RSS Feed from www.motorcyclenews.com

Ewan McGregor’s Moto Guzzi for sale

Ewan McGregor is selling his Moto Guzzi California to raise money for children’s charity UNICEF. McGregor picked the bike up personally from the Moto Guzzi factory and rode it back to the UK, but is now selling the bike to...

The top 5 outdoor bike covers

Here's a run down of the top 5 outdoor bike covers as tested by MCN's sister title RiDE magazine. It may be a simple bit of kit, but they found there's a huge difference between the best on the market and...

'Run What You Brung' 2009 at Santa Pod

Santa Pod has just announced it's 'Run What You Brung' programme of events for 2009. A mere £35 is enough to get you whole day's racing, all you need is your road bike and a valid UK motorcycle license. If you've ever wanted to...

The PB100: 6 - 1998 Yamaha R1

The 100 bikes to ride before you die, brought to you by the guys at MCN's sister title, Performance Bikes. It stunned the senses... In the 1990s the FireBlade was the sportsbike to have. Fast, agile and good-looking, it trumped...

Police stopping bikes on Edgware Road

Police have blocked off bus lane in Edgware road W9 all day to stop every bike that passes (except AA and own bikes). They hide behind large white van and then step out to pull in the bikes. Any problems...

Bikes on TV: November 19-25

KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT - Discovery Real Time DRTE -Discovery Real Time ExtraDSC - Discovery Channel  DHD - Discovery Channel HD EXS - Extreme Sports Channel MM - Men and MotorsMOT - Motors TV   SS1 (2, 3 or X) - Sky Sports 1 (2,3...

MCN in Fiji

Me on the remote south pacific island of tokoriki, fiji, when the wife caught me reading my 'porn' as she calls it. Well, a man has his needs.....

What's On: November 19-25

Our What’s On listings now show events by their date, making them easier to find. Click the links below to choose the listing for your area and find out what events are on near you this week. If you would...

New MCN 19 November: Hyde Harrier Bonnie is back!

In this week's issue of MCN, we have details of the new Norman Hyde Bonneville-engined Hyde Harrier, take a test ride on the Ace Cafe Racer and reveal the tech secrets behind Aprilia's V4 WSB bike. Norman Hyde, a Triumph accessory specialist,...

Vaillante MotoGP

Between fiction and reality. The new French team for 2010 World MotoGP Champhionship. The VAILLANTE MotoGP V4 will be equipped by pneumatic valve engine, chassis completely in carbon fibre and electronic suspension. The rider, directly from the pen of its...

Forced out of the way

Was riding to work and coming to one of the left hand corners that make the whole trip worthwhile. I was close to the white lines giving myself the maximum view round the corner. And what did I see coming...

Great Dirt Bike Show this year

Great show- have a look at who had my leg braces on!

Image gallery: Ace Cafe Racer

In this week's edition of MCN, road tester Adam Child takes a ride on the gorgeous Ace Cafe Racer created by custom bike builder Nick Gale. In case the road test left you wanting more, here's some extra close-ups and action shots...

Aprilia RSV4: Your questions answered!

If you've got a question for the designers, engineers or bosses at Aprilia about the new V4 RSV4 superbike then now is the time to ask as MCN is heading out to the factory for a visit later this week....

Ducati 1198/1198S first ride!

MCNs Chief Road Tester, Trevor Franklin, is at the launch of Ducati’s new 1198/1198S at the Circuito de Algarve near Portimao, Portugal, here’s what he has to say: “While the new 1198 retains the silhouette of the outgoing 1098 the...

New Helmet

This is Rhys Bott, age 5, trying on my new Rossi face helmet!

Official BMW sketches show Lo-Rider's customisation potential

BMW is choosing from twelve designs for the Lo-Rider concept, official sketches reveal, and the concept is designed to make personalising your bike easier than ever. BMW gave MCN access to the twelve different sketches following the bike’s public unveiling...

Video: BMW S1000RR in action

BMW has released another video of it's road-going S1000RR superbike - this time undergoing testing at the Spanish Albacete circuit. The bike is covered in contour-deflecting black and white camoflage stickers aimed at keeping the exact shape of the fairing...

Marked police car crashes with fireblade

Motorcycle ctashes with marked police car and the police are looking for anyone who saw the motorbike being driven prior to the accident... What about anyone who saw the police car being driven? See this link for the full story.

