First rides & tests

Year: ALL

Ducati Multistrada Enduro first ride

17 March 2016 by Simon Hargreaves

Live from the launch of Ducati’s first true adventure bike We’re half-way through the debut of Ducati’s first proper off-road adventure bike, the Multistrada 1200 Enduro, and even with just 50 miles...

Ducati Multistrada Enduro first ride incoming

17 March 2016 by Simon Hargreaves

It’s easy to explain what Ducati’s new Multistrada 1200 Enduro is. It’s a Multistrada 1200 S with added Enduro. In other words, Ducati have taken the 1200 S – even down to an almost identical 160bhp,...

Launch: Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber and Roamer first ride

17 March 2016 by Jon Urry

This week Moto Guzzi celebrated its 95th birthday, which is quite a milestone and it is thanks to this long history that the company is currently going through something of a resurgence. The trend for...

Launch: Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber & Roamer

15 March 2016 by Jon Urry

The current craze for retro bikes should be playing right into the hands of Moto Guzzi as few two-wheeler manufacturers can call on such a wealth of heritage. So, with this in mind, Guzzi have played...

Triumph Thruxton R launch report

07 March 2016 by Jon Urry

Live from the launch of the Triumph T120 Black and Thruxton R. After a gentle morning on the T120 Black, the pace certainly picked up with the arrival of the Thruxton R this afternoon. Compared to the...

Victory Octane First Ride

02 March 2016 by Phil West

The rebirth of historic American marque Indian by new owners Polaris may have been a huge success (its Chief and Scout models have already taken a big enough chunk of the US market to make Harley sit...

Launch: KTM 1290 Super Duke GT ridden

27 February 2016 by Adam Child

KTM launched their all-new 178bhp sports touring 1290 Super Duke GT in Majorca, Spain this weekend, and MCN Senior Road Tester Adam Child was there to put it though its paces. The new GT uses the same...

Launch: Ducati 939 Hypermotard

24 February 2016 by Jon Urry

Ducati’s impractical – and hysterically entertaining to ride – Hypermotard range has been given even more potency for 2016 with all three models (Hypermotard, Hypermotard SP and Hyperstrada) gaining a...

Yamaha FJR1300 first ride incoming

23 February 2016 by Andy Davidson

MCN is on the world launch of Yamaha’s new MT-03 and updated MT-09 and FJR1300. Today MCN are testing the MT-03 and updated MT-09 with first ride reports to follow, tomorrow Staff writer Andy Davidson...

2016 Yamaha MT-09 first ride incoming

23 February 2016 by Andy Davidson

MCN is on the launch of Yamaha’s updated MT-09 today, where we will be testing the 2016 model for the first time. The MT-09 has remained practically the same for 2016. Priced at £7,349, the...

Yamaha MT-03 first ride incoming

23 February 2016 by Andy Davidson

The long awaited MT-03 marks the latest addition to the hugely successful MT family. It bridges the gap between the single-cylinder MT-125 and parallel-twin MT-07 by offering riders a step-up bike...

New ZX-10R takes on its rivals

22 February 2016 by Michael Neeves

To find out if Kawasaki’s new ZX-10R has what it takes to beat its rivals, we’ve begun a week-long comparison test, which starts at MCN’s Peterborough HQ today and finishes at the Alcarras circuit in...

Video: 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R top speed run

19 February 2016 by MCN News

Go onboard with the 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R as senior road tester Adam Child takes it on a top speed run at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground.

2016 Triumph Tiger Explorer first ride

15 February 2016 by Michael Neeves

Triumph has combined state of the art electronics with a host of chassis, engine and comfort upgrades to transform its big adventure bike. It might look the Tiger Explorer we know and love on the...

Triumph Explorer first ride incoming

15 February 2016 by Michael Neeves

We’re at the world launch of Triumph’s new Explorer. We get to ride the all-singing off-road (XCA) version tomorrow, but tonight Triumph are letting us know what makes the new bike tick. The new...

Launch: MV Agusta Brutale 800

27 January 2016 by Adam Child

MV Agusta are currently launching their stunning new 800 Brutale in Spain – and MCN Senior Road Tester Adam ‘Chad’ Child has a full days riding ahead on the stunning roads around Malaga and Ronda. The...

Triumph Speed Triple R first ride incoming

18 January 2016 by Emma Franklin

Morning from a bright but cool Monday in Tarragona, Spain for the launch of the new Triumph Speed Triple R. The range-topping 1050 naked has been given a thorough refresh for 2016, and it goes much...

Kawasaki ZX-10R world launch

17 January 2016 by Adam Child

Kawasaki’s all new ZX-10R is about to be launched at Sepang, Malaysia and MCN Senior Road Tester Adam ‘Chad’ Child is the lucky man to be riding the bike in the scorching 38-degree heat. The ZX-10R...

