Latest news in motorcycling
Stay informed with the very latest news in motorcycling. Our crack team of reporters cover the issues you need to know about, from new bikes to community, and the latest tech to bike crime. We apply professional rigour to our journalism and ask the key questions to the right people, to ensure our readers stay fully informed.
Find out why you can trust us.
28 seconds
22 July 2001
WELL DONE! You’ve correctly guessed that wheezy John-san had only enough puff for 28 seconds! You win! Click on the link on the right to see his shameful effort.
You CAN beat the bike thieves
15 July 2001
Bike thieves. Got any sympathy for them? Thought not. You’re going to enjoy this then. Follow the link ” How far would you go to protect your bike ” and you’ll enter a world of great ideas to...
Infra-red movement sensor
15 July 2001
Despite living in an area of Norwich with low levels of crime, Peter Jenks’ insurance company insisted he garaged his Triumph Bonneville, installed immobilisers and secured it with a lock. Hoping it...
What to take
15 July 2001
SO what exactly is involved in riding around the world? We asked Duncan Goose to give us the survivor’s guide to global motorcycle travel. ” Rule number one is travel light. Taking things you think...
Trench and fishing wire trap
15 July 2001
When a thief visits in the small hours, the last thing he expects is a 7ft-deep trench. But that’s exactly what he’ll find if he tries getting his hands on Mark D’s bike. After losing two bikes in as...
Round the world by Africa Twin
15 July 2001
THERE are two essential items for anyone thinking of travelling the world on a bike. Not Swiss Army knives or malaria pills, not a compass or a 32-piece socket set, not even a get out of jail free...
Save £100 more than ever on new bikes
15 July 2001
If you thought Carnell-City’s Real Prices were good, you ain’t seen nothing yet! From today, on selected new bikes you’ll want to own, we’ve been able to take even more off the already cut-to-the-bone...
CCM’s new road-focused single
15 July 2001
CCM’s R30 comes with the kind of creature comforts that the British firm hopes will attract a wider audience. It’s got a rev-counter, cush-drive, alloy wheels and even a fully-painted pearlescent...
Coates and wife set new speed record
15 July 2001
Dave Coates and his missus, the very brave Sandra, have just set a new two-up speed record of 146mph…while facing backwards. The rear-facing duo were riding a Yamaha R1. Coates said he was a bit...
Cool Britannia… but only in Japan
15 July 2001
THE JAPANESE infatuation with old British bikes will lead to the introduction of the new Honda GB400RS next year. Our artist’s impression shows the bike is based on the current CL400 – a low-cost...
The evolution of the Ducati 996 engine
15 July 2001
If ever an engine proved worthy of evolutionary development instead of replacing it with a new design it has to be the Ducati 996 motor. The eight-valve, liquid-cooled V-twin which has dominated World...
250 turn out for RiDER Power
15 July 2001
Is this the moment when 250 people wished they’d brought their waterproofs with them? The assembled crowd of 250 riders and their bikes came together to help out with the latest RiDER Power survey,...
Place your bets…now!
15 July 2001
He’s an ultra fit athlete who trains hard and is in peak physical condition. BUT how long can British Supersport rider John McGuinness hold his breath? 18 seconds, 28 seconds or 58 seconds?...
Engine block
15 July 2001
IF you live in rented accommodation, then a secure garage or a ground anchor might not be an option. Short of taking your bike to bed with you, what you need is something heavy to attach it to. After a bit of lateral thinking, Nigel O’Sullivan came up with the ideal solution – a stripped-down engine block. He said: " They’re bloody heavy and a bit of a bugger to get home, but once they’re in...
First test on Suzuki’s new Volusia
15 July 2001
Look closely at this bike and you’ll see Suzuki has kept the familiar Intruder name, and bolted on the ” Volusia ” tag to mark this new but even more traditional style. It’s named after Volusia...
Desperate and dodgy
15 July 2001
Bike thieves are the scum of the earth, right? So who cares if they get a bit hurt while they’ve got their filthy paws on your property, as long as they go back to their hovels empty-handed and your bike stays in the garage? Well, the law, for one. Don’t use any of these methods lightly…
High-voltage shed
15 July 2001
Ken D gave his local bike thief the shock of his life with his very effective but highly illegal invention – the electric shed. Angry at having his previous bike nicked, Ken vowed never to let it...
