This week in news...

What every Saturday needs: This week in motorcycle news looked a bit like this…

Spyder’s web spreads wider
 

Motorcycle hire and touring firm Spyder Motorcycles have just added the all-new Triumph Street Triple 765 to the 2017 fleet, joining a host of other bikes from Triumph, Ducati, MV Agusta, BMW and KTM. The Spyder Club are now in their tenth year, offering riders the chance to ride stunning bikes without the hassle of ownership. See spydermotorcycles.co.uk

Yamaha R6 UK pricing announced
 

The new Yamaha R6 was unveiled at the back end of 2016, and now the price has been announced. You might need to do a few extra chores around the house, because the new R6 will start at £10,999. Yep, you read that right – just a quid shy of £11,000. Read more here.

Topsy Kurvy
 

Kurviger is a website that helps you plan fun motorcycle routes by choosing roads with twists and elevation, while avoiding major roads. You can either pick a point-to-point route and the website will make a fun route between the two, or pick one place and the site will create a loop of your chosen length. It even points out petrol stations along the way. Once the route is created it can be exported to a sat-nav or phone.

Moving on up
 

Once again motorcycle sales have risen year-on-year, with an 11.7% rise in 2016. There were 128,644 registrations in 2016, up from 115,121 the year before. Small capacity machines (50-125cc) had the biggest increase and accounted for 40% of sales. The next most popular class was adventure bikes, accounting for 20% of total sales.

Ride connected
 

Headset manufacturers Sena have turned their hands to software with their new RideConnected app. The app connects to a Sena headset and allows riders to communicate using the data on the phone, so the range is theoretically unlimited (or at least limited to signal coverage). The app is available for free in the iTunes and Google Play app stores.

Inflation blues
 

Tech company In&Motion have taken their skiwear protection concept and converted it for bikes. Their airbag reduces the chance of injury in a fall and alerts the emergency services if you are unresponsive. It’s been tested by Bradley Smith in MotoGP and now they are looking for 500 riders to try it out, so head to their website to signup – inemotion.com

Surfin’ USA
 

MV Agusta have signed a new deal with Urban Motor Group for distribution in the USA and Canada. MV and UMG have worked together before in Australia and are both hoping to repeat their successes there. But with no distributor currently appointed in the UK for some time, it does leave some questions regarding their intentions.

Ducati unveil Diavel Diesel

Just incase the standard Ducati Diavel wasn’t eye-catching enough, Ducati have teamed up with fashion company Diesel to create the Diavel Diesel, which features raw welding, rivets, and hand brushed steel panels. Ducati say the design was inspired by the ‘hyperkinetic dynamism of a post-apocalyptic, retro-futuristic world.’ Read more here.

Three beautiful Ducati 750s up for auction

Bonhams are auctioning three achingly beautiful Ducati 750s from the early 1970s In 40 years’ time will we look back at the latest crop of MotoGP bikes with the sort of reverie we do now? Perhaps not, as we’ll all be too busy flying our personal jetpacks, but in the meantime we can enjoy some machinery from yesteryear. For more, read our story here. 

There’s no stopping this 91-year-old biker

Generally speaking, you probably wouldn’t expect 90-year-olds to celebrate their birthdays at motorcycle conventions. You probably wouldn’t expect them to stay glued to bikes to get around either. Yet, for 91-year-old Gloria Tramontin-Struck, doing both is the only way to live. For more, read our story here.

Bike-wreck! Underwater motorcycles found off Australian coast

Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve in Sydney, Australia, is a haven for marine life and is a popular destination with snorkelers and divers alike. However, one marine photographer has captured what is thought to be two different motorcycles under the water in recent years. For more, read our story here.

American trade body proposes 100% import tax on European motorcycles

The Office of US Trade Representatives is currently looking at a 100% import tax for European motorcycles between 50 and 500cc. For more, read our story here.

GB Olympian left with ‘career-ending’ injuries after bike crash

James Ellington was riding in Tenerife when he was struck by a vehicle on the wrong side of the road. For more, read our story here.

Riders Share – Airbnb for motorcycles

Ride sharing website allows users to rent out their motorcycles to other riders for significantly less than usual If you’re not familiar with it, Airbnb has taken the rental world by storm. The website allows users to rent out their homes for short periods to anyone in the world and, while it has taken some criticism of late, it’s been a huge success. For more, read our story here. 

Reserve a Yamaha XSR900 Abarth today!

The online registration system for the exclusive Yamaha XSR900 Abarth will go live today from 4pm. Customers from across Europe will be able to register for the first 95 bikes at www.xsr900-abarth.eu in much the same way as that used for the R1M superbike. For more, ready our story here.

Looking for the perfect two-wheeled companion? Visit MCN Bikes For Sale website or use MCN’s Bikes For Sale App.