2011

Editor's picks - Victory Vegas

Editor's picks - Victory Vegas

With details of Victory’s new High-Ball bobber being released, we delved into the selection of motorcycles for sale at mcnbikesforsale.com to find the pick of the pre-owned Victorys on offer. With the...

Win dinner with Simoncelli!

Win dinner with Simoncelli!

A meal with MotoGP bad-boy Marco Simoncelli at the Valencia GP is just one of the amazing experiences you can bid for in a charity auction to raise funds for the CJ Riders Fund being held at the last...

First Triumph Tiger 800 Supermoto

First Triumph Tiger 800 Supermoto

Straight bars, 17in wheels, upside down forks, fox-eye headlights and an 800cc inline triple – could this be a secret, pre-production Triumph Street Triple 800? We wish. In fact this isn’t a big-bore...

Harley-Davidson Softail fitted with Akrapovič Open Line exhaust system

Harley-Davidson Softail fitted with Akrapovič Open Line exhaust system

MCN was granted an exclusive, world-first look at Akrapovič’s new Open Line range of custom exhausts and tested the Open System on a Harley-Davidson Softail. Uniquely the Open System uses a real...

Horex delays launch of 200bhp blown V6

Horex delays launch of 200bhp blown V6

German firm Horex is holding back the 200bhp supercharged version of its V6 roadster because of component supply problems and will launch the standard version first next spring. Horex planned to...

New Victory High-Ball revealed

New Victory High-Ball revealed

American firm Victory has released details of the 2012 range of bikes with the stripped down High-Ball bobber, an all-new model for the UK, leading a host of other changes including ABS across many...

Bike-mad Chelsea manager dreams of Dakar

Bike-mad Chelsea manager dreams of Dakar

Chelsea football manager Andre Villas-Boas owns five motorbikes and dreams of one day competing in the notorious Dakar Rally, it has been revealed. The highly-rated Portugeuse coach, whose day job...

The last of the summer

The last of the summer

Me and my son making the most of the last of the summer on our ride out to Devil’s Bridge on October 1. Thats my son’s Hornet hiding my Triumph.

Buildbase BMW on top at Darley Moor

Buildbase BMW on top at Darley Moor

Buildbase BMW star’s Richard Cooper and Barry Burrell took top honours by a country mile at Darley Moor, Derbyshire in the annual “Stars At Darley” event.

MCN in Cuba

MCN in Cuba

On the beach at Cayo Guillermo, Cuba. My well thumbed copy of MCN was great for breaking the ice and making friends with fellow bikers.

No cuddly meerkats for bikers

No cuddly meerkats for bikers

An insurance firm is offering free cuddly toys – but not to bikers. Compare the Market is giving away a free cuddly meerkat with policies. But the toys, which are selling for £40 on eBay, are offered...

Classic Indians, Harleys, shotguns and cider mills in Ohio’s “ultimate barn find”

Classic Indians, Harleys, shotguns and cider mills in Ohio’s “ultimate barn find”

A treasure trove of classic American motorcycles has been unearthed in what auctioneers are calling the “ultimate barn find”. Ranging from a 1937 Indian Jr. Scout to a 1965 Harley Davidson FLH Pan...

Video: Abba superbike stand

Video: Abba superbike stand

Next week’s MCN has our review of an Abba superbike stand. It’s incredibly helpful for performing maintenance tasks if your bike doesn’t have a centrestand. Here’s a video that shows how it’s done.

80mph motorway speed limit by 2013

80mph motorway speed limit by 2013

Motorway speed limits could increase to 80mph by 2013. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said there had been “huge advances in safety and motoring technology” since the current 70mph limit was...

Editor's picks: KTM 990 SMT

Editor's picks: KTM 990 SMT

Inspired by how much fun Trevor Franklin appears to be having with his KTM 990 SMT (watch the video here), we take a closer look at the big V-twin and select our pick of the 990s on offer at...

Video: Long term KTM 990 SMT ABS

Video: Long term KTM 990 SMT ABS

Trevor Franklin talks through the finer details of his KTM 990 SMT ABS long term test bike, his plans for the bike and explains why it’s helping him to ‘still feel like a teenager’. We suspect it...

VIDEO: Melons… rocks…“Wingnut”… what 3hrs a night has done to Nick Sanders

VIDEO: Melons… rocks…“Wingnut”… what 3hrs a night has done to Nick Sanders

Nick Sanders has returned from a triple-length-of-the-Americas expedition, a journey he describes as “the hardest” of his career. After leading a group of paying customers from the bottom of Argentina...

Bennetts ultimate track day!

Bennetts ultimate track day!

WATCHING Scott Redding take pillions on a two-seater Moto2 bike, or watching Cal Crutchlow ride sideways around Snetterton whilst Toseland gives lessons on track riding isn’t your average Tuesday...

