August

Year: ALL

1998-2001 Suzuki TL1000S

05 August 2002

‘Shock, Suzuki TL1000s motorcycle ate my baby.’ Apart from perhaps raising a smile, if this sort of headline appeared in some of the more enthusiastic journalistic tripe inhabiting your local...

When Madonna said “I touch myself”, for many people that was the end of it. Of-course, what she actually meant was “I’d love to ride pillion on an R1 and, while that would be much better than sex, I’d...

Bikes needed for MCN suspension feature

05 August 2002

MCN is still looking for a handful of bikes for our forthcoming suspension set-up feature. We still need: A 2000-2002 Yamaha YZF-R6, a 2002 Kawasaki ZX-636, a Ducati 748, Suzuki TL1000R, Ducati 996...

1997-2001 Honda VFR800fi

05 August 2002

When is a sports tourer, not a sports tourer? When it’s a VFR800! Honda’s ubiquitous V4 can be a bike for anyone. Yeah, it’s a big heavy bike (206Kg) but it certainly can hustle when ridden hard. ...

2001 Honda CBR600F

05 August 2002

Another 60 limits. In 3rd, on a wide, opening right hander. Roll it on slowly, all the way to the stop; the noise grows quickly from a growl to a full blow wail as the lean angle increases – shortshift easily into 4th at 12000rpm then back onto the stop, the bars flap slightly as you crest a small rise on the exit – just enough to remind you’re using full throttle. Your head is in the tank looking...

1998 Suzuki TL1000S

05 August 2002

I like many other people had had money problems and had not been able to afford another motorcycle and it seemed I had waited an eternity. However circumstances changed and at last a newer bike was...

Get your kit and tyres covered

05 August 2002

It’s often not just damage to your bike you have to cover in the event of an accident. The cost of replacing your lid, boots leathers and gloves can easily run to hundreds of pounds. But for £99 a...

2002 Ducati Monster M620

05 August 2002

It started a couple of years ago as an idea, I think I will get a bike again, house OK, job OK and the car is bullet proof. The main problem is choice, what to buy, going back to motorcycling I didn’t want a fire breather, I just couldn’t justify it, so I decided on a 600cc machine and thought an unfaired retro type would do the trick. Honda, Yamaha Suzuki and Kawasaki all make something along...

2003 KTM SX model updates

05 August 2002

200 SX Engine As an ideal complement, a 200 SX model will be launched in the 2003 range: its weight and handling correspond to that of a 125 SX, its engine power almost reaches that of the 250cc...

1978 BMW R45

05 August 2002

A few moons ago I decided to take my dad’s offer of borrowing his somewhat tatty BMW R45. I did this not out of some perverse desire to be ridiculed by pizza delivery boys, or anybody else who has a...

Road Test Idol entry form

05 August 2002

So have you got what it takes? How to enter: Just fill in the form below (do NOT send it by e-mail) and send it with a photograph that demonstrates your enthusiasm for bikes to Road Test Idol, MCN, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA. Name…….…….…….…….…….…….…….…….…….…….…….…….…….…….…… Age…….…….……. Daytime phone number (or mobile)...

1995-1999 Honda CBR250RR

05 August 2002

Oh my God! When that rev limiter hits 20,000, you know you have really hit the limit! Not only on the rev limiter but also on the enjoyment factor! I have never had as much adrenaline pumping...

More of your bike reviews added

05 August 2002

The chance to win a day with our road testers has prompted a load more of your bike reviews and we’ll be adding these throughout the day. Simply click on the link on the right for details on how you...

1997 Kawasaki ER-5

05 August 2002

Well I wonder how many of you are going to read this, a review on a bike in a much maligned class, you will either say what is an ER-5 or oh no not that bike (the one you learnt to ride on). To the sounds of a well known Queen track I’M IN LOVE WITH MY “ER”, it started one Saturday in October 1997 (my old GN250 had just expired) and I was looking for something larger to survive my 18000 miles a...

2000-2001 Kawasaki ZX6R J1

05 August 2002

My ZX6R J1. I tend to give each bike I buy a name, and as Toy Story 2 was my favourite movie when I purchased the J1, an obvious name was Bullseye; the little horsie hero, who carried everyone to safety having been able to keep pace with a jumbo jet. Great start! The colour choice was obvious, I’d never look at a Kawasaki and think " Hmm, what colour shall I buy? " Mainly because the green bikes...

1996 AND 2002 Honda VFR

05 August 2002

Having owned a 96 vfr750 for six years, I recently tested the new VTEC-equipped VFR800 and frankly it was a revelation: the VTEC is both more sporty AND more stable at cruising speeds. The vfr750 is no slouch in the engine department, but the handling is certainly on the soft side. The new VTEC engine is much more enthusiastic at the top end, and the handling of the Honda’s flagship Sports-Tourer...

2000 Kawasaki ZX6R-J1

05 August 2002

A few months into the new millennium and the time had come to replace my tired ‘Bandit 600′ with a more exciting and involving machine. After much research and several test rides on the 600cc regulars as well as several other larger bikes I short-listed the wonderfully capable Triumph Daytona and the striking new fox-eyed ZX6R-J1. Not the most obvious of duels but at 6’ 5” tall, my height was the...

The all new R6 revealed

05 August 2002

Fuel injection, more power and a fresh look is what Yamaha has lined up for a crisper and even more aggressive R6 in 2003. And thanks to our factory sources, you can read all about it in the new MCN,...