Story of a very cautious female 40 year old

Great story from the '19 year old idiot'. Well, I’m the complete opposite! I’ve just bought a Honda cbr125 in red and black. I’ve passed my test, but I’m only a size 8 and 5ft 1, so even though I...

Crashing

I remember getting my first real bike a Yamaha RD250 when i was seventeen many moons ago, I would always ride it with trainers on, not a good idea..  I only had this bike for a week when coming up...

Suzuki SRAD is a great bike

I read the latest PB100 article on the Suzuki SRAD. I agree, the SRAD is a great bike, I've had 2 600 srads converted, one to the 750 and managed to squeeze a 2001 1000cc motor in my second. The...

another unmarked police camera van in derbyshire

I'll keep it short but sweet, I was in the local supermarket filling station in ripley derbyshire when i spotted what appears to be another unmarked police camera van with all the facilities for speed trapping. The vehicle i saw...

Friday funny: Amazing motorcycle control

If you ever thought you were fairly good at slow speed riding, think again. You're probably not as good as these guys. The riders in question are Japanese police officers, showcasing their skills in public.    

Special paint for Aprilia Dorsoduro

A UK Aprilia dealer has taken matters into its own hands, after the factory refused to produce a Dorsoduro 750 in red and white. Aprilias for sale Dorset-based Motosport Aprilia has made the Red Lion special featuring gold wheels for...

Showcase cinema Leeds- helmet trouble

I recently ran up against a blatant example of discrimination. On Tuesday this week (11th) my partner and I went to the Showcase cinema in Leeds to see the new Bond film. Having paid for the tickets and refreshments we...

Meet Guy Martin at the D Store Manchester

Meet Guy Martin at the Dainese D Store in Manchester on Saturday November 22nd from 2pm until 4pm. Bike Animal Hydrex Honda rider Guy Martin stars in Dainese's latest ad campaign and will be at the flagship Dainese store on Saturday...

Reflections of a 19 year old idiot.

My brand new Yamaha YZF R125. Lying there on its side, back wheel spinning slowly, no more than six hours old and already dead at the end of a yellow streak of paint and plastic. What did they teach me...

In the year 2525 if man is still alive...

I was woken from my cryogenic sleep and allowed to go for a walk. I wandered down to where I could see a crowd looking over a concrete fence. Over the fence the was an empty road. I asked the...

Gilera 600 Supersport & Streetracer

After the presentation of the new APRILIA Superbike, Piaggio Group want to throw again also the historic brand GILERA. In fact, I think in the first days of the 2009 it will come introduced to surprise the completely new 4 cylinders 600cc....

Poll: Should BMW build the Lo-Rider?

BMW is looking for feedback on the Lo-Rider concept revealed at the Milan Show last week, so MCN has setup an online poll to see what you think. BMWs for sale The motorcycle is based on BMW’s 1170cc boxer engine and...

Vigilante biker’s murky past

A vigilante motorcyclist who films other bikers speeding is an ex-lag with a string of previous driving convictions, MCN can reveal. We recently revealed how busybody Geoff Smith, 62, spends his days riding precisely on the speed limit while filming...

Is three-time convicted speeder behind ban motorcycles proposal?

A proposal from the Association of Chief Police Officers to ban motorcycles was written under the direction of a three-time convicted speeder, MCN can reveal. Meredydd Hughes, who was last year banned from driving for his latest offence, has “overall”...

The PB100: 5 - Suzuki GSX-R750 SRAD

The 100 bikes to ride before you die, brought to you by the guys at MCN's sister title, Performance Bikes. If it weren’t for this bike… Forget the alloy-framed, oil-cooled 1985 model or the GSX-R’s 1992-1995 wilderness years, this is...

Video: Miles Per Gallon Fuel Test

With the downward spiral from credit crunch to full-on recession MCN senior roadtester Trevor Franklin wanted to see if the economy of motorcycles can still be highly prized. To find out Trevor took Suzuki's Sixteen, BMW's F650GS, Kawasaki's Z1000 and...

On sale now: 'Rossi- Celebrating the Greatest'

A glossy limited edition MCN bookazine celebrating the life and career of Valentino Rossi, arguably the greatest motorcycle racer the sport has ever known, is available to own now. Scroll down for your free digital sample... The 132 page tribute...

MCN in Alcatraz

Just some pictures of me reading MCN in Alcatraz...

