September | Page 53

Biking beats space travel

16 September 2003

More people dream of riding a motorcycle than going in to space according to a recent survey conducted for the BBC. The pole asked 20,000 people the one thing they most wanted to do before they died...

KTM unveils Duke 990

16 September 2003

KTM has unveiled the finished pre-production version of its all-new V-twin powered Duke 990. The bike has been seen before in a prototype form but the version unveiled at the International Motorcycle...

New bikes dominate Milan show

16 September 2003

The international motorcycle show in Milan continues today with more manufacturers unveiling their new line-ups for 2004. Yamaha’s new R1, Honda’s Fireblade and the Kawasaki ZX-10R, as revealed in MCN...

Pro-hunting bikers rally

16 September 2003

The Countryside Alliance is appealing for support for its ‘Bikers for Hunting’ rally to protest against the Government’s ban on hunting. The protest will take place on Sunday September 28 in...

Fire destroys National Motorcycle Museum

16 September 2003

A fire ripped through the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham on Tuesday night, gutting most of the building and destroying hundreds of irreplaceable bikes. The blaze was reported to the West...

Journalist Norrie Whyte dies

16 September 2003

The legendary racing journalist who snubbed The Beatles and pinched Joey Dunlop’s pints has died. Norrie Whyte – former MCN GP editor passed away in Scarborough General Hospital on Tuesday September 16. He was 61. He was in North Yorkshire to cover the weekend’s Gold Cup races, but was taken into hospital on September 8 after collapsing. He’d recently been on the Isle of Man covering the Manx...

Simple first aid could save lives

09 September 2003

A new training scheme has been set up by Lancashire Ambulance Service to train bikers in the basic first aid that could make the difference between life and death in a road traffic accident. With many...

Tiger roars on for another year

09 September 2003

TRIUMPH was rumoured to be ditching the Tiger from its line-up – but this prototype shows there’s life in the big trailie yet. Insiders claim an all-new replacement Tiger has been put on hold but that hasn’t stopped Triumph giving the current model a revamp. The biggest change is clearly the wheels. Triumph has chosen an all-new alloy design, that appears to extremely lightweight, in place of the...

New Harleys on show at birthday bash

09 September 2003

HARLEY revealed its full 2004 model range at the weekend’s 100th anniversary celebrations in Milwaukee – but there were no great birthday surprises. The biggest change was to the Sportsters, which get...

Yamaha’s new R1 for 2004

09 September 2003

These are the first pictures of Yamaha’s new R1, the first production bike to burst through the 1bhp per kg barrier. As revealed in MCN last month the 2004 R1 has been influenced by the styling of the...

Long term test September 03: Ducati 999

09 September 2003

The Ducati 999S is not a bike for the shy and retiring. It attracts attention from bikers and non-bikers alike wherever it goes. Related: full expert Ducati 999 review on MCN The combination of...

Cannondale parts back in stock

09 September 2003

ATK Motorcycles, the second-oldest U.S. bike firm, has bought the parts inventory of bankrupt off-road firm Cannondale Motorsports, meaning owners and dealers can now order spares again. Cannondale...

Hizzy memorial track day

09 September 2003

Stamford Superbikes will be holding a Steve Hislop memorial track day next week at Cadwell Park, with top superbike riders on hand to give on-track tuition. Hislop was a regular instructor on the...

Win a KRC track day: First winner

09 September 2003

The winner of the Donington Park Kawasaki Riders Club trackday has been chosen, but remember you can still win a place on the Cadwell park event a week later. Dylan Kimber from Bradford will be going...

Cops delay motorcycle funeral

09 September 2003

Police almost stopped a biker from attending his own funeral after pulling over Britain’s only motorcycle hearse. The funeral cortege was brought to a halt in a lay-by on the A303, after police...

Cafe racer Bonnie spied

09 September 2003

TRIUMPH’S new line-up doesn’t end with the Daytona 1300 revealed on page two – as this spy shot of the new cafe racer version of the Bonneville proves. MCN’s snappers caught it in action at...

The 2004 Fireblade

09 September 2003

The 2004 Fireblade will be revealed over six full pages in MCN, out September 10. So don’t make judgements on blurry images and rumours floating around the internet, read the six full pages of...

