2008

Learners urged: book test now or face chaos

Learners urged: book test now or face chaos

Learner riders must book their test this month or face chaos trying to get a licence, bike manufacturers have warned. Anyone who books after July will not take his test until October, when 85% of test...

Police warning over sports bike thefts

Police warning over sports bike thefts

Police have issued warnings to riders over a rise in thefts of sports bikes by organised criminals. Thames Valley Police, covering one of the biggest force areas in the UK, said one town alone had...

Video: See Honda's legendary RC30 come to life

We’ve just found some amazing footage from the original promotional video for Honda’s legendary motorcycle, the VFR750R RC30, which was first released in Japan in 1987. The video shows amazing footage of the bike being hand built from scratch and some fantastic slow motion shots of the road-going RC30 being thrashed round a track alongside the HRC RVF750 race motorcycle from that year. Inspired by...

Bikes on the box: July 9 - 15

Bikes on the box: July 9 - 15

KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT – Discovery Real Time DRTE -Discovery Real Time Extra DSC – Discovery Channel  DHD – Discovery Channel HD EXS – Extreme Sports Channel MM – Men and Motors MOT – Motors TV   SS1...

New speed camera's in Bristol

I’ve just seen this story on the BBC website, apparently there’s some new council operated ‘speed cameras’ planned for Bristol: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7485546.stm

Bennetts unveils nations motorcycling dogs

Bennetts unveils nations motorcycling dogs

Insurance provider Bennetts has unveiled its top five barking motorcyclists. And by that we mean motorcyclsits who carry their dogs as pillions. The dogs and their owners have been chosen by Bennetts...

Anti skid covers

Great news about the anti skid manhole covers! when are MCN going to ask BT et al what they are going to do about their covers (90% of all the covers in the road)??

New Victory dealership to open in South Wales

New Victory dealership to open in South Wales

Real World Motorcycles in Aberdare, South Wales has now become an official dealer of Victory Motorcycles. See Victory motorcycles for sale here Real World Motorcycles opened its doors in 2002 and...

Video: 2008 Triumph Street Triple v Speed Triple

Triumph launched a brand new Speed Triple and the 675 Daytona based Street Triple this year so we got both the motorcycles together with the 2007 Speed Triple to see just how good they are. Check out the video below for a detailed look at the two new bikes and to see them both in action.

New Motorcycle Test - an insight

As most of you are now aware the ‘New’ Motorcycle test will be instigated from the 29th Sept 2008, this is not an option it is happening! (or a fine from the European busy bodies of 500 million euros will be levied). Now this may not concern most of you as you have already passed your test. However with the DSA only managing to build 17 of the 66 so called super centres countrywide with effect...

New MCN July 2: Ducati's Desmosedici RR pushed to the limit

New MCN July 2: Ducati's Desmosedici RR pushed to the limit

In the latest edition of MCN, road tester Trevor Franklin takes Ducati’s MotoGP replica Desmosedici RR to an airfield and answers the question everybody wants to know. How fast will it go? Ducati...

Video: KTM 990 Superduke R first ride

MCN road tester Adam Child travelled to the Salzburgring, Germany, to take part in the first ride of KTM’s 990 Superduke R. How would the new motorcycle cope with the unusual choice of track and would it prove itself to be a suitable track motorbike? Watch the video below to find out of the KTM got on around the notoriously fast circuit.

MCN at Hooters, Tenerife

MCN at Hooters, Tenerife

Hoot up at Hooters in Tenerife! In the picture is John Burows of Ducati Coventry and myself with two of the Hooters babes Juli and Hana trying the motorcycles out for size! The place is worth a visit...

Video: Nick Sanders looks back from South Africa

Nick Sanders has sent back his fifth video installment from his Parallel Worlds tour as he reaches Cape Town and heads to Jaipur, India. Watch the video below as he looks back at the trip so far after completing nearly a third of the distance. Check back regularly to see how Nick is getting on as he crosses from country to country on his final cirumnavigation of the globe. Watch Nick getting his...

Motorcycles blamed for UK’s most dangerous road

Motorcycles blamed for UK’s most dangerous road

Motorcyclists have been blamed for making an eight-mile stretch of road known as the Cat and Fiddle the most dangerous road in the country. The A537 from Macclesfield in Cheshire to Buxton,...

Barrister to argue that speed cameras are illegal

Barrister to argue that speed cameras are illegal

A top barrister is due to argue speed cameras are illegal in a landmark court case today. Michael Shrimpton is to argue that every new speed detector introduced since 1991 has not been individually...

Bikers protest the price of fuel with motorcycle ride-outs

Bikers protest the price of fuel with motorcycle ride-outs

Hundreds of riders brought roads to a standstill in two newprotests against the price of petrol on Saturday. In Scotland, around 300 riders were led by police from Kinross, Perthsire, over the Forth...

