2008

Website launched to help bikers who are victims of theft and fraud

22 September 2008 by Liam Marsden

A new website has been launched, which aims to help motorcyclists who have been victims of theft or fraud. www.motorbikecrime.com has been created by Phil Swift, the insurance industry’s claims expert...

LCC Cyclists breaking the law

21 September 2008 by Anonymous

Two LCC (cycling campaign) cyclists were cycling at speed on the pavement of Lewisham High St which is pedestrian only. They ignored my request that they should not be cycling on the pavement. Both...

MCN in Las Vegas

21 September 2008 by richardfrancis189

Me on my honeymoon in Las Vegas August 2008, on top of the stratosphere catching up on the lastest news in MCN.

Aprilia lift the veil on the new RSV4

21 September 2008 by James Keen

Aprilia have revealed the first official pictures of their road-going 1000cc V4 supersports machine, the RSV4. The Aprilia RSV4 is powered by an engine developed and built in-house by Aprilia. This...

Aprilia RSV4 launch teaser

20 September 2008 by James Keen

MCN News Reporter Chris Newbigging is in Rome right now at the launch of Aprilia’s new RSV4 and he’s just sent through this camera phone shot and some info on the bike as a little teaser. Click here...

MCN in Maldives

20 September 2008 by cengiz halil

Enjoying the hot weather on summer island in the maldives, having a good read of MCN!

Three new Kawasaki VN1700 cruisers

20 September 2008 by Andy Downes

KAWASAKI has taken the wraps off the 2009 bikes including the new ZX-6R, ER6-f and ER6-n, three new cruisers and a new KLX250 enduro-style machine. Full details are in the September 24 issue of...

Kawasaki reveal 2009 motorcycles: ZX-6R, ER6, three new VN1700 cruisers and the KLX250

20 September 2008 by James Keen

Kawasaki have revealed a bunch of new 2009 motorcycles, including the new ZX-6R, a sharper ER6-f and ER6-n, three different versions of the new VN1700 cruiser and an enduro-style KLX250 to tempt...

Kawasaki gives ER6 sporty makeover

20 September 2008 by Andy Downes

Kawasaki has taken the wraps off the 2009 bikes including the new ZX-6R, ER6-f and ER6-n, three new cruisers and a new KLX250 enduro-style machine. Full details are in the September 24 issue of...

No nods, why?!

20 September 2008 by reddunk

I have been riding my 125cc for about 3-4 months now and everyone I have been nodding at on a motorcycle (2 wheels and an engine) has not nodded back. Is this because I only ride a 125cc, or is it because others riders are rude?

Britain's Got Biking Talent with Carole Nash: Voting now closed

19 September 2008 by James Keen

Voting has now closed in MCN’s Britain’s Got Biking Talent contest with Carole Nash. Your votes have been cast and the 12 bikes you chose from the 50 finalists will now feature in the 2009 Carole...

Motorcycles to get speed limiters

19 September 2008 by Steve Farrell

Motorcycles will be fitted with speed limiters linked to satellites to prevent them ever exceeding the limit under plans announced by Government. The devices could take control from riders by...

Helmets Off!

19 September 2008 by AllyB1200

Yet another petrol station is insisting on all motorcyclists removing their helmets before filling up with petrol, I got caught today. It is the Budgens Local Total garage on The Broadway,...

London borough mayor passionate about motorcycles

19 September 2008 by Michael Carroll

Britain’s youngest borough mayor has a dark secret. He’s mad about motorcycles, and wants to do all he can to encourage people to ride. Andrew Johnson, 28, is the mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham...

Friday funny: Road testers busted for Terrorism!

19 September 2008 by Liam Marsden

You’d expect road testing motorcycles to be a fairly glamorous affair, with the only dangers being the danger of riding a motorcycle close to its limit, but I bet you never thought road testers would...

Fuel prices down at supermarket forecourts

19 September 2008 by Sarah Carnell

Up to three pence a litre is being taken of petrol by several supermarkets. Anti-bike petrol stations Pro-bike petrol stations Morrisons were the first to slash three pence off a litre of both...

Yamaha extends 'More to Play With' finance offer

18 September 2008 by Liam Marsden

Yamaha has extended its ‘More to Play With’ offer to Monday 1 December and also added more motorcycles to the scheme. View Yamaha motorcycles for sale The current offer of three and-a-half years...