200mph secret is out

09 September 2003

THESE are the exclusive first pictures of the 200mph bike Triumph is building to rival the Hayabusa and the ZX-12R. Triumph has continually denied the existence of a new 1300cc, four-cylinder...

See Honda?s electronic steering damper in action

09 September 2003

Honda’s new 2004 Fireblade is awash with the latest technology but the most unexpected development is the inclusion of an electronic steering damper. Save the file to your desktop and then double...

ZX-12R updated for ’04

09 September 2003

Kawasaki’S high velocity ZX-12R has been updated with upside down forks and radially-mounted brakes for 2004. The changes bring the bike into line with the ZX-6R and ZX-10R (revealed in MCN last...

Trans Americas: Roadblocks and repairs

09 September 2003

Despite Foreign Office warnings, Kevin and Julia Sanders have travelled successfully through Columbia and into Ecuador in their attempt on the Trans-Americas record. The biggest drama so far has been...

Safety campaign ‘To Die For’

09 September 2003

A Derbyshire safety campaign, picturing a bike with the slogan ‘To Die For’is to be used by other county councils in the East Midlands. The campaign places the posters in known accident black spots in...

Reborn in the USA

09 September 2003

NORTON has promised it’ll be back more times than Arnie – but this latest attempt to revive the name looks like it might actually stand a chance of success. Kenny Dreer, who owns Norton America and...

Trans America: South of the Equator

09 September 2003

Kevin and Julia Sanders have reached Peru in their attempt to claim the world record for riding the Trans America route from Alaska in North America to the tip of Argentina. At present they are half a...

KRC track days: Cadwell winner announced

09 September 2003

The winner of a place on a Kawasaki Riders Club track day at Cadwell Park on Wednesday, September 17, is Chris Nelson from Derby. He’ll get to enjoy the full Cadwell circuit, with a choice of three...

Government pledges road improvements

09 September 2003

The Government has announced a £3.5m plan to help fix the often neglected A and B roads that motorcyclists love. Despite an increase in the overall standard of British roads, smaller out of town A and...

Help find stolen Husqvarna

02 September 2003

You could receive a reward if you help locate a Husky supermoto that’s been stolen from one of MCN’s readers. The bike is a 2001 Husqvarna WR250 Australian model, chassis no: ZCGH301AA1V00154. It...

Is this the future for exhausts?

02 September 2003

This is the first look at a stealth-mode exhaust system for the Yamaha R1, and we want to know what you think of it. The U.S. company behind this underseat system reckons the idea will catch on, and...

Long Term Test: BMW K1200GT

02 September 2003

ENJOYING the cooling breezes breathing gently from the glistening waters of Lake Garda it was easy to feel as though I’d just done a day trip to the coast. But this was a journey that had taken two...

Fire engines given emergency call speed limits

02 September 2003

Fire engines on emergency calls are being given a speed limit by the West Midlands Fire Service. From now on, fire response vehicles will travel at no more than 45mph in a 30mph zone and under 80mph...

Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy at Goodwood Revival

02 September 2003

The Goodwood Revival takes place on September 5-7, with races dedicated to Barry Sheene, and a special track demonstration, as tributes. And if you use the token printed in MCN, September 3 on page...

Tough single takes XT into the future

02 September 2003

YAMAHA has replaced its air-cooled XT600E with a rugged new liquid-cooled machine with more power, up-to-the-minute styling and sharpened handling. The XT660-R becomes the latest in a long line of...

MPs’ support for bikers increases

02 September 2003

Motorcycling seems to be showing a rise in popularity at the House of Commons according to a recent survey by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI). The survey asked a panel of 146 MPs about their...

VN2000 is biggest twin yet

02 September 2003

THE new Kawasaki VN2000 cruiser will be the largest capacity V-twin to roll off a bike production line. The giant chrome-laden Kawasaki makes 120ftlb of torque and 95bhp. It doesn’t quite match the...

Kawasaki creates its ultimate superbike

02 September 2003

KAWASAKI has finally delivered the bike so many have waited so long for – a genuine top-drawer, no-compromise, balls-out machine to top anyone’s superbike wish-list. With 160bhp and weighing just...

Save money On Any Sunday

02 September 2003

The classic 1971 bike film On Any Sunday has been released on DVD for the first time as a special three-disc box set, and you can save money with MCN. The usual price for the set is £39.99 but you can...