The latest new motorbike and rider technology
Read exclusive stories about the latest motorcycle and rider technology, paving the way for bikes of the future.
F1 tech for future Hondas: Prechamber combustion to maximise fuel efficiency
14 January 2021 by
Honda are looking to Formula 1 car racing to address the demand for ever-cleaner engines – with a patent revealing a superbike engine featuring the sort of prechamber combustion that’s universal in...
The pipes, the pipes are calling: How Yamaha made the MT-09 howl
08 January 2021 by
Yamaha’s engineers have spent countless hours on the dyno and the road trying to perfect the sound of the 2021 MT-09, with its heavily revamped 889cc triple. Now they’ve revealed details of the...
Eyes for your bike: Bolt-on camera tech could make biking safer
02 December 2020 by
Next year sees the start of something new in motorcycling as the Bosch-developed radar system used by Ducati and BMW gives top-end bikes' on-board computers a picture of what’s going on around them...
Better together: Kawasaki working on hybrid bikes and AI assistants
26 November 2020 by
Kawasaki are exploring hybrid technology and motorcycles with artificial intelligence as they consider the future of motorcycling. Related articles from MCN Electric motorbikes coming soon Best...
On the radar: How Battle of Britain technology is appearing on 2021’s motorcycles
12 November 2020 by
Acronyms have long been a familiar way for bike firms to crow about tech but long before terms like SRAD or DCT became familiar on two wheels the term RADAR – RAdio Direction And Ranging – had been...
BMW turn to 3D printing to perfect their race bikes
05 November 2020 by
BMW are well known as masters of tech on the road and track but now they’re staking a claim as masters of tech off the track too with their latest venture. In a bid to gain valuable seconds for their...
Half a superbike, twice the fun: your in-depth look at Aprilia's new 660 motor
30 October 2020 by
Aprilia’s new RS660 is the Noale firm’s first new machine in years, plugging a gaping hole in their sportsbike range between the RSV4 1100 and the RS50 and RS125. It also has a brand-new engine…well,...
Bright idea: BMW's new headlights see round corners
16 October 2020 by
Riding in the dark highlights an innate problem with traditional headlights – when you lean into a turn the beam is angled away from the direction you’re trying to go. Related articles on MCN BMW...
Like water off a biker's back: Why Belstaff turned to Gore-Tex to create kit for the Long Way Up
09 October 2020 by
You might think of Gore-Tex – as used in Charley and Ewan’s kit for their latest TV epic – as a bit of a wonder material. It magically stops water getting in while letting sweat get out. But you might...
Piping up: How nuclear subs gave us titanium exhausts
22 September 2020 by
As bikes get heavier manufacturers search for ways of making them lighter. Just look at the latest superbikes, such as the Ducati Superleggera or Honda Fireblade, with their titanium pipes. But what...
UK electric bike specialists Saietta target global sales with new high-tech motor
09 September 2020 by
One of Britain’s leading electric motor makers have announced ambitious expansion plans which could see their workforce multiply 10-fold and their technology used in thousands of machines on the...
Big four's electric dream: giants link-up for swappable battery project
04 September 2020 by
Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki have put aside their rivalries to work together on developing a standardised set of specifications for electric bike batteries – with a trial starting this...
Diamonds are forever: BMW create maintenance-free motorbike chain
28 August 2020 by
BMW say they’ve created motorbike chain that needs no lubrication and no tension adjustment. The maintenance-free unit is to be made available on the S1000RR and S1000XR models as a factory option...
BMW's carbon-fibre swingarm replacement concept
19 August 2020 by
Amongst the landmarks in motorcycle design, the swingarm stands out as one of the greatest. But now BMW have come up with a revised version of the idea that takes advantage of their extensive...
2electron McFly: Electric bike tech emulates petrol engine of your choice
11 August 2020 by
Electric bike tech firm, 2electron, have been working on further developing their McFly system, which emulates the power and torque characteristics, gear ratios, sound and vibration of a potentially...
Push comes to shove: Harley-Davidson patent reveals VVT pushrod engine
10 August 2020 by
Harley-Davidson have patented a variable valve timing (VVT) system for their next engine in a bid to meet emissions targets for an air-cooled engine. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen drawings for...
New tech: Emergency call system by Bosch aims to halve ambulance response times
19 June 2020 by
Bosch have created a new emergency call system that could save thousands of lives a year. Called Help Connect, the system uses a bike’s existing Intertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to detect when a crash...
