Bike news

Year: ALL

Hot Himmy: Power boost on the cards for Royal Enfield Himalayan

20 January 2022 by Jordan Gibbons

Royal Enfield are working on a hot new version of the Himalayan according to multiple sources in India. The Himalayan has been a big success for the brand thanks to its ease of use and rugged nature,...

‘It’s out of my comfort zone’: Campaigner overcomes her fears

19 January 2022 by Dan Sutherland

A mental health campaigner and comedian who is encouraging bikers to talk more openly about the impact of suicide is celebrating passing her test – and has overcome trauma from an earlier road...

Valeo step into battery power: Hopes for a low-cost route to electric bikes

19 January 2022 by Jordan Gibbons

Valeo might not be a household name but they’re among the world’s biggest automotive parts suppliers with 187 production facilities and 67 R&D bases across 33 countries – so their intention to start...

Michelin roll out new Road 6 and Road 6 GT touring rubber

17 January 2022 by Jordan Gibbons

Michelin have announced new versions of their do-it-all tyre, which will now be called the Road 6 and Road 6 GT. Following on from the Road 5, which has been a firm favourite in the MCN office since...

Four massively important motorcycling campaigns that deserve your support in 2022

14 January 2022 by Jordan Gibbons

As we head into 2022, the new year is traditionally time for taking stock and making resolutions and plans for the 12 months to come, and motorcycling currently has plenty of stories, issues and...

'There is nothing safe about stopping in a live lane of the motorway': Call for hard-shoulder reinstatement

12 January 2022 by Stuart Prestidge

Following the April 15 announcement that there will be no new smart motorways, the RAC is leading calls from motoring groups for the hard shoulder to be reinstated on existing routes. The halting...

Pocket rocket: Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R is ready and it's headed for Europe in 2023

12 January 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Kawasaki are channelling their inner 1990s and have confirmed that a new Ninja ZX-4R four-cylinder screaming sportsbike is on its way to Europe in the Autumn of 2023. We’ve ridden it: Read our...

Back protectors made compulsory at trackdays

12 January 2022 by Phil West

Back protectors are being made compulsory for most UK trackdays from March 31, 2022. The move has been sparked by leading trackday provider Motorsport Vision Trackdays and is a progression from their...

Read six great bike magazines in one app

12 January 2022 by MCN

MCN Promotion Subscribe to Bikes Unlimited and get access to six of Britain’s best motorcycling magazines for just £7.99 per month. Bikes Unlimited is the app from the maker’s of MCN that features...

New Ohvale Evo models promise easier ergonomics for the racing stars of the future

10 January 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Premium miniature race bike firm Ohvale have revealed two new Evo models for 2022, promising to make life that bit easier for the GP stars of tomorrow. Standing at just 790mm tall, the GP-0 110 4S Evo...

Brough get tough: Desert-inspired ‘Lawrence Nefud’ adds scrambler style to top-spec retro

10 January 2022 by Phil West

This glorious neo-classic, scrambler-style roadster is the latest model from boutique performance bike brand Brough Superior. The £50,000 Lawrence Nefud is based on the Lawrence roadster which the...

Highway Code being ‘ignored’: Major updates were supposed to make life safer for bikers – but in reality, nothing much has changed

07 January 2022 by Phil West

Changes to the Highway Code intended to boost safety are receiving a further publicity drive amid concerns they’ve made little difference, have created confusion and are mostly being ‘ignored’. The...

Alpinestars inflate their airbag range for 2022 including new entry-level Tech-Air 3

07 January 2022 by Ben Clarke

Alpinestars have unveiled three new wearable airbag systems at the CES Las Vegas event called the Tech-Air 10, Tech-Air 3 and Tech-Air Off Road V2. They join the existing Tech-Air 5, which remains in...

British bike brands bounce back for 2022

07 January 2022 by Jordan Gibbons

This year is shaping up to be the year of the British bike, with a whole host of brands new and old bringing out models that have the power to shake up the global motorcycle market once again. The...

Spyshots: Updated KTM 990 Duke striding closer to production

06 January 2022 by Jordan Gibbons

KTM’s parallel twin has won the brand plaudits and sales since its introduction in 2018, with the motor finding its way into multiple models since. We’ve ridden it: 2024 KTM 990 Duke...

Crated Honda RC213V-S becomes most expensive Japanese bike ever sold at auction

06 January 2022 by Dan Sutherland

A Honda RC213V-S still in its original shipping crate has become the most expensive Japanese bike ever sold at auction – fetching a whopping total sales price of £182,500. The 2016 road-legal MotoGP...

Kawasaki mark 50 years of the Zed name with four Z50 special models

06 January 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Kawasaki are marking 50 years of Zed models with special ‘Z50’ versions of the Z900, Z650, Z900RS and Z650RS nakeds. Available from March 2022, the bikes will feature distinctive liveries reminiscent...

Damon come out swinging with new HyperFighter electric super naked range

06 January 2022 by Ben Clarke

Canadian electric bike firm Damon have unveiled their new naked bike called the HyperFighter at the CES Las Vegas technology show. Based on the HyperSport electric superbike first unveiled in 2020,...

