February

Hazel Blears has bike custom-built

Hazel Blears has bike custom-built

Hazel Blears is having a motorcycle custom-made for herself. The Communities Secretary, who has been a motorcyclist for over 10 years, revealed her plans when asked for advice on what sort of bike to...

Yamaha YZR M2

Yamaha YZR M2

Imagine if Yamaha put up for sale for the private teams a “ready to race” MOTO2. It is a return to the past when the bike from race could be acquired normally from the private riders. Not yet...

Cycling columnist gets death threats

Cycling columnist gets death threats

A cycling columnist for The Independent who declared war on motorcyclists has received death threats over his latest rant. James Daley demanded MCN remove his photo from our website after being...

MCN in Germany

MCN in Germany

I am just sending in a photo of my recent visit to Germany. I was visiting my son who is in the forces, and I couldn’t resist getting an opportunist photo with my latest copy of MCN (which I may add...

Snowbiker

Snowbiker

Here’s what my bother in law got up to with the snow.

Test ride a bike... or just bimble on it

Went to Dobles to have a test ride on a Fireblade as part of the Honda weekend promotion. But the bike had only done 280 miles and the salesman asked if i could keep it under 6000 rpm as it was still being run in. Now, i know some could say that whilst away from the shop who is going to tell what revs you were doing, but i kept my promise to the salesman. However, what is the point of having a...

Win a top of the range Frank Thomas race suit by entering MCN’s Biking Britain Survey

Win a top of the range Frank Thomas race suit by entering MCN’s Biking Britain Survey

Do you fancy a brand new Frank Thomas XTi one-piece race suit? If you do then all you have to do is give up 15 minutes of your day to enter the MCN Biking Britain Survey and you’ll be entered into a...

I use an airbag jacket

I have a similar “airbag jacket” I purchased from airbagvest.com (SaudiArabia, so expect delays at customs). It is manufactured in Japan by Mugen HitAir. Long and Short of it the jacket looks excellent and works. Yes, it does make me feel slightly more invincible and no, I don’t think it will save my life from a 120mph high side. That said on a curb slide drop I ejected and rolled head first...

TZR125 from airbag jacket crash test was my bike!

I just watched the video where you crashed the tzr 125 with the air bag jacket and that tzr was actually my bike! Watch the airbag jacket crash test video If any one doubts me I can tell you every single detail on that bike, and i have the old tank from the crash with the YID code on. I was just wondering what was going to happen to it now?

Get your hands on a copy of MotoGP Technology with the MCN Biking Britain Survey

Get your hands on a copy of MotoGP Technology with the MCN Biking Britain Survey

MCN’s Biking Britain Survey is your chance to rate the riding kit and equipment you own as part of the biggest online motorcycling survey in the UK. The 15-minute survey covers everything from...

Take a test ride and win with Honda this weekend

Take a test ride and win with Honda this weekend

Anyone who test rides a Honda this weekend has a chance to win a new bike. To be eligible you just have to book online and take out a bike any time between Friday 20th and Monday 23rd February.

World Exclusive: Have your ‘Face’ on the Valentino Rossi helmet

World Exclusive: Have your ‘Face’ on the Valentino Rossi helmet

AGV is set to unveil one of the greatest personalised products to ever become available to the paying public when they announce the unveiling of a website where you can put your face on the Rossi...

Florida to Alaska - Bear Lake

Florida to Alaska. Bear lake, going to winterstetting.

Tayside police avoid speed penalties

Taken from PocketGPSworld newsletter this week (20/2/09): The Evening Telegraph has reported that a Tayside Police officer, who was caught speeding at 144mph by a speed camera on the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen road, escaped prosecution. It also reports that last year there were 250 incidents on Tayside’s roads where police vehicles were caught speeding, none of which resulted in prosecution. It adds...

Video: KTM 990 SMT first ride

Video: KTM 990 SMT first ride

The all-new KTM 990 SM-T uses the firms 990cc LC8 engine to give the SM-T the fun factor of a large supermoto, while the seat and fairing gives it all the practicalities of a tourer. Whether you want...

Video: Storming Westminster City Hall

The Storming of Westminster City Hall by the Notobikeparkingfees.com campaign on Feb 18th. The troops gather at park lane underground carpark… Please sign our petition as 3500 others have done – we need your support. Part 2 – More troops gather at park lane underground carpark Part 3 – Our illustrious General Warren rallies his troops Part 4 – We all depart en masse for Westminster City...

New speed cameras on Sherburn Cafe run?

I have been reliably informed that a new type of speed camera is being installed on what is known around these parts as the “Mad mile” – the A63 Leeds to Selby to the Sherburn Cafe meeting place.

Near Disaster

I attended the Classic Bike show on Sunday 15th. On arriving I followed other bikes across the parking bays and pulled up along side another bike. I noticed that he put his bike on the centerstand so thought I`d do the same. I put it on the stand and was taking my helmet off.All of a sudden a guy next to me shouted and I noticed that my bike was falling. The same guy then saved my bike from...

