April

Happy days

Happy days

On holiday in the pool enjoying the sun and my MCN.

My daughter on my bike

My daughter on my bike

I eventually got my daughter Carly on my Gixxer!

Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 8V - "a cracking do-anything, go-anywhere machine"

Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 8V - "a cracking do-anything, go-anywhere machine"

Moto Guzzi has never made a secret of aiming the Stelvio squarely at the mighty BMW R1200GS and thanks to a raft of changes, the Italian and German machines are closer than ever, to the point where...

Zero electric bikes – electric riding experience

Zero electric bikes – electric riding experience

Earlier Zeros used to have a lash-up feel, but the Californian firm’s 2011 models are very much proper bikes. There are two new road bikes – the S (for Street) is purely for Tarmac and the DS (Dual...

Moto Guzzi Norge GT 8V - "a hugely capable mile-munching tourer"

Moto Guzzi Norge GT 8V - "a hugely capable mile-munching tourer"

Moto Guzzi seems to have all the bases covered with its new Norge GT 8V tourer. It’s smoother and friendlier than ever, and a stiffer suspension set-up has stopped the old bike’s tendency to get a...

Suzuki/VW tie-up yields first fruit?

Suzuki/VW tie-up yields first fruit?

VW has surprised the Shanghai car show by revealing an electric scooter. And if this is the first fruit of the VW-Suzuki partnership (the German firm own a fifth of the GSX-R maker) we can’t wait for...

Is the new Honda CBR250R better than a 1982 Super Dream?

Is the new Honda CBR250R better than a 1982 Super Dream?

A glance at the specs of Honda’s new CBR250R and the Kawasaki Ninja 250R could leave you wondering exactly what manufacturers have been doing for the last 30 years. Like the Ninja 250R, Kawasaki’s...

ABS compulsory on US BMWs but 86% of UK BMW buyers opt for it anyway

ABS compulsory on US BMWs but 86% of UK BMW buyers opt for it anyway

ABS will be standard on all BMWs sold in America from 2012, the firm’s US bosses have announced. But it’s a move unlikely to spread to British beemers while 86% of us are happy to pay between £645 and...

Staff bikes: BMW G650GS - 'Quality'

Staff bikes: BMW G650GS - 'Quality'

I’ve just spent my first weekend with the BMW G650GS, after taking delivery of it on Friday, and the word I want to say is: quality. You’d never guess this is one of the cheapest big bikes you can...

Why new bikes aren’t as heavy as you think

Why new bikes aren’t as heavy as you think

The specifications of some small-to-middle-weight new bikes have caused disquiet on the forums of MCN this year. One user wrote of the new Honda CBR250R, which weighs 162kg and makes a claimed 26bhp:...

Parker Brothers Choppers: If you build it, they will come

Parker Brothers Choppers: If you build it, they will come

As you’ve probably guessed by the ‘Green Machine’ three wheeler, Florida based Parker Brothers Choppers aren’t your usual brand of southern state bike builders. Self confessed movie nuts Shanon and...

Video: Shaw Harley-Davidson Captain America Fat Boy built in 7 minutes

Video: Shaw Harley-Davidson Captain America Fat Boy built in 7 minutes

World Championship winning custom bike builders Shaw Harley-Davidson have managed to cram 100 hours of labour building their very special Captain America Fat Boy into 7m14sec of captivating video.  ...

Video: Rukka Kalahari jacket

Video: Rukka Kalahari jacket

MCN’s Michael Guy swears by his Rukka Kalahari jacket and trousers combo. (See his review here.) Here’s a fairly comprehensive run down of all the features of the upper half of this top notch...

New Yamaha YZF-R15: no compromise on the hugger

New Yamaha YZF-R15: no compromise on the hugger

New Yamaha? In this economic climate? And a ‘super sport urban bike’ at that? Yep, you read it right (Looking for a 125? Find a Yamaha YZF-R125 for sale). Unfortunately, the svelte new R6-alike 150cc...

McDeeb Six Days 500 EVO

McDeeb Six Days 500 EVO

Here’s my vision for a new McDeeb motorcycle, based on a Royal Enfield 500 EFI engine. The bike will look very good, and although it won’t be a high performance bike, it will be good for relaxed...

Original Ducati Monsters needed

Original Ducati Monsters needed

MCN is compiling a feature on the cult and history of Ducati’s Monster range and we are looking for an original M900, M620 and Monster S4R/S. If you own one of these bikes would like to see it in MCN…...

Triumph Bonneville America - First Ride

Triumph Bonneville America - First Ride

The Bonneville America is Triumph’s alternative take on the entry-level middleweight cruiser. The America pairs the Bonneville 800 engine and tubular steel twin loop/dual rear shock chassis with...

Aprilia Tuono V4R: "An astonishing all-rounder"

Aprilia Tuono V4R: "An astonishing all-rounder"

The new Aprilia Tuono V4R (Don’t like the looks? Find an older Aprilia Tuono for sale) knocked us for six at its world track and road launch in Valencia, Spain. The 167bhp super naked has close to the...

