Bike news

Year: ALL

Strange But True

04 March 2002

Oh no… here’s another line-up of motorcycling oddities from around the world. If you have anything worthy of inclusion in our next one, e-mail jon.urry@emap.com Holland: A Groningen graveyard now...

One in four London drivers will swap four wheel for two

04 March 2002

Almost one in four drivers in central London say they’ll swop to bikes to avoid paying a £5 a day congestion charge next year, MCN can exclusively reveal. It’s the best way they can find to beat the...

World first test: The 2002 ZX-12R

04 March 2002

Kawasaki has raised the power of the ZX-12R AND given it an even more sporting focus. Our full report is published in MCN, out on Wednesday, March 6, 2002. But here are our first impressions. (i) The...

10 Scottish show winners revealed

04 March 2002

The MCN-backed Scottish Motorcycle Show is on over the weekend of March 9-10 and 10 site users will now be there, with a pal or partner, free of charge.. We’ve given away 10 pairs of day tickets worth...

Frame fix could cut insurance costs

04 March 2002

Carnell-City is claiming a new addition to its Sheffield-based Bike Clinic could reduce the number of bikes which have to be written off. And that could have a big impact on the price we all pay for...

Scottish Motorcycle Show this weekend

04 March 2002

Everything is in place for the doors opening on the MCN-backed Scottish Motorcycle Show at 9am, on Saturday. Highlights include: Kit and accessories at discount prices; the gorgeous MCN girls; the MCN...

New reg lands DVLA in the PO0

04 March 2002

DVLA bosses have had to recall over 100 new registrations because they spell out: ” PO0 ” . All plates issued since Saturday March 1 this year, feature the figures 02. The Fylde area of Blackpool was to be identified with PO. The DVLA didn’t spot the potential for embarrassment until the plates arrived at a car dealership. It happens to be opposite Fylde Superbikes. Fylde boss Dave Patterson...

Thanks for making us No1… by a mile

01 March 2002

Thanks to your increasing visits to motorcyclenews.com, we’ve just had yet another record month. Even though February is the shortest month of the year we clocked up 5,000,000 page impressions (that amounted to 30,000,000 hits, for anyone still counting that way) and 265,000 unique visitors in that month alone. February saw an average of 36,000 daily visits, the highest figure since the site was...

Quiz winner passes on prize

01 March 2002

The top-prize winner of MCN’s massive Christmas quiz picked up his Suzuki DR-Z400– and instantly gave it away again. Honda CBR600 rider Martin Houckham, 62, from Dartford, Kent, decided to hand the...

Meacher on Any Questions Friday night

01 March 2002

Minister Michael Meacher, the man whose leaked letter to police chiefs has caused an angry reaction throughout motorcycling, WILL now appear on BBC Radio Four tonight and you can put your questions...

Kawasaki proves that bigger is best

25 February 2002

Chances are, the last time you talked big-bore kits you were 16 years old, munching a saveloy and slurping a can of Shandy Bass outside the chip shop while you wondered if it was worth splashing out...

Organising the protest

25 February 2002

Motorcyclenews.com user Revetts has set-up a micro-community so that people wishing to organise their protest against Meacher and other anti-bike Government policies can share ideas. Follow this link to be taken there: http://communities.msn.com/BikersProtest

KTM 250 EXC Racing tested

25 February 2002

KTM’s new four-stroke 250EXC Racing costs almost £5000. But you can find out if you’re prepared to fork out for it by trying it out in a weekend of off-road fun for just under £300. That’s the deal...

Suggested text for a letter to your MP

25 February 2002

Here’s some suggested text you might want to include in your letter. You could just copy and paste it into a document to send (e-mail or letter). The Treasury issued a public consultation paper on reforming motorcycle VED last year – and I disagree with many of the points I am worried that this is a thinly-veiled excuse to raise more tax from bikes. The Treasury has proposed a new higher road tax...

Gilera’s V-twin prototype revealed

25 February 2002

These are the first pictures of the V-twin prototype Gilera is building as a first step towards a new range of machines. It hosts the first full-size engine the Italian firm, currently best known for...

The 10 best secondhand buys and why

25 February 2002

SUZUKI TL1000R ’98 Price when new: £8649. Price now: £3650-£4050 Slow sales ever since it was launched in 1998 – its TL1000S sibling has already been discontinued – means big discounts are available...

Bikes to ride free in London

25 February 2002

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has announced he’s going ahead with plans to charge drivers £5 a day to use central London roads. But motorcyclists and scooter riders will go free. Faced with forking out £25 a week on top of fuel and other car costs, many drivers could find themselves tempted by the many bargain scooter deals currently on offer. Those commuting from further afield may be lining up...