Dad can't wait to get back on bike after op

Dad can't wait to get back on bike after op

This is my Dad after just coming round from a Laminectomy – a spine operation to remove the portion of the vertebral bone called the lamina. Before he went in he told me MCN would be waiting for him...

Westminster City Hall Demo, Inside and Out!

What an amazing demonstration on Tuesday 17th Feb 2009, thank you to all that attended it was the largest protest to date and definitely a kick in the teeth for Westminster Council. Over 500+ of you made it out on to the streets of London to show your anger towards Westminster Council, Councillor Danny Chalkley, Alastair Gilchrist, Martin Low, Kevin Goad and Kieran Fitsall (The antagonists and...

Michael Jackson Harley Davidson up for auction

Michael Jackson Harley Davidson up for auction

Michael Jackson is selling his customised Harley-Davidson Road King as part of an auction or more than 2000 items from his Neverland ranch.   The Harley-Davidson is a customised police spec Road King,...

Airbag doctor: “I don’t wear one”

Airbag doctor: “I don’t wear one”

A doctor behind calls for airbag jackets to be made compulsory riding equipment has admitted he doesn’t wear one on his own motorcycle. Last week Andy Parfitt told BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat: “I think...

Parking protest storms City Hall

Parking protest storms City Hall

Hundred of protesters stormed City Hall in London in the latest protest over the scrapping of free motorcycle parking bays. Around 500 motorcyclists joined a slow ride which ended by invading the...

Video: 2009 Yamaha R1 vs Honda Fireblade

Video: 2009 Yamaha R1 vs Honda Fireblade

Michael Neeves says the new Yamaha R1 engine with crossplane crank gives the bike all the top-end rush of an inline-four, with the low down grunt of a twin and at the launch of the bike in Australia,...

Win a copy of WSB 2008 Season review by entering the MCN Biking Britain Survey

Win a copy of WSB 2008 Season review by entering the MCN Biking Britain Survey

MCN and Duke video have joined forces to bring you the chance to win one of 20 copies of the 2008 World Superbike Season Review on DVD if you enter the MCN Biking Britain Survey. The survey is the...

Warm, dry, hi-viz kit

Warm, dry, hi-viz kit

Stand out from the crowd with this high-vis combo from Weise. The Buzz jacket and trousers are made from 600-denier, abrasion-resistant textile, with CE-approved hard armour on shoulders, elbows, hips...

Florida to Alaska - Preparing for the cold

Florida to Alaska. Last preparing for the cold ice roads from Alaska.

Florida to Alaska - workshop preparations

Doris explains the changes on her bike and Helge tells about his ten year trip around the world.

New MCN Feb 18: 7 world first tests!

New MCN Feb 18: 7 world first tests!

In this week’s issue of MCN the 2009 Yamaha beats the Honda Fireblade and is set to redefine how we ride sportsbikes. Read all about why the R1 is king in our road test, which takes place on the epic...

Novelty bike lighters come in handy

Novelty bike lighters come in handy

Sometimes it’s handy to have a lighter, even if you’re not a smoker. These novelty items work just as well, but let you show off your biking blood. Standard versions cost £4 each, and windproof items...

New book offers real-world riding tips

New book offers real-world riding tips

Learn how to make every ride a pleasure with these real-world riding tips. Riding in the Zone is written by Ken Condon – an instructor with the US-based  Motorcycle Safety Foundation – and aims to...

Cold weather means hot bike bargains

Cold weather means hot bike bargains

I’m slapped pink with the realisation that the weather is only going to get worse; it’s either time to hang up your spurs or prepare yourself for the ritual of multilayered wind / rain resistant...

Yet more state control...

So the latest police gizmo will be more speed cameras to limit our freedom. I’m all for responsible riding but as usual minorities damage the reputation of the vast majority who ride for fun, friendship and the sheer thrill of biking. Other European countries are far more relaxed in thier policing methods; 10 of us did an 1800-mile trip accross France, Belgium and Germany and saw 5 police cars in...

Win an Ixon Galactica suit and a free trackday with the MCN Biking Britain Survey

Ixon has teamed up with MCN to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a top-of-the-range race suit and a free trackday to use it on, all for the sake of 15 minutes of your time. We’re giving away one Ixon Galactica suit and a free trackday courtesy of Ixon to one person who enters their details online on the MCN Biking Britain Survey. It’ll only take you a quarter of an hour and lets you have...

Motrax acquire Scorpion Exhausts deal

Motrax acquire Scorpion Exhausts deal

Motorcycle parts and accessories firm Motrax has today announced the addition of Scorpion Exhausts to their 2009 product range. Scorpion, a British brand, has a well-established racing and road-going...

Knox ‘honeycomb’ back protector

Knox ‘honeycomb’ back protector

Knox’s latest Kompakt back protector takes the bulk out of preventing injury. Compare and buy back protectors The CE-approved protector is one of the lightest available in the UK, weighing just...