December

Rossi the cat on the bike

30 December 2011 by Nina Haining

Meet my cat Rossi, she loves motorbikes and so does her brother Casey!

Video: Stan Watt - Ireland's great Dakar hope

30 December 2011 by MCN

The 2012 Dakar Rally kicks off in South America on January 1. Regarded as the hardest race in the world, 188 riders will embark on the epic and dangerous adventure through Argentina, Chile and...

How tiny MV Agusta threw down a challenge to big boys

30 December 2011 by Andy Downes

MV claim their new F3 will take the supersport class by storm, thanks to its high power, light weight and sophisticated electronics. But how can a company with a fraction of the staff and investment...

Husqvarna's new G650GS-powered Strada 'street bike'

30 December 2011 by Steve Farrell

This is Husqvarna’s latest road bike offering – a 650cc single-cylinder machine aimed at new riders. It uses the punchy engine from BMW’s G650GS, but promises to be lighter and more powerful. The...

Staff bikes: Suzuki GSX-R750 video review

30 December 2011 by MCN

Senior MCN Road Tester, Michael Neeves has been living with his Suzuki GSX-R750 L1 for most of 2011. He’s covered over 10,000-miles, riding it everywhere from the TT to Ibiza, on-track and to the...

Billy's first bike

29 December 2011 by Ev Neill

Move over Casey this is the new kid on the block!

Ducati 1199 Panigale - A new way of building a superbike

29 December 2011 by MCN

The targets laid down for the 1199 Panigale were so strict, so binding and so difficult to achieve that nothing less than a complete rethink was going to be enough. That maent ditching Ducati’s...

Video: BMW S1000RR onboard at Jerez

29 December 2011 by Michael Neeves

Check out this on-board lap of Jerez aboard Michael Neeves’ BMW Park Lane S1000RR. The footage was taken at the 2011 Racedays event on 9th November.

Redesigning the Trumph Tiger 1200 Explorer

28 December 2011 by MCN

The all-new Triumph Tiger 1200 Explorer – directly targeted at the BMW R1200GS – went through a major, late transformation to end up as we see it now. MCN was given exclusive access to Triumph’s...

Destination dealer: Great deals at Doble

28 December 2011 by MCN

ADVERTISING PROMOTION Doble Motorcycles have had a superb year, being crowned MCN’s Dealer of the Year for 2011 – simply because they continue to lead the way in customer service and with fantastic...

MCN's 2011 Christmas Quiz: Part one

28 December 2011 by MCN

Need distracting from a hangover? Got some DIY you should be getting on with? Then settle down and attempt MCN’s fiendishly addictive Christmas quiz. Win £450 of riding kit! Get the highest score in...

Harley-Davidson Switchback meets its match!

27 December 2011 by Phil West

The new Harley-Davidson Switchback ‘bagger’ (or custom tourer) has already impressed MCN testers – but how’s it measure up against its closest rival, Victory’s Cross Roads Tour? In this week’s MCN we...

Akrapovic Morsus: If Carlsberg built custom bikes...

27 December 2011 by Trevor Franklin

Factory customs don’t get any more ‘factory’ than this. Say hello to Morsus, a unique custom machine built for aftermarket exhaust giant Akrapovic. They commissioned specialists Dreamachine...

Very serious technical awards: sneak preview

27 December 2011 by John Westlake

The most important event of the year for all motorcycle engineers is the MCN Golden Piston Awards for New Technologies (G-PANT). Each year these prestigious awards celebrate the most cunning and...

New MCN December 28: Your bike of 2012 revealed

27 December 2011 by Liam Marsden

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Thursday December 29, we preview 2012’s most exciting bikes as voted for by you. This week also features the second part of the MCN Christmas quiz. If you know...

Sunshine at Christmas

26 December 2011 by deshowell

No snow, no rain, and my son even brought me the latest MCN when he came out to visit us in Antigua for Christmas and see my new Fazer. I think he’ll let me read it when he’s finished!

'We wanted to create the ultimate Speed Triple'

26 December 2011 by Phil West

Triumph’s imminent new ‘R’ version of its best-selling super naked is much more than a cosmetic update, MCN can now reveal – in fact it’s been conceived to be “the ultimate Speed Triple”! So, where...

MCN's top videos of 2011

26 December 2011 by Liam Marsden

Over the course of 2011 we’ve had some cracking videos here on MCN, covering the biggest new bike launches, best group tests and top features. On the MCN YouTube channel our 1026 (and counting) videos...

New street scrambler from Spirit of the Seventies

26 December 2011 by Gary Pinchin

No matter which angle you view this latest build by Kent-based Spirit of the Seventies, the aesthetics stop you in your tracks. But that’s only to be expected when you have two arty types, Tim Rogers...

