2010

Men & Motors closing down

Men & Motors closing down

Digital TV channel Men & Motors will be closing down for good at 6am on April 1st. ITV – who own the channel – want to instead use the channel space for their HD broadcasts. The channel, which started...

Carole Nash MCN Scottish Motorcycle Show classic bike competition winners

Carole Nash MCN Scottish Motorcycle Show classic bike competition winners

The MCN Scottish Motorcycle Show’s annual classic bike competition was won this year by Colin Whyte. His 1958 Norton Dominator 99 won the ‘Cock ‘o’ the North’ trophy for ‘Best in Show’. The rest of...

Career hit a wall?

Career hit a wall?

The Job Centre is advertising the post of Wall of Death rider. The job involves riding a 1920s bike at up to 60mph around the inner wall of vertical drum, suspended up to 20 feet from the floor by...

Staff bikes: BMW R1200GS - First few miles

The day most exciting day this year so far arrived when I took delivery of my shiny new BMW R1200 GS long termer. After skipping to the lockup i finally got to see what I’d been waiting for and there it stood complete with panniers and satnav. To make life easier this year when cleaning the beast I immediately sprayed the whole thing with Scottoiler’s F365 protective spray. It should stop the...

Video: Sartso kevlar jeans tested

Video: Sartso kevlar jeans tested

Check out this video of Sartso’s ‘Killer’ kevlar jeans being tested. OK, so it’s not an independent test, but it certainly seems the abrasion resistance of these trousers is right up there – the...

Staff bikes: Kawasaki GPz550 - It's fictional

Staff bikes: Kawasaki GPz550 - It's fictional

I had a budget of £300 to spend on a bike when I saw this advertised on a forum with a month’s tax and MoT. MCN happened to have a van passing the seller’s area that day. I gave the driver the cash.

YAMAHA Z MAX 320

YAMAHA Z MAX 320

This is the corresponding of the YAMAHA R6 in the scooters field ! The total new Z MAX 320. The real sports scooter

Rob McElnea and Jamie Dobb to do Scottish Six Day Trial

Rob McElnea and Jamie Dobb to do Scottish Six Day Trial

Former world champion motocrosser Jamie Dobb and British Superbike boss and ex-500GP racer Rob McElnea will both be competing in the gruelling Scottish Six Day Trial in May.    The two former racers...

Bike tax up 6%

Bike tax up 6%

Road tax for bikes over 600cc rises from £66 to £70 from April 1. The 6% rise was contained in yesterday’s Budget.  Tax for bikes between 401cc and 600cc rises from £48 to £50 while the rate for...

US bolt-ons now available in UK

US bolt-ons now available in UK

For the first time UK motorcyclists can now buy a range of accessories for most Japanese sports bikes from screens to exhausts and full body kits from American website www.hotbodiesracing.com. Prices...

Knox back protector for kids

Knox back protector for kids

Knox is one of the only manufacturers of body protection systems to cater for kids. Their Aegis back protector is available in seven sizes, including one specifically designed for children.   The...

Multistrada 1200 at the Ducati roadshow 2010

Multistrada 1200 at the Ducati roadshow 2010

The Ducati Roadshow continues in 2010 bringing its event truck and demonstration fleet to even more events and bike meetings throughout the UK than last year. Click here to see confirmed dates and...

New Powerbronze bolt-ons for 2010 bikes

New Powerbronze bolt-ons for 2010 bikes

Aftermarket parts supplier Powerbronze has recently announced its new  range of screens, bodywork and crash protection for a raft of new bikes.   Covered by the new collection are the Suzuki GSX650F,...

Motorcyclists ignore tyre safety warnings

Motorcyclists ignore tyre safety warnings

Defective tyre related accidents have increased by 28% according to new Department of Transport figures obtained by tyre safety organisation TyreSafe. As a result of dodgy and illegal tyres MOT...

KTM to produce electric motorcycles in 2011

KTM to produce electric motorcycles in 2011

Austrian firm KTM has become the first large-scale manufacturer to produce an electric bike with these two ‘Freeride’ machines going into full production in 18 months. Find a KTM for sale These two...

Stylish new motorcycling rucksack

Stylish new motorcycling rucksack

Boblbee’s new ‘Velocity’ collection of rucksacks has been specially developed for urban riders who need to carry a laptop – specifically a smaller, 7-12in netbook.   Available in black, red and...

New F800GS 'Adventure' revealed

New F800GS 'Adventure' revealed

Masters of aftermarket adventure accessories Metal Mule have come up with their own solution to the lack of a BMW F800GS Adventure. They’ve thrown more than three grand of their own practical kit at a...

Great aftermarket kit

Great aftermarket kit

Just been to Milan – great bike city – and spotted this interesting accessory.

