July | Page 2

Video: Is the Suzuki GSX-R750 still the top road sports bike?

22 July 2008 by Michael Neeves

MCN reader Craig Carr wanted help deciding if he should trade his Suzuki K6 GSX-R750 for the K8 version or a Ducati 848 in this video road test. Senior road tester Michael Neeves added Kawasaki’s ZX-10 and Yamaha’s R6 to the test and then took Craig for a spin around the local roads before finishing off at Bruntingthorpe Proving Grounds. Watch the video below to see which one Craig chose and read...

Bikers declare Gatso jihad

22 July 2008 by Steve Farrell

Two bikers have made headlines by setting fire to a roadside speed camera and posting footage of it burning on YouTube in a clip entitled “Gatso Jihad”. The pair, on a distinctive Rizla Suzuki replica GSX-R1000, are shown setting light to a tyre placed around the neck of the camera, a practice known as “necklacing”, and staying to watch it burn in broad daylight as traffic streams past. French...

A joyful ride ending in tears

22 July 2008 by Anonymous

Ahhhh…..a warm sunny Monday morning it was in May and boy was I glad going to work on two wheels! My just washed and polished Triumph Speed Four with a glistening stubby exhaust that would wake up the...

Government considering “zero deaths” road safety policy

21 July 2008 by Steve Farrell

The UK may adopt a Swedish road safety policy once said by its own creator to be incompatible with motorcycles. Claes Tingvall, the author of Vision Zero, said there was “no room for motorcycles” in...

A great lap of the Isle of Man

21 July 2008 by Sharon Speake

My husband Terry and I have just returned from a few days holiday on the Isle of Man. We took my husband’s Honda 400 four over so he could ride it around the course which is what he has wanted to do...

Concerned motorist looking for injured biker

21 July 2008 by SarahC

A concerned motorist is looking for three bikers she met near Machynlleth, Wales on July 13 at about 7.30pm. One of the three had come off his motorcycle and she met them at the entrance to the Centre for Alternative Technology as she headed to a nearby picnic area. The three were waiting for the crashed bike to be collected before they could head home. The lady, Eileen, made them a cup of tea and...

Hein Gericke offer £200 off Alpinestars and Arlen Ness kit

21 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

Hein Gericke has slashed up to £200 off the cost of high-end Arlen Ness and Alpinestars riding kit, as part of a summer sale. The price of Arlen Ness’ LS1 suit has been reduced from £599.99 to...

Soldier wins Toseland’s Yamaha R1

21 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

A Yamaha R1 ridden by James Toseland during a promotional event at Silverstone has been given away by insurance firm Bennetts. Army Sergeant Richard Green won the motorcycle, after his name was...

2009 Triumphs: Thunderbird 1600, Daytona 675 and Street Triple R

21 July 2008 by Chris Newbigging

These are the world-first pictures of Triumph’s complete 2009 range unveiled at a dealer conference last night (Sunday), including the Thunderbird 1600 cruiser, Street Triple R and revised Daytona...

Green means go

20 July 2008 by Alex Lucas

I have been riding my Yamaha FZ600 for less than a year and have enjoyed a crashless run thus far (touch wood). I was sitting at the lights on one of the large roundabouts that make Elephant and Castle a truly inspiring place to sit back and admire. I had heard that when you are sitting at the lights and they turn green expect to be shunted from behind by a four-wheeled lunatic! I had barely...

My heart belongs to MCN

20 July 2008 by rusty51

Took a fly drive to America but couldn’t go without my MCN in case I got withdrawal symptoms. And while others left their heart in San Francisco, I certainly wasn’t leaving my MCN!

A word of thanks

19 July 2008 by BigBenLRSM

Just thought iId say a few thank you’s to people out there who deserve it. Thank you to my two mates, Ken and Ian for making a trip to Germany a couple of weeks ago such fun. Thank you to Belstaff for...

Boom Trikes now offering trike rental

18 July 2008 by Sarah Carnell

Boom Trikes are offering bikers the chance to rent any of their range of trikes for a day, weekend or even a week. Prices start from £110 per day for the Fun 500 to £150 per day for the X11 Fighter,...

