2012

February 29 Bikes on the Box

February 29 Bikes on the Box

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 MCN February 29: Triumph Explorer 1200 first ride

New MCN February 29: Triumph Explorer 1200 first ride

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Wednesday February 29, we have the world first ride of the all-new Triumph Explorer 1200. Using an all-new 1215cc three-cylinder engine, Triumph hope the new bike...

Honda NC700X is brilliant

I took a Honda NC700X for a road test recently and ordered one as soon as I got back to the showroom. I’ve traded in a 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 – a great bike in all respects. The biggest problem I had was worrying what would come in the post for two weeks after every ride.  I travel many miles a year and the increase in money making machines (sorry, safety cameras) is amazing! As fines are reportedly...

Christmas Quiz 2011 Answers

For those of you who completed our Christmas Quiz last year, here are the answers. The winner has been drawn and notified. Part One 1. C 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. C 6. A 7. C 8. B 9. C 10. B 11. A 12. C 13. A 14. B 15. A 16. C 17. C 18. B 19. A 20. A 21. C 22. A 23. C 24. B 25. C 26. B 27. B 28. C 29. B 30. A 31. C 32. B 33. C 34. B 35. C 36. A 37. A 38. B 39. A 40. A Part Two 1. C 2. C 3. A 4. A 5. B...

Tribute to Marco from the top of the world

Tribute to Marco from the top of the world

Our family are massive Marco fans, so on our first ever skiing trip last week in Obertaurern, Austria we took the opportunity to go snow biking from the very top of the mountain dressed in Simoncelli...

Getting a head start

Getting a head start

My Granddaughter Sophie aged 4 already into the latest bikes tests PW or AR50 ?

MCN in the Arctic Circle

MCN in the Arctic Circle

After travelling on the Hurtigurten ferry for five days in high seas, deep snow on the roads outside Tromso, North of the Artic Circle, two hours of snow, -10 deg c and gale force winds causing...

1975 Suzuki GT550 gets cafe racer treatment

1975 Suzuki GT550 gets cafe racer treatment

This is the latest example of the increasing number of immaculate cafe racers coming out of America. Called the Honduki, it’s an award winning build based on a 1975 Suzuki GT550 but, as you can see,...

Destination dealer: Performance Triumph Cheltenham

Destination dealer: Performance Triumph Cheltenham

ADVERTISING PROMOTION When you buy official branded merchandise from Triumph, you know what you’re getting; great products and tremendous value for money. Well right now at Performance Triumph...

MCN Fantasy Road Race 2012 - there's still time to enter!

MCN Fantasy Road Race 2012 - there's still time to enter!

There’s still time to enter your team for MCN Fantasy Road Race in association with MCE Insurance before the deadline and the start of the game at 04:00 GMT on Saturday, 25 February ahead of the first...

New Horex VR6 weeks away from production

New Horex VR6 weeks away from production

Reborn German manufacturer Horex is about to enter the first production stages of the all-new VR6 Roadster which has a series of innovations including a clever and compact 1218cc six-cylinder...

Triumph Tiger Explorer First Ride

Triumph Tiger Explorer First Ride

MCN Editor, Marc Potter, is at the world launch of the Triumph Tiger Explorer and here are his first thoughts. “Triumph admits it is aiming the Tiger Explorer squarely at the BMW R1200GS, and claims...

My limited edition 2010 Yamaha R1

My limited edition 2010 Yamaha R1

This is my daily motorcycle, my 2010 Yamaha R1 Limited Edition that currently has 3500 miles on it, not to mention Valentino Rossi’s signature! I couldn’t ask for a better or more beautiful...

Honda Crosstourer first ride

Honda Crosstourer first ride

Adventure bikes are moving into a new dimension this week – as MCN’s first test of the Crosstourer proves. The new Honda brings V4 performance and sophisticated automatic transmission to the class for...

2013 Triumph Trophy spied in finished form

2013 Triumph Trophy spied in finished form

This exclusive spy shot of Triumph’s all-new Trophy 1200 is the first to show the bike in final form – most of the details are complete and the bike is nearing production readiness. The Trophy has...

Second major dealer closes in weeks

Second major dealer closes in weeks

A second major bike dealer has closed weeks after the country’s biggest went into administration. V&J Superbikes unexpectedly closed its two branches in Taunton and Bridgewater, Somerset, on February...

Adventure Map – motorcycle tours in Morocco

Adventure Map – motorcycle tours in Morocco

Morocco is the sort of place more adventurous bikers always seem to be popping off to, returning from or considering a blast around. It’s no surprise – Morocco is close enough to be as accessible as...

MCN Fantasy Road Race: "I won last year!"

