Bike news

Year: ALL

The MCN Test - sub £10k globetrotters: Honda Transalp vs KTM 790 Adventure

09 November 2023 by Jon Urry

Certain price bands have a mental barrier attached to them. That’s why £9999 sounds so much better than £10,000. And that’s why it was so crucial for both Honda and KTM to keep their latest...

Exclusive: MCN gets Jorge Lorenzo’s unique take on Marquez, MotoGP 2023 and beyond…

09 November 2023 by Leonardo Villanova

Three-time MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo remains a regular in the paddock where he commentates for Spanish TV, and as a 47-time race MotoGP victor he know a thing or two. MCN sat down with the...

MotoGP Sepang preview: It's getting humid in here!

09 November 2023 by Josh Close

The battle between Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin for this year’s title looks set to go down to the wire in Valencia. Either way, Ducati will successfully defend the crown they waited 15 long...

Moto Guzzi makes the V85 TT better for your wallet

09 November 2023 by Phil West

Moto Guzzi has revealed a new and more wallet-friendly V85 for next year. There will be three V85 models from 2024 with the original, core V85 TT, as launched in 2019; the more touring orientated V85...

Vespa family gets updates at Eicma

09 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

Alongside revealing the new twin-cylinder Moto Guzzi Stelvio at Eicma 2023, Piaggio Group bosses also went to the trouble of pulling the covers off a revised Vespa scooter range. Now fully...

Yamaha’s RayZR scooter boasts light weight, style and hybrid tech

09 November 2023 by Phil West

Yamaha’s all-new, entry-level 125 scooter not only has a name which evokes 1990s Motorola flip phones, it looks set to be a great buy both for young riders and commuters with its mix of light weight,...

Fantic Imola 125 concept hints at new road sportster

08 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

Fantic may be largely celebrated for their off-road history, but a recent surprise reveal of two road-focussed 125 concept machines could hint at a new direction for the future. Already producing a...

Ducati honours the history books: Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 revealed

07 November 2023 by Ben Purvis

Those of us old enough to recall the Ducati 916 launch in 1993 will remember how jaw-dropping it was, but few imagined that 30 years later it would still be seen as one of the most important bikes in...

Electric Himalayan and more! Royal Enfield’s electric plans revealed

07 November 2023 by Curtis Moldrich

Royal Enfield used their platform at last week’s international show in Milan to offer audience members and online onlookers a glimpse into the future of the company – pulling the covers off an...

Indian FTR gets MX treatment for ultra-rare special edition

07 November 2023 by Phil West

US brand Indian Motorcycle has announced a new, limited-edition version of their FTR1200 V-twin street tracker for 2024 along with a similarly limited-edition new bagger, the Challenger Elite. The...

Everyday super naked: meet the new KTM 990 Duke

07 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

KTM have whipped the covers off a brand-new 990 Duke naked, which takes over from the departing 890 as the firm’s mid-size sporting option – designed to thrill on track, as well cut the mustard on a...

Tree-mendous! Fully loaded Zero DSR/X Black Forest costs £23k but is at the cutting edge of electric bike development

07 November 2023 by Phil West

The limited-edition Zero DSR/X Black Forest is the highlight of leading electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero’s 2024 range. Based on the current DSR/X adventure bike, the Black Forest comes with a...

Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid: the Ninja hybrid goes naked

07 November 2023 by Curtis Moldrich

Less than a month on from the international press launch of Kawasaki’s Ninja 7 petrol electric sportsbike, the Japanese firm have doubled down on the planet conscious concept and revealed a second...

Kawasaki bolsters their A2 licence range with Ninja 500 and Z500

07 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

Kawasaki have revealed not one but two new 500 parallel twins for 2024 – replacing the existing Ninja 400 and Z400 with a pair of larger 451cc options to meet the latest Euro5+ emissions...

MV Agusta LXP Orioli: the 9.5 concept comes to life

07 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

Two years on from the reveal of their Lucky Explorer 9.5 concept, MV Agusta have whipped the covers off their first production adventure motorcycle – taking that early design idea and moulding it into...

Honda upgrade their baby 'Blade with a new look and screen for 2024

07 November 2023 by Phil West

Last year’s parallel twin Honda CBR500R did a passable impression of a Fireblade and for 2024 the firm have taken matters a step further by tweaking the fairing to mimic its big brother even more...

New Honda CB1000 Hornet is a super naked with a sting

07 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

Honda have quietly ditched their CB1000R naked for 2024 in favour of a new CB1000 Hornet, powered by a detuned version of the firm’s 2017 Fireblade superbike motor. Revealing a select number of...

Buzzing into contention: Honda reveal revised CB500 Hornet to replace CB500F naked

07 November 2023 by Phil West

Honda have revised their popular 471cc parallel twin offering for 2024, replacing their modest CB500F naked with a new CB500 Hornet that retains the same underpinnings with fresh bodywork inspired by...