Video: Mugen Shinden ridden

28 December 2015 by MCN News

This summer the Mugen Shinden scored a win in the one-lap TT Zero race in the hands of John McGuinness with an average speed of 119.28mph. The Mugen, which first appeared at the TT back in 2012, is...

Video: MV Agusta F3 RC vs MV Agusta F4 RC onboard

23 December 2015 by MCN News

Go onboard with MCN road testers Michael Neeves and Adam Child as they lap the Tazio Nuvolari circuit in northern Italy onboard the £31,000 homologation special MV Agusta F4 RC and £13,299 MV Agusta...

Video: Energica Ego 45 first ride

21 December 2015 by MCN News

The Energica Ego 45 is an electric superbike made in Modena, Italy, which produces 100Kw of power – similar to a 600cc sportsbike, but also weighs 280kg, thanks to the batteries. If you don’t get too...

Video: Ducati 959 Panigale first ride

11 December 2015 by MCN News

The new £13,250 Ducati 959 Panigale has the unenviable task of following up the utterly brilliant 899 Panigale, and with those exhausts the 959 was instantly on the back foot the moment the bike was...

Triumph Street Twin launch

07 December 2015 by Michael Neeves

Triumph has announced more facts and figures for the Street Twin today: The 900cc ‘high torque’ motor makes a claimed 54bhp@5900rpm. It has 22% more power and 18% more torque than the old air-cooled...

Triumph Street Twin launch incoming

04 December 2015 by Michael Neeves

MCN will be riding Triumph’s new Street Twin at its world launch in Valencia on Monday. The Street Twin was unveiled at the end of October, as part of Triumph’s new five-bike modern classic range,...

Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin launch

04 December 2015 by Michael Guy

Africa Twin: Day two roundup – Off-road Following a day of road riding yesterday (scroll down), today saw us taking the new Africa Twin onto the rough stuff to really put its off-road credentials to...

First Ride: Ducati 959 Panigale

26 November 2015 by Michael Neeves

There are lots of questions to answer about the new £13,250 Ducati 959 Panigale. Does it now go like a superbike with its bigger engine? Why has Ducati replaced the 899, anyway? And the biggest...

Ducati 959 Panigale first ride incoming

23 November 2015 by Michael Neeves

MCN will be riding Ducati’s new 959 Panigale at its world launch at Valencia on Wednesday. The new machine replaces the 899 Panigale, which is MCN’s 2015 and 2014 ’Best Sportsbike (Middleweight)’...

First Ride: Indian Scout Sixty

22 November 2015 by Andy Downes

This is the new entry-level Indian Scout Sixty which is already heading for dealers and will cost £8999. The bike is heavily based on the existing 1133cc Indian Scout model but has a new 999cc engine,...

BMW C650 Sport and C650 GT first ride

28 October 2015 by Liam Marsden

BMW have updated their C650 Sport and C650 GT maxi-scooters for 2016 with styling changes alongside suspension and clutch revisions in an attempt to differentiate the two models. In the flesh the...

Michael Rutter versus the 'too-fast-for-the-road' class of 2015

16 September 2015 by Performance Bikes

oly Christ, I thought I was going to die!” When the man uttering the sentiment is one Michael Rutter Esq., whose CV of road racing achievements is longer than most people’s life story, you take...

9 March 1994 – Honda RVF750 RC45 – the first test

16 September 2015 by Kevin Ash

In the first test of Honda’s ready-to-race RC45, MCN’s Kevin Ash pitted it against the already legendary forerunner it was destined never to eclipse. Did we call it right? Taller, lighter, roomier,...

Ariel Ace: full test + extra pics of the best British bike you can buy

14 September 2015 by MCN

It seems odd to say it, but there’s never been a better time to buy a British bike – and there’s possibly never been a better British bike than the Ariel Ace. hile revived Triumph, Norton and Brough...

BMW superbike shootout in Valencia

09 September 2015 by Adam Child

Valencia is currently reverberating to the sound of BMW S1000RR superbikes, as six different racing incarnations are put through paces in BMW’s annual superbike mega-test. I started the day on the...

Is the R1M worthy of entering Yamaha's hall of homologation heroes?

05 September 2015 by Performance Bikes

The new R1M joins the OW01 and R7 in Yamaha’s exclusive homologation specials club. But just how harmoniously does the tuning fork’s latest fit in? he R1M is the sexiest limited-edition bike to emerge...

MCN Plus - 600s Group Test: Remember us?

02 September 2015 by Adam Child

The stars of the supersport class are here to remind you just how brilliant they really are. Sports 600s have been a little overshadowed recently. Featuring old technology compared to their...

Indian Scout: New v old (very old)

27 August 2015 by Ped Baker

Long term test report Last week I got the chance to meet up with the grandaddy of my 2015 Indian Scout long-term test bike, an original 101 model from 1928. Owned by Tim Berry, a member of the Indian Rider Motorcycle Club,...