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February

City of London

11 February 2003

On-street parking: Motorcycles should be parked wholly within the bay (or you will get a ticket), they should not be left for more than 24 hours in a bay, and if a bay is suspended overnight and a motorcycle is parked there, it is liable to be removed in the morning. Alderman’s Walk Basinghall St Billiter Street Blomfield Street Broad Street Avenue Bush Lane Carmelite Street Circus Place...

Royal race fan to visit Scarborough Bike Week

11 February 2003

Royal race fan to visit Scarborough Bike Week

It might be a bit early for you to be planning a trip to Scarborough Bike Week in September, but the Duke of Edinburgh has already announced he’ll be attending for the final day on September 21. He...

Cambridge

11 February 2003

On-street parking: Trumpington Street – Near Fitzwilliam Street junction Free School Lane – Near Bene’t Street Botolph Lane – Near Free School Lane junction Silver Street – Near Queens Road junction Regent Street – Outside Mandela House King Street – Near Hobson Street junction Off-street parking: Lion Yard car park – entry to the car park must be made via St Tibb’s Row rather than the main...

Changes to motorcycle test from 2005

11 February 2003

Changes to motorcycle test from 2005

The motorcycle test will change in 2005 to bring it in line with European legislation. Member states have until October 11, 2005 to implement the changes, which focus on ‘special manoeuvres’ which...

Safety cameras save lives

11 February 2003

Safety cameras save lives

The Department of Transport has released the results of a two year long study in to the effectiveness of road Safety Cameras, which concludes that they both reduce speeding and reduce the number of...

Congestion charging begins in London

11 February 2003

Congestion charging begins in London

Today (February 17) marks the start of congestion charging in London. With car drivers now required to pay £5 daily to drive through central London, the number of bikes in the capital is expected to...

BMW expands north of the border

11 February 2003

BMW expands north of the border

A new BMW dealership is opening in Bishop Briggs, near Glasgow on March 1. Motorrad Central will stock the entire range of BMW bikes alongside accessories and a full service department. It aims to...

Italy raises speed limits for safer motorways

04 February 2003

Italy raises speed limits for safer motorways

Speed limits are being raised in Italy to improve road safety. Italian transport minister Pietro Lunardi believes higher speeds will improve the traffic flow, and encourage motorists to pay attention.

Small prang erupts into a riot

04 February 2003

Small prang erupts into a riot

A riot between rival villages erupted near Hanoi in Vietnam, after two bike riders argued over responsibility for a minor crash. The two men were uninjured, but their argument led to a three-hour...

Police just wont let go

04 February 2003

Police just wont let go

A police motorcycle officer in Temecula, USA, was lucky to escape without injury recently when a car driver that he pulled over tried to escape while the officer’s hand was still inside the...

Make finding parking a lot easier

04 February 2003

Make finding parking a lot easier

With the introduction of congestion charging in London on February 17, the likelihood is that the number of two wheelers on the road in London is going to increase. Inevitably the already limited...

Sponsored ride to raise £2,000 for school

04 February 2003

Sponsored ride to raise £2,000 for school

Northants. man Darrel Brown has embarked on a mission to use his bike to raise money for his local school by riding it around four race circuits in one day on April 25. The School, which Browns...

600 new parking bays for London

04 February 2003

600 new parking bays for London

The Corporation of London has announced plans to deal with the expected increase in motorcycles looking to find parking spaces after congestion charging starts. The Corporation’s Unitary Development...

Yamaha slashes prices by up to £500

04 February 2003

Yamaha slashes prices by up to £500

Yamaha has cut back on the prices of some of its biggest selling bikes. The firm’s decision means there are big savings to be had on new R1s, Fazer 1000s and TDM900s. The decision comes just weeks...

Palace pulls out all the stops

01 February 2003

Palace pulls out all the stops

Snow caused chaos last week and hit attendance at MCN’s Road Racing and Superbike Show at London’s Alexandra Palace. The show had started strongly with record crowds on the opening weekend but on...

Kawasaki proves that bigger is best

25 February 2002

Kawasaki proves that bigger is best

Chances are, the last time you talked big-bore kits you were 16 years old, munching a saveloy and slurping a can of Shandy Bass outside the chip shop while you wondered if it was worth splashing out...

£14,300 Joey Dunlop reps sell out

25 February 2002

£14,300 Joey Dunlop reps sell out

The strictly limited run of 25 Joey Dunlop replica SP-1s has now been sold. The only way you now have of getting hold of one is to bid in the MCN auction for the exclusive no26. It has taken less than...

Your road tax letters to MPs made easy

25 February 2002

Your road tax letters to MPs made easy

You’ve started sending letters to your MPs to follow up your massive response to the public consultation on bike road tax. Our tips, make it easy for anyone to join in. Read on for advice on what to...

