2009

New Dainese ‘hydration’ leather suit and retro jacket

New Dainese ‘hydration’ leather suit and retro jacket

Added to the already broad Dainese riding range for 2009 is the Gran Premio P. suit – a retro one or two-piece suit made from full cowhide. The suit comes with hard external armour as well as CE...

Suzi Perry Get Well Soon

Until Yesterday I had no idea that the gorgeous Suzi Perry had been ill, very ill, in fact nearly gravely ill. What a terrible thing to happen and I’m sure all you guys out there feel the same. We are all very happy that you are on the recovery list and hope to see you back doing what you like best, commentating on the MOPTOGP and being involved in the gadget show etc. Go and relax and get well...

Testing!

My brother-in-law (ironic really…in-law!) sent me an e-mail the other night, I relayed it on to my bike mad brother because it was so side splitting and he said I should PASS it on to you guys… Here goes nothing… Hi Chris, Hope things are going well for you all. I took my bike test last week, with the examiner following me in an unmarked car… As we drove past the hospital in Kings Lynn, I was...

5 of the best big-bore bruisers

5 of the best big-bore bruisers

Kawasaki recently revealed their new for 2009 Kawasaki ZRX1200. The good news is that the bike had been brought up to date with fuel injection and revised suspension, new six-speed gearbox and...

Cyril Despres' Dakar check list

Cyril Despres' Dakar check list

It’s hard to know what to pack when going on a motorcycle adventure, we asked multiple Dakar winner Cyril Despres what he packed for the famous rally. Cyril won the Dakar rally in 2005 and 2007. He...

Five modifications to make your KTM Dakar ready

Five modifications to make your KTM Dakar ready

Lots of people dream about taking part in the Dakar Rally. The gruelling two week event tests riders and machines to the limit, but before you take part you have to know your bike will survive.

Judge Discriminates against Motorcyclists!

Judge Discriminates against Motorcyclists!

I as many bikers recently read about the biker caught speeding at 122mph. This he did whilst carrying his son as a pillion passenger. He was banned from riding/driving for 18 month driving ban and a 6...

£7600 race kit for KTM RC8R

£7600 race kit for KTM RC8R

KTM has released three different race kits for the 1190 RC8R for superbike, club racers and superstock racers. Costs range from £2561 for the Club Race kit through to a whopping £7600 for the...

New MCN March 4: Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 world first test

New MCN March 4: Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 world first test

In this week’s edition of Motorcycle News we bring you the World’s first test of the much-anticipated Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9. The GSX-R1000 has always had a bit of a reputation as a bit of a hooligan and...

Your photos wanted for the new look MCN!

Your photos wanted for the new look MCN!

How would you like to see your picture in MCN? Every week the new look paper will feature 2 pages packed with the best photos sent in by readers. Upload your photos now Simply upload your pictures...

MotoGP in 2020: riders bash fairings with unmanned bike-bots

MotoGP in 2020: riders bash fairings with unmanned bike-bots

The Rossis of tomorrow will do battle with riderless bikes like this, according to one Japanese bike visionary. 31-year-old Yutaka Igarashi works a 40-hour-week in a sawmill cutting timber, but by...

Electric Aprilia RS125 is the father of the TTX01

The TTX01 could well be the most famous electric motorcycle in the world, following its promotional duties for this year’s world-first zero-emission motorcycle race. But it isn’t the first electric bike to come out of the Peacehaven Electric Vehicle Workshop. That honour goes to this kermit-green Aprilia RS125, with claimed performance comparable to the delicious petrol-power zinger itself.

Poll: How relevant are 1000cc sportsbikes on UK roads?

Poll: How relevant are 1000cc sportsbikes on UK roads?

MCN wants to find out what British bikers think about the issues facing motorcycling today. That’s why from now on we’ll be running weekly polls to gather your opinions on all aspects of biking. This...

New Berik one-piece race suit

New Berik one-piece race suit

The new LS1-7932 is the latest Berik offering. The leather is 1.1 to 1.3mm premium grade cowhide. The stand-out feature for this suit however is the Dainese W-Frame-style Kevlar-elastic PU stretch...

Video: 2009 Yamaha V-Max takes to the drag strip

Video: 2009 Yamaha V-Max takes to the drag strip

Yamaha is claiming 197bhp from the new Yamaha V-Max and 123ftlb of torque. To see if the V-Max is as fearsome as the figures suggest, we took it to Santa Pod drag strip. Tempted by a new V-Max? Sell...

Landmark motorcycle crash causation study progressing slowly in America's heartland

Note: This is a long article because it covers what may be the single most important development in motorcycle safety in the U.S. today. For the past several years, making the Motorcycle Crash Causation Study happen has been the focus of the motorcycle enthusiast and community groups, U.S. transportation agencies, and one of their top safety-oriented priorities. Feb. 26, 2009 By Jeff Cobb...