Choose from 15,000 used bargains

25 February 2002

March is the best time to buy a secondhand bike, as 15,000 of them flood into showrooms and get crammed on to the pages of MCN BikeMart. The surge in the number of secondhand bikes is due to the...

Long term CBR600

25 February 2002

It’s an old cliché that Hondas are more reliable than Swiss watches. But it’s true. Over the last 12 months I’ve covered more than 20,000 miles – around three times the average annual UK mileage – on...

£14,300 Joey Dunlop reps sell out

25 February 2002

The strictly limited run of 25 Joey Dunlop replica SP-1s has now been sold. The only way you now have of getting hold of one is to bid in the MCN auction for the exclusive no26. It has taken less than...

Ducati admits it is building Smart rep

25 February 2002

Ducati has finally admitted it is building a modern-day replica of Paul Smart’s 1972 Imola 200-winning 750SS –three years after MCN told you it was coming. The bike follows on from the successful MH900e Mike Hailwood replica, which has just finished its production run of 2000 units. The bike is expected to be heavily based on the MH900e – sharing a similar tubular steel trellis chassis. However,...

World first pictures of Triumph cruiser

25 February 2002

These exclusive pictures show Triumph’s long-awaited 2.2litre cruiser. If you want to see more of it, make sure you get MCN, out on Wednesday, February, 28. The bike is due to be launched next year...

The best ways to buy secondhand

25 February 2002

From a dealer: Know the market. Make sure you know the value of what you’re buying and are familiar with any mechanical problems it’s prone to. Never be afraid to haggle. Name a starting price confidently, making sure it’s lower than the maximum you’re prepared to pay. Privately: Once you’ve found your bike through MCN BikeMart, take your time inspecting it. Look for any tell-tale signs of crash...

Your road tax letters to MPs made easy

25 February 2002

You’ve started sending letters to your MPs to follow up your massive response to the public consultation on bike road tax. Our tips, make it easy for anyone to join in. Read on for advice on what to...

Harley evening classes

25 February 2002

Chesterfield dealer Harleyworld is opening its doors every Wednesday evening in March to help owners get to know their Harleys. Mechanics will explain what needs checking on their bikes after the...

Buy yourself a bargain

25 February 2002

You can get yourself a very nice new or nearly-new 599cc ZX-6R for a lot less than the 636’s £6990 asking price. The ZX-6R is listed at £6895, but people are buying them new for £4795, which is a real...

Bikes excluded from congestion charging

25 February 2002

Motorcycling has been handed a massive potential boost with the news that bikes are excluded from controversial plans to make motorists pay per mile. With talk of commuter runs along the M6 around...

First test on 636cc Kawasaki ZX-6R

25 February 2002

We’ve been riding Kawasaki’s new bigger-bore ZX-6R for 2002 and the extra ccs add up to a serious boost for torque and mid-range. Our full report is in MCN, out on Wednesday, February 27, but in the...

2002 bikes added to our reviews section

25 February 2002

The 2002 R1, TDM900, VFR800 VTEC and Hornet 900 have all been added to our BIKE REVIEWS section. Each comes complete with pictures, specs, road tests and links to its own dedicated chat board. Each...

Yamaha FJR1300: Long term test report

18 February 2002

Boy that was good! It had only taken a couple of hundred yards of ever-so-slightly damp roads, glistening in the brilliance of a blue winter’s day, to make me realise what I’d been missing. It must...

First test on 2002 R1

18 February 2002

The secret is out. We’re the first people in the world outside of Yamaha to get the key to the 2002 R1. And that means the speculation over whether it can match the GSX-R1000 is over. That ignition...

Not like that… just like that

18 February 2002

For my next trick I shall make a motorcycle disappear (partially).

Ready, steady, tumble?

18 February 2002

The start is also the end for some.

Win Butlins bash for four by midnight

18 February 2002

Text your entry to our latest mobile phone competition by midnight on February 19 and you could win a weekend for four at the MCN Butlins Spring Spectacular for just £1. It’s on at Skegness on April 12-15. Not been before? It’s one hell of a party. Runners-up get tickets tot he Scottish Motorcycle Show. This is how you can win (competition is currently only available to Vodafone and BT Cellnet...

Does it hurt less in black and white?

18 February 2002

When the world was in monochrome, the accidents were no less spectacular.

First test: Jog R and Jog RR

18 February 2002

This machine is a phenomenally important two-wheeler. Not convinced? How about the fact that it replaces one of the biggest-sellers in one of Europe’s biggest markets. Still not that fussed? How about...