Small-scale Bournemouth dealer is aiming high as 2022 kicks off

05 January 2022 by Phil West

When Ross Allison jacked in his solid job at Bournemouth Kawasaki and sank £90k of his own money into starting his new business, Rotate Motorcycles, he had every right to be a little nervous. But...

Mix and match Arrow platform to spawn new family for Harley-Davidson LiveWire

05 January 2022 by Ben Purvis

Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire is one of the best electrics out there – but it’s far from cheap. Now, however, things are changing fast with H-D’s decision to spin-off the e-bike operation and news of a...

New CFMoto 800MT heading to UK: KTM-based adventurer to hit dealers in summer

05 January 2022 by Dan Sutherland

CFMoto have confirmed the first big bike from their deal with KTM will arrive in dealers in June – with prices starting below £10k. Called the 800MT, the bike uses the 799cc parallel twin from KTM’s...

Metzeler get adventurous: new tyre sizes mean more touring options

04 January 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Metzeler have revealed two new adventure bike tyres for 2022 – the road-biased Tourance Next 2 and the mud-plugging Karoo 4. The second-generation Tourance is designed for riders covering long...

Bike Shed founders recognised in the New Year’s Honours List

04 January 2022 by Jordan Gibbons

The husband and wife team who created London’s Bike Shed – Vikki and Anthony ‘Dutch’ van Someren – have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours List. The pair have been awarded the British Empire...

New SWMs ready to roll: small-capacity nakeds mark firm's 50th anniversary

04 January 2022 by Jordan Gibbons

SWM have released a pair of small-capacity bikes as a tribute to their home region on the firm’s 50th anniversary. The duo are called the VA125Z and VA400Z respectively, after Italy’s Varese...

Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire division becomes publicly traded company

01 January 2022 by Stuart Prestidge

Harley-Davidson and AEA-Bridges have completed their business deal to create the publicly traded LiveWire PLC, trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for the first time on Tuesday, September...

Ready to rally: Fantic unveil XEF and limited launch edition race replicas

31 December 2021 by Stuart Prestidge

Fantic have unveiled this XEF Rally, marking the Italian manufacturer’s first foray into the race replica market. The bike has been developed based on Fantic’s Dakar racing experience. The XEF is...

The new Virtual Test Lab by Mips aims to boost lid safety

28 December 2021 by Dan Sutherland

Development of a motorcycle helmet can be a drawn-out process, with years of testing, retooling components and a dollop of trial and error. Swedish helmet safety specialists Mips are tackling this...

Revealed: the world's keenest learner!

27 December 2021 by Jordan Gibbons

When Asad Mirza, 36, decided he wanted to take his riding up a notch, he discovered a problem: despite his native India having a population of one billion people, not one of them is an advanced riding...

BMW and TVS partner up for electric project

22 December 2021 by Jordan Gibbons

We could be seeing cheaper electric bikes from BMW in as little as two years after the German firm this week announced an expansion of a collaboration with Indian firm TVS specifically to develop...

France closes border with the UK for all but essential travel

17 December 2021 by Ben Clarke

From Saturday, December 18 2021, travellers from the UK will not be able to enter France unless they have an essential reason – as defined by French officials. French nationals and residents are...

'MotoE level performance': UK brand Arc deliver first Vector to movie star and firm-up plans for new supersport model

15 December 2021 by Dan Sutherland

Having launched their first concept back in 2018, West Midlands electric motorcycle firm Arc have now delivered seven Vector production bikes, with the first going to Hollywood A-lister, Ryan...

Confirmed: 2021 Honda CB125F will cost £2799 OTR

14 December 2021 by Dan Sutherland

Keen to cash in on the recent rise in low-capcity two-wheeled commuter sales, Honda have confirmed that their 2021 CB125F will cost £2799 OTR – a whole £100 cheaper than the current version, last...

Plastic fantastic: Lego Technic launch BMW M1000RR model

14 December 2021 by Jordan Gibbons

BMW and Lego have released their latest collaboration, this time producing a Lego Technic version of the BMW M1000RR. Designed as a 1:5 scale version of the 209bhp superbike, the little racer is...

Curtiss One: American firm open order book for £87k electric model

13 December 2021 by Ben Clarke

Curtiss Motorcycles have started taking orders for their first electric bike, which is called the One. The Curtiss brand was born back in 2015 as an electric venture for the very much petrol-driven...

Ducati DesertX combines a retro adventure looks with modern adventurers’ innards

10 December 2021 by Jordan Gibbons

Ducati have combined the two most popular market segment bikes into one, creating one of the most exciting models in recent years. Technologically interesting, beautifully styled and with the business...

Harley-Davidson to launch new Adventure Centre with Dakar legend Mick Extance

08 December 2021 by Dan Sutherland

Harley-Davidson have teamed up seven-time Dakar Rally competitor Mick Extance to set up a new off-road adventure school in Wales. The H-D Adventure Centre will kick off in 2022, giving Harley fans the...