First rides & tests

Year: ALL

Video: K1200S Test Ride Nurburgring

05 December 2006 by gkgorman

Test riding the pre-production K1200S in September 2004 at Nurburgring

A reader roadtest of the Fireblade 929RRY

04 December 2006 by Dave Dewar

Yes, it’s a FireBlade! With such a tradition for being a bit of a nutter’s bike, one tends to think shall I or shan’t I? The heart says yes, but the brain says no! You buy a blade knowing that its a...

A roadtest of my Aprilia Falco

04 December 2006 by Chris Jordan

I’d like to inform you of a well kept secret in the hope that there are newer riders out there that may benefit from advice that I wish I was given. As a new rider (I am 52) I had little idea as to which motorcycle I should choose especially on safety and performance. Let me say now that I had owned a Ford GT 40, I know some people may say this is a bit extreme as my road car and in a moment of...

MCN rides 1098

01 December 2006 by Marc Potter

MCN Editor Marc Potter has just stepped off the brand-new Ducati 1098 after the first session of the track launch at Kyalami in South Africa. The twisting, technical track has huge climbs and some...

Your 1098 questions

30 November 2006

MCN Editor Marc Potter will be one of the first journalists in the world to ride the new Ducati 1098S. Following our world exclusive first tests on the standard 1098 and the world first pictures we...

MCN reader Andy Goodman reviews a Yamaha R1

24 November 2006 by Andrew Goodman

“Don’t try to be clever with it, that’s what the guy on the Gixxer did, he tried to be clever and now it’s in a right old state. This one’s brand new and immaculate, and we’d like it back in this...

A review of my 2004 Yamaha R1

23 November 2006 by Steve Comancho

I purchased my 2004 YZF-R1 in May of 2006 after going through a 2005 R1 that I was riding when the motor decided to detonate on the track in February of 2006. So as I frantically found an escape...

My review of my Kawasaki ZRX1200

23 November 2006 by Richard Morris

Kawasaki claim 122PS and 112Nm of torque for the ZRX. In English that’s 120BHP and 82½ ft/lb, almost certainly measured at the crank. Dry weight is 223kg (plus 4kg for the half-faired S version).

A review of my RVF400

23 November 2006 by Eddie Rogers

I thought I’d submit my experiences of owning a Honda RVF400 for the last six months, having read a message on the 400greybike forum. It all started last May, having previously owned many big bore...

Video: R1200S in action

23 September 2006

The latest update for MCN’s long-term-test BMW R1200S is in MCN this week so we thought we’d show you the bike in action. Watch the clip below to see the BMW out on the road or click the link at the...

Babes love the Deauville

22 July 2006

It appears I’m not the only one that thinks the Deaville isn’t dull – and site user Keith Barnes sent us this pic to prove it. “Thought I’d send you all a photo of my friend Melanie on my Deauville.”...

Deauville boxing clever

01 July 2006

The new Deauville really is proving to be a cracking little bike, it’s a lot better than the old model and now I’ve got a top-box fitted it’s ready for some serious miles. I got a chance to ride the...

A ZX-10R tourer?

24 June 2006

In just two hours our long-term test ZX-10R has been transformed from a rip-snorting animal into a practical 185mph super tourer. Okay so the guys at MCN reckon it now needs a tartan rug and a...

Deauville's not dull

24 June 2006

I can finally ride the Deauville again after two weeks off the road. I did almost a thousand miles in the first two days I had it and then had to wait two week’s to get its first service. But we’re...

Deauville joins MCN fleet

03 June 2006

Another bike has joined the MCN long term test fleet, as www.motorcyclenews.com Used Bikes Editor Angus Farquhar picked up his 2006 Honda Deauville from Fowlers in Bristol. And it’s a baptism of fire...

Longterm scooter arrives

22 April 2006

Having spent a winter ignoring my Honda Benly in the garage when I should have been preparing it for Spring, it looked like I might end up relying on lifts from my girlfriend for the foreseeable...

K1200S: Fit a full system

01 January 2006

I hate changing exhausts. No, actually I loathe it. I used to have an old Yamaha XJ550 with a neta system on it and everytime I needed to get the rear wheel out I’d have to drop the whole system off...

