Latest news in motorcycling

To listen to this exhaust

21 January 2002

Click on the appropriate link below to listen to this exhaust in either Realplayer (RP) or Quicktime (MOV) formats.

All the changes

21 January 2002

HONDA has opted to update the FireBlade instead of completely reinventing it. Its move into 2002 is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. On paper, at least. It’s not until you ride the sixth...

First ride on the 996R

21 January 2002

What’s the 996R like to ride? Here’s a clip from our first test on it, recorded in March 2001.

Clampdown on ringing will cut cost of insurance

21 January 2002

A major new anti-theft initiative could help cut the cost of your next insurance renewal because it goes right to the heart of the bike-theft problem. One of the biggest earners for thieves,...

ANR Carbon Race

21 January 2002

THIS great value can looks well-finished, slips on easily and has a three-year guarantee. Like most cans, all the internals are stainless steel and it can be re-sleeved and re-packed. ANR – whose...

Spice Girls must pay £1million to Aprilia

21 January 2002

The Spice Girls have been told by the Court of Appeal they can’t have £220,000 in damages from Aprilia and instead must pay the firm £1 million. The pop group has been ordered to pay the money over a...

Formation crashing made easy

21 January 2002

Why you don’t want to get too close to 125 GP riders

Mivv Sport Line

21 January 2002

THE look and name of this carbon can suggest it’s not road-legal, but it’s the only one here which can’t get you into grief with the law. It’s not re-buildable, but you get a year’s warranty. The main...

So what’s it like to ride if your name isn’t Hodgson?

21 January 2002

YOU’RE dressed like a racer. Your bike looks like a racer but somehow it’s just not enough to make you ride like Neil Hodgson when you’re on his replica. Fast, accurate and good looking it might be...

Cobra Power SR1

21 January 2002

THE Cobra feels reassuringly solid without being heavy. It’s well-finished, in 3mm extruded aluminium, but it will take some polishing to keep it looking smart. Sleeve options are tri-oval at £286,...

Bos T-Six Aluminium

21 January 2002

A BOLT-ON bracket keeps the Bos T–Six free of the usual strap, so it looks clean and neat. It fits easily and feels secure and the good looks extend to a big-bore link pipe. There are carbon or...

Limited edition Joey rep unveiled… and No26 is up for auction

21 January 2002

A strictly limited run of 26 SP-1 Joey Dunlop replicas are being built to celebrate his life. The first one completed of this exclusive run is being auctioned off to raise money for Joey’s...

Still looking for that perfect one

21 January 2002

Paul Hebden, 39, from Cambridgeshire has owned 50 bikes. He currently rides a Kawasaki w650 Paul Hebden has owned nearly as many bikes than the rest of the people in the feature combined. An...

DIY tyre warming

21 January 2002

Can’t afford the luxury of tyre warmers? Try front brake and a handful of throttle…

Carbon Can Co Two-Clour

21 January 2002

IT looks like they ran out of paint halfway through making this. The Carbon Can Co claims its powder-coated finish is more durable than other treatments. It comes with a lifetime guarantee and repair...

Renegade Carbon Oval

21 January 2002

THE clean, rivet-free exterior will look sleek to some, boring to others. Options include stainless steel at £220, titanium at £250 and road-legal stainless steel options from £300. All have a...

He’d have been quicker pedalling

21 January 2002

Robert Yardy, 64, is from Yorkshire. He’s owned nine bikes. ” The first bike I had was one of these 50cc things, while I was still learning, ” recalls Robert Yardy. ” It was a custom-built frame...

Terms and conditions: Please read before signing up

21 January 2002

IMPORTANT NOTICE: PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE SIGNING UP FOR ANY OF OUR SMS SERVICES. The Customer’s attention is drawn to the following Terms and Conditions for use of...

V&M Yamaha R1

21 January 2002

Save £20 on alarms with Carole Nash at Ally Pally

21 January 2002

Carole Nash Secure, the mobile bike alarm and immobiliser division of Carole Nash Insurance, are offering a £20 saving for all visitors to their sponsored motorcycle parking area, at the Alexandra...

