prefab building set back from the highway on a pot-holed, dirt parking lot. For most of the week...

News podcast episode 16: Bike of the year special

19 October 2017 by MCN News

New KTM Freeride E-XC unveiled

19 October 2017 by Jordan Gibbons

KTM have just unveiled the new Freeride E-XC at Hangar-7 in Austria (a collection of all things Red Bull), which they say is their statement of intent. KTM want to sing loud and proud about ‘urban...

Toro, Toro, Toro!

18 October 2017 by MCN News

Established Spanish off-road firm, Toro Trail, have launched a new adventure break, dubbed Toro Adventure, and using BMW’s R1200GS Rallye. Based in a luxurious mountain top villa, Toro Adventure is...

Video: Yamaha jump on the teaser bandwagon

18 October 2017 by Liam Marsden

Not wanting to be left out, Yamaha have now joined in the fun with the release of a teaser video teasing something on October 25 – bang in the middle of the Tokyo Motor Show. Mark October 25 on your...

Yamaha’s MT-09 new model barmy

18 October 2017 by Richard Newland

After a year of rampant success with their hot SP version of the already bonkers MT-10, the Japanese rumour mill suggests that Yamaha are on the verge of releasing an SP version of the MT-09, too. The...

MV Agusta reveal new F4 RC

18 October 2017 by Richard Newland

After the recent announcement of the Lewis Hamilton-designed F4 LH44, MV Agusta are battling back with another stunning new bike, following months of financial turbulence. The immediate fruits of this...

Moped gang jailed for 18 years

17 October 2017 by MCN News

A gang of thieves who used mopeds to enable their crime spree of more than 100 robberies in a period of less than three weeks were jailed last week for a total of over 18 years. Claude Parkinson, 18,...

Bike tech – the way forward

17 October 2017 by Richard Newland

BMW have long been at the sharp end of motorcycle tech development, and are continuing to push the boundaries with their ConnectedRide programme, which aims to deliver inter-vehicle position awareness...

Zero Motorcycles get a bit more range for 2018

17 October 2017 by Liam Marsden

Zero Motorcycles have now made their 2018 range a l-i-t-t-l-e bit more exciting by adding 10% more range and faster charging. The electric motorcycle manufacturer has introduced three new batteries;...

Tougher terms for reckless drivers

16 October 2017 by James Archibald

Drivers who kill behind the wheel could now be sentenced to life in prison under new legislation. Those who cause death by dangerous driving, or by careless driving while under the influence of drugs...

The Sunday Social with the British Trans America Expedition team

15 October 2017 by Liam Marsden

For this week’s Sunday Social we spoke with Major Nick Foulerton and Surgeon Lieutenant Alex Bamford, two members of a six man military expedition that recently rode from Ushuaia, Argentina to Prudhoe...

Revealed: The best vans and trucks for lugging motorbikes

13 October 2017 by MCN News

If you’re lugging your bike around to be fixed or transported during the wintry season, chances are you’ll need a big vehicle. Luckily, help is at hand if you’re trying to decide what to buy or rent...

In one go: Triumph's Explorer tackles the road, off-road and motocross

13 October 2017 by Liam Marsden

We’re currently slap bang in the middle of teaser video season, but Triumph don’t have any teaser videos to show us apparently, so instead they’ve put together this video with their current Explorer...

The history of two-strokes

13 October 2017 by Matt Wildee

It’s all about character. Nothing else on two wheels delivers the visceral thrills of a two-stroke engine. They deliver a hit of power every other stroke where a four-stroke manages only half as many.

Excelsior-Henderson brand up for auction

13 October 2017 by Liam Marsden

The entire historic brand of Excelsior-Henderson is set to go up for auction at the Mecum auction in Las Vegas on January 27, 2018. Excelsior-Henderson was a big American motorcycle manufacturer, on a...

Officially one of the best on the spanners in Europe

12 October 2017 by James Archibald

A Suzuki mechanic working at Bristol’s Fowlers dealership has come second in a European-wide competition that celebrates and finds the best technicians on the continent. Dave Ball has been a...

Dales pitstop

12 October 2017 by Justin Hayzelden

Deep in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, at the head of Wensleydale, lies the small market town of Hawes. Drop in on almost any weekend throughout the riding season and you’re guaranteed to find more...

Coroner calls for cycle lane review after motorcyclist death

11 October 2017 by MCN News

A coroner has said there needs to be urgent research into the levels of grip on London’s cycle superhighways following the death of a motorcyclist in Battersea. Assistant Coroner for Inner West...