New sporty feel for Sachs SX1 scooter

18 July 2008 by Sarah Carnell

Scooter manufacturer Sachs has given its sporty looking SX1 a facelift for Summer 2008. New for this summer are a 190mm wavy disc brake on the front alloy tri-spoke wheel, the addition of stylish...

Driver who rammed biker escapes jail

18 July 2008 by Steve Farrell

A driver who repeatedly rammed a motorcyclist because he was in a hurry has escaped jail. School teacher Christopher Parker, 56, received only a fine and driving ban for bumping his Volvo into...

Taking the Bandit by the horns

17 July 2008 by Steve Hughes

Saturday 12th July I’m standing on the forecourt of Sinclairs VW dealer Bridgend, I must be sensible as Gordon Brown seems determined to rob me at the petrol pump point, so I look past the Golf GTi’s and stare at the 1.9tdi Passats, nice cars but as exciting as a pair of socks. The salesboy has been on all the courses and oozes smarm by the tub load, as he snorts out another laugh in an effort to...

New exhausts for fuel-injected Triumph Bonneville from Norman Hyde

17 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

Triumph accessories specialist Norman Hyde has just released a set of silencers designed to fit straight onto the new fuel-injected Bonneville model. The Classic-styled silencers are claimed to boost...

Ride to Work day... on a Desmosedici!

17 July 2008 by Mark Hills (slickhillsy)

Gernerally I never commute to work. I keep my biking pleasure for hot weekends, trips to Europe (touring and watching top racing) or a bunch of track days. With this year’s “MCN ride to work day” I...

Don't forget to renew your license

17 July 2008 by R Harris

Hi just thought tou should let you know (as some may not) that the first batch of photo driving licence’s will be comming up for renewal soon. If you check the pink card licence look on the front for section 4b this gives the renewal date, it costs £17.50 plus the new photos. Be warned failure to renew will lead to a fine and the cancellation of your entitlements. Could be a lot of people don’t...

A great confidence booster

17 July 2008 by Dave Ensor

My girlfreind, Laura passed her test last year (to the day) and for her birthday I bought her an activity at the Ron Haslam Race School to help her with confidence and handling craft. Therefore we were not at work so we were unable to ride to work on our bikes. We would have done. Much rather her ride around Donington. As for the riding – she couldn’t believe that this tarmac was the same as Rossi...

Carl Fogarty to take part in Iron Butt

17 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

Carl Fogarty is set to make his return to competitive riding by taking part in the Iron Butts challenge later this year. Foggy has agreed to head up a celebrity team in the event, which aims to...

Online service compares petrol prices across UK

17 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

Traffic information website Keepmoving.co.uk is preparing to launch a petrol price comparison feature tomorrow. Anti-bike petrol stations Pro-bike petrol stations The petrol comparison feature will...

Lucky Escape on the commute

17 July 2008 by Paul Forrester

Nothing new with riding to work, I do it every shift – I always have always will. But a recent journey home was the luckiest journey of my life. I was ‘making progress’ down the dual carriageway heading towards Reading on the A33 gaining rapidly on a white hatchback. Nothing new there. Well, not util his bonnet came off! He slewed across the carriageway into my path and I was hit by debris, but...

Ride to work / track day

16 July 2008 by Stavros7

Re: Ride to work day hmmm – could you maybe modify the title to say ‘Ride to Work / Track day’? :o) Today I had the day off work and was fortunate enough to enjoy my first ever track day – and at Donington Park’s full GP circuit no less – all via Ron Haslam’s superb Race School. And yes I did ride there! Cannot recommend it highly enough – was so well organised, the CBR600RR was a dream to ride...

Is Birmingham biker-friendly?

16 July 2008 by Mike

Today I was slammed with a £50 penalty notice for “illegal” parking in the not so biker-friendly Broad Street area of Birmingham by ICC. There is no provision of motorcycle parking spaces in a public car park near my appointment at ICC but I paid the price for unselfishly parking my bike in an unparkable corner of this car park!