New MCN November 12: New Suzuki Bandit 650 revealed

In this week's MCN, we have pictures of the new faired and unfaired Suzuki Bandit 650, which was unveiled at the Milan Show. The headlights on both versions have been given a new, sleeker design, and both models have a re-shaped exhaust...

Video: Bob Farnham tunes Yamaha R1

The racing season has only just finished, but Senior Road Tester, Michael Neeves is already looking ahead to the 2009 season with his trusty 2007 Yamaha R1 long term test bike. He took it along to Bob Farnham, one of...

Bikes on TV: November 12-18

KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT - Discovery Real Time DRTE -Discovery Real Time ExtraDSC - Discovery Channel  DHD - Discovery Channel HD EXS - Extreme Sports Channel MM - Men and MotorsMOT - Motors TV   SS1 (2, 3 or X) - Sky Sports 1 (2,3...

What's on: November 12-18

Our What’s On listings now show events by their date, making them easier to find. Click the links below to choose the listing for your area and find out what events are on near you this week. If you would...

Go off road at the Dirt Bike Show

Want to see top motorcycle racing stars, trials displays and 2009 off road motorcycles from a dozen top manufacturers plus a variety of kit from dozens of stands? Well there’s all this and much more at the Dirt Bike Show...

Meeting Leon Haslam at MCN Live!

Me and Leon Haslam!

Choose your biker gifts - Christmas present ideas for every rider and budget

Buying the perfect gift for your favourite biker is easier this Christmas with MCN. We've set up an easy to follow list of stocking fillers for the biker you're buying for this Christmas- who could be your husband/wife, your family, your mates...

Video: BMW S1000RR onboard footage

BMW has released official onboard footage of the new S1000RR superbike testing at Oschersleben recently. BMWs for sale The bike appears to be testing on a public trackday, and is seen catching and passing other bikes on track without too...

MCN made my daughter better

My seven month old daughter in Bradford Royal Infirmary having her kidneys sorted. All she wanted was MCN.

Video: 2009 Aprilia RSV4 and Yamaha R1 take to the track

We've got video of the 2009 Yamaha R1 and the Aprilia RSV4 in action for the first time with Max Biaggi, Ben Spies and Tom Sykes out on track at the Portimao circuit. The two machines have been racking up...

Petrol station problems

Just a story about my ride home tonight. I was riding home on the bike, ran out of fuel right outside the garage so i pushed it in to fill up in Tesco's express Norbury, A23 (south London). Pulled in,...

Video: MCN rides Enduro Africa with Princes William and Harry

MCN man Michael Guy got to ride alongside Princes William and Harry in this year's Enduro Africa charity event. Check out the video below to see his video diary of the event. If you want to take part in future...

Ban motorcycles? What about...

Just recently hundreds of hedonistic persons went joy walking across the lake district. They were people acting selfishly, without a thought for other persons that would have to pay for rescue services to help them out when their irresponsible activities...

Consider banning motorcycles, police tell MPs

The time has come to consider banning motorcycles from the roads, police chiefs have told MPs. They are ‘motorised toys’ which may not belong on public highways, the Association of Chief Police Officers told the Commons Transport Committee. The association...

The PB100: 4 - Ducati Monster S4RS

The 100 bikes to ride before you die, brought to you by the guys at MCN's sister title, Performance Bikes. The  missing link between 916 and 1098... It’s easy to think of this bike as being the preserve of London luvvies....

Sports biker gifts for £20

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Sportsbike rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Haynes, Motrax and more, all for £20 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for under £50, under £80 or £100...

Armchair biker gifts for £20

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite armchair biker this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Dianese, Bultaco and more, all for £20 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for under £50, under £80 or...

Armchair biker gifts for £80

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Armchair biker this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Alpinestars, Arai and more, all for £80 or under.  Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for £100 and over. After more of...

Commuter gifts for £20

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite commuter rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Motrax, Muc-off and Oxford, all for £20 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for under £50, under £80 or...

Commuter gifts for £80

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Commuter this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Spada, Frank Thomas and more, all for £80 or under.  Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for £100 and over. After more...

Sportsbike rider gifts for £100 and over

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Sportsbike rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best high-end products from Arai, Sidi, Akrapovic and more, all at £100 and over.    Looking to spend a little less? See gift ideas for under £80....

Sportsbike rider gifts for £80

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Sportsbike rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Dainese, Kawasaki, Dunlop and more, all for £80 or under.  Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for £100 and over. After more...