Oh gee, look who that is!

21 January 2002

I’ve got a dangerous-looking WSB champion here… can I let him in?

CCM plans tie-up with Suzuki

21 January 2002

British bike maker CCM is looking outside Europe for engines which could power a new range of singles and twins for 2003. For the past few months, the Lancashire firm has been in negotiation with Suzuki to buy a variety of engines beginning with its DRZ400 engine. Sources also suggest that other Suzuki power plants, such as the 644cc single and V-twin SV650 could be included in future deals. The...

ENGINEERING

21 January 2002

ALTHOUGH the bike doesn’t use any radical metals in its construction it’s quite a step forward for Harley with an all new engine, frame and totally new styling unlike any other bike before it. It’s...

Quill Oval Stainless

21 January 2002

THE Quill looks like it will retain its looks over the years and the makers are obviously confident because they offer an 18-month warranty and lifetime corrosion guarantee. Sleeve options include...

Sidekick Alien race

21 January 2002

YOU’LL either think this design is the dog’s danglies or the dog’s dinner. Either way it will get you noticed, but you need to get it on first as it’s fiddly to fit. There’s a carbon option at £300...

Cruise tops poll for top bike movie moments

21 January 2002

It may have changed tyres from scene to scene and apparently been bullet proof, but the Speed Triple Tom Cruise rode in Mission Impossible II impressed enough people to make it the star of the best...

South Essex Suzuki GSX-R1000

21 January 2002

Aprilia cuts list prices by up to £975

21 January 2002

Aprilia has taken between £500 and £900 off the price of all its 1000cc V-twins. It’s clearly a move aimed at going head to head on price with its rivals, and means the Futura sports-tourer drops from £8875 to £7899, a saving of nearly a grand. The Falco all-rounder will now cost £6999, almost £900 less than last year. And the list price of the RSV Mille and Mille R are down close to £800 to £8099...

The Decision

21 January 2002

IN a hotel conference room in Arcadia, 18 miles North of Los Angeles Harley-Davidson unveiled the V-Road to the world’s press. We took the chance to speak to the people behind the V-Rod with an...

New ZX-7R likely to be a rebadged Suzuki

21 January 2002

Insiders in Japan are hinting that the bike to replace Kawasaki’s ZX-7R will look very familiar… because it will be a green-painted Suzuki GSX-R750 with a Kawasaki badge slapped on it. It’s a move...

Styling

21 January 2002

THE radical styling of the bike was lead by a lot of inspiration from Europe. The bike that won best in show at Daytona bike week was actually from France and that made Harley really sit up and notice...

Buy a bargain bike at the Ally Pally show

21 January 2002

Fancy bagging yourself a race bike, even if only for track days? Maybe you just want a great deal. Best make your way to the Ally Pally Show in London from January 26 to February 3, 2002. The paddock bargains area will be rammed with used bikes waiting for a new home. This year they include one of Paul Brown’s 600s, a host of race bikes, and some great used road bike bargains, too. Buying one...

Dagar Titanium race

21 January 2002

A COUPLE of years ago, you’d pay twice as much for a titanium sleeve, but this new brand proves how popular the material has become – and how it’s lost some of that early wow factor. There’s no sign...

Venom Carbon

21 January 2002

THIS is the most expensive can in Venom’s 2002 range – aluminium options start from £195. All of them include a link pipe. This version looks good and fits easily. The internals are stainless steel,...

Tadao Baba: Father of the Blade

21 January 2002

TADAO Baba is one of the few men in the world that knows the direction the FireBlade will go in the next few years. The softly-spoken Honda chief engineer is rumoured to already have dozens of even more evolved FireBlades built and undergoing testing. We caught him during a relaxed moment at Estoril and coaxed him into spilling a few beans. MCN: Is Honda committed to developing the FireBlade...

All set for the Ally Pally?

21 January 2002

The MCN-backed Ally Pally show opens this weekend. More than 60,000 people are expected to visit before the London show closes on February 3. Among the glittering attractions are Honda’s new V5 GP...