Latest Motorbike News

Ducati begins 1199 Panigale production

25 January 2012 by Andy Downes

Ducati has finally started building the hotly-anticipated and all-new 1199 Panigale superbike at the Bologna factory this week. The Panigale is the all-new 200bhp 1200cc V-twin superbike the firm...

Huge Ducati auction at Monaco Grand Prix

25 January 2012 by Sam Loveridge

One of the world’s largest collections of classic Ducatis, comprising over 100 bikes, is to be sold at auction. The collection includes a 1970 Ducati 450 Desmo ‘Corsa’, which was on display in the...

My turbocharged trike

24 January 2012 by Anonymous

Here’s my trike, powered by a turbocharged Rewaco 1.6 Z-tec motor, producing 185bhp at the minute. I’m a paraplegic and I use it for rallys thoughout the year. I usually cover about 12/13k a year...

Teams prepare for world’s daftest bike adventure

24 January 2012 by Andy Downes

In just a few weeks 15 teams will navigate 1000 miles across the frozen rivers of Siberia in a fleet of 1940s Russian Ural sidecar outfits with temperatures of as low as -40C. Competitors will have to...

‘Every driving test should include a bike question’

24 January 2012 by Steve Farrell

An insurance firm is petitioning the Government to make a motorcycle-related question part of every driving test. Bennetts Insurance thinks it could help reduce casualties. At the moment a...

First ride: Triumph Speed Triple R

24 January 2012 by MCN

Triumph’s new-for-2012, uprated Speed Triple R is currently being tested by MCN in southern Spain. These are Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves’ first impressions: “I’m at the launch of the new Triumph...

New MCN January 25: Kawasaki ZZR1400 flat out!

24 January 2012 by Liam Marsden

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Wednesday January 25, we test the new Kawasaki ZZR1400 at the bikes launch at the Nardo test track in Italy. MCN tester Adam Child tested the bike on a 7.8 mile...

New Victory Judge unveiled

23 January 2012 by Phil West

This is Victory’s new Judge – the latest bike to follow the trend for blacked-out, minimalist, hot rod-style cruisers. Unveiled this week at the New York Motorcycle Show, the Judge is a mean ‘n’...

2012 Triumphs at the Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show

23 January 2012 by MCN

The new Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 and Speed Triple R will head Triumph’s stand at this year’s Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show, on February 2-5. The Triumph Tiger Explorer – aimed squarely at the BMW...

Kymco to launch new Downtown 125i

23 January 2012 by Sam Loveridge

Kymco are launching a new 125i version of the Downtown 300i, following its award-winning success last year. The 125i will offer the same technical specs as its predecessor, but with a 125cc capacity,...

Video: I, Superbiker 2 media screening

20 January 2012 by MCN

I, Superbiker 2 is the sequel to last year’s I, Superbiker and follows the top six contenders of the 2011 BSB championship, Tommy Hill, Michael Laverty, Shane Byrne, Ryuichi Kiyonari, John Hopkins and...

Ducati wins UK trade award

20 January 2012 by Sam Loveridge

Ducati has won a UK trade award in recognition of its achievements in 2011. The ‘Brand Recognition Award’ is part of the UK-Italy Business Awards, organised by the British Government to formally...

Video: 2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400 flat out

20 January 2012 by MCN

Want to know how fast Kawasaki’s new ZZR1400 is? Check out the on board video as MCN road tester Adam Child holds it flat out around Nardo’s test facility in southern Italy. Adam pushes the new ZZR to...

Video: New Avon 3D Ultra sports tyre

20 January 2012 by Marc Abbott

British firm Avon have just released this video of their new 3D Ultra sports tyre. It’s chock-full of info on the new rubber’s construction. Here’s the lowdown…

Destination dealer: Motorcyclesdirect

19 January 2012 by MCN

ADVERTISING FEATURE Motorcyclesdirect.co.uk supply brand new Kawasaki and Sym motorcycles at the best UK prices. They check their competitors’ prices daily and keep their site up to date with the best...

Video: Kawasaki Versys 1000 takes on R1200GS and Tiger 1050

19 January 2012 by MCN

Kawasaki’s controversial new Versys 1000 has set the cat amongst the adventure bike pigeons this week – as proven by MCN’s world exclusive first test of the new monster trailie against its leading...

George White goes into administration

19 January 2012 by Phil West

George White Motors, the UK’s leading motorcycle dealer group, has gone into administration this morning, MCN has learnt. Rumours of the closure began circulating early this morning with suggestions...

First ride! 2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400

19 January 2012 by Phil West

Kawasaki’s updated 2012 ZZR1400 is currently being put through its paces by MCN Senior Road Tester Adam Child at the enormous Nardo speed testing facility in southern Italy. This is what he’s so far...

