2015
The Best In Breed: Ducati Superbike Special
06 November 2015 by
MCN looks back at the Panigale family tree to uncover how Ducati has turned its once wayward V-twin into the superbike to beat. he 1299 Panigale S is a bike that defies logic, not to mention physics.
Classic TT Rotaries: Dunlop rides a TT Norton
05 November 2015 by
23 years after Hislop’s TT win, the Island will once more echo to the wail of a Norton rotary, with William Dunlop in the hot seat. And MCN was there for his first ride. he slight figure of a racer...
Posing power: Just design statements or rewarding rides?
05 November 2015 by
Harley, Ducati and Guzzi’s entry-level machines battle to capture the attention of the capital’s most fashion-conscious critics hese bikes provide an entry into three of the coolest brands in biking.
Smarter, sharper CBR500R revealed
05 November 2015 by
Honda used the Tokyo Motor Show to confirm and release exciting 2016 models, ahead of Europe’s biggest motorcycle show, EICMA, in two weeks’ time. Leading the long list of confirmed 2016 models were...
Laverda’s Street Sleepers
04 November 2015 by
Laverda’s ’70s twins are overshadowed by a certain triple wearing the same badge. But the 500 Alpino and SF750 have their own charm and appeal. ention ‘Laverda’ to any biker of a certain age, and I’d...
New theft threat
04 November 2015 by
Police in the UK, and particularly in London, have noticed a worrying new high-tech trend emerging in the way bike thieves track down their targets, according to bike crime expert Ken German. While...
The Buyer: ‘£6k for an ’01 Gold Wing? It’s a bargain’
04 November 2015 by
Neil Murray makes a living buying & selling pre-loved metal – and he’s on your side ne thing I couldn’t help noticing while perusing the new bike registration figures was the sharp decline in sales of...
Generation Next
04 November 2015 by
Electric trials bikes are the TY80s of the digital age – but how easy is it to get your kids on two wheels? aving spent most of my adult life juggling work and family commitments in order to make more...
Suzuki confirm turbo bike
04 November 2015 by
Amongst Suzuki’s handful of concepts and 2016 models at the Tokyo Motor Show (no, there was no GSX-R1000 unveiled – give it another two weeks), was a turbocharged motor devoid of a motorcycle. The sum...
Lording it up on a new Hesketh
03 November 2015 by
Spring, 1981 New V-twin Hesketh V1000 launch n the late 1970s, when the British bike industry was on its deathbed, a high-living, petrol-head aristocrat strode onto the scene like a knight in shining...
MCNLive! 2016 will have more fantastic acts and bands than ever before
03 November 2015 by
Next year’s MCNLive! event at Butlins Skegness looks set to be the biggest and best party of the year as we’re booking more bands than ever. On April 15-18 we’ll be raising the roof with a smorgasbord...
FMX returns to Motorcycle Live - Win tickets
03 November 2015 by
Freestyle motocross will make a return to Motorcycle Live at The NEC, Birmingham this November with the all-new FMX Live presented by Arenacross. The show will feature some of the world’s leading...
New MCN November 4: Rossi Ready For War
03 November 2015 by
In this week’s edition of MCN, available in newsagents, on iPad and Android from November 4: Rossi Ready For War In Valencia 12-page MotoGP Preview Special First Test: Yamaha XSR700 Future Classics...
12 essentials your garage must have
03 November 2015 by
Avoid frustration, foul language, strained eyes and bleeding hands by getting these indispensable items 1. Torque wrench There’s a torque setting for nearly every fastener on your bike. In...
Yamaha tease MT-09 flat-tracker
02 November 2015 by
Yamaha have released a new teaser film that introduces a Roland Sands built MT-09 flat-tracker, complete with yellow speed-block paintjob, tyre-shredding rolling burnouts, plenty of aggression, and...
Ducati unveil lightweight e-Scrambler
02 November 2015 by
Okay, so it might be more mountain bike than motorbike, but this funky ‘Fat’ e-bike, built under licence by Italwin, is still a Ducati – of sorts. The latest in a long line of Italwin Ducati e-bikes,...
7 great love/hate bikes designed by Pierre Terblanche
02 November 2015 by
He’s the controversial designer who replaced 916 genius Massimo Tamburini. Talk about a hard act to follow… 1993 Ducati Supermono South African Pierre Terblanche’s motorcycle design career began...
Picture story: Meet a real Jack Sparrow
01 November 2015 by
It’s 1954 and Shrewsbury bike shop manager JJI Sparrow is returning from the Isle of Man where he’s just finished 16th in the Lightweight (250) TT. In the rain-affected race he averaged 66.83mph. The...