2000 Suzuki GSX750F

05 August 2002

Suzuki GSX750F – styled like a teapot, they say? Righty-oh then. Have you ever – I mean EVER – seen a teapot that looks like a GSX-F? You have? Can I have half a gram of whatever you’re on? The bike is marketed as a sports tourer, but it’s certainly more tourer than sports. It really is exceptionally comfortable, although the well-padded seat may be a bit too tall for " vertically challenged " ...

1982 Yamaha XJ750 Seca

05 August 2002

It was 1994, I was looking for a cheap lightweight tourer. I liked the Yamaha XJ900F, but not the riding position. Then I came across a Yamaha XJ750 Seca. An American import, 1982, with 10,000 miles on the clock. The slightly pulled back bars, the big shapely petrol tank, the ‘funky’ instrument panel and the shaft drive and the glistening red paint work, all at a price I could afford. The dealer...

1984 Honda VF1000F

05 August 2002

I could have bought a sports bike, or a cruiser, or a muscle bike but I didn’t. You see I like older bikes, I like to be able to see an engine and recognise all the bits and I like to ride a bike that doesn’t have to be serviced by Nasa! I suppose the simple fact is that I like riding bikes not studying metallurgy or electronics. That’s why I bought a 1980’s superbike, a Honda VF1000F to be...

Win a dream job with MCN

05 August 2002

Fancy landing the job of a lifetime with MCN, the chance to ride the best bikes in the world – and get paid for it? Read on… At the end of a massive talent search, the result of a huge public phone...

1989-1991 Honda CBR 600FL

05 August 2002

This model became the bench mark for sports tourers, and gave Honda the edge on the opposition. With its 599cc engine and modest 130+mph for the early speed freaks it was destined to do well in the...

1998 Kawasaki GPZ500S

05 August 2002

Lets face it the letters GPZ do one of two things to you, you either go all misty eyed and remember the 80’s when Kawasaki produced some of the baddest bikes around. Or you burst out laughing and think are bikes like that still made? Either way lets get a handle on the situation and set the record straight. When it was first launched the GPZ500s was like the Fazer of today it represented a...

1998 Yamaha FZS600

05 August 2002

It’s black, loud as sin and looks as mean as cat’s piss. It runs like there is sand in the fuel tank, water in the gearbox and sponge in the brake lines. It is rusted pretty much from the front forks all the way back to the tip of the exhaust pipe (there might even be rust actually on the tyre!). There are two repaired punctures in the rear tyre (a Bridgestone barely scrubbed in), and some road...

Husqvarna unveils 2003 models

05 August 2002

Swedish firm Husqvarna has just released details of its 2003 range of off-roaders, which includes all new four-stroke 250 and 450cc production models. The range, which marks Husqvarna’s 100th year of...

Bike bargains around the corner

05 August 2002

With manufacturers about to reveal their 2003 machines in a few weeks time, and industry sources predicting a slowdown in sales, the next few months should see some amazing bargains in UK showrooms...

Fancy a classic ride at the Manx?

05 August 2002

There’s a ride going begging at this year’s Manx GP. George Ridgeon is the Past President of the Manx Grand Prix Riders Association and his rider has had to pull out through illness. So, if you’re available to ride a Greeves 350 in the Classic Junior race put in a call quick. Practice for the Manx starts on starts on August 17. George can be contacted on: 01452-857160.

Your bike reviews updated

05 August 2002

We’re adding more of your bike reviews today. The sheer volume of entries means that we can’t post them as fast as we’d like, but keep clicking back to check for new ones. Hit the link on the right...

Get your traffic stories on TV

05 August 2002

Everyone has a horror story about commuting – well, Carlton TV wants yours. Its motoring programme ‘Pulling Power’ is planning to cover the problems faced by bikers in the capital. Aggressive...

Aprilia RST1000 Futura

05 August 2002

I must be the most stupid person in the world! I bought my latest bike from a picture in a magazine. Damn! that’s a nice looking bike I thought when I saw an Aprilia RST1000 Futura in a bike magazine.

2002 Suzuki SV650

05 August 2002

Brands Hatch WSB, what better journey to test out the SV’s capabilities. Used normally for commuting 40 miles daily and the odd jaunt down to the coast, the SV has returned an average of 52 mpg and...

1987 Kawasaki EX-500

05 August 2002

Three weeks ago I decided my car had two wheels too many and threw caution, and the red line of my credit card to the wind and bought a used 1987 Kawasaki EX-500A with only 10,215 Km. A custom paint job, stainless silencers, and one helluva self-image change were included. Being that this is my first motorcycle I have no basis of comparison, but I will share what I do know. I have put 2500 Km on...

1996-2001 Kawasaki ZX-7R

05 August 2002

The Kawasaki ZX-7R according to some bike journalists is yesterday’s news; they say its heavy, underpowered and hasn’t got the sharp looks of some of the latest offerings from Japan and Italy. I...

1997 Honda FireBlade

05 August 2002

Honda’s Fireblade. It seems everyone’s either got one, had one or knows someone who did have a ‘blade’ was dead quick on it. Hardly surprising really, given their dominance during the early to mid nineties. They were the bike to have and come 1997, Honda more or less had the jap 900 sports bike class sewn up, despite valiant efforts from the other 3 manufacturers in the form of 9Rs, the YZF 750...

1993 Fireblade CBR900R

05 August 2002

Well I never thought it would happen to me, but it has, I’ve fallen in love. It’s been a whole year of contented togetherness. I can’t get enough of her after market exhaust and her peculiar sized...