Mobile speed camera on the M2

Right at the very end of the M2 in kent there’s a mobile speed camera van parked up on the hard shoulder, within the road works area! The van is under a bridge just before the M2 ends and becomes the A299.

122mph biker jailed for six months

122mph biker jailed for six months

A biker has been sentenced to six months in prison for riding at 122mph with his 14 year-old son pillion. Robert Bennett was sentenced earlier today (Monday 2 March) to six months in prison as well as...

Arlen Ness suit developed by Troy Bayliss!

Arlen Ness suit developed by Troy Bayliss!

Arlen Ness’ LS1-7864 race suit could be the most advanced cowhide one-piece to emerge in 2009 – and it’s all thanks to intelligence gained through Troy Bayliss’ final championship-winning year in...

Win a Kawasaki ZX-6R and personal plate

Win a Kawasaki ZX-6R and personal plate

MCN has teamed up with P&H Motorcycles and DVLA Registrations to give away a Kawasaki ZX-6R plus a Personalised Registration plate of your choice. Click here to enter This prize is worth over £8,000...

Boorman and Bayliss join the new look MCN

Boorman and Bayliss join the new look MCN

You can read what Charley Boorman, Troy Bayliss and both Hairy Bikers have to say about bikes over the coming weeks in your new-look MCN, out March 11th. Plus: New used bike section New celebrity...

Lest we forget - BMW K1200 Woes

Lest we forget the amount of issues that people have experienced with the BMW K1200 Range of bikes and get all excited with the K1300. BMW have let down a significant number of riders with bikes of a sub-standard build quality. You only need to log onto club sites such as wwww.eurokclub.com to see the number of people with prematurely failing clutches, radiators, air boxes, engines and various...

Video: Dutch motor-fair

Reismotor on the Dutch motor-fair, Utrecht.

Florida to Alaska - first deep snow

First deep snow and tyre problems…

Bultaco Picador 400

Bultaco Picador 400

The return of Bultaco? With this all purpose bike, it could be. The Picador would be a 400cc single cylinder – much fun and easy to ride. If offered to an right price it could find many fans!

MCN in Sydney

MCN in Sydney

Me reading MCN on the ferry from Sydney to Manley OZ Feb 09.

Skidmarx give Kawasaki ZX-R6 racing trim

Skidmarx give Kawasaki ZX-R6 racing trim

Specialists in aftermarket aftermarket fairings and race panels, Skidmarx, has created a new race kit to fit the 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R. It’s been designed for the Kawasaki UK backed British Supersport...

Bridgestone announces new BT-003RS tyre

Bridgestone announces new BT-003RS tyre

Bridgestone has launched the Battlax BT-003RS tyre for fast road riders and track day fans. The new multi-compound rubber is designed for all sports bikes of 250cc and higher.   Bridgestone claim...

New Yoshimura aftermarket exhausts for Kawasaki ZX-6R

New Yoshimura aftermarket exhausts for Kawasaki ZX-6R

Here are pictures of the latest additions to the Yoshimura catalogue that are going to be available for the new 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R. Both an RR7 and TRC-D silencer will be available for the updated...

Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 - first impressions

Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 - first impressions

MCN’s Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves is currently testing the new Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 at the twisty, Almeria circuit in southern Spain. Here are his thoughts after this morning’s first track...

Broadcast-quality onboard recorder

Broadcast-quality onboard recorder

On-board recording experts Drivedata have launched their latest system called the DR3 Video Recorder – a 180g unit the size of credit card that will record over three hours of broadcast quality...

Video: Yamaha V-Max tears up the tarmac at Santa Pod

Video: Yamaha V-Max tears up the tarmac at Santa Pod

Yamaha’s new V-Max is the most powerful production motorcycle we have ever put on our dyno.   The new 2009 Yamaha V-Max made a whopping 184bhp at the rear tyre, and 116ft lb of torque. In numbers it...

Spidi continue airbag development with DPS 03 jacket

Spidi continue airbag development with DPS 03 jacket

Following the launch of the DPS 01 airbag vest back in 2000, Spidi has continued its development with this third generation DPS 03 jacket. Airbag jackets It works like more traditional airbag...

KTM690SMC gets BOSS boost

KTM690SMC gets BOSS boost

BOS exhausts has just released a new lightweight race silencer for the KTM 690SMC Supermoto. Performance increases are fairly substantial with a weight of just 3.7kg – 23 per cent lighter than the OE...

GSX-R600 swingarm problems

I had a GSX-R600 k8 i paid £7200 for it last july after having it only 6months the swing arm had to be replaced under warantee (crack in weld all the way round).  I was very lucky, i had two days before cleaned all the chain sitting not 1ft away from the swingarm, but i never noticed the crack. A friend of mine noticed while we were out on a run. i would never have known it was there. While...

Video: BMW G450X and snowboard stunts

Video: BMW G450X and snowboard stunts

BMW’s G450X has an unusual new purpose in this video as it powers a winch to help a snowboarder jump a river! The enduro motorcycle’s back wheel winds up a long cord with a handle on the end, which...