Join Ross Noble and other biking celebs on Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show rideout

19 January 2012 by MCN

You can rub shoulders with some of Britain’s biggest biking celebs while raising money for biking charity Riders for Health on the way to the Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show. TV comedian Ross Noble...

Thanks for stopping?

18 January 2012 by JimKnight

On tuesday January 17 I was hit by a car on the A40 near Northolt by a lady in a black saloon. She decided to take advantage of a space in lane 2 which had just started moving about 5mph faster than lane 3 in which she was situated. Unfortunately she neglected to observe that there was an obstruction – me on my ER-6F (Hi-Vis included). God only knows how I managed to stay upright. The driver...

Simoncelli not forgotten

18 January 2012 by John Westlake

The reverberations from Marco Simoncelli’s tragic death last year are still being felt in his native Italy. At a Serie A match between Napoli and Bologna on Sunday night, the home side presented his...

Honda reveals new finance deals

18 January 2012 by Andy Downes

Honda has revealed details of a host of new offers and finance deals on new motorcycles and scooters which will run until March 31. The deals even include the new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade which is...

Video: KTM 350 EXC-F long term test report

18 January 2012 by Marc Potter

Getting stuck upside-down in a ditch wearing your bike on top of you, watching it overheat as you get stuck between two tree trunks, or getting roosted in clods of mud by your mates. These have become...

Friends and Fans SuperSic58

17 January 2012 by Sandra McGuinness

My husband and I have been big MotoGP fans for quite sometime now and had in recent years been following the career of an upcoming rising star. Marco Simoncelli was larger than life both on and off...

Yamaha V-Max stars in new Ghost Rider movie

17 January 2012 by Sam Loveridge

Yamaha’s 200bhp V-Max is the two-wheeled star of the new Ghost Rider movie due out shortly, replacing the custom Harley-Davidson that featured in the original film. The sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of...

New MCN January 18: Rossi on thin ice?

17 January 2012 by Liam Marsden

In this week’s issue of MCN, on sale Wednesday January 18, we test the new Kawasaki Versys 100 against the BMW R1200GS and Triumph Tiger 1050. Can the inline-four cylinder Versys knock the R1200GS off...

Aprilia announces SRV850 price

16 January 2012 by Sam Loveridge

The new Aprilia SRV850 superscooter will retail for £7799 when it goes on sale in February, Aprilia has revealed. Aprilia claims the SRV, which is essentially a facelifted Gilera GP800, combines the...

Video - John McGuinness: 'It’s good to be fast, fat and old'

16 January 2012 by MCN

17 wins may have cemented John McGuinness as the greatest TT superbike rider ever, but in just a few days he’ll be well and truly out of his comfort zone. On Feb 2-5 he’ll be competing against Chris...

Kawasaki dealers launch 2012 range on 2 February

16 January 2012 by Andy Downes

More than 70 Kawasaki dealers on the evening of February 2 will be launching four new-for-2012 motorcycles, with each event also including some free prizes in a countrywide free-to-enter draw. New...

Bike test 2013 petition

16 January 2012 by sammycw50

We have seen the new test regime for 2013 and have created an e-petition to stop the test. Please fill it in: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/27455

Video: Dougie Lampkin – extreme antisocial behaviour!

14 January 2012 by MCN

By day he’s the mild-mannered 12-times World Trials Champion, but by night Dougie Lampkin roams the streets in pursuit of an ASBO. This should do it – breaking and entering the ExCel arena where in...

Details of new licence regime confirmed

13 January 2012 by Steve Farrell

Details of a new motorcycle licence regime to be implemented next year have been confirmed by the Driving Standards Agency. The new rules will limit all riders under 19 to 125cc machines and...

Stolen vehicle squad saved

13 January 2012 by Steve Farrell

One of the country’s last remaining police stolen vehicle squads has been saved from closure. The Met’s stolen vehicle unit, which has worked to jail organised bike thieves with undercover stings and...

Stolen vehicle squad saved

13 January 2012 by Steve Farrell

One of the country’s last remaining police stolen vehicle squads has been saved from closure. The Met’s stolen vehicle unit, which has worked to jail organised bike thieves with undercover stings and...

Poll: Retro Scott race suit

13 January 2012 by Liam Marsden

MCN road tester Adam ‘Chad’ Child has just taken delivery of this new leather race suit, made by British firm Scott. The suit is based on the suits worn by Barry Sheene and Mick Grant in 1977 and...

Living with a Tiger

13 January 2012 by neil fitzgibbon

My Caspian blue Tiger 1050 was released to me on April 23, 2009 and now, two years 10 months later with 52,000 miles on the clock how has it behaved? In the main, fine As soon as I took delivery I had a long weekend to get the first service out of the way and gave it a decent run; London to Fort William and over to the Isle of Bute, stopping at Glasgow enroute. So I was able to give the luggage...

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