March

When is a bike not a bike?

30 March 2012 by Brian Thomas

I had an accident in work a while ago and was asked to go and see a medical specialist in Rodney Street, Liverpool’s equivalent to Harley Street. I suffer from chronic back pain and needed to park as close to his office as possible. I went to the parking meter and found that motorbikes are not allowed to park there, so looking around I noticed two bicycles chained to railings on the wide pavement...

KTM 450RR Dakar bike ridden

30 March 2012 by Michael Guy

It doesn’t look like a bike that’s just finished the Dakar – it’s clean and there are only minimal signs of wear. A closer look tells you that the built to order factory KTM 450RR has seen some action...

Aprilia SRV850 ridden

30 March 2012 by Steve Farrell

Super scooters have re-ignited the top speed battle between manufacturers – a battle which has been largely irrelevant for motorcycles since hyperbikes such as Suzuki’s Hayabusa started cracking...

KTM 690 Duke Track first ride

30 March 2012 by MCN

Hook sixth gear, crouch down as small as possible and focus on the small strip of white paint at the side of the track. Wait, wait, wait… Sit up, brake, down three gears, let clutch out, as possible...

Danny Kent passes CBT

30 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent is enjoying just as much success off the track as he is on it in 2012 after the rising British Grand Prix star passed his CBT this week. Kent, who finished second quickest in last week’s...

Destination dealer: Maidstone Harley-Davidson

30 March 2012 by MCN

ADVERTISING PROMOTION Maidstone Harley-Davidson opened in November and is an exciting new venture for independent, family-run Laguna Motorcycles Ltd. Founded in the 1980s the company has established...

Classic CCM thumper revived

30 March 2012 by Andy Westlake

With four-strokes once again dominating world motocross it’s easily forgotten that 40 years ago the last ‘four-stroke MX era’ was coming to an end prior to decades of dominance by two-strokes such as...

Mick Walker

29 March 2012 by Tony Davis

I was saddened to hear about the passing of Mick. He gave me a job in bikes, and turned my hobby into my life. He made me go on a Harley course which changed my life. I just wish to give my condolences to Sue, and Steve. I was his workshop foreman at Mick Walker Motorcycles from ’76 to’81 when I left to become a police officer. Mick, God bless, supported me all the way through my application, and...

Win a hotel room at the Isle of Man TT 2012

29 March 2012 by MCN

This year’s TT looks set to be one of the busiest ever, with all traditional hotel rooms on the entire island already booked. So this competition is the only way you can you can get the TT experience...

MV Agusta F3 vs rivals at a glance

29 March 2012 by MCN

MV Agusta’s new F3 is one of the most eagerly awaited bikes of 2012, but since its launch storm clouds have been gathering. Is the beautiful Italian simply too track-focused and rough around the edges...

Motorcycles to ride out the fuel strike

29 March 2012 by Liam Marsden

On Monday, petrol tanker drivers from Unite, which represents drivers who deliver 90% of Britain’s petrol, voted to strike after a dispute over pay and conditions. Downing Street has since encouraged...

Busting cramp

28 March 2012 by DazzleRebel

I’ve been finding that after about an hour of motorway riding I start losing feeling in my right hand. With the amount of miles I’m covering at the moment it’s surely not doing my long term health any...

Video: Ducati 848 Streetfighter longterm report

28 March 2012 by Michael Neeves

Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves has just taken delivery of the Ducati Streetfighter 848 he’ll be running this year. After his time spent with the 1098 version in 2009, the Streetfighter is one of...

Humber Bridge toll victory. Where next?

28 March 2012 by John Westlake

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) has managed to get the toll for bikes removed from the Humber Bridge. From April 1 2012 motorcycles will be able to cross the bridge free, instead of the normal...

My special Hayabusa

28 March 2012 by paul martin

I own a fish and chip shop in Leicester and have a passion for the Suzuki Hayabusa – mine is a 58 plate in Ltd White with many upgrades. Galspeed wheels, Yoshimura exhausts, Galfer disks, Brembo...

New MCN March 28: MotoGP is go!

27 March 2012 by Liam Marsden

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Wednesday March 28, we have all the news from the final pre-season MotoGP test at Jerez ahead of the first round of the new 1000cc class in Qatar. Rossi struggled...

MCN Ride Logger app for iPhone

26 March 2012 by MCN

The clocks have gone forward giving us longer evenings and the sun has finally started to show its face, so it’s the perfect time to get your bike out from the garage and go out for a ride. And why...

You ask/You answer: What's the one race you've GOT to attend in person?

26 March 2012 by MCN

TV coverage is pretty amazing these days, so it takes a lot to convince me turning up is worth it. But I don’t want to be a couch potato all my life. So what bike race is most dramatically improved as...

You ask/You answer: Post-crash confidence crisis

26 March 2012 by MCN

I crashed on diesel six weeks ago, I’m still waiting on the insurer to pay out on the bike. I haven’t ridden since and my confidence has plummeted. I feel like this might be it for me and bikes. Can...

March 26 Bikes on the Box

26 March 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...

You ask/You answer: What if his mum is dead against our son riding?

26 March 2012 by MCN

I ride and my son (now 14) wants to ride when he’s old enough, but his mum’s dead set against it. He’s a level-headed boy and we haven’t had any bad experiences with bikes to influence us. What should...

Poll: What is the best quality bike brand in 2012?

26 March 2012 by MCN

Forget history, try and forget prejudice: which bike firm do you think really produces the best quality bikes right now? pollcomment

The good and the bad

25 March 2012 by menalee

The sun’s up, the bikes out and already this weekend I have seen the best and worst of the biking fraternity. The good: The rider who parked up and flagged riders down to save some serious issues on spilt diesel. The Bad: The Aprilia rider who overtook uphill approaching a bend around which a car came,;how this guy made the fast closing gap I do not know. This act only served to reinforce car...