750 2-up miles in a day

04 November 2005

motorcyclenews.com Used Bikes Editor Angus Farquhar went off on an endurance test of his long-term test Yamaha FZ6 on Tuesday (Nov 8) to see how well he and it coped with 750 miles in a day. And he...

Cheap thrills

21 October 2005

£1250. Not much money these days. I know people who’ve spent more on a watch. But that’s what my shiny little BROS cost me. BROSs are a Japanese market only bike, so all of the bikes in the UK are...

We bag a 'classic'

01 October 2005

Which brings the saga up to date. I now have a Benly which reaches the heady speeds of 65mph on the dual carriageway, starts pretty much first time, and only needs constant revving to stop it stalling...

CB13S: A tour in a day

02 September 2005

Finding time for a touring trip to spectacular, traffic-free roads in awe-inspiring scenery is an ask too far for many. But what if you could do it all in a day – and be back in time for tea? That’s...

Interactive ride: Latest

01 September 2005

motorcyclenews.com took you on an interactive ride round the country during the day on September 1. Read how it went below and check out the related topic linked from this story to see feedback from...

CB13S' new look & sound

26 August 2005

Our long term test CB1300S has a new look and a new sound thanks to a series of bolt-ons we’ve now added. Blue Flame supplied us with a choice of three cans (check out Blue Flame options here) but we...

MCN's Bonnie Triumph

19 August 2005

MCN’s long term test 2001 Triumph Bonneville is in the care of British Superbike reporter Gary Pinchin. Find out how he has fared with the retro machine so far with his first three reports below, and...

It never goes to plan: II

22 July 2005

Bike: GSX-R600 K1 Name: Adam (Chad) Child, MCN Road Tester For those of you who didn’t get part one, its a simple idea turn a crashed bike into a race bike on a limited budget. How hard can it be? ...

Mastering supermoto

01 July 2005

Recently I attended an Ady Smith supermoto school, well I thought if I own a Suzuki DR-Z400SM I may as well learn to ride it properly and I may as well learn from the best. They don’t come any...

Video: CB13S hooned

01 July 2005

My long term test Honda CB1300S had just been through its 600 mile first service at Peterborough Honda when our road test crew asked if they could borrow it for a couple of days. A test of muscle old...

It never goes to plan: I

10 June 2005

Bike: GSX-R600 K1 Name: Adam (Chad) Child, MCN Road Tester It’s a small, simple idea; turn a crashed bike in to a race bike. How hard can it be? Remove the road stuff; add a race fairing, jobs done.

Bandit captured on dyno

03 June 2005

As much as I love my longterm test Bandit 650, the noise level had been bothering me since it arrived. or rather, the lack of one. You could be forgiven for thinking I was testing an electric bike...

Better bunch of Bandits

13 May 2005

What better encouragement to drag myself out of bed before lunchtime on a sunny Sunday than an invite from the Bandit and SV Owners Club to join one of their rideouts? Luckily the starting point was...

Long term CB13S arrives

13 May 2005

Our long term test CB1300S has arrived – shining, new and ready for running-in. Motorcyclenews.com editor David Cushman is running it. Here’s his first impressions. (See video link, below) “I love...

MCN long termers arrive

08 April 2005

Two more of the 2005 MCN long term test fleet have arrived, with motorcyclenews.com Products Editor Dan Thornton taking delivery of a 2005 Suzuki GSF650 Bandit, and staff photographer Howard Boylan...

Up for it on an R1200RT

25 March 2005

They told him it couldn’t be done. Most would say it shouldn’t be done. And that’s exactly the kind of challenge MCN road tester Adam ‘Chad’ Child looks for. Chad tackled Cadwell and its famous...

2005 MCN test fleet

25 March 2005

MCN’s long term test bike fleet launched this week with an amazing selection of bikes lining up to be put through their paces this year. There will be 19 bikes on test with everything from a Suzuki...

Hornet shows its value

04 February 2005

You’ll be amazed by how much bike you get for £2000. Three months and 4000 miles with my 1999 Hornet 600 and I reckon it’s the best money I’ve ever spent. It’s great for track days and weekend...

On the road again

15 December 2004

The CBR600F is back on the road at last after finally getting a new chain and sprockets fitted. The Renthal set that I fitted back in May had really suffered hard after doing around15,000 miles but...