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July

Swingarm lock

15 July 2001

Swingarm lock

If you can’t buy the security device you want – make your own. That’s exactly what John Smith of Wallasey, in Liverpool, did when he developed a bespoke security lock welded to the swingarm of his...

Thanks for making this the place to be

15 July 2001

More riders are coming to motorcyclenews.com than ever before. More than 100,000 of you came to the site last week and looked at over 1,000,000 pages. And that’s the first time our page impressions count has gone over the million mark. Page impressions shouldn’t be confused with " hits " . There are usually around 10 hits on any given web page, sometimes more. A site claiming one million hits a...

High-voltage shed

15 July 2001

High-voltage shed

Ken D gave his local bike thief the shock of his life with his very effective but highly illegal invention – the electric shed. Angry at having his previous bike nicked, Ken vowed never to let it...

John O’Groats to Land’s End… by classic scooter

15 July 2001

John O’Groats to Land’s End… by classic scooter

The idea of travelling from John O’Groats to Land’s End isn’t enough of a challenge for some people. These guys, among them a 28-year-old diagnosed with terminal cancer, decided to make it hard for...

Why congestion charging will put thousands more people on bikes

15 July 2001

Why congestion charging will put thousands more people on bikes

We already know the best way to get through a busy city is on two wheels – and the latest plan for the English capital means thousands of London car drivers could see the light as well. From 2003 a...

The loop and lock

15 July 2001

The loop and lock

The simplest ideas are often the best – and you can’t get much simpler than the loop and lock. Chains and padlocks are only really effective if there’s something to lock your bike to. However, if...

How far would you go to protect your bike?

15 July 2001

How far would you go to protect your bike?

This week, around 600 motorcycles will be stolen in the UK. Only 84 will be recovered and returned to their owners. With organised criminals developing ever more sophisticated methods, keeping our...

Desperate and dodgy

15 July 2001

Bike thieves are the scum of the earth, right? So who cares if they get a bit hurt while they’ve got their filthy paws on your property, as long as they go back to their hovels empty-handed and your bike stays in the garage? Well, the law, for one. Don’t use any of these methods lightly…

Fort Knox

15 July 2001

Fort Knox

Fireblade owner Dave Manchester, from Bradford, had his bike stolen in March last year. In the 16 months since, he’s been a man on a mission, installing every security device imaginable to make sure...

CCTV, steel door and ground anchors

15 July 2001

CCTV, steel door and ground anchors

In the past two years, Iain and Lynne Hall have had over 1500 bikes pass through their B&B in the North Yorkshire resort of Scarborough and they haven’t lost one yet. The Donnington Hotel is a...

Survival tips

15 July 2001

Survival tips

THIS is Duncan Goose’s essential advice for travellers: Travel light, travel light and travel light. Give a trusted friend power of attorney over your bank account, so they can send you your own...

Shop a bike thief and grab a grand

15 July 2001

Shop a bike thief and grab a grand

If you have information that could convict a bike thief, dial 0870-444-8448 and you could get a reward of up to £1000. If you’ve got the gen on an organised gang, that amount could rise to £10,000...

The man who invented the Desmo dies

15 July 2001

The man who invented the Desmo dies

Fabio Taglioni, the man who invented Ducati’s famous Desmodromic engine, has died at his home in Bologna at the age of 80. Born on September 10, 1920 in Lugo di Romagna, Italy, Taglioni graduated as...

Hydraulic lift

15 July 2001

Hydraulic lift

According to Barry Hood, from Birmingham, his hydraulic lift is a far more effective means of securing a bike than a conventional ground anchor. He said: ” Once a thief has got into your garage the...

Have you had a tyre nightmare?

15 July 2001

Have you had a tyre nightmare?

Your tyres are often the only thing between you and disaster. Reliable high quality rubber is a matter of life or death for us. But tyres aren’t always perfect. We’re conducting a survey to find out...

New details of 2002 R1 revealed

15 July 2001

New details of 2002 R1 revealed

Next year’s Yamaha R1 will be radically revised to challenge the competition from Suzuki’s class-leading GSX-R1000. It will also have to deal with new machines in the form of Honda’s 2002 FireBlade –...

Ingenious but legal

15 July 2001

If shotgun cartridges, guard dogs and electric shocks seem a bit extreme, there are plenty of equally creative methods to secure your bike which can be just as effective – and they won’t land you in a court of law

FJR long term test (2): The owners’ gathering

15 July 2001

FJR long term test (2): The owners’ gathering

Going for a ride-out and then chewing the cud with fellow riders is always a pretty good way to spend a day. While a football fan will (season permitting) relish the idea of a few pints in the boozer...