Swingarm lock
15 July 2001
If you can’t buy the security device you want – make your own. That’s exactly what John Smith of Wallasey, in Liverpool, did when he developed a bespoke security lock welded to the swingarm of his...
Fort Knox
15 July 2001
Fireblade owner Dave Manchester, from Bradford, had his bike stolen in March last year. In the 16 months since, he’s been a man on a mission, installing every security device imaginable to make sure...
CCTV, steel door and ground anchors
15 July 2001
In the past two years, Iain and Lynne Hall have had over 1500 bikes pass through their B&B in the North Yorkshire resort of Scarborough and they haven’t lost one yet. The Donnington Hotel is a...
Watch this video… and see if you can do better
15 July 2001
Kungfoobob and SuperRetard can often be found at the centre of some serious daftness on our Talk Bikes bulletin boards. Now they’ve decided to step up the efforts they make to entertain us with this...
Survival tips
15 July 2001
THIS is Duncan Goose’s essential advice for travellers: Travel light, travel light and travel light. Give a trusted friend power of attorney over your bank account, so they can send you your own...
FJR long term test (2): The owners’ gathering
15 July 2001
Going for a ride-out and then chewing the cud with fellow riders is always a pretty good way to spend a day. While a football fan will (season permitting) relish the idea of a few pints in the boozer...
The loop and lock
15 July 2001
The simplest ideas are often the best – and you can’t get much simpler than the loop and lock. Chains and padlocks are only really effective if there’s something to lock your bike to. However, if...
John O’Groats to Land’s End… by classic scooter
15 July 2001
The idea of travelling from John O’Groats to Land’s End isn’t enough of a challenge for some people. These guys, among them a 28-year-old diagnosed with terminal cancer, decided to make it hard for...
Why congestion charging will put thousands more people on bikes
15 July 2001
We already know the best way to get through a busy city is on two wheels – and the latest plan for the English capital means thousands of London car drivers could see the light as well. From 2003 a...
Shotgun cartridges
15 July 2001
Two years ago, Robert E, from South Shields, had his garage broken into. Strangely, the thieves didn’t touch his bike. In fact, they made away with nothing more than a frozen turkey. But it was enough...
How far would you go to protect your bike?
15 July 2001
This week, around 600 motorcycles will be stolen in the UK. Only 84 will be recovered and returned to their owners. With organised criminals developing ever more sophisticated methods, keeping our...
Thanks for making this the place to be
15 July 2001
More riders are coming to motorcyclenews.com than ever before. More than 100,000 of you came to the site last week and looked at over 1,000,000 pages. And that’s the first time our page impressions count has gone over the million mark. Page impressions shouldn’t be confused with " hits " . There are usually around 10 hits on any given web page, sometimes more. A site claiming one million hits a...
The man who invented the Desmo dies
15 July 2001
Fabio Taglioni, the man who invented Ducati’s famous Desmodromic engine, has died at his home in Bologna at the age of 80. Born on September 10, 1920 in Lugo di Romagna, Italy, Taglioni graduated as...
Ingenious but legal
15 July 2001
If shotgun cartridges, guard dogs and electric shocks seem a bit extreme, there are plenty of equally creative methods to secure your bike which can be just as effective – and they won’t land you in a court of law
Shop a bike thief and grab a grand
15 July 2001
If you have information that could convict a bike thief, dial 0870-444-8448 and you could get a reward of up to £1000. If you’ve got the gen on an organised gang, that amount could rise to £10,000...
Hydraulic lift
15 July 2001
According to Barry Hood, from Birmingham, his hydraulic lift is a far more effective means of securing a bike than a conventional ground anchor. He said: ” Once a thief has got into your garage the...
Trading Standards order clothing off the shelves
15 July 2001
Trading Standards officers ordered Buffalo to replace the armour in one of their jackets because it didn’t meet the CE standard it had claimed to. Importer Bifax moved swiftly and all examples of the...
Have you had a tyre nightmare?
15 July 2001
Your tyres are often the only thing between you and disaster. Reliable high quality rubber is a matter of life or death for us. But tyres aren’t always perfect. We’re conducting a survey to find out...