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.

Year: ALL

All-in-one HUD unit: Eyelights’ second generation Eye-Ride kit is sleeker, brighter and full of tech

22 March 2023 by Stuart Prestidge

French technology company Eyelights first released their in-helmet head-up display unit (HUD) in 2018. The second generation has built upon the experience gained from the original and is now clearer...

A decade of small steps for Ural results in a motor that’s thoroughly modern

03 March 2023 by Stuart Prestidge

Sidecar specialists Ural have spent the past 10 years rebuilding the heart of their three-wheeled machines in a series of almost invisible, incremental steps, slowly bringing the 82-year-old Eastern...

Michelin’s green rubber: Sustainable tyres approved for cars, with biking looking set to follow suit

23 February 2023 by Dan Sutherland

Michelin have big ambitions for tyre sustainability, with plans to produce all of their products with 100% bio-sourced, renewable, or recycled materials by 2050. Before they can get there, the...

Open your ears to danger: Listening device aimed at boosting rider safety

13 February 2023 by Stuart Prestidge

Sound plays an integral part in how you perceive your surroundings when you are out on the bike, but helmets and earplugs limit the amount of information you can gather. Now that could be about to...

The Diablo's in the detail: New Pirelli Supercorsa V4 brings track performance to the street

27 January 2023 by Stuart Prestidge

The Diablo Supercorsa tyres from Pirelli are catering for their sportiest customers with the fourth generation of this set of motorcycle tyres for both the street and the track – using a dual-compound...

Triumph say biofuels prove electric bikes aren’t the only way forward

13 January 2023 by Dan Sutherland

Triumph’s Chief Product Officer, Steve Sargent, has spoken exclusively to MCN about how developing ethanol rich E40 fuel for Moto2 by 2024 could influence the sustainability of road bikes. “I think...

Ace of base: How ZeroFit make the 'world's warmest base layer'

12 January 2023 by Stuart Prestidge

You have to have the utmost confidence in your garments to trademark them as the ‘world’s warmest base layer’ but that’s just what ZeroFit have done. The ‘Heat Rub’ technology was developed by...

Aprilia’s V4 to get VVT: Firm take out variable valve timing patent for future RSV4 superbike

06 January 2023 by Ben Purvis

Suzuki, BMW, Kawasaki, Ducati and Yamaha have all taken steps into variable valve timing and now Piaggio are developing their own setup for a future Aprilia RSV4. Suzuki’s VVT design, used in the...

Quick as lightning battery tech gives 135-mile range after 10 minutes of charging

30 December 2022 by Stuart Prestidge

Pioneering battery innovation company Enevate have announced a partnership with Lightning Motorcycles to equip their 150mph Strike Carbon sportsbike with new advanced lithium-ion cells which could...

Could biofuels save the combustion engine?

21 December 2022 by Stuart Prestidge

The electric revolution is well underway but advancing biofuel technology could see the beloved combustion engine live to fight another day. Engines themselves are not the enemy, it is their use of...

Brembo go green with eco-friendly brake pads: high-end performance without the damage to the planet

09 December 2022 by Stuart Prestidge

Brembo have come through on a promise they made a year ago to produce high performing brake pads that are less harmful to the planet than conventional items. The approach to the new Greenance range...

Airheads: World's first integrated airbag helmet unveiled by Airoh

02 December 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Airbag systems are nothing new in biking. Once a safety net reserved for the MotoGP elite, they’re now found in everything from standalone vests to adventure jackets, to bespoke leathers. However,...

MotoGP's lid revolution: Mips safety gurus bring new levels of protection to racers

25 November 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Swedish helmet safety pioneers, Mips, are stepping into the MotoGP world championship to protect riders from the forces of rotational impacts generated in crashes. Improvements in rider safety are...

Turning trash into treasure: Bering Freeway kit created using 70% recycled plastic

18 November 2022 by Jim Blackstock

French kit manufacturer Bering have taken environmental sustainability one step further as their latest Freeway suit is made from 70% recycled plastic bottles taken directly from the sea. The key...

