Bike news

Year: ALL

And now it’s flashing helmets, too

02 December 2001

WE’VE had ABS brakes, traction control and variable valve timing, now a British inventor reckons we should follow the lead of four wheels one more time by having car-style high-level brake lights… on the back of our helmets. Grant Belben from Poole, Dorset, has patented a new wireless brake light system. It works like this: A battery/LED unit attaches to the back of the rider’s helmet with tape,...

Tip-toe round the crashed bike

01 December 2001

And then everything was a blur…

Supersport for two weeks

25 November 2001

Welcome to the first of a fortnight of supersport video clips.

Counting the cost

25 November 2001

On paper, the Fazer’s £7799 rrp doesn’t compare well with the £5995 Honda. Even with £500 lopped off, the Yamaha will still cost £1300 more. But the reality is rather different. A quick flick through...

Hodgson joins Radio Four for a week of Biker Tales

25 November 2001

RADIO 4 the station better known for The Archers and the shipping forecast are lining up a week of famous, infamous and just plain extraordinary riders. ” Biker Tales ” begins on Monday 3rd December...

Longterm test: Aprilia RSV-R

25 November 2001

We’ve all had moments when we wish the ground would just open up. Like when you’ve spent the last five minutes saying what a tosser your boss is, only to find him standing behind you. Or when you’ve...

Oi, you at the back

25 November 2001

Bikes in this class are bound to spend at least some of the time with a pillion on board, so we did a lap of the lakes to check out the pillion seats with our tester Kev Smith bringing up the rear: HONDA VFR: " THERE’S two grab handles which give your hand plenty of room, but you get much more support from the Triumph’s single handle. The pegs are really low (10mm lower than the previous bike)...

Bostrom and Bayliss 998 replicas ready for Europe

25 November 2001

Ducati have already unveiled the Ben Bostrom replica 998 in the US, but now it’s coming to Europe, and so is World Champion Troy Bayliss’s replica. But while we’ll be getting the 136bhp 998S engine,...

Yamaha Fazer and Honda Hornet: head-to-head

25 November 2001

Not many boxing matches are as one-sided as the punch-fest a few days ago when Brit hero Lennox Lewis made Hasim Rahman eat canvas in fine style. This fight certainly seems a lot more evenly-balanced...

More than a motorcycle

25 November 2001

It’s a state of mind

Ladies: Vote for your hunkiest rider of the year

25 November 2001

LAST month, male motorcyclenews.com users had their chance to vote for the Brolly Babe of the Year. The response was huge but it seems our female visitors felt a bit left out so we’ve decided to give...

Close racing

25 November 2001

Supersport provides some of the closest racing there is

Councils improve bike bay security

25 November 2001

LOCAL authorities are finally beginning to actively tackle bike theft by installing more ground anchors in bike parking bays. We reported last month that a new report had highlighted the worst areas...

Join the champions at the biggest off-road event of the year

25 November 2001

The second annual Dirt Rider Expo kicks off at the National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry on Thursday, November 29 to Sunday, December 2. The show, already established as the...

Fazer 1000 prices tumble

25 November 2001

WHEN we tested Yamaha’s Fazer 1000 alongside the new Honda Hornet 900, the big question was whether the Yam was worth £1800 more than its new rival. Thanks to motorcyclenews.com you don’t have to ask...

Everyone’s been so helpful…

25 November 2001

Pick it up and start again

Oh, the glamour

25 November 2001

Supersport stars can get wet just like the rest of us

Let us spray

25 November 2001

Supersport in the wet… feel those sphincter muscles tighten

European champion James Ellison tests a Superstock Blade, R1 and GSX-R

25 November 2001

We all know people who excel at things that the rest of us find difficult or impossible. They’re the ones who are born with the co-ordination to play a blinding round of golf, the drive to become a...

Forget the GSX-R and R6, this CBR is the ultimate 600

25 November 2001

A HONDA CBR600 that costs £17,000 might sound a bit pricey – but its maker reckons this one’s a bargain. And as that maker is the Castrol Honda World Supersport team, and the cost of the parts and...

Four stroke Yamaha gives Max power in tests

25 November 2001

MAX BIAGGI and Malboro Yamaha team mate Carlos Checa have spoken to MCN after wrapping up their behind-closed-doors test of their new four stroke GP bike. Checa and Biaggi were joined by test rider...

First shots from Yamaha’s four stroke GP test

25 November 2001

This stunning shot is one of the first pictures to emerge from Yamaha’s secret test of their new four stroke GP bike, the M1. It was snapped by our photographer while Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa and test...

Le Mans, Spa and Bol will go ahead in 2002

18 November 2001

Thousands of British race fans will be delighted to hear that endurance racing’s big three 24-hour races are set to go ahead – even though they have been axed from the official world championship. Le...

Babe of the Year revealed

18 November 2001

ITV2 might be running its Miss World vote at the moment, but we reckon they’ll be hard-pushed to come up with a line-up as hot as our Babes of the Year. We asked you to browse through the honeys who...

Wow! Look what Yoshimura has done to the GSX-R1000

18 November 2001

Yoshimura’s new Tornado S-1 is based around the MCN Award-winning Suzuki GSX-R1000 but little of the original remains untouched. The engine’s compression has been raised from 12.0:1 to 13.2:1 by...

First test and video: Honda’s new VFR versus Futura and Sprint ST

18 November 2001

We’ve come to the Lake District, home of wet weather and stunning roads to put the newest Honda VFR through its paces against two of its stiffest competitors. Aprilia’s V-twin RSV Mille-powered Futura...

Cowboys and indians

18 November 2001

How does it feel when you’re riding an H-D?

Angels with dirty jeans

18 November 2001

From stockbrokers to Hell’s Angels… Get a Harley, and you’re in the gang…

Custom kings

18 November 2001

No two Harleys should ever be alike…

Aprilia set to launch Blue Marlin

18 November 2001

APRILIA has seen the light and is due to put the gorgeous Blue Marlin into production in 2002. The firm intends to make an announcement about its decision at the Bologna Show next month, but spokesman...

Watch the test

18 November 2001

To watch the video test and see Marc Potter give you his verdict on the bikes, click on the links on the right of the page.

Carnell-City offer help to Bikes-uk customers

18 November 2001

Those of you who bought service plans with Bikes-uk before it went into receivership are being offered help by Carnell-City. Britain’s biggest chain of dealers is opening up its loyalty service...

New firm GluGlu gives us dirt-track style

18 November 2001

Japan is being swept by dirt-track mania, and here’s the cash-in from new firm GluGlu. Taking their styling cues from the all-American XR750 flat-track racer, and popular 70’s colour schemes, dirt-track bikes for the road are proving to be big business. GluGlu uses current production bikes as the donors, namely the Yamaha TRX850 and SRX400/600 as well as the Suzuki Katana 250. There’s even a race...

Make Ally Pally your New Year’s resolution

18 November 2001

IF the NEC show simply whetted your appetite and you’re looking for another chance to see the best in biking then get down to London at the end of January. The Road Racing & Superbike Show, or Ally Pally Show, will be on from January 26 to February 3. Held at the Alexandra Palace in London, and now in its 23rd year, it is the South’s premier bike show. Over 63,000 visitors attended last year and...

Longterm test: Yamaha Tmax

18 November 2001

Being fairly liberal-minded, I do my best to understand the actions of other people. Even when they seem completely unreasonable, I exercise caution before judging them. I may not have all the facts.

Ducati launch Bayliss rep

18 November 2001

Ducati is going to launch a road-going replica of World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss’ machine. It will be a 998 with the red Infostrada paintscheme, not the silver one the Aussie rode in the final...