2002

Update: Congestion charging gets go-ahead

29 July 2002

A challenge in the High Court to the Mayor of London’s decision to implement congestion charges in London has failed. A judge rejected Westminster Council’s argument that the controversial scheme...

Fancy a ride-out this Sunday?

29 July 2002

Bill Giles has promised sunshine, rather than rain, by the bucket this Sunday, August 4, so instead of hoovering the lawn, make your excuses and get out to one of the ride-outs being organised by...

Bulldog bash line-up gets BRMC

29 July 2002

Top indie band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has just been confirmed on the line-up for this year’s Bulldog Bash. They’re playing on the Friday evening, along with headliners The Pretenders and Three...

World exclusive: 2003 ZX-6R snapped

29 July 2002

In the latest issue of MCN we’ve got the pictures Kawasaki would rather you didn’t see – exclusive spy shots of its 2003 ZX-6R For more details, analysis and the picture in full, along with details of...

First look at radical FP1 road bike engine

22 July 2002

The first pictures of the radical new engine for the FP1 road bike have been released. It marks a big departure from the original race engine, and none of its 380 components are common to its parent...

Games doc gets R1 for gold medal service

22 July 2002

The Commonwealth Games kick off on Thursday July 25, and one of the most important members of the British team will be relying on her Yamaha R1. Medic Denise O’Hanlon has strapped her doctor’s bag to the back of her bike for the duration of the games. " I’m on call for the whole week, " she told MCN, " and I’ll be needed at the training grounds, the athlete’s village and the stadium. " The...

Two riders contrasting opinions

22 July 2002

‘I run Gatsos down!’ " Gatsos just get on my tits. That’s all there is to it, " says Britain’s one-man camera demolition squad. This guy, who wants to be called Rider A for obvious reasons, hates Gatsos as much as the rest of us. But he’s done something extreme about it. He says: " When they first started coming on to the roads in big numbers – when I worked as a late-night delivery driver –...

Sussex thief poses as buyer

22 July 2002

If you’re selling a superbike, take extreme care if a Grant Mitchell lookalike comes to view it. A Sussex-based thief has been leaving stolen bikes as security while taking sellers’ machines for a test ride and then doing a runner with their bike. Sussex Police say he is aged between 30 and 35, 5ft 11ins tall and of stocky build with cropped blond hair. One witness came up with the likeness to...

Do more speed cameras mean more danger?

22 July 2002

The wreckage of a mangled car lies strewn across a major road, the flashing blue lights of emergency vehicles reflected eerily inside its disembowelled remains in a sea of shattered glass, metal and...

Speeding let off for Prince

22 July 2002

Prince Andrew was stopped for driving his Land Rover at 60mph in a 40mph limit, The Sun newspaper reports. He was stopped by a radar trap on Heathrow Road, near Heathrow Airport, as he rushed to catch...

DVLA want tax discs on numberplates

22 July 2002

The DVLA are considering their options after it found that nearly a quarter of bikes on the road are untaxed. One option is to bring in Euro-style numberplates. They have more space at the side where...

For Gatsos, and against them

22 July 2002

Cathy Keeler, Policy Manager, road safety campaign group Brake: Speeding is endemic within British society. According to a national survey conducted by us, four out of 10 drivers break the speed limit in urban areas and over half break the limit outside these areas. Experts agree that better compliance to speed limits would help cut the numbers of accidents. Speed cameras are one measure that’s...

First official pictures of new KTM

22 July 2002

This is the first official picture, leaked from a factory insider, of a production version of KTM’s LC8 Adventure. It’s believed a factory rider has taken this particular machine on a final...

10 Gatso get-offs: True or false?

22 July 2002

Free Brands WSB preview with MCN

22 July 2002

Don’t miss this week’s MCN because we’re giving away a free 12-page supplement filled with all you need to know to make the most of the summer festival that is the Brands Hatch WSB meeting. And if any...

Join Hodgson and Hislop for a trackday

22 July 2002

If you’ve ever wondered how to ride like the stars, the Superbike Stars Track Day at Mallory Park is the answer. It takes place on Thursday August 1, and WSB star Neil Hodgson and BSB stars Steve...

All these people are cashing in

22 July 2002

Gordon Brown: The Chancellor and his predecessors have benefited to the tune of £195m since the Gatso appeared. That’s the cost of a large hospital or another 6000 police officers. Serco PLC: Installs and maintains 90 per cent of the UK’s cameras. At one point its share performance out-performed the stock market by more than 200,000 per cent. £40m profit last year. Truvelo: The firm which makes...

24 hour Mots and servicing

22 July 2002

If, like most people, you’ve ever struggled to get your bike serviced because you just couldn’t get time off, a garage open 24 hours a day sounds like a dream. That’s exactly what East-London based...