Track diesel comes of age

23 December 2011 by Peter Henshaw

The latest version of the diesel-powered Track T800CDi is on test in MCN next week and if 80mpg and 16,000-mile service intervals sounds your sort of bike, it’s worth a look. Until now, diesel bikes...

Staff bikes: Triumph Tiger 800 - Tiger’s stripes well earned

23 December 2011 by Ped Baker

Riding a motorcycle from Peterborough to Brussels and back in a day in November is no picnic. The 600 miles aren’t the issue, but being cold is. Even with good riding kit, draughts start to creep in...

Video: 2012 KTM Duke 690 first ride

22 December 2011 by MCN

KTM’s 2012 690 Duke isn’t just an evolution of the hard core Duke – it’s a complete revolution: 90% all new, with just 10% of its components shared with its predecessor. Read the first ride...

Cycle group: Don’t let motorcycles in more bus lanes

22 December 2011 by Steve Farrell

A cycle group says local authorities should not copy London’s scheme of allowing motorcycles in bus lanes. The London Cycling Campaign says the trial should “act as a warning to other authorities”...

Staff bikes: Suzuki V-Strom 650 - Brussels: Further than you think!

22 December 2011 by John Westlake

I thought Brussels was an easy day’s ride from MCN’s Peterborough HQ, so was first to agree to join senior reporter Steve Farrell on his rabble-rousing EU protest ride last month. In my brain, I...

2012 Kawasaki ER-6n takes on rivals

22 December 2011 by Jon Urry

If you’re currently in the market for a naked middleweight you’re spoilt for choice. Every manufacturer makes a budget bike aimed at this segment and because of this the range of machinery on offer is...

Video: Triumph Thruxton JVB Brit Bob ridden

22 December 2011 by MCN

Cologne-based JvB are kings in the art of creating specials with attitude, and this is their latest creation – the JvB Brit Bob. Based on a Triumph Thruxton, the Brit Bob has been lowered by 50mm,...

2012 KTM Duke 690 first ride: Duke for the masses

22 December 2011 by Michael Guy

KTM’s 2012 690 Duke isn’t just an evolution of the hard core Duke – it’s a complete revolution: an all-new bike – 90% new in fact, with just 10% of its components shared with its predecessor. The...

Four jailed over bike theft eBay racket

22 December 2011 by Steve Farrell

Four men have been jailed for their role in a racket stealing bikes and selling the parts on eBay. The men were arrested following an 18-month investigation which identified 20 stolen motorcycles...

Destination dealer: Drayton Croft ready for 2012

21 December 2011 by MCN

ADVERTISING PROMOTION Drayton Croft is gearing up for a monster 2012 with hot new models from MV Agusta and Kawasaki. There is a huge buzz around the long-awaited MV F3 and B3 Brutale. At time of...

London’s bikes in bus lanes scheme made permanent

21 December 2011 by Steve Farrell

Motorcyclists have been granted permanent access to bus lanes in London, the capital’s transport authority announced today. The decision follows a three-year trial of the measure which has helped...

Bikes on TV: December 21-27

20 December 2011 by MCN

KEY TO CHANNELS. DRT – Discovery Real Time DSC – Discovery Channel DHD – Discovery Channel HD EXS – Extreme Sports Channel EUR1 (2, HD) – Eurosport 1 (2, HD) MOT – Motors TV CH4 – Channel...

New Triumph-powered sportster on the way

20 December 2011 by Phil West

Is this the machine Brit bike fans have been waiting for? It’s a Triumph 1050 triple-engined sportster equipped with the best in British chassis components and know-how and is on schedule to go into...

Metzeler expands winter tyre range for scooters

20 December 2011 by Andy Downes

Tyre firm Metzeler has extended the size fitments for the Feelfree Wintec range of scooter winter tyres which have been specifically designed to work at colder temperatures. The range available has...

New MCN December 21: New British 1050cc sports bike

20 December 2011 by Liam Marsden

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Wednesday December 21, we have the inside story on a new Triumph-engined British sports bike from Enigma. This week also features the first part of the MCN Xmas...

Horex reveals performance figures for Horex VR6

20 December 2011 by Andy Downes

Reborn German manufacturer Horex has revealed the all-new 1200cc VR6 six-cylinder engine being developed for a new roadster will have 161bhp and a thumping 100ft lb of torque. The bike and engine are...

Annual SORN declarations scrapped

19 December 2011 by Steve Farrell

Motorcyclists with bikes kept off-road will no longer have to fill in a SORN declaration form every year following a Government announcement. Owners will only have to fill in a Statutory Off-Road...