MCN Fantasy Road Race: "I won last year!"

With the 2012 racing season just a few days away, there’s still time for you to enter your MCN Fantasy Road Race team, in association with MCE Insurance. The competition is free to enter, with £10m to...

Madrider 1961's charity ride

Madrider 1961's charity ride

In 2004 I rode a Honda CG125 from Plymouth to Bolton and back in 34 hours on L-plates. OK some may say easy but at the time I had never ridden past the outskirts of Plymouth and was riding a bike...

MCN Fantasy Road Race 2012 starts now!

MCN Fantasy Road Race 2012 starts now!

The 2012 racing season kicks off in just nine days when WSB roars into action at Phillip Island – so now is the time to pick your MCN Fantasy Road Race team in association with MCE Insurance. Enter...

New MCN February 22: Honda Crosstourer first ride

New MCN February 22: Honda Crosstourer first ride

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Wednesday February 22, we have the world first ride of the all-new Honda Crosstourer. Using the 1200cc V4 engine from the VFR1200, the Crosstourer is the latest...

February 22 Bikes on TV

February 22 Bikes on TV

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...

Simoncelli tribute tattoo

Simoncelli tribute tattoo

I was devastated by the news last year that Simoncelli had sadly lost his life. So I made his memory part of me forever. I also have Rossi on the same leg, proving my passion for racing.

Struggling with insurance companies

My accident occurred in July 2010. I was out for the day with friends and we were on our way back when a car pulled out of a farm shop on my left. I didn’t have much time to react, but managed to squeeze enough front brake to put the back wheel into the air just as i rode into his front wing. I was catapulted some 50 feet and my beloved R1 turned into a helicopter. The car driver was making a...

MCN: A blast from the past

MCN: A blast from the past

I was recently looking through some old magazines and found these two blasts from the MCN past! 30 years old, a bit of yellowing but still in good nick. Check out the free discs! I no longer have a...

Yamaha SR500 racer

Yamaha SR500 racer

This is my newly built 2012 racer; a Yamaha SR500. I will be doing the Earlystocks Championship with it. I raced a similar SR500 last year and finished seond in the EMRA Singles and Twins Category.

No fighting girls!

No fighting girls!

My daughter and regular ride partner on my YamahaFZ6 S2 for the first time in 10 months after giving birth to my beautiful grand daughter. Not sure the retro fit child seat is legal, but my daughter...

Destination dealer: Ongar Motorcycles

Destination dealer: Ongar Motorcycles

ADVERTISING PROMOTION Triumph has taken its brilliant Speed Triple and made it even better with the launch of the Speed Triple R. The £11,299 bike has already made the front page of MCN and now you...

Harley-Davidson Softail Slim first ride

Harley-Davidson Softail Slim first ride

Considering the turmoil Harley-Davidson has been through the last couple of years, what with plummeting US sales, the MV and Buell shockers and the little matter of having to restructure fundamentally...

Keeping Meriden twins alive

Keeping Meriden twins alive

Triumph for most may today mean Hinckley 675s and Speed Triples, but the old Meriden twins still have a huge following – not least because of a British factory still making and supplying virtually...

Your chance to win £500 cash from MCN

Your chance to win £500 cash from MCN

You could win £500 cash just for answering a few questions in an MCN survey about how you sell your bike. We’re improving the options and deals available to people who advertise their bikes through...

Honda Crosstourer first ride: "One of the best mile munchers in class"

Honda Crosstourer first ride: "One of the best mile munchers in class"

The Honda Crosstourer is Honda’s all-new adventure bike – aimed squarely at bikes like the BMW R1200GS and Yamaha Super Tenere. Powered by the same V4 engine from the VFR1200, the Crosstourer is...

Triumph Explorer 1200: What do you want to know?

Triumph Explorer 1200: What do you want to know?

Next week MCN is riding the new Triumph Explorer 1200 at its world launch in Spain, and we want to put your questions to the Triumph team who built the bike. The new 139bhp three-cylinder adventure...

Video: MV Agusta F3 first ride

Video: MV Agusta F3 first ride

Riding the £9999 MV Agusta F3 at its world launch around the surreal blue and red-lined track at Paul Ricard in the south of France has left MCN seriously impressed with MV’s first brand new bike...

Bikes on TV: February 15-21

Bikes on TV: February 15-21

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...

Video: Onboard a Ducati 1199 Panigale with Neil Hodgson

Video: Onboard a Ducati 1199 Panigale with Neil Hodgson

2003 World Superbike champion Neil Hodgson was at the Ducati 1199 Panigale launch in Abu Dhabi and was kind enough to let MCN bolt-on some onboard cameras during one of his sessions. The Panigale is...