Staff bikes: BMW R1200RT - A testing start

Staff bikes: BMW R1200RT - A testing start

In terms of timing, weather and traffic, the day I hitched a lift to Vines in Guildford to pick up my BMW R1200RT long term test bike couldn’t have been any worse. Around 20 miles away from the...

You have to be fast to catch this blond!

Leslie Porterfield is blond girl next door, but you will have to be quick to keep up with her, as she is the fastest girl on this planet on a standard motorcycle

Super Tenere Video

Impression of the new Yamaha XT1200Z super Ténéré. Introductie at Yamaha NL.

Video: Spies and Edwards Team Texas Road Trip

Video: Spies and Edwards Team Texas Road Trip

In the latest comedy promo video from Yamaha, team mates Ben Spies and Colin Edwards take a ‘mancation’ in order to bond…

Radical RAD02 Corsa built on-line

Radical RAD02 Corsa built on-line

We’ve featured bikes from Spanish builder Radical on this site before, most recently the Dirt Guzzi and the Imola Café racer. And while there’s no doubt they produce some droolworthy motorcycles,...

Yamaha Fazer8 to cost £8799; FZ8 £7799!

Yamaha Fazer8 to cost £8799; FZ8 £7799!

Yamaha has just released the UK prices for the ‘budget’ Fazer8 and FZ8 and they are going to cost a wallet-melting £8799 for the half-faired bike and £7799 for the naked FZ8. MCN had reliable inside...

Staff bikes: Honda Hornet - In search of that elusive new-bike feel

Staff bikes: Honda Hornet - In search of that elusive new-bike feel

Here at MCN we get the chance to ride a lot of crisp new bikes fresh from the manufacturer, so in comparison my Hornet seems a bit old and tired. For that reason my mission for this year is to get it...

World first test: Ducati Multistrada v BMW R1200GS

World first test: Ducati Multistrada v BMW R1200GS

MCN testers have gone to Italy to pit the astonishing new Ducati Multistrada 1200S in a world first comparison test against the class-leading BMW R1200GS. Trevor’s full test will appear in next week’s...

Sheene tribute bike at Goodwood

Sheene tribute bike at Goodwood

This is the Icon Sheene – a 250bhp turbocharged tribute to the late great Barry Sheene. The bike – which is revealed in this week’s MCN – was designed and built by Andrew Morris who has dubbed it ‘the...

Video: 2010 Kawasaki Versys v BMW F650GS v Suzuki V-Strom

Video: 2010 Kawasaki Versys v BMW F650GS v Suzuki V-Strom

Five miles was all it took for MCN’s road testers to agree the new 2010 Kawasaki Versys is fun to ride. 100 miles later it was clear the new bike should be just as popular as the 2009 Versys.   Find...

New Husqvarnas for 2010

New Husqvarnas for 2010

Italian off-road manufacturer Husqvarna has two new models for 2010. The enduro-styled TE630 and the SMS630 supermoto replace the out-going TE610 and SM610ie. As well as restyled bodywork, both...

New 210bhp Norton rotary

New 210bhp Norton rotary

Norton is set to make a stunning return to racing next year with an all-new 200bhp+ rotary superbike. The news – which is revealed in full in tomorrow’s MCN – means Norton could have a BSB and even...

Bikes on TV: March 24-30

Bikes on TV: March 24-30

KEY TO CHANNELS:   DRT – Discovery Real Time  SHED – Discovery Shed (used to be DRTE) DSC – Discovery Channel  DHD – Discovery Channel HD EXS – Extreme Sports Channel MM – Men and Motors MOT – Motors...

MCN Campaign: Fix our roads!

MCN Campaign: Fix our roads!

MCN is today launching a fight to mend our pothole-ridden roads. With your help, we’re going to highlight some of the country’s worst potholes and get them filled – even if we have to do it...

New Haynes manual for Kawasaki ER-6f and ER-6n

New Haynes manual for Kawasaki ER-6f and ER-6n

This new manual covers the Kawasaki ER650 (ER-6n) from 2006 to 2010 and the EX650 (ER-6f) from 2006 onwards, both models with a 649cc engine. As with all Haynes manuals, it can help owners decide what...

New Bike Test

I just wanted to write and give my view on the new module 1 motorcycle test. I am a DSA qualified CBT/DAS instructor. I am amazed by the attitude of MCN towards the new test, I fully agree that some areas of the contry do not have enough centres, but the test its self is perfectly fine. How many of you guys that keep slating it have been trained for or taken the new test? I regularly train and...

Touring luggage for BMW S1000RR

Touring luggage for BMW S1000RR

Ventura have just released a Bike Pack luggage system which they say combines the best features of hard and soft luggage. The Ventura Bike Pack system consists of three elements: L-Brackets, Rack and...

KTM 2010 Freeride eBike revealed

KTM 2010 Freeride eBike revealed

Pictures of KTM’s new Freeride electric motorcycle have been published in a German magazine despite the Austrian company restricting publishing. The Freeride eBike is expected to cost around £8900 and...