Charges dropped against casino shootout Hells Angel

15 July 2002

Almost three months after the casino shootout between rival Hells Angels and Mongols gang members in Las Vegas, the only gang member to have been arrested and charged is now a free man again. Hells...

F6C goes 1800cc

15 July 2002

Honda are expected to revamp the F6C cruiser with the same 1800cc engine and the new Goldwing, as well as the Wing’s aluminium beam frame, plus styling influenced by Honda’s ” concept ” ...

BMW reveals luxury cruiser

15 July 2002

BMW has released first official pictures of the new R1200 CL Luxury Cruiser model, which will be unveiled at the Munich show in September. It will join BMW’s line-up from this autumn. Based on the ”...

999: First official pictures

15 July 2002

Get hold of today’s MCN and you’ll get your best look yet at the first official pictures of Ducati’s new superbike, the 999. And later today on motorcyclenews.com, we’ll bring you our world exclusive...

M4 bus lane to open to bikes

15 July 2002

The M4 bus lane on the section near Chiswick will open to motorcycles from July 23. The Government’s Highways Agency has given the all clear and the move has been welcomed by the Motorcycle Industry Association. A spokesman said: " Allowing bikers to use the bus lane is a sensible way of alleviating congestion at peak times and keeping riders safe. " We hope the Highways Agency will implement...

BMW offers just 25 Boxer Cup reps

15 July 2002

BMW has finally launched the limited edition R1100 S Boxer Cup Replica, first revealed as a prototype in MCN earlier this year. The bike mirrors that campaigned by Team BMW Motorrad GB in this year’s...

Raging fires force rally to cancel

15 July 2002

Wild fires raging across the US have led to the cancellation of the Four Corners rally, held annually on Labor Day weekend for the last nine years. The rally is in South West Colorado, an area...

ZZ-R1200 owner gathering this Sunday

15 July 2002

Got a ZZ-R1200? Would you like to meet up with a load of other owners of the same bike? You’ll want to join in our MCN ZZ-R1200 owner gathering, then, due for July 21. It’s on Sunday and starts from...

Let-off for villager who forced rider to crash

15 July 2002

A bike-hating Sussex villager has pleaded guilty to forcing a rider to crash – by swinging a wooden plank at him. But he only got 40 hours community service and an order to pay rider Ian Wallis £550...

Buell unleashing Firebolt-based streetfighter

15 July 2002

Buell is unleashing a streetfighter based on the radical XB9R Firebolt. Named the XB9S Lighting, it aims to combine the handling of the Firebolt with the aggressive looks of the original 1995...

New MV F5 spotted

15 July 2002

The 1000cc MV Agusta F5 has been revamped and made even quicker ready for its launch in September. You can read about the MV Agusta F5 in more detail in the July 10 issue of MCN. We caught the bike,...

Czech out this new Supermoto maker

08 July 2002

Here’s the first picture of the Praga 610 Supermoto. Praga isn’t exactly a household name but the Czech firm has been making cars and trucks since 1907. It’ll be released in the UK this week priced at...

Who’s your hero?

08 July 2002

Valentino Rossi has just revealed the man who was his hero when he was a kid. Kevin Schwantz? No. Fellow Italian legend Giacomo Agostini perhaps? Not even close… It was in fact Britain’s own...

Mechanic wanted: must have GSOH and passport

08 July 2002

The job of a lifetime awaits you if you’re a dab hand when it comes to twirling spanners. Nick Sanders, renowned motorcycle globe trotter, is leading a party of riders in a round-the-world trip and...

Ducati updates ST tourers

08 July 2002

It has been a busy time for Ducati’s designers. Not content with a new 999 and Multistrada, revamping the Monster and SS ranges, they’re tackling the ST2 and ST4 tourers, too. You can read more about...

Don’t miss your free GP preview

08 July 2002

In the latest issue of MCN, out Wednesday July 10, there’s a mega 12-page preview of the British GP at MCN Donington Park on July14. Pundits predict it will be the most exciting British GP for...

Aprilia launch 2003 model big scooter

08 July 2002

Aprilia has beaten the rush of 2003 new bikes by unveiling its first model. The Scarabeo 500 scooter uses the same 460cc single cylinder twist-and-go motor as the Atlantic 500 but features 16-inch...

Fat examiners cop weight of the law

08 July 2002

Test examiners in the Norwegian town of Elverum are postponing tests because they are too heavy to ride pillion. The problems came to light because the three lighter examiners who could perform the test are all on holiday. Norwegian licence regulations include a maximum load which assumes that the rider weighs 75kg(11 1/2 stone), and pillions that break the limit by themselves aren’t allowed. It...