Banned from riding my motorcycle by my employer

16 July 2008 by John Godwin

I would love to have ridden my bike work on Ride to Work Day but unfortunately I work for a company contracted to National Museums and Galleries in Liverpool and they won’t allow me to park my Triumph Speed Triple in their car parks. I’ve tried explaining I’m doing my bit to cut congestion and emissions but to no avail. Nobody will tell me why I can’t park the bike or who is responsible for the...

Queensferry to Eastham ride to work

16 July 2008 by Anonymous

9:30. Most of the traffic has died down. I don’t want to be dicing with death on the bypass. Death being in the form of left hand drive Polish trucks making the trip from Ireland through Holyhead and past my back yard. I don’t know what the Polish for “Sorry mate I didn’t see you is!” I get the garage open. There she stands in all her red metallic Italian splendour. Check the tyres, the oil, the...

Four wheeled stupidity

16 July 2008 by Beverley

So today, again I hit the road expecting idiots galore and as usual I was not let down. They were out by the score. Do folk hand their brains in before hitting the A52? Or do they only see four wheels and just blank those of us on two? It ain’t that hard to indicate, just flick that little switch then the girl behind won’t have to slam on the anchors. On I went, thinking the madness was over, but...

Solve the conjestion problem, ban all cars

16 July 2008 by Phil Reeves

I am not one of these Sunday morning blast bikers, don’t quite see the appeal. I have plenty else to be doing with my time. However, I hate that rush hour traffic so I commute daily the 30 mile round trip on my bike. Sometimes the M27 car park lives up to its name, other times it would be just as quick in my car. Overall, by the time I have leathered up and de leathered it is probably slower by...

Builder's cups

16 July 2008 by John Lilley

I was going under a single-lane low bridge behind a builder’s flat-bed lorry. The guys in the lorry thought they would have some fun with me and threw their empty plastic coffee cups out of their windows. Cursing quietly to myself I managed to dodge the cups. We emerged on the other side and the lorry guys were too busy watching my progress that they failed to notice an oncoming lorry and smashed...

Bridgnorth Endowed ride to work 2008

16 July 2008 by mike vorwerg

A really nice sunny Shropshire morning meant that all three staff motorcyclists at Bridgnorth Endowed School had a fun ride to work for Ride to Work Day. Ian Giles travelling in from Albrighton, on...

Every day is Ride to Work Day

16 July 2008 by Richard

I ride to work every day from Guildford to central London through rain, snow, and occasionally sun. Baking and freezing, though more freezing than baking. Past lines of cars and lorries, I try to nod thanks to those that let me through, and curse the ones that seem to deliberately block my path, or just jump lanes without looking behind. Past the accidents where I look for and all too often see a...

Never get complacent!

16 July 2008 by Stephen Lui

I have been riding my Suzuki Bandit 650 to work nearly every day for the past two years without a single problem, scare, or even diesel spill! Apart from today that is. I was enjoying the dry and almost sunny ride to work and was just coming off the last roundabout to work and accelerating up to 30mph when a pedestrian stepped out into the road with out even looking. I was full on the brakes.

Continental facing takeover by Shaeffler Group

16 July 2008 by Sarah Carnell

Tyre manufacturer Continental is facing a takeover by private German company Shaeffler. View tyres for sale here Shaeffler is the world’s biggest maker of ball-bearings and has reportedly offered €10 billion (£7.9 billion) for the takeover. Continental has been valued at €10.9 billion (£8.6 billion) and the company’s share price has halved in recent weeks as rising costs of raw materials takes...

My Goodwood festival of speed pictures

15 July 2008 by Danuiel Green

Goodwood festival of speed!!!! Enclosed are some photos of my day, I would like to congratulate the organisers for a job well done, but we need more motorcycles and legends!! Also lots of thanks to...

Scott Leathers still in business

15 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

Scott Leathers is still open for business, despite reports in the Sunday Telegraph that stated the company had gone bust, owner Jim Aird has told MCN. View leather suits for sale here Aird says the...