Organising the protest

25 February 2002

Motorcyclenews.com user Revetts has set-up a micro-community so that people wishing to organise their protest against Meacher and other anti-bike Government policies can share ideas. Follow this link to be taken there: http://communities.msn.com/BikersProtest

Suggested text for a letter to your MP

25 February 2002

Here’s some suggested text you might want to include in your letter. You could just copy and paste it into a document to send (e-mail or letter). The Treasury issued a public consultation paper on reforming motorcycle VED last year – and I disagree with many of the points I am worried that this is a thinly-veiled excuse to raise more tax from bikes. The Treasury has proposed a new higher road tax...

Long term CBR600

25 February 2002

Long term CBR600

It’s an old cliché that Hondas are more reliable than Swiss watches. But it’s true. Over the last 12 months I’ve covered more than 20,000 miles – around three times the average annual UK mileage – on...

Gilera’s V-twin prototype revealed

25 February 2002

Gilera’s V-twin prototype revealed

These are the first pictures of the V-twin prototype Gilera is building as a first step towards a new range of machines. It hosts the first full-size engine the Italian firm, currently best known for...

2002 bikes added to our reviews section

25 February 2002

2002 bikes added to our reviews section

The 2002 R1, TDM900, VFR800 VTEC and Hornet 900 have all been added to our BIKE REVIEWS section. Each comes complete with pictures, specs, road tests and links to its own dedicated chat board. Each...

First test on 636cc Kawasaki ZX-6R

25 February 2002

First test on 636cc Kawasaki ZX-6R

We’ve been riding Kawasaki’s new bigger-bore ZX-6R for 2002 and the extra ccs add up to a serious boost for torque and mid-range. Our full report is in MCN, out on Wednesday, February 27, but in the...

Ducati admits it is building Smart rep

25 February 2002

Ducati has finally admitted it is building a modern-day replica of Paul Smart’s 1972 Imola 200-winning 750SS –three years after MCN told you it was coming. The bike follows on from the successful MH900e Mike Hailwood replica, which has just finished its production run of 2000 units. The bike is expected to be heavily based on the MH900e – sharing a similar tubular steel trellis chassis. However,...

The best ways to buy secondhand

25 February 2002

From a dealer: Know the market. Make sure you know the value of what you’re buying and are familiar with any mechanical problems it’s prone to. Never be afraid to haggle. Name a starting price confidently, making sure it’s lower than the maximum you’re prepared to pay. Privately: Once you’ve found your bike through MCN BikeMart, take your time inspecting it. Look for any tell-tale signs of crash...

Bikes excluded from congestion charging

25 February 2002

Bikes excluded from congestion charging

Motorcycling has been handed a massive potential boost with the news that bikes are excluded from controversial plans to make motorists pay per mile. With talk of commuter runs along the M6 around...

The 10 best secondhand buys and why

25 February 2002

The 10 best secondhand buys and why

SUZUKI TL1000R ’98 Price when new: £8649. Price now: £3650-£4050 Slow sales ever since it was launched in 1998 – its TL1000S sibling has already been discontinued – means big discounts are available...

Choose from 15,000 used bargains

25 February 2002

Choose from 15,000 used bargains

March is the best time to buy a secondhand bike, as 15,000 of them flood into showrooms and get crammed on to the pages of MCN BikeMart. The surge in the number of secondhand bikes is due to the...

Harley evening classes

25 February 2002

Harley evening classes

Chesterfield dealer Harleyworld is opening its doors every Wednesday evening in March to help owners get to know their Harleys. Mechanics will explain what needs checking on their bikes after the...

Bikes to ride free in London

25 February 2002

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has announced he’s going ahead with plans to charge drivers £5 a day to use central London roads. But motorcyclists and scooter riders will go free. Faced with forking out £25 a week on top of fuel and other car costs, many drivers could find themselves tempted by the many bargain scooter deals currently on offer. Those commuting from further afield may be lining up...

KTM 250 EXC Racing tested

25 February 2002

KTM 250 EXC Racing tested

KTM’s new four-stroke 250EXC Racing costs almost £5000. But you can find out if you’re prepared to fork out for it by trying it out in a weekend of off-road fun for just under £300. That’s the deal...

World first pictures of Triumph cruiser

25 February 2002

World first pictures of Triumph cruiser

These exclusive pictures show Triumph’s long-awaited 2.2litre cruiser. If you want to see more of it, make sure you get MCN, out on Wednesday, February, 28. The bike is due to be launched next year...

Buy yourself a bargain

25 February 2002

Buy yourself a bargain

You can get yourself a very nice new or nearly-new 599cc ZX-6R for a lot less than the 636’s £6990 asking price. The ZX-6R is listed at £6895, but people are buying them new for £4795, which is a real...

Own a Castrol Honda racebike for £17000

18 February 2002

Own a Castrol Honda racebike for £17000

IF you think the chances of getting your arse in the seat of a pukka race bike are about the same as winning the Lottery, think again. This time it really could be you. At £17,037, the CBR600F Sport...

Does it hurt less in black and white?

18 February 2002

Does it hurt less in black and white?

When the world was in monochrome, the accidents were no less spectacular.