False ecology? The truth about electric motorbikes and the environment
11 June 2020 by
The message that electric vehicles are the zero-emissions transport of the future is impossible to ignore. We’re beaten over the heads with a constant stream of news that tells us internal combustion...
Blowing hot air: Yamaha set to fit turbos across their range
11 June 2020 by
Yamaha are working on turbocharging for their next range of bikes. This isn’t Yamaha’s first use of the tech as they briefly made an XJ650 Turbo in the early ’80s, however this new system is...
Tilt to the future: Patents reveal work on a three-wheeled Yamaha TMAX
09 June 2020 by
The 'Leaning Multi-Wheel' (LMW) arm of Yamaha’s model range looks set to grow with the development of a new model derived from the TMAX 560. Sliding into the range between the NMAX-based Tricity 300...
Actual rocket science: The geometry magic that helps Triumph's Rocket 3 handle so well
25 May 2020 by
One look at Triumph’s Rocket 3 R and you’d imagine it handles with all the deft agility of a Mississippi paddlesteamer. But ride the 2458cc beast and you’ll be amazed at how easily it turns, given its...
Exploding the myths: Everything you need to know about motorbike airbag vests
28 April 2020 by
Airbags used to be the preserve of factory racers and wealthy trackday riders but with prices now dropping below £400 for the first time, everyday road riders can benefit from the latest safety tech.
Time for a two-stroke comeback
03 April 2020 by
Cutting carbon emissions and accepting dried-up oil supplies means adopting alternative technology. So, the obvious thing is of course to bring back two-strokes... In a few years Formula 1 racing will...
The shape of things to come: 3D-printed Morlaco heralds a revolution in specials building
10 March 2020 by
This Fireblade-powered, ‘funny-front-end’ superbike has become one of the very first to have its bodywork and other components produced by 3D printing technology. Dubbed the Morlaco, it’s the latest...
Jeans stronger than steel: lightweight kit strong enough to lift a skip
07 February 2020 by
The latest gear from cutting-edge clothing company Saint combines a stretchy and comfortable denim with AA-rated protection, with enough strength to lift a two-tonne skip from just a single layer of...
Are bike manufacturers doing enough to stop bike theft?
07 January 2020 by
Bikes are pretty easy to steal. A vehicle with no windows or doors that can be picked up by a few strong people is easier to steal than, say, a car. Steering locks are defeated by a firm kick and...
Getting to the hub of Bimota's 'funny front end'
03 January 2020 by
Your bike’s forks offer certain advantages: they’re light, neatly packaged, provide lots of feel and have ample stiffness. But forks are a compromise. Related articles on MCN Bimota KB4 set for...
BMW's Vision DC Roadster concept showcases future carbon frame tech
02 January 2020 by
Carbon fibre might have been around for decades but it’s still something of a wonder material when it comes to combining strength and low weight and, after several false starts, it’s finally becoming...
Bags for life: RST offers cutting-edge airbag tech for all
28 December 2019 by
British kit firm RST have just launched their first range of airbag jackets at prices they say will finally put the technology within reach of everyday riders. Until now, electronic airbag clobber has...
BMW's E-Power Roadster could be their missing link
09 December 2019 by
BMW have been quietly working on an electric motorcycle project for the last two years. The result is this: the E-Power Roadster Concept – a sort of halfway point between the DC Roadster concept we...
Riding a MotoE-spec Energica Ego Corsa electric motorbike at Valencia
25 November 2019 by
Most people think battery motorcycles are heavy, slow, boring and lack soul. As for electric racing bikes – well they’re just plain dull, aren’t they? Well, after riding Energica’s MotoE racer at...
Is your Ducati 1299 Panigale too slow? This bolt-on hybrid kit could be the answer…
20 November 2019 by
A new hybrid conversion kit has been shown at the 2019 Eicma show, in Milan, for the Ducati Panigale 1299 superbike, claiming to boost peak power to around 295bhp and torque to 221ftlb. Called the...
New tech could soon replace conventional helmet liners
10 September 2019 by
A major breakthrough in helmet safety could save your skull in a crash and keep your head cooler than current lids. Virtually every motorcycle helmet currently uses an EPS (expanded polystyrene)...
Exploring the tech inside the 2020 Yamaha R1
10 September 2019 by
Yamaha have pulled off a minor miracle with the new R1 by creating a modern superbike that meets the stringent Euro5 emissions regs, remains reliable and does not lose a drop of power. Related: full...
Exploring the technology behind cornering ABS and traction control
10 September 2019 by
A technological revolution is transforming biking as cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control, powered by inertial measurement units (IMUs), become the norm even on mundane models, all thanks...