April

Sneaky Plod

Sneaky Plod

Here is Derbyshire Plod’s new secret weapon – photographed while I had a fag break on the Via Gellia. Actually that was just an excuse to get up close. Now, this looks like a blue Vauxhall Movano...

Nate Adams awarded Knievel prize

Nate Adams awarded Knievel prize

Freestyle motocross rider Nate Adams scooped up the first Evel Knievel Most Outstanding Rider award at the inaugural Navy Moto X World Championships, which were held April 12 and 13. The motocross...

Richard Hammond “nagged” back to consciousness

Richard Hammond “nagged” back to consciousness

Top Gear presenter and former MCN columnist Richard Hammond believes he was brought back to consciousness by his wife’s nagging. Richard Hammond takes to road on custom Harley Davidson Mindy...

Air-powered scooter leaves city centres cleaner

Air-powered scooter leaves city centres cleaner

An inventor has created what he claims is the world’s first motorcycle powered by fresh air. Jem Stansfield says his converted Puch moped produces cleaner air than found in many town and city centres...

‘Valentino Rossi’ captured by traffic light camera

‘Valentino Rossi’ captured by traffic light camera

Valentino Rossi has been ticketed for running a red light in his car. The Rossi in question is a rider from England, who changed his name by Deed Poll after becoming frustrated with the number of...

Kawasaki reveal price of Ninja 250R

Kawasaki reveal price of Ninja 250R

Kawasaki has revealed that its Ninja 250R will cost £3299 on-the-road when it goes on sale late April. MCN reveal first pictures of the Ninja 250R The 249cc parallel twin is designed to round-out...

Ride in Peace Wayne

Ride in Peace Wayne On a sad note, I would like to pay tribute to a man I have only known for a few short months. Wayne Carpenter was a man amongst men and a biker amongst bikers. As evidenced by the number of people that admired, loved and respected him. We lost Wayne, last Thursday, 10th April, due to a traffic accident, in which he was the innocent victim. Thank goodness his good friend,...

Emma - dreaming of her first motorbike

Emma - dreaming of her first motorbike

My eight-week-old daughter Emma day dreaming about riding her first bike!

First test: Honda CB1000R is the bike to beat

First test: Honda CB1000R is the bike to beat

MCN Editor Marc Potter has just ridden Honda’s new naked CB1000R on the banks of Lake Como in Italy and to say he is impressed would be putting it mildly. He said: “The engine is an absolute peach.

Unsafe Safety Van - AD53 ETF

On 11 April I was following a Norfolk “Safety” Camera Van From Heathersett into Norwich (and yes he did exceed the 50 mph limit on the down hill bit of road leaving Heathersett). We then got into a traffic jam outside the University of East Anglia and as students were crossing between the stationary traffic, I didn’t filter through. A girl walked past the Camera Van rubbing her arm whilst staring...

Bike Upgrade After Crash

Having spent my £3000 on a brand new ER-5 (I know most people dont like them but it suits me) some kind man pulled off a red route and across the traffic in front of me and I hit him in the side at about 10 mph. This wrote off my bike whilst he carries on driving his mini cab around. The insurance company will only pay the market value of the bike, but, as the new emission law does not allow...

Video: Moto Guzzi Stelvio Group test

To see where the new Moto Guzzi Stelvio fits into the adventure tourer world, we took it, a BMW R1200GS, KTM 990 Adventure and Triumph Tiger to Italy to visit the world famous Stelvio Pass. Of course, we checked to see if it was open first… Watch the video above to see how the group test went and read the full article in MCN, Wednesday, 9 April, 2008.

First ride: Honda DN-01 is a little confusing

First ride: Honda DN-01 is a little confusing

MCN editor Marc Potter has just ridden the new 680cc Honda DN-01 around Lake Como in northern Italy as part of the first group to test the bike. He said: “Unfortunately Lake Como is covered in mist...

Video: Toseland takes to the phones for Bennetts

Video: Toseland takes to the phones for Bennetts

MotoGP star and reigning World Superbike champion James Toseland has swapped his regular piano ivories for a computer keyboard by joining insurance firm Bennetts for a day, as part of a month-long...

Norwich named as king of the scooters

Norwich named as king of the scooters

Norwich has been dubbed Britain’s Scooter Capital by motorcycle insurance firm Bennetts, with an impressive 1 in 20 residents in the city owning a scooter. Data from the firm suggests Norwich could...

KBC unveils race-specification helmet

KBC unveils race-specification helmet

Helmet manufacturer KBC has expanded its range with the launch of a full-face, race-spec, lid. The VR-2R is constructed from a vacuum-laminated shell, and features a dual-intake vent system to...

First ride: Getting ready to ride the Honda DN-01

First ride: Getting ready to ride the Honda DN-01

MCN editor Marc Potter has just arrived at Lake Como in northern Italy to become one of the first people in the world to ride the all-new and radical Honda DN-01. Honda claim the DN-01 has created an...

stealth camera signs

look north stealth cameras/signs http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7330000/newsid_7338800/7338867.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&ms3=6&ms_javascript=true&bbcws=2

Should i be proud or worried?

