January

February 1 Bikes on the Box

01 February 2012 by Alison Silcox

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...

Kawasaki Bristol step in to help

31 January 2012 by Alison Hall-Cambridge

I have been riding a 2006 Kawasaki ZZR1400 for nearly 5 years and I am still in love with the bike, so when Kawasaki announced the new one was coming I knew I had to have one. I ordered a new bike from George White on October 14, 2011. I was on holiday when the news came through about the company and I was gutted. The new bike was not only a pat on my back for a successful year, but also a 50th...

MCN Golden Bike winner takes delivery of new bike

31 January 2012 by MCN

Our congratulations go to MCN Golden Bike winner Joe Wright who recently used his £1000 prize against a used ZX-9R. Joe, pictured alongside Triumph Wolverhampton salesman David Price, won the £1000...

Hollyoaks star launches Bennetts babe search

31 January 2012 by Phil West

Hollyoaks star Jorgie Porter, who’s also fresh out of the BBC’s Dancing on Ice is the face of the 2012 search for the Bennetts Babes Squad The bike insurance specialists is looking for a new set of...

Speeding fines set to rise to £100

31 January 2012 by Steve Farrell

Fines for speeding could rise from £60 to £100 under plans announced by Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke. The fixed penalty speeding fine could rise by nearly 70% to fund compensation for victims of...

Big bike trip - South Africa to China

31 January 2012 by Rupert & Fanny

We are riding KTM 990 Adventure motorcycles from South Africa to China and in the process raising funds for Autism Research Trust. Fanny, a former professional beach volleyball player, is the first Chinese woman to undertake such an adventure and has only 12 months riding experience under her belt. She has now successfully ridden 22,000km across Africa and has gained a local following in China of...

New MCN February 1: Triumph Speed Triple R tested

31 January 2012 by Liam Marsden

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Wednesday February 1, we test the new Triumph Speed Triple R at Jerez. The ‘R’ version costs £2500 more than the standard version, and for that you get Ohlins...

Charley Boorman's Extreme Frontiers out now on DVD

30 January 2012 by MCN

ADVERTISING PROMOTION He’s ridden through Africa in the award winning series ‘Long Way Down’. braved the wilds of the North on his 20,000 miles ‘Long Way Round’ adventure and now Charley Boorman,...

Legendary design chief leaves BMW

30 January 2012 by Kevin Ash

BMW design chief David Robb has left the company after a disagreement with a colleague. BMW sources confirmed today that the man credited with transforming the firm had gone. BMW design has gone from...

How thousands of motorcyclists could be unwittingly uninsured

30 January 2012 by Steve Farrell

Thousands of motorcyclists could be unwittingly riding without insurance because of confusion over what constitutes a full licence. Many riders tell their insurance company they have had a full...

Petition to scrap new bike licence rules

30 January 2012 by Steve Farrell

A petition is calling on the Government to scrap planned changes to the motorcycle licence regime. All under-19s are to be limited to 125s and the minimum age for Direct Access raised to 24 under new...

Video: MCN's Yamaha SR500 cafe racer project running

30 January 2012

MCN designer Simon Relph bought this rust bucket 1979 Yamaha SR500 at the beginning of the year for just £50 with the aim of turning the bike in to a cool cafe racer. Now, after plenty of hard graft...

Lucky chap!

28 January 2012 by stewwolfie

My gorgeous other half Susie on her old SV650, and me on my VFR800 Anniversary during last year’s Durham Bikewise Easter Egg Run. Looking forward to getting Susie’s new ER6-F out for this years run. I...

New KTM Adventure spied on test

26 January 2012 by MCN

This is the all-new KTM Adventure with a 1290cc V-twin engine which is expected to produce around 130bhp – 25bhp more than its arch-rival, the BMW R1200GS. The bike was spotted while undergoing road...

Deposits on bikes in doubt after George White folds

26 January 2012 by Steve Farrell

Britain’s biggest motorcycle dealer could default on dozens of deposits placed on new bikes after going into administration. A source at a major bike manufacturer warned George White Motors was...

Destination dealer: Kawasaki launch at Wheels Motorcycles

26 January 2012 by MCN

ADVERTISING PROMOTION Formerly known as Taz Motorcycles and based in Peterborough, Wheels is gearing up for the 2012 New Model Launch Night, which will see the opening of the firm’s new Kawasaki area.

Video: 2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400 first ride

26 January 2012 by MCN

Twenty-two years after the powerhouse ZZR1100 was launched, Kawasaki has released its all-new ZZR1400 complete with a bigger engine than ever, more power, and sophisticated traction control. To find...

Over 80% of death drivers avoid jail

25 January 2012 by Steve Farrell

More than four out of five careless drivers who kill walk free from courts, an MCN investigation can reveal. All but 48 of the first 313 people sentenced for the new offence of causing death by...