Argentinian tourers at 'The Green Wellie' Tyndrum

Argentinian tourers at 'The Green Wellie' Tyndrum

Ken Berry spotted an Argentinian couple at ‘The Green Wellie’, Tyndrum who have been touring for nine years: “I was away for a couple of days up north of Scotland (26/09/2011) with a friend and we...

Way cool Honda VT750S special editions

Way cool Honda VT750S special editions

Honda has added ‘championship white’ paint, speed stripe and retro logo to its VT750S, significantly boosting the appeal of what was already perhaps the most effortlessly cool bike in its...

American motorcycle hand signals

American motorcycle hand signals

Here’s a short video from Jason Hubbert providing an informative and amusing guide to motorcycle hand signals used in the States, with many of them, including “that soccer mom almost merged into me”...

Michael Neeves MRO Powerbike Blog – Final round, Brands.

Michael Neeves MRO Powerbike Blog – Final round, Brands.

It wasn’t quite the perfect end to a perfect season, but it was damn close. After the chequered flag was waved for the final race of the MRO Powerbike season last Sunday at Brands, I lost the...

Sign petition to fight EU

Sign petition to fight EU

An MEP is urging riders to sign a petition against EU measures to make motorcycles impossible to modify. The petition, proposed by UKIP MEP Marta Andreasen, calls on Government, MPs and MEPs ‘to...

Ducati Streetfighter 848 launch - first impressions

Ducati Streetfighter 848 launch - first impressions

MCN’s Trevor Franklin reports: “We have just completed a 90km road ride from Modina up into the mountains and the new Streetfighter 848 is indeed proving to be everything I thought it would be.  It is...

Britain’s own ‘Burt Munro’ breaks speed record

Britain’s own ‘Burt Munro’ breaks speed record

In a scene reminiscent of the film ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’ which celebrated 60-something New Zealander Burt Munro and his land speed record attempts at Bonneville in the ‘60s aboard an old Indian...

New Kawasaki ZX-10R for £5795. Did you put a deposit down?

New Kawasaki ZX-10R for £5795. Did you put a deposit down?

Did you put down a £500 deposit on a 2011 ZX-10R priced at just £5795? If so MCN would like to hear from you urgently The offer – run by Birmingham-based firm “Friends & Co Ltd” and advertised on Ebay...

Destination dealer: George White Superbikes

Destination dealer: George White Superbikes

ADVERTISING PROMOTION George White continues to provide so much more than just bikes to its growing customer base from its purpose-built headquarters in Swindon – reckoned to be the largest...

Harley 'cooler' than ever

Harley 'cooler' than ever

Harley-Davidsons are  ‘cooler’ than ever, according to a UK survey of the coolest consumer brands. The American icon placed third – up from sixth last year – in the annual list. Aston Martin came out...

Ducati Streetfighter 848 launch

Ducati Streetfighter 848 launch

Ducati is launching its new 848 Streetfighter at a brand new circuit in Italy this morning, and MCN’s Trevor Franklin is there. It’s a beautiful day there as it is here, and Trev’s looking forward to...

Editor's picks: Ducati ST3

Editor's picks: Ducati ST3

The Ducati ST3 is often over-looked as a sports tourer – potential buyers often choosing the more common Honda VFR800, but there’s nothing wrong with the ST3… The ignored Ducati family – the sports...

Black Bear Harley

I would like to say a big thank you to Black Bear Harley-Davidson in Newmarket. After searching continously for a dealer who would sell me a tax-free motorcycle as I’m in the forces and serving in Germany, Black Bear was fantastic. I approached them and they confirmed they could do tax free and job done. I rode away with my new Harley and a huge smile on my face – the service they provided was...

New MCN September 28: New Honda Fireblade revealed

New MCN September 28: New Honda Fireblade revealed

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale September 28, we have all the details on the new 2012 Honda Fireblade, which gets new, sharper styling, as well as big piston forks and a new rear shock, but no...

Triumph Tiger 1050 gets makeover

Triumph Tiger 1050 gets makeover

Triumph has given the Tiger 1050 a host of changes for 2012 including upgraded suspension, a sportier riding position and new graphics. The changes cover the 1050 and 1050SE models with the changes...

Demo from Durham services

Glad to report the actions of Durham police were the complete opposite to their counterparts in Northumbria, as usual. I did the demo from Durham services northbound to the Washington services. Durham police blocked the A177 to allow us out of the service station, and blocked the A1M northbound with two cars, so we could all come down in the slip road safely. No bikers were dicking about, and the...

Norwich MAG ride

Thanks to hedgehog5 regarding Hi-Vis jackets, I joined the MAG ride on Sunday at the Norwich meet and found I was in the minority being one of some six or so riders wearing the same and consequently got a bit of ribbing. On the ride over from the Hunstanton area once again a car driver pulled out on me at a T-junction and caused a near collision. I wear this for added security even if I do look...

Video: MAG M25 Protest

I went to the Clacket Lane Services on the M25 thinking a few bikes might show, I spoke with the wife of the organiser and she said they were expecting 100. When I got there I think there was more like 500, others say 600.