2013

KTM Freeride E first ride

KTM Freeride E first ride

It’s safe to say that, so far, sales of electric motorcycles in any class have been almost inconsequentially small. But, on the basis of a short test on a pre-production KTM Freeride E motocross bike,...

Jaw-dropping 1970s KR750 replica is actually a usable ER-6f

Jaw-dropping 1970s KR750 replica is actually a usable ER-6f

The flash of green and bare alloy emerges from a London side street. The rider, black visor down, looks both ways, and accelerates into a gap in front of a red bus. The bike is obscured by traffic.

Agility Motors Saietta R first ride

Agility Motors Saietta R first ride

With the ‘throttle’ wide open through a corner as the rear tyre scrabbles for grip, there is no exhaust roar. The unlikely combination of near-silent running and high performance is almost enough to...

First Ride: Honda Fireblade SP

First Ride: Honda Fireblade SP

I’m currently at the launch of the new Honda Fireblade SP at the Losail circuit in Qatar. The standard Fireblade has been updated for 2014 with engine and riding position tweaks, but Honda are...

Video: NEW 2014 V-Strom 1000 Suzuki's Back!

Video: NEW 2014 V-Strom 1000 Suzuki's Back!

After teasing with images and pre-production models of their new 1000 adventure bike for over a year, we finally got the chance to ride Suzuki’s new V-Strom. With a sub £10k price and ABS and traction...

Suzuki V-Strom 1000 launch

Suzuki V-Strom 1000 launch

MCN Senior Road Tester Adam Child is currently at the launch of Suzuki’s all-new V-Strom 1000 Adventure in Almeria, Spain. The new adventure bike is expected to arrive in dealers for early February...

Video: Kawasaki Z1000 first ride

Video: Kawasaki Z1000 first ride

The Z1000 has been the most serious Japanese ‘super naked’ since 2003, and Kawasaki have determinedly reinvented it ever since. For 2014, it’s re-styled and eschews electronics in favour of...

Video: Ducati Panigale 899 fights Suzuki and Triumph

Video: Ducati Panigale 899 fights Suzuki and Triumph

Ducati’s eagerly anticipated ‘baby’ Panigale 899 is the new challenger in the middleweight sports bike division. We pit it against the class leading Suzuki GSX-R750 and the hugely capable Triumph...

Triumph Bonneville owners needed!

Triumph Bonneville owners needed!

MCN is on the hunt for owners of Triumph’s Classic range. Specifically we’re looking for current owners of the Bonneville, Scrambler, and Speedmaster. We’ll be using the information to help with our...

MV Agusta Rivale 800 first ride

MV Agusta Rivale 800 first ride

MV Agusta’s new £10,499, supermoto-style rival to Ducati’s Hypermotard, the Rivale 800, is currently being put through its paces for the first time by MCN Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves in the...

2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke official first ride!

2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke official first ride!

KTM’s long-awaited, all-new 1290 Super Duke is finally being put through its paces at the world press launch in Spain by MCN Senior Road Tester Adam Child. Here are his first impressions:   “KTM may...

Video: Ducati 899 Panigale first ride

Video: Ducati 899 Panigale first ride

Two years after the launch of the 1199 Panigale, Ducati has done the inevitable, replacing the ageing 848 with an 899 Panigale. Producing a middleweight mirroring its flagship model is a trick Ducati...

Staff Blog: Time for a new shoe

Staff Blog: Time for a new shoe

I’ve covered a lot of miles on the Judge this year – approaching 8000 – and I’ve only just replaced the rear tyre. In truth it could have done with a change 2000 miles ago as it was starting to square...

Video: KTM's Uncrashable Bike: New Bosch ABS

Video: KTM's Uncrashable Bike: New Bosch ABS

The world’s first cornering ABS brings the ‘uncrashable’ bike one step closer, and it’s standard on KTM’s 1190 Adventure from 2014. We take a look at one of the biggest breakthroughs in biking for...

Video: Yamaha XV950 group test

Video: Yamaha XV950 group test

Yamaha’s new XV950 joins Triumph’s Speedmaster in gunning for the Harley-Davidson 883 Iron. Is the Hog’s time up? We pit the three machines against each other to find out.

Staff Blog: Leave it, Lock it, Love it!

Staff Blog: Leave it, Lock it, Love it!

Travelling into London for a mini-adventure at the weekend I needed to make sure I’d got a way to secure my bike and also relieve myself of having to carry too much cumbersome luggage around with...

Video: KTM 1290 Super Duke R prototype ridden

Video: KTM 1290 Super Duke R prototype ridden

MCN take a quick spin on the prototype KTM 1290 Super Duke R – and it reveals a surging powerhouse of an engine under that minimal bodywork

Ducati 899 Panigale first impressions

Ducati 899 Panigale first impressions

Ducati’s new ‘baby Panigale’, the 899, is currently being put through its paces for the first time at a very wet Imola in Italy by MCN Senior Road Tester, Adam Child. Here are his first...