Honda NX500 is the return of the Dominator... sort of

07 November 2023 by Phil West

Like the CB500F naked, the Honda CB500X gets a new name for 2024, but it’s not the one you might expect. With the Hornet moniker filtering down to the CB500F, we suspected the CB500X adventure bike...

VIDEO: the Honda CBR600RR returns to UK showrooms

07 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

It’s official, 600cc supersport bikes are back in Blighty, with Honda announcing a UK return for their CBR600RR following its departure from the range at the start of 2017. And this time it’s got...

The Blade is back: New Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP is the sharpest yet

07 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

The 2024 race-spec CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP is taking what Honda calls ‘a huge step forward’ in performance, specification – and even styling – in a renewed bid to produce the superbike capable of...

Box of tricks: Seamless shifting for Honda's CBR650R and CB650R

07 November 2023 by Phil West

Honda’s popular mid-size four-cylinder duo, the CBR650R sportsbike and CB650R naked have both had a major makeover for 2024 – becoming the first bikes in the brand’s range to feature a new ‘E-Clutch’...

Suzuki’s GSX-S1000GX is a superbike on stilts!

07 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

Suzuki are moving into the long legged sports adventure bike segment for 2024 with a new four-cylinder GSX-S1000GX, based on the existing 999cc GSX-S1000GT that arrived for 2022. As with the GT,...

2024 Suzuki GSX-8R: the 8S gets a sportier (parallel) twin

07 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

Suzuki have announced a new GSX-8R sportsbike for 2024, which builds on the existing GSX-8S roadster as a well-rounded, comfortable alternative to the traditional mid-size supersport recipe. We’ve...

Another one! 2024 Yamaha Tenere 700 Explore joins the family

06 November 2023 by Phil West

Just when you thought Yamaha’s range of Ténéré 700s couldn’t get any bigger, the Japanese giant has just unveiled the sixth addition to the adventure bike group: the new 2024 Ténéré 700...

Humberside officers tackle October bike-related crimewave

03 November 2023 by Dan Sutherland

Humberside Police’s Op Yellowfin taskforce have made arrests in Scunthorpe, detaining a 20-year-old man, and seizing a firearm during an operation in partnership with the National Police Air...

TV bikes star at NEC auction

03 November 2023 by Phil West

Nearly 250 bikes, including two belonging to TV’s Shed and Buried star Henry Cole, and one of the UK’s biggest Ducati collections, will go under the hammer at a massive motorcycle auction at...

Give (or receive) the gift of MCN Premium this Christmas

02 November 2023 by MCN

MCN Premium Membership Promotion An MCN Premium Membership is your access-all-areas pass to everything motorcycling An MCN Premium Membership makes a fantastic Christmas gift for the motorcyclist in your life, even if that is...

How to: Clean your bike's carbs

02 November 2023 by Bruce Dunn

Giving your carbs a clean can prove a highly rewarding task. Going from having a bike that’s coughing and spluttering to running silky smooth just because you’ve applied a bit of diligent but...

Biking Legends: Mike Hailwood

02 November 2023 by Stuart Barker

At the time of his death in 1981, Mike Hailwood was acknowledged as the greatest motorcycle racer of all time. The stats alone leave little room for doubt: when he retired from the sport, he had...

Big read: ‘It’s Ollie & Tommy Bridewell: British Superbike Champion’

02 November 2023 by Josh Close

Tommy Bridewell reached the top of the mountain in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship this year as he clinched the title by just half-a-point. It was a crazy year full of ups and downs,...

Singles club: Ducati reveals Hypermotard 698 Mono

02 November 2023 by Ben Purvis

For decades the Ducati name was synonymous with V-twin engines only, but those days are now long gone. Not only do V4s make up half the model range but now the company has added its first...

The MCN Test: Retro rocket four-cylinder fighters

02 November 2023 by Carl Stevens

Whether you’re a new rider jumping up in capacity or a superbike veteran looking for something a little calmer for a Sunday afternoon blast, the new era of middleweight supersport machines offer...

‘It’s not just manuals…’ MCN heads to the Haynes Motor Museum, Yeovil

02 November 2023 by Saffron Wilson

Roll up, roll up! The Haynes Motor Museum in Yeovil officially unveiled its longawaited motorcycle exhibition on Saturday, so now you can visit the new mezzanine and sink into a rich history of...

World Superbikes Insight: how Bautista secured Ducati’s first back-to-back titles since Carl Fogarty

02 November 2023 by Greg Haines

ROUND 1 PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA RACE 1: Bautista, Rea, RazgatliogluSPRINT: Bautista, Rinaldi, RazgatliogluRACE 2: Bautista, Rinaldi, Locatelli Alvaro Bautista kicked off in style by repeating...

2024 MT-09 SP: Yamaha's naked triple gets more extreme

02 November 2023 by Phil West

Hot on the heels of the 2024 standard MT-09 revealed on 31 October, Yamaha have now unveiled a spicier SP version with uprated suspension, brakes, electronics and more. Barely a week on from the...