Cant believe my bike finally made it on to an at risk list re insurance issue 9/4/08 only ever seen hand full of Triumph Tridents on the road in the last 11 years of ownership although try getting parts can see why scum would see a market for second hand spares. Not many other than Triumph lists spares for them, even evil bay few and far between

Vintage motorcycles stolen from pensioner

Vintage motorcycles stolen from pensioner

An octogenarian has had her collection of vintage motorcycles looted by thieves, who broke into the outbuilding at her farmhouse where the collection was stored. Joyce Cobbing had built up the...

Video: MV Augusta Brutale 1078RR first ride

MV Agusta’s new Brutale 1078RR has the engine from the F4 RR312 superbike crammed into its tinny, sexy chassis. But it’s not just its 154bhp and 166-plus mph top speed, which sets this apart from any Brutale built before, the best bit is that it’s smoother and easier to ride than ever. Check out the video below to see Senior Road Tester, Michael Neeves tackle the £13,000 Brutale amd read the full...

MV Agusta Bestiale ready to go into production

MV Agusta Bestiale ready to go into production

The MV Agusta Bestiale concept motorcycle attracted lots of attention when it was unveiled at last year’s Paris Show, and now finally it has been confirmed this radical conversion is to go into...

MP hits out at sluggish test centre progress

MP hits out at sluggish test centre progress

Learner motorcyclists living in rural areas on the west coast of Scotland could face a 200-mile round trip to sit their motorcycle test from September 29, because construction of new multi-purpose...

Malaguti brings back the 250 stroker

Malaguti brings back the 250 stroker

Tiny Italian independant manufacturer, Malaguti, seems to have sparked life in to the two stroke market with its new MR250, which was unveiled at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show. The Malaguti MR250 houses a...

Motocross riders line up for Evel Knievel award

Motocross riders line up for Evel Knievel award

The first Evel Knievel Award is set to be presented next weekend, at the Moto X World Championships. The award celebrates Knievel’s contribution to the world of extreme riding, and is due to be...

Joel with MCN

Joel with MCN

Here’s a pic of my 3 month old son, Joel with his first quality T-Shirt and read!!!!

MCN Daily 09/04/08: Your daily video motorcycle news

In episode 81 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news show there is controversy over the new test centre’s, MCN are at the launch for Harley Davidson’s XR1200R and Valentino Rossi looks for more success in Estoril.  Subscribe to this podcast with RSS  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three minutes then email us here to let us know what you think of...

Video: RS Taichi airbag suit on sale in 2008

Dainese might be prepared to launch a production version of its D-Air airbag suit in 2010, but rivals RS Taichi look set to beat them to dealerships as they launch their T-RAPS suit this year. The T-RAPS (Taichi Racing Airbag Protection System) has been shown in the video in its prototype form, and has already been shown as such at several events last year. Priced at £1440 in Japan, the T-RAPS...

First impressions from the Harley Davidson X1200R launch

First impressions from the Harley Davidson X1200R launch

Harley Davidson is launching its European only Flat Track inspired XR1200R in and around Valencia road test editor Phil West has been riding the motorcycle today for MCN. Here are Phil’s first...

On daddy's bike

On daddy's bike

Just managed to get really good pic of my baby boy on my bike hope he is going to take after me.

Moto Guzzi Stelvio against its rivals

Moto Guzzi Stelvio against its rivals

In this week’s MCN you can see how the Moto Guzzi Stelvio gets on when put through its paces against its main rivals. MCN tested the Moto Guzzi Stelvio against the BMW R1200GS, KTM 990 Adventure and...

Michelin teams up with Sainsburys for free fuel

Michelin teams up with Sainsburys for free fuel

Tyre manufacturer Michelin is hoping to boost sales of its Pilot Road 2 rubber, by offering a free fuel voucher to anyone buying a set of the tyres up to May 31, 2008. Buyers would be given a claim...

Steve McQueen and Belstaff in legal battle

Steve McQueen and Belstaff in legal battle

Steve McQueen was famously fond of his Trailmaster jacket made by British firm Belstaff. But relations between his estate and the clothing maker seem to have gone downhill since the star’s death. Last...

Controversial Buell 1125R transformed with a paintjob

Controversial Buell 1125R transformed with a paintjob

It’s fair to say the new Buell 1125R’s styling hasn’t been received to well – but this one-off created for insurance company Bennetts shows how a simple colour change transforms the bike. The red and...

Speed camera boss denies ‘137mph’ biker video is staged

Speed camera boss denies ‘137mph’ biker video is staged

A speed camera boss has denied staging a publicity video which claims to show a speeding motorcyclist hitting 137mph.   Norfolk Safety Camera Partnership released the clip at the launch of a...

Man granted motorcycle licence by mistake in DVLA mix-up

Man granted motorcycle licence by mistake in DVLA mix-up

AN MCN reader has been told the motorcycle licence he has held for a decade was issued to him by mistake. Gareth Jordan passed his full motorcycle test in 1997 and has been riding daily ever...