Staff Blog: New Dog, Newer Tricks

Staff Blog: New Dog, Newer Tricks

I’ve been riding a ‘big bike’ for twelve months now and the last eight of them have been spent working for the world’s largest motorcycling publication. I am very aware of how enviable a position this...

Staff Blog: Well, that’ll be autumn then!

Staff Blog: Well, that’ll be autumn then!

Riding in this morning I’ve had to give in and fully kit up in cordura. Looking out of the bedroom window at 7.30 it was really quite murky and living in the middle of a housing estate if it’s murky...

Video: Café Racers Get Serious

Video: Café Racers Get Serious

Café racers are a growing market segment in the UK, and have just been boosted again with the arrival of the new Royal Enfield Continental GT. But how will this new Indian import fare against the...

Staff Blog: Are you a year round Yamaha Fazer8 rider?

Staff Blog: Are you a year round Yamaha Fazer8 rider?

Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis will remember I recently requested your top tips for winter riding. Thanks to all those who replied to the blog and took the time to e-mail me, I’m...

Staff Blog: To Jet Wash or Not to Jet Wash?

Staff Blog: To Jet Wash or Not to Jet Wash?

I lent my bike to a colleague last week for the MCN Awards ride out and after an awfully wet ride down to the venue in Dorking, followed by a couple of hours riding through the Surrey Hills, the bike...

Video: New Kawasaki Z1000SX first ride

Video: New Kawasaki Z1000SX first ride

Kawasaki’s underrated Z1000SX sports-tourer may have arrived quietly in 2010, but thanks to its blend of Z1000 fun, ZX-10R performance, upright comfort and impressive value, it’s proven a big hit. One...

Video: KTM 390 - Headbanger?

Video: KTM 390 - Headbanger?

We go to Box Hill to find out if the funky KTM single can lay claim to being the new hooligan on the block. Is the KTM the modern-day equivalent of those 250/350cc two-strokes and 400 two-strokes, we...

Staff Blog: A Week of Two Wheels but not the Motorised Kind!

Staff Blog: A Week of Two Wheels but not the Motorised Kind!

I’ve not turned a wheel on the Yamaha Fazer8 for the last couple of weeks. Instead of being power assisted I’ve been producing my own power and cycled, along with a group of ten family and friends,...

Video: Royal Enfield GT Continental 2013, First Ride

Video: Royal Enfield GT Continental 2013, First Ride

Indian-owned Royal Enfield is aiming to join the big boys on the global stage. There’s a new factory, ambitions to double production and plan to grow exports with a family of mid-range, affordable,...

Royal Enfield Continental GT first ride

Royal Enfield Continental GT first ride

The Royal Enfield Continental GT is currently getting its world first ride in and around London in the hands of MCN Executive Editor Phil West. Here are his first impressions: “At first glance the new...

Staff Blog: Triumph Street Triple R at Silverstone

Staff Blog: Triumph Street Triple R at Silverstone

Two years ago, MCN Consumer Editor Tony Hoare almost died after an accident at Cadwell Park. He hadn’t been back on track since, until he took his Triumph Street Triple R for a trackday on the...

Staff Blog: Night Riding Fun

Staff Blog: Night Riding Fun

Is it just me or do your skills sharpen as you ride in the dark and your speed increase? Riding the 50 miles from Silverstone to home the other night I really enjoyed the dark journey. The lights on...

V-twin sports bike owners needed!

V-twin sports bike owners needed!

V-twin sports bike owners needed! MCN are looking for owners of some v-twin sports bikes upcoming test. Specifically we’re looking for owners of: Aprilia Falcos Suzuki TL1000Rs Honda VTR1000F...

Fancy coming on an MCN road test?

Fancy coming on an MCN road test?

We’re putting a road test feature together next week and we’re after owners of the following bikes to come along and get involved: Yamaha TDR250 Yamaha RD350 LC Kawasaki ZXR400 The plan will be to...

Staff Blog: What are your Wiinter Riding Hints and Tips?

Staff Blog: What are your Wiinter Riding Hints and Tips?

I’m just about to head off for my summer holiday and already I’m thinking of the weather turning and the nights drawing in. I’m needing your help, tips and advice for prepping the Yamaha Fazer8 for...

Video: Water-cooled Harley-Davidsons ridden

Video: Water-cooled Harley-Davidsons ridden

It might not look it, but Harley’s touring range is virtually all-new for 2014 and includes water-cooling – but how different are they REALLY? View more great motorcycling videos on the MCN channel:...

Special K: BMW K1300S Anniversary

Special K: BMW K1300S Anniversary

When it comes to ‘special editions’, BMW pretty much leads the way. Although Ducati and Triumph, in particular, have their own successful lines of ‘specials’ (bikes like the Tricolore or Steve McQueen...

Triumph Daytona 675R initial thoughts

Triumph Daytona 675R initial thoughts

I’ve had the Triumph Daytona 675R for about a month now, and I have to say it is absolutely brilliant. Having come from a 2010 675, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and to be honest, I found the standard...