December

Year: 2011

Month: December

Staff bikes: Suzuki GSX-R750 video review

30 December 2011 by MCN

Senior MCN Road Tester, Michael Neeves has been living with his Suzuki GSX-R750 L1 for most of 2011. He’s covered over 10,000-miles, riding it everywhere from the TT to Ibiza, on-track and to the...

Harley-Davidson Switchback meets its match!

27 December 2011 by Phil West

The new Harley-Davidson Switchback ‘bagger’ (or custom tourer) has already impressed MCN testers – but how’s it measure up against its closest rival, Victory’s Cross Roads Tour? In this week’s MCN we...

Akrapovic Morsus: If Carlsberg built custom bikes...

27 December 2011 by Trevor Franklin

Factory customs don’t get any more ‘factory’ than this. Say hello to Morsus, a unique custom machine built for aftermarket exhaust giant Akrapovic. They commissioned specialists Dreamachine...

Staff bikes: Triumph Tiger 800 - Tiger’s stripes well earned

23 December 2011 by Ped Baker

Riding a motorcycle from Peterborough to Brussels and back in a day in November is no picnic. The 600 miles aren’t the issue, but being cold is. Even with good riding kit, draughts start to creep in...

Video: 2012 KTM Duke 690 first ride

22 December 2011 by MCN

KTM’s 2012 690 Duke isn’t just an evolution of the hard core Duke – it’s a complete revolution: 90% all new, with just 10% of its components shared with its predecessor. Read the first ride...

Staff bikes: Suzuki V-Strom 650 - Brussels: Further than you think!

22 December 2011 by John Westlake

I thought Brussels was an easy day’s ride from MCN’s Peterborough HQ, so was first to agree to join senior reporter Steve Farrell on his rabble-rousing EU protest ride last month. In my brain, I...

2012 Kawasaki ER-6n takes on rivals

22 December 2011 by Jon Urry

If you’re currently in the market for a naked middleweight you’re spoilt for choice. Every manufacturer makes a budget bike aimed at this segment and because of this the range of machinery on offer is...

Video: Triumph Thruxton JVB Brit Bob ridden

22 December 2011 by MCN

Cologne-based JvB are kings in the art of creating specials with attitude, and this is their latest creation – the JvB Brit Bob. Based on a Triumph Thruxton, the Brit Bob has been lowered by 50mm,...

2012 KTM Duke 690 first ride: Duke for the masses

22 December 2011 by Michael Guy

KTM’s 2012 690 Duke isn’t just an evolution of the hard core Duke – it’s a complete revolution: an all-new bike – 90% new in fact, with just 10% of its components shared with its predecessor. The...

Video: Kawasaki Versys 1000 onboard

16 December 2011 by MCN

So does a four-cylinder adventure bike make any sense? On the strength of our world first ride of Kawasaki’s pioneering, Z1000-based Versys 1000, the answer is ‘Yes’… and ‘No’… The four-cylinder motor...

2012 Kawasaki ER-6n vs 2011 Kawasaki ER-6n

16 December 2011 by Jon Urry

Kawasaki’s ER-6n is one of the success stories of the naked middleweight class. Originally launched in 2006, this pleasingly quirky looking machine has won an army of fans thanks to its easy-going...

Video: Yamaha XTZ1200 Super Tenere long-term test review

08 December 2011 by MCN

MCN’s WSB reporter Michael Guy has covered approximately 8000 miles on the Yamaha XTZ1200 Super Tenere riding across Europe to cover WSB races at the Nurburgring and Magny-Cours, along the length of...

Staff bikes: Yamaha Super Tenere - The continent-trotter

08 December 2011 by Michael Guy

The wheels of the big Yamaha Super Tenere have barely stopped turning. It’s been into France, Belgium and Germany for the Nurburgring WSB round followed by a jaunt down to Magny Cours for another WSB...

Kawasaki Versys 1000 delivers more for your money

08 December 2011 by Adam Child

2012 KTM Duke 690 world first test

07 December 2011 by Michael Guy

MCN’s Michael Guy is in Gran Canaria testing KTM’s all new 2012 KTM Duke 690. “First impressions of the bike is how different it looks to its predecessor. It’s still an aggressive looking bike with...

New Honda Fireblade still on top after 20 years

03 December 2011 by Trevor Franklin

Honda’s legendary Fireblade is 20-years-old and while the weight, shape and engine capacity in fact everything about it has changed since Tadao Baba’s rule-changing 1992 original, the fact that Honda...

Honda NC700X: A brave new world

01 December 2011 by MCN

The NC700X is the latest ‘crossover’ bike from the stable of Crossrunner and Crosstourer. But what sets the NC700X apart is a price of £5850 and a claimed 78.8mpg. The subdued exhaust note,...