Armchair biker gifts for £100 and over

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Armchair biker this Christmas? Compare and buy the best high-end products from Ducati, Oakley and more, all at £100 and over.    Looking to spend a little less? See gift ideas for under £80. After...

Adventure rider gifts for £80

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Adventure rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Givi, Weise, Dainese, Spidi and more, all for £80 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for £100 and...

Commuter gifts for £100 and over

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite commuter rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best high-end products from TomTom, Motrax, Roof and more, all at £100 and over.     Looking to spend a little less? See gift ideas for under £80....

Sportsbike rider gifts for £50

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Sportsbike rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Wiz, RTS, Motrax and more, all for £50 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for under £80 or £100 and...

Armchair biker gifts for £50

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Armchair biker this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from OnFire, American Chopper and more, all for £50 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for under £80 or...

Adventure rider gifts for £20

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite adventure rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Oxford, Kriega and Motrax, all for £20 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for under £50, under £80...

Adventure rider gifts for £100 and over

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Adventure rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best high-end products from TCX, Shoei, Alpinestars and more, all at £100 and over.  Looking to spend a little less? See gift ideas for under £80. After more...

Learner rider gifts for £100 and over

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Learner rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best high-end products from HJC, Remus, Ixon and Spidi, all at £100 and over.    Looking to spend a little less? See gift ideas for under £80....

Learner rider gifts for £20

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite learner rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Motrax, Alpinestars and more, all for £20 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for under £50, under £80 or...

Learner rider gifts for £80

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Learner rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Ixon, RST, KBC and more, all for £80 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for £100 and over....

Commuter gifts for £50

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Commuter this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Givi, Oxford and more, all for £50 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for under £80 or £100...

Adventure rider gifts for £50

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite adventure rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Oxford, Givi and more, all for £50 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for under £80 or £100...

Learner rider gifts for £50

Having trouble deciding what to get your favourite Learner rider this Christmas? Compare and buy the best products from Bike It, Alpinestars, Motrax and Knox, all for £50 or under. Looking to spend a little more? See gift ideas for under £80...

‘Cops let me refuel during chase,’ says 140mph speeder

The biker followed for miles by an unmarked police bike at up to 140mph has told how cops allowed him to refuel before continuing the chase. 140mph chase was 'safe' Police followed Michael Collins, 22, for 40 minutes to ‘gather...

The top 5 all-weather boots for winter

Winter is coming and nobody likes wet socks. But have no fear, luckily MCN's sister title RiDE recently conducted a test to determine the top 5 all-weather boots to help keep you warm and dry this winter. Click here for a free digital sample...

Video: Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport first ride

MCN Man Michael Neeves headed out to Lake Como in Italy to get the first ever ride on the new 4v Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport. Check out the video below to take a tour of the impressive factory and see...

New MCN November 5: Ducati Streetfighter 1098 revealed

In this week's issue of Motorcycle News, we reveal official shots of the new Ducati Streetfighter. The wild Ducati Streetfighter is a naked version of the Ducati 1098 and shares the same 1098cc powerplant and high specification as the flagship...

Bikes on TV: November 4-11

KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT - Discovery Real Time DRTE -Discovery Real Time ExtraDSC - Discovery Channel  DHD - Discovery Channel HD EXS - Extreme Sports Channel MM - Men and MotorsMOT - Motors TV   SS1 (2, 3 or X) - Sky Sports 1 (2,3...

Milan Show: BMW unveil Lo Rider concept

This great looking bike, which is supposed to be a BMW concept bike, has just been unveiled at the Milan show. But the motorcycle looks so finished it could go into production within 18 months. Dubbed the Lo Rider, the...

Milan Show: Husqvarna SMQ450

Husqvarna has just pulled the covers off the SMQ450 concept, a single-cylinder street bike that mixes vintage flavour and modern technology. The new motorcycle is based around Husqvarna's own 450cc liquid-cooled single, and features minimalist design with a slim, low and...

MCN or Casino?

Bev Henderson might not have been able to get into the Casino in Monaco but found time to have a quick look through MCN.

MCN beats F1

Bob Haigh went to Monaco to check out the F1 Grand Prix circuit and took time out to catch up with MCN while sat on the inside of the curve outside the Cafe de Paris.