996 successor shown to Ducati top brass

15 July 2001

996 successor shown to Ducati top brass

A prototype just shown to high-ranking Ducati employees is thought to be the closest anyone has yet seen to the actual successor to the legendary 996. Ducati presented its plans for the next three...

Guard dog

15 July 2001

Guard dog

Jon F of Northampton reckons his two Mastiff bitches are the ultimate in bike security. He said: ” They’re completely loyal and very protective. As soon as the dogs hear something they go absolutely...

The repairs

15 July 2001

FOR a man who confesses to having no mechanical aptitude whatever, Duncan Goose was very, very lucky. He learnt as he went along, ran into the right people at the right time and picked a bomb-proof bike that hardly lost its reliability over 42,000 miles. But the ability to improvise is essential. Friendly dealers are not an option in Peru, and if you lack imagination with old Fairy Liquid bottles...

Trading Standards order clothing off the shelves

15 July 2001

Trading Standards order clothing off the shelves

Trading Standards officers ordered Buffalo to replace the armour in one of their jackets because it didn’t meet the CE standard it had claimed to. Importer Bifax moved swiftly and all examples of the...

Just when you thought they’d finally eased off…

15 July 2001

Just when you thought they’d finally eased off…

The Home Secretary has been telling police forces to down-grade their focus on speeding, the Met Police have called a halt to any additional Gatsos, to spend more cash on catching real criminals. You...

New range of Italian lids from Devel

15 July 2001

New range of Italian lids from Devel

The lids featured here are Italian firm Devel’s latest offerings. The full-face Vaga and the flip-up Razor are both available in British dealers for the first time this week, for £149.99. They use...

Pepper spray

15 July 2001

Pepper spray

Ray M, from Tyne and Wear, has installed a pepper gas sprayer in his garage. Such devices are illegal in this country, so Ray has declined to comment. He got hold of his from an American company via...

Baby monitor

15 July 2001

Baby monitor

AFTER having the entire contents of his garage stolen, including his Kawasaki ZX-7R, Kirk Walker, from Sheffield, wasn’t too happy. He said: ” I felt like crying. The police weren’t interested, the...

Rate your dealer

15 July 2001

Rate your dealer

We want to know your experience at your dealer. How good is the level of service? Would you recommend them to a friend? We all know how good it is to find a place you’re happy with to do your...

We are being sacrificed to make drivers safer

08 July 2001

We are being sacrificed to make drivers safer

The current design of UK roadside barriers may protect drivers in a crash but they only serve to maim and kill riders, according to a leading professor of structural engineering. Dr John Knapton is...

Meet Reynolds at open day

08 July 2001

MCN’s dealer of the year for clothing and accessories hosts an open day on Saturday, July 14. John Reynolds will be there and there will be bargains galore, too. The Harpers superstore, in the heart of London, won the prestigious MCN award despite having only been open for just over a year. On the day there will be a huge sale with leather suits available from as little as £100. There will be a...

Police stop adding Gatsos and start offering alternatives to points

08 July 2001

Police stop adding Gatsos and start offering alternatives to points

While police in London call a halt to adding to the capital’s Gatsos, Northants police seem to be making life marginally easier, too. In the capital the force says it is concentrating its budgets on...

New scooters from Italjet and She-Lung

08 July 2001

New scooters from Italjet and She-Lung

Italjet’s retro-meets-future-styled Jet-Set will be available here in August and there will be a 50cc too. And the Taiwanese Freespirit scooter is also available now. The Jet-Set is expected to be...

You’re never going to win like that

08 July 2001

You’re never going to win like that

Staying in the saddle is a prerequisite for victory

Listen to the NS500 V3

08 July 2001

Listen to the NS500 V3

You too can sample some of the flavour of Freddie Spencer’s awesome NS500 triple. Click on the link below to hear one of the most evocative sounds in Grand Prix motorcycling and the last ever V-3...

Grass is less grippy

08 July 2001

Grass is less grippy

Not sure that this is the line he was shown…

Sachs to add 125 to its range

08 July 2001

Sachs to add 125 to its range

GERMAN firm Sachs is adding a new 125 machine to its range, the ZZ Funbike. It uses the Yamaha DT125R engine. Sachs says the bike is designed for use either on or off road, but it comes with Pirelli...

The Goodwood Festival of Speed

08 July 2001

The Goodwood Festival of Speed

LINED up in front of me are four NS/NSR500s from the Honda Collection Hall museum in Japan. The men who make this museum and the bikes inside it their lives are looking anxious as they explain how to...