Desert Survival

Desert Survival

This is me and my trusty copy of MCN. This time it got me through the military Desert Survival course in the Mojave Desert north west of Las Vegas.

Hog on 66!

Hog on 66!

Route 66! Arizona 2008. During my R&R phase after a desert survival course. Rented a Night Rod while mate rented a V-Rod and took them for a 340 mile blast! It’s not a Supersports but boy was it good...

Desert Survival with MCN

Desert Survival with MCN

This is me and, yet again, my trusty MCN helping me get through another military survival course. This time it was the desert course in the Mojave north west of Las Vegas. 48.9 in the sun and pretty...

Route 66 with Eagleriders USA

Route 66 with Eagleriders USA

Route 66 with Eagleriders USA. This was a trip and a half something I have wanted to do since my 50th and before my FIVE Heart Attacks. This has given me an outlook on life that has seriously changed...

Getting kicks on Route 66

Getting kicks on Route 66

I had to write and let you see some pics of the best xmas present ever from a fantastic wife that hated bikes before this trip. She travelled with me full length of what is left of Route 66 Chicago...

Tyler passing the time in hospital

Tyler passing the time in hospital

Here’s my 13 year-old son Tyler passing the time away in hospital reading his favourite paper after falling off his motorcross motorcycle and breaking his ankle. He’s already asking the doctors when...

Taking my daughter to her Prom in style

Taking my daughter to her Prom in style

Please find attached a couple of photos of my daughter Sophie arriving in style on her prom night. Who needs a limo when you can arrive in style on a 1965 BMW r60. But who is the mystery man. James...

Harley Davidson XR1200 video

This time a movie from me about the H-D XR1200: http://www.vimeo.com/1238627

MCN Daily 27-06-08: Your daily video motorcycle news

In episode 135 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news show Casey Stoner takes a third consecutive pole in Assen, Bradley Smith holids on to second place and Troy Bayliss takes provisional pole in Misano.  Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three minutes.

Video: Aprilia Dorsoduro Supermoto group test

Aprilia’s 2008 Dorsoduro Supermoto takes on its rivals in the shape of KTM’s 990SM and Ducati’s Hypermotard in our exclusive video road test. MCN’s road tester Adam Child invited the 2006 British Supermoto Champion, Sam Warren, along for a second opinion as they pitched the motorcycles against each other around Ancaster Kart track. Watch the video below to see how the Aprilia faired and read the...

BKS James Toseland leathers available from Saturday June 28

BKS James Toseland leathers available from Saturday June 28

BKS is launching their James Toseland replica range of leathers and gloves on Saturday June 28 and it will all be available through selected dealerships. A total of 156 James Toseland replica BKS...

Learn to ride free with Ducati or grab £500 worth of free clothing

Learn to ride free with Ducati or grab £500 worth of free clothing

MCN has teamed up with Ducati to offer you the chance to win a masive £1000 worth of free training on a Ducati Monster 696 or £500 worth of free motorcycle clothing. Enter our competition and you...

Video: Racing the Ducati Desmo Challenge

The Ducati Desmo Challenge is a five-round Italian Championship held just for Ducati engined machines and Michael Neeves gives you a behind the scenes look at the Championship in this video. Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves went along to round three at Vallelunga, near Rome to check out the action and take part in a one-make Ducati Hypermotard race. Check out our video below to see where he...

Manchester congestion charge exemption covers lack of parking commitment

Manchester congestion charge exemption covers lack of parking commitment

The BMF says Manchester City Council’s plans to exempt motorcycles from its congestion plans are ineffective without a commitment to increase the number of motorcycle parking bays in the...

Harley Davidson puts accessories online

Harley Davidson puts accessories online

Harley Davidson is aiming to make it easier to purchase official accessories by launching a Web-based catalogue and shop. Users of the website can browse all products available, and compile a ‘wish...

Insurance Register

The website for checking if your insurance is on the insurance register is brilliant – www.askmid.com – as printed in MCN 25.06.08. Trouble is that my insurance company, Carol Nash, haven’t put me on! I’ve only had the insurance for 3 months! Good job I checked.

How to deal with a speeding ticket...

Starting to see photo radar systems here in the U.S. The first city to use them was Phoenix, Arizona. There is a story about some bloke who was sent a speeding ticket after being caught by the camera, so he wrote out a cheque for the fine, took a picture of it and sent it to the court. Love it!!

Petrol station persecution

I am one of the growing number of dedicated female bikers now enjoying owning and riding their own bike. I own a 07 black Kawasaki ZX6R, which is my absolute pride and joy. Tues of last week – yes just as the fuel protest was coming to a close, I set off from home with my fuel light on to go to work. Like most people in the morning, I was a little ‘tight’ for time and decided I would pop out at...

MCN in Monaco

MCN in Monaco

Thought this would be a excellent way to sum up a long ride to the south of france with a read of the best paper in the sunny surroundings of Monaco… It would be a pleasure to see this picture in the...