Bikes on TV: April 20-26

Bikes on TV: April 20-26

KEY TO CHANNELS:   DRT – Discovery Real Time  SHED – Discovery Shed DSC – Discovery Channel  DHD – Discovery Channel HD EXS – Extreme Sports Channel EUR1 (2, HD) – Eurosport 1 (2, HD)  MOT – Motors...

Campaigners lose parking battle

Campaigners lose parking battle

Campaigners have lost a court battle against a motorcycle parking charge in London. Appeal judges said Westminster Council’s charge was justified as “an obvious way to dampen excess demand”. Now it’s...

Silverstone Circuit launches 24/7 radio show

Silverstone Circuit launches 24/7 radio show

Silverstone circuit is to launch its own 24-hour radio station dedicated to all things motorsport. Silverstone Radio will be accessible via the internet at www.Silverstone.co.uk and on radio at all...

New MCN April 20: Aprilia Tuono V4R first ride

New MCN April 20: Aprilia Tuono V4R first ride

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale April 20, we test the all new Aprilia Tuono V4R and Tuono V4R APRC on road and track. We test the new Honda CBR250R against the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. We also have...

My 50th birthday cake

My 50th birthday cake

My 50th birthday cake

Lady Gaga album cover slated by Nick Gale Custom Cycles

Lady Gaga album cover slated by Nick Gale Custom Cycles

Lady Gaga’s new motorbike-themed album artwork – panned by The Guardian as a “cheap Photoshop job” – has received the most damning criticism possible… the bike designer hates it. Nick Gale, of Nick...

Suzuki DR-Z Evolution

After watching the Suzuki GSX-R evolution video on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLG0tWxLTKU) and noticing the advancement in technology, I couldn’t help it and came up with a quick parody/spoof of the video!

My Fightspree

My Fightspree

Just noticed a story on MCN about a streetfightered Fireblade from and it’s very similar to the one I built last year! Check out mine. In brief it’s a 1994 Blade frame and engine, 2007 GSX-R rear end,...

Kott Motorcycles, an American take on the café racer

Kott Motorcycles, an American take on the café racer

Kott Motorcycles is at the fore of the café racer revolution in the states. Based outside of LA, this shop specialises in converting 1970s Japanese motorcycles into a custom American take on the style...

Café Cowboy details the café racer revolution in the states

Café Cowboy details the café racer revolution in the states

Kott Motorcycles is at the fore of the café racer revolution in the states. Based outside of LA, this shop specialises in converting 1970s Japanese motorcycles into a custom American take on the style...

Honda CBR 250 v Kawasaki Ninja 250R - will either go ton-up?

Honda CBR 250 v Kawasaki Ninja 250R - will either go ton-up?

Senior MCN road tester Adam Child and MCN road tester Bruce Dunn are currently at Bruntingthorpe proving ground pushing Honda’s new CBR250 and Kawasaki’s Ninja 250R to the limit flat out down the two...

Destination dealer: George White’s Blast weekend!

Destination dealer: George White’s Blast weekend!

ADVERTISING PROMOTION It’s that time of year again, when Spring is springing, bikes are revving up for summer and The Blast – George White’s world famous Open Weekend – is with us once more. It’ll be...

466 cameras axed

466 cameras axed

At least 466 speed cameras have been axed in the biggest reduction since they were introduced in1992. Speed camera authorities across the country have been forced to dramatically scale back...

MV Agusta F3 set to reinvent supersport class

MV Agusta F3 set to reinvent supersport class

Two of the men behind the all-new MV Agusta F3 are months away from finishing work on the bike and reckon it can radically shake-up the supersport class thanks to a powerful three-cylinder engine,...

New ‘Dakar Edition’ of KTM 990 Adventure launched

New ‘Dakar Edition’ of KTM 990 Adventure launched

KTM’s stunning 990 Adventure has a new, limited edition stablemate – the 990 Adventure ‘Dakar Edition’. Built to commemorate both 30 years of the Paris-Dakar race and the Austrian firm’s 10th...

Best of bikemart: Modern classics up for grabs this week

Best of bikemart: Modern classics up for grabs this week

We’ve been browsing MCN bikes for sale every day to bring you some of our top picks from over 10,000 motorcycles for sale.              Read more modern classics news and features Here’s just a few...

TT3D thrills fans, stars and legends at UK premiere

TT3D thrills fans, stars and legends at UK premiere

MCN readers mingled with the stars at the UK premiere of TT3D: Closer to the Edge in London last night – and joined them in showering the film with praise. Race team boss Clive Padgett spoke for...

Aprilia Tuono V4 R – first road impressions

Aprilia Tuono V4 R – first road impressions

Aprilia’s eagerly-awaited new Tuono V4 R is currently on test in Spain in the hands of MCN Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves. Find an Aprilia for sale After sampling the awesome new super naked on...