Ducati begins 1199 Panigale production

25 January 2012 by Andy Downes

Ducati has finally started building the hotly-anticipated and all-new 1199 Panigale superbike at the Bologna factory this week. The Panigale is the all-new 200bhp 1200cc V-twin superbike the firm...

Huge Ducati auction at Monaco Grand Prix

25 January 2012 by Sam Loveridge

One of the world’s largest collections of classic Ducatis, comprising over 100 bikes, is to be sold at auction. The collection includes a 1970 Ducati 450 Desmo ‘Corsa’, which was on display in the...

My turbocharged trike

24 January 2012 by Anonymous

Here’s my trike, powered by a turbocharged Rewaco 1.6 Z-tec motor, producing 185bhp at the minute. I’m a paraplegic and I use it for rallys thoughout the year. I usually cover about 12/13k a year...

Teams prepare for world’s daftest bike adventure

24 January 2012 by Andy Downes

In just a few weeks 15 teams will navigate 1000 miles across the frozen rivers of Siberia in a fleet of 1940s Russian Ural sidecar outfits with temperatures of as low as -40C. Competitors will have to...

‘Every driving test should include a bike question’

24 January 2012 by Steve Farrell

An insurance firm is petitioning the Government to make a motorcycle-related question part of every driving test. Bennetts Insurance thinks it could help reduce casualties. At the moment a...

First ride: Triumph Speed Triple R

24 January 2012 by MCN

Triumph’s new-for-2012, uprated Speed Triple R is currently being tested by MCN in southern Spain. These are Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves’ first impressions: “I’m at the launch of the new Triumph...

New MCN January 25: Kawasaki ZZR1400 flat out!

24 January 2012 by Liam Marsden

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Wednesday January 25, we test the new Kawasaki ZZR1400 at the bikes launch at the Nardo test track in Italy. MCN tester Adam Child tested the bike on a 7.8 mile...

New Victory Judge unveiled

23 January 2012 by Phil West

This is Victory’s new Judge – the latest bike to follow the trend for blacked-out, minimalist, hot rod-style cruisers. Unveiled this week at the New York Motorcycle Show, the Judge is a mean ‘n’...

2012 Triumphs at the Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show

23 January 2012 by MCN

The new Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 and Speed Triple R will head Triumph’s stand at this year’s Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show, on February 2-5. The Triumph Tiger Explorer – aimed squarely at the BMW...

Kymco to launch new Downtown 125i

23 January 2012 by Sam Loveridge

Kymco are launching a new 125i version of the Downtown 300i, following its award-winning success last year. The 125i will offer the same technical specs as its predecessor, but with a 125cc capacity,...

Video: I, Superbiker 2 media screening

20 January 2012 by MCN

I, Superbiker 2 is the sequel to last year’s I, Superbiker and follows the top six contenders of the 2011 BSB championship, Tommy Hill, Michael Laverty, Shane Byrne, Ryuichi Kiyonari, John Hopkins and...

Ducati wins UK trade award

20 January 2012 by Sam Loveridge

Ducati has won a UK trade award in recognition of its achievements in 2011. The ‘Brand Recognition Award’ is part of the UK-Italy Business Awards, organised by the British Government to formally...

Video: 2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400 flat out

20 January 2012 by MCN

Want to know how fast Kawasaki’s new ZZR1400 is? Check out the on board video as MCN road tester Adam Child holds it flat out around Nardo’s test facility in southern Italy. Adam pushes the new ZZR to...

Video: New Avon 3D Ultra sports tyre

20 January 2012 by Marc Abbott

British firm Avon have just released this video of their new 3D Ultra sports tyre. It’s chock-full of info on the new rubber’s construction. Here’s the lowdown…

Destination dealer: Motorcyclesdirect

19 January 2012 by MCN

ADVERTISING FEATURE Motorcyclesdirect.co.uk supply brand new Kawasaki and Sym motorcycles at the best UK prices. They check their competitors’ prices daily and keep their site up to date with the best...

Video: Kawasaki Versys 1000 takes on R1200GS and Tiger 1050

19 January 2012 by MCN

Kawasaki’s controversial new Versys 1000 has set the cat amongst the adventure bike pigeons this week – as proven by MCN’s world exclusive first test of the new monster trailie against its leading...

George White goes into administration

19 January 2012 by Phil West

George White Motors, the UK’s leading motorcycle dealer group, has gone into administration this morning, MCN has learnt. Rumours of the closure began circulating early this morning with suggestions...

First ride! 2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400

19 January 2012 by Phil West

Kawasaki’s updated 2012 ZZR1400 is currently being put through its paces by MCN Senior Road Tester Adam Child at the enormous Nardo speed testing facility in southern Italy. This is what he’s so far...