RE ZRO armour protects you and the planet: Brit innovation ready to hit the market

04 November 2022 by Dan Sutherland

With the drive towards net zero, a new body armour firm have created what’s said to be the world’s first 100% recyclable and 100% biodegradable impact protection. Currently in testing for CE levels...

Alpinestars Tech Air 3: Clever gear you can stash in your rucksack when you aren’t riding

13 October 2022 by Stuart Prestidge

Alpinestars’ new autonomous airbag system, the Tech-Air 3, could save your life in the blink of an eye – and it is small enough to pack away in a rucksack or under the seat of a scooter when you...

Getting ghosted: D3O’s latest armour offers flexibility and comfort without sacrificing safety

07 October 2022 by Stuart Prestidge

Armour is no good if it’s so hefty and restrictive that you end up taking it out – especially in kit like riding jeans – which is where the latest gear from British firm D3O comes into its own. The...

Baffling technology: Yamaha and Akrapovic up the power without breaking noise limits on GYTR project

06 October 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Yamaha’s track-only R1 GYTR will arrive in dealers for 2023 with a new Akrapovic Mid Muffler System promising more power, less weight and a noise level below 101dB. Available across Yamaha’s entire...

Shoei's quest to cut drag: Wind-tunnel developed X-SPR Pro leads helmet tech advances

23 September 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Shoei’s new X-SPR Pro helmet looks set to raise the bar in helmet tech – and particularly aerodynamics. The Pro is Shoei’s top-of-the-range, FIM-homologated racing lid, built to meet the new ECE...

Triumph’s 2023 Moto2 big boost: How Triumph have squeezed more from their triple, without sacrificing reliability

16 September 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Moto2 engine suppliers, Triumph, are gunning for higher top speeds, more overtaking and greater excitement from 2023 – with the firm announcing significant upgrades to their circa 140bhp, 765cc racing...

Salt of the earth: Sodium-ion batteries are the safe, cheap and abundant alternative to lithium

02 September 2022 by Ben Purvis

Next year electric bike giants Niu plan to launch a scooter powered by a sodium-ion battery rather than the lithium-ion cells which have become ubiquitous across the burgeoning electric bike...

Belly of the beast: Why Aprilia’s MotoGP championship challenger stands out from the rest

25 August 2022

The current crop of MotoGP machines might be the fastest we’ve ever seen but they’re also among the ugliest – sprouting ever more elaborate wings and fins in the effort to tame the airflow. Among...

Back to the carbon fibre future! Lighter, stronger carbon forks on the way thanks to BMW and ZF

18 August 2022 by Ben Purvis

Although carbon-fibre forks have come and gone over the years in MotoGP, a new set of carbon suspension developed by BMW and ZF in Germany helped the M1000RR to victory at the recent Spa 24-hour...

Nasa tech at Asda prices: Indian firm’s hydrogen fuel cell bike plan gives glimpse of future

29 July 2022 by Ben Purvis

Hydrogen fuel cells have been around for decades but they’re still seen as a space-age technology more at home on the International Space Station than at your local filling station. But that won’t be...

Reading between the lines: Honda working on lane assistance system for the bikes of the future

22 July 2022 by Ben Purvis

Honda is developing rider-assistance systems with the aim of making accidents a thing of the past – but rather than taking away control, they’re aiming to nudge us into making the right...

Hydrogen’s swappable solution: Car giant’s H2 plans could pave the way for next-gen motorcycles

14 July 2022 by Ben Purvis

Japanese automotive powerhouse Toyota have demonstrated a method to overcome one of the greatest stumbling blocks of using hydrogen as a fuel. Hydrogen is attractive on several fronts. Its...

Clever kit is creating a real buzz: How honeycomb structures inspire new lighter, thinner body armour

06 July 2022 by Phil West

Knox has revealed their lightest and thinnest products yet. Inspired by natural structures such as honeycomb, the new Micro-Lock Compact builds on the firm’s already popular Micro-Lock range,...

‘We are shipping product and it is real’: Forcite smart helmet boss explains how their high-tech helmet will succeed where others failed

29 June 2022 by Dan Sutherland

Smart motorcycle helmets are nothing new. Companies have been promising internal cameras, head-up displays and more for years, but very few have made it to market and fewer still have made any...