Foggy reunited with his first bike
31 October 2015 by
Carl Fogarty’s first bike, given to him on his 10th birthday in 1975, was presented to him again today – a full 40 years later – having been completely restored by the National Motorcycle Museum. A...
Tyre tech talk: Sticky when wet
31 October 2015 by
Rain is a constant threat in the real world. Not a problem if you’ve chosen the right rubber. Michelin experts Tony Charlton and Daley Mathison reveal all… he stickiest sportsbike tyres in every...
MCN Sport Classic race team: It all started so well
31 October 2015 by
When you race 44 year-old motorbikes, you accept that disaster will be gnawing at your ankle. You just hope it doesn’t try and eat your entire leg here’s an old saying: don’t try and teach a pig to...
Have a blast at MCN Live!
31 October 2015 by
Sign up for next year’s MCN Live! event at Butlins and you could find yourself riding a stunning classic, motocross or adventure bike – and all at no extra charge. We’ve teamed up with the National...
WK release Café Racer 125
30 October 2015 by
As part of their plan to diversify and expand their range, WK Bikes have released a new retro-themed 125, aptly named the Café Racer 125. Powered by a simple 124cc motor that produces 7.9kw @...
Online Rossi petition goes mad
30 October 2015 by
An online petition in response to the incident at the Malaysian MotoGP that saw Valentino Rossi penalised for his riding antics is gathering a huge amount of support, with over half a million people...
Yamaha’s robot rider (no, not Lorenzo)
28 October 2015 by
Yamaha have revealed MOTOBOT Ver. 1 – alongside a host of concept vehicles – at the Tokyo Motor Show. MOTOBOT is a robot that can ride an unmodified bike all on its own. Rumours that it will soon...
Yamaha debut MT-09 trike
28 October 2015 by
Just when you thought there were no more potential variants for the MT-09 family, Yamaha go and roll out a three-wheeled version at the Tokyo Motor Show. Dubbed with the catchy moniker ‘LMW-MWT-9’,...
Yamaha go electric in Tokyo
28 October 2015 by
Yamaha have lifted the covers on their latest PES2 and PED2 electric concepts at the Tokyo show, two bikes that could be introduced into the Yamaha line-up in the very near future. The PES2 and PED2...
Yamaha target the next generation with Resonator 125 concept
28 October 2015 by
Yamaha have unveiled a new 125cc concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, aimed at appealing to younger, more fashion conscious, riders. The Resonator 125 marries Yamaha’s motorcycling and musical influences,...
The Buyer: ‘Ask yourself why a bike is listed as rare?’
28 October 2015 by
‘Rare bike’ it says in the advert. You read on, and if you’re like me you start chortling. here are rare bikes and there are rare bikes, and the one thing that counts is why they’re rare. Some are...
Project Bol d'Or Part 6: Run to the sun
28 October 2015 by
It always felt like a fantasy; trying to revive MCN’s long-neglected and badly battered Paso 750 to go head-to-head against a superbly tidy K1 on an aspirational 1700-mile run to the Bol d’Or. The...
BMW C650 Sport and C650 GT first ride
28 October 2015 by
BMW have updated their C650 Sport and C650 GT maxi-scooters for 2016 with styling changes alongside suspension and clutch revisions in an attempt to differentiate the two models. In the flesh the...
All-new Triumph Thruxtons revealed
28 October 2015 by
Triumph have finally unveiled their all-new 1199cc Triumph Thruxton and Thruxton R, the range-topping duo that herald the arrival of a completely new collection of five Bonnevilles. Starting from the...
Classic or crusher? Yamaha YZF-R7 OW02
27 October 2015 by
Quite possibly the most beautiful homologation special ever, 1999’s YZF-R7 signifies everything that was glamorous about the 750cc superbike era. When it came to the R7, Yamaha gave its designers a...
Video: MV Agusta F4 RC & F43 800 RC onboard
27 October 2015 by
MCN Road testers Michael Neeves and Adam Child have been in Italy this week riding MV Agusta’s F4 RC and F3 800 RC around the Tazio Nuvolari circuit south of Milan. While there, they shot some onboard...
Motorcycle Live plays host to stars of racing
27 October 2015 by
Motorcycle Live is one of the best places in the UK to meet some of the world’s best racers away from the pressures of the paddock, and this year’s show is no exception. There will be a daily...
Ducati tease small Scrambler
27 October 2015 by
Ducati have already officially confirmed to MCN that the Scrambler will be joined by new models, but it now appears this will be a smaller-capacity version, not the larger version initially...