BMW Off Road Skills hosts Fifth Gear off-road challenge

18 September 2008 by James Keen

Six-time Dakar competitor and Chief Instructor of BMW Off Road Skills, Simon Pavey, recently invited TV’s Fifth Gear presenters Vicki Butler-Henderson and Tiff Needell to compete in an off-road...

Free Parking for Bikes....

18 September 2008 by eatcs01

I notice a lot of bikes either parking on the roadside, or paying to use a private car park in Cromer (North Norfolk). Obviously, these pour souls do not realise that North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) do not charge bikes to park in their pay & display car parks, even if you take up a car space when the bike spaces are full. If you’re coming to N Norfolk, as a lot of bikers do, then please...

Motorcycle Test...

18 September 2008 by tomo1200

Well….a week after the “powers that be” swallowed their pride and admitted they were not ready to implement the new test, the DVLA can still not issue a test date to anyone who had a pre-booked test aranged at one of their new test centres….and they will not be issuing till at least next monday… Oh and by the way, if you had booked the new test at the new test cost, £80, you will not be getting a...

Drunk drivers less dangerous than texters

18 September 2008 by Michael Carroll

Drivers who write text messages at the wheel are more dangerous than those who drive while drunk or on drugs, according to research from the RAC Foundation. The skills of 2000 motorists aged 18-24...

submersed in MCN

18 September 2008 by Andrew Brown

I am based in China as a submersible pilot! I look forward to a good read of MCN after a 300 meter dive in the South China Sea. I can’t get MCN over in China, but my wife buys it for me every week so...

Practise what you preach

17 September 2008 by steved42

There has been lots of talk lately about speed cameras and Police using dodgy tactics to catch speeding drivers, but I question why Norfolk Police have stopped using Hi Visibility vests when doing speed checks! Passing them today on the A47, 2 officers had set up a speed check on the side of a busy dual carriageway both dressed completely in black!! Does this mean they no long practice what they...

New helmet tests flawed

17 September 2008 by Steve Farrell

New official helmet tests have focused on hitting helmets in the wrong place, MCN can reveal. They include more impacts to the side of the helmet than required by European standards because testers...

Latest 2009 Aprilia RSV4 spy shots

17 September 2008 by Chris Newbigging

Aprilia’s new RSV4 superbike has been spied days before its official launch in Rome this weekend. The new pictures from the ApriliaNews Blog show a finished road bike minus a few pieces of trim –...

New Yamaha Aerox

17 September 2008 by Anonymous

I stumbled across this image, does anyone know anything about it? Is it the new Aerox?? I really like it, it’s about time Yamaha updated the Aerox. Anyway I thought MCN readers might be interested.

BMW Reliability? A fallacy!

17 September 2008 by TDMANDY

Having read various recent articles over the reliability (or otherwise) of BMW’s, I thought I would add my brief contribution. Having suffered the delights of BMW car ownership some years ago (poor service, poor build qulity, major reliability issues), for some strange reason I decided to forget all those memories and purchase an R1100SS from a BMW franchised dealer. 800 miles on the clock, owned...

Dickerson’s Vincent Rapide to be auctioned

17 September 2008 by Michael Carroll

The Vincent Rapide ridden by land speed record chaser Marty Dickerson is due to be auctioned in Los Angeles in October. The American took two Class C land-speed records at Bonneville on his Rapide,...

Protect your baby with an intercom

16 September 2008 by paul hughes caerphilly

I had my garage broken into and had my sons Suzuki DR350 stolen, so I went to buy an alarm but on the way got chatting to a mate… Between us we came up with the simple idea of using baby intercoms, so in the event of some lowlife breaking in your shed or garage, you have a far better chance of catching them! The good news- we recovered the bike in the end!

Free in this week's MCN: Why Rossi is the greatest

16 September 2008 by James Keen

In this week’s edition of MCN, we have a free 8-page supplement on why Valentino Rossi is the greatest racer of all time, by the man he arguably stole the crown from- Giacomo Agostini. Click here to...

More BMW Quality Issues

16 September 2008 by Fasteddie

I had a BMW R1150GS and within 12 months I had to have the front wishbone replaced due to corrosion. On the same bike some months later the fuel gauge failed. Also had to have this replaced. So I decided to upgrade and purchased the R1200GSADV… with less than 2000 miles on the clock the fuel gauge failed. Took it to the BMW dealer who supposedly fixed it and…of course…they had not! Unfortunately...