Milan Show: Aprilia Mana X

Aprilia has revealed the Mana X- a wild flat-track style concept based on the semi-automatic Aprilia Mana 850. The Mana X uses the same 830cc v-twin from the Aprilia Mana 850, but instead of plain commuter styling the X is...

Milan Show: Bimota DB7 Oronero

Bimota has just revealed the carbon-framed DB7 Oronero at the Milan show. The bike is based around the same basic design as the standard Bimota DB7 launched earlier this year, but is eight kilograms lighter thank to the front section...

What's on: November 5 - November 11

Our What’s On listings now show events by their date, making them easier to find. Click the links below to choose the listing for your area and find out what events are on near you this week. If you would...

R&G adds some aggression to latest Speed Triple

Add some muscle to the rear of Triumph’s 2008 Speed Triple 1050 with this R&G tail tidy. The plastic one-piece tidy brings the number plate level with the end of the exhaust, to give the motorcycle a shorter look. Comapre...

Mini-GPS motorcycle tracker goes on sale

A portable GPS tracker promises to locate your motorcycle if it’s stolen. The Zoombak Portable Assisted GPS will alert you by text message if the motorcycle is moved outside pre-determined zones, and will then send regular updates plotting its movements....

Speeding idiots give us bad press

When riding my 1961 Norton Manxman 650 to Malton in North Yorkshire on a 60mph B road (I riding up a hill at 60mph), some speeding bikes zipped past me at 80 plus on one wheel! These guys are idiots playing with death! Then...

Ducati Streetfighter 1098: Official pictures

Ducati has revealed the Ducati Streetfighter at the Milan show today, a new super naked bike based on the 1098. The engine and chassis of the Ducati Streetfighter is almost identical to the 1098 superbike – peak power is only slightly...

Ducati 1198 official pictures

Ducati has just released official pictures of the new 1198, an updated version of the 1098 with the larger capacity engine from the 1098R. The new motorcycle retains most of the running rear and the styling from the two year-old...

Milan Show: Yamaha XJ6 unveiled

Yamaha has just launched the new XJ6 at a press conference ahead of the opening of the Milan show tomorrow. The new motorcycle shares most of its components with the XJ6 Diversion launched in October – the novice-focussed  chassis and...

Ducati Streetfighter 1098 latest

The new Ducati Streetfighter will be among the most aggressive performing machines in the supernaked class, according to the latest info available. Ducati Streetfighter teaser video The Ducati Streetfighter, which is due to be officially unveiled at 5:15pm today  is...

Rivetted to Frank Thomas

In the days of almost non existant customer service, it gives me great pleasure to tell you about super dealer and manufacturer service. The sleeve fasteners for the thermal inner on my Frank Thomas XTI textile jacket had become unstitched...

Friday funny: David Attenborough on bikers

This week's Friday Funny comes in the form of a David Attenborough spoof video about bikers and their habits during winter. The video follows the lives of two bikers through winter as if they were animals in a wildlife documentary, using...

Great Christmas subscription offers for bike fans

If you're struggling to figure out what you're going to give your friends and loved ones for Christmas this year, then this just might be the answer... A subscription makes a great Christmas gift so why not take advantage of...

Video: 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R launch test

MCN man Adam Child is now back inthe UK after testing the 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R for the first time and he brought back this video report on the new motorcycle. Check out the video below to see what Chad thinks...

Sigma slipper clutch now available for KTM RC8

Sigma Performance has launched a slipper clutch for KTM’s RC8. The wet clutch has six ramps to help maintain engine braking while ensuring the rear wheel doesn’t lock up. It comes in anodized grey, and costs £620 including VAT. KTM...

The top 5 biking backpacks

MCN's sister title RiDE recently conducted an in-depth test in order to find out which are the best backpacks for motorcyclists. Here's their list of the top 5 backpacks available today. Click here for a free digital sample of this month's RiDE...

Kevin Schwantz at the Stafford Show

Here's are a picture of me and my mate Lee with The man himself Kevin Schwantz at the Stafford Show and what a top man he is! MCN is a top read.

Ridley at Laconia Bike Week

Further to the readers news item about the 750cc Ridley motorcycles maybe being available in the UK soon, see attached photo taken at Laconia Bike Week 2007. The finish is very good - they all look hand made - and...

Keyring copies motorcycle knee-slider

Here’s a clever way to stop your keyring scratching your top-yoke. The Keyslider attaches to a patch of Velcro on your bike to stop it flapping around. Extra patches can be bought to hang the keys up when you get...