Latest Motorbike News

Piaggio MP3 Hybrid: MCN rides the world’s first hybrid motorcycle

10 July 2009 by Chris Newbigging

Piaggio’s MP3 Hybrid is the first motorcycle in the world to combine a petrol engine with an electric motor to reduce emissions and increase economy – but our first ride shows the technology isn’t...

Harley-Davidson XR1200 race bike

10 July 2009 by Laura Kennerley

A month before Harley Davidson’s international Race of Stars at Silverstone, MCN has tested the XR1200 they’ll be riding. Read the Harley-Davidson XR1200 review The XR1200 race bike has been...

Aprilia sports 600s on the cards?

10 July 2009 by Laura Kennerley

The Piaggio group, which owns Aprilia, Gilera and Derbi has told investors it intends to develop a range of sports bikes with mid-sized engines for the American market, MCN can reveal. Find an...

Z1000 ride out

10 July 2009 by stevez1000

A recent ride out on the moors roads south of Stanhope on my Titanium Z1000. To join the modern zed owners club go to www.zedoc.co.uk or www.zedoc.co.nr for local and national meets, technical help...

Stunning new McQueen clothing range

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

Clothing firm Harvey Mushman has just launched this new range of super-cool Steve McQueen kit that’s due to go on sale in the next couple of weeks. Compare and buy casual motorcycle clothing Six...

Ducati Streetfighter gets Akrapovic treatment

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

You may have already seen it in this week’s MCN, but here it is in all its glory – the new Akrapovic offering for the Ducati Streetfighter. The hugely popular racing exhaust manufacture has developed...

2009 Honda Fireblade gets four Akrapovic options

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

Four aftermarket exhaust variations have just been made available for the new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade ABS courtesy of Akrapovic. Compare and buy motorcycle exhausts Two slip-ons and two full...

Yamaha turbo diesel

10 July 2009 by Laura Kennerley

Yamaha is developing an inline-four intercooled and turbocharged diesel engine, according to patents unearthed by American journalists. The Japanese manufacturer has filed a number of patents,...

Akrpaovic for Ducati Monster 696

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

Two new exhaust slip-on options have been launched by Akrapovic for the middleweight Ducati Monster 696. There’s a street-legal slip-on and an open slip-on which are 1.94kg lighter than the standard...

Arai Schwantz and Fluor Chasers available

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

Arai has released two new designs on its popular Chaser model available immediately; the Schwantz Redesign and Fluor Yellow. Kevin Schwantz is one of the most popular racers of all time and the new...

R&G celebrates 10 years

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

2009 sees R&G Racing celebrating 10 years of manufacturing innovative crash protection for motorcycles. And the R&G Racing team say that with their decade celebrated this year they’ve sold around...

New bikers warning triangle

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

A new ‘foldaway’ warning triangle specifically designed for, and aimed at, bikers has just been launched. The product complies with E.U. requirements and is a ‘must’ for bikers travelling in Europe.

New bike kit storage from Motrax

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

Motrax has just announced this new wall-mounted heavy-duty helmet and suit tidy with sturdy hanger and full-length dust cover. It has a heavy-duty welded steel construction and a powder coated...

HJC launch high definition lens

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

A number of HJC’s models are ‘HD ready’ – they come with internal sun visors already fitted which can be replaced with a ‘High Definition’ lens. The yellow pigment embedded in the lens brightens up a...

New Suzy Perry endorsed BKS range

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

These are some of the new items in the BKS Suzy Perry range that’s just about to launch. Suzy her self said: “I’m really excited to be involved with this project from such an early stage. Compare and...

New Nuvo Union helmet

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

Nuvo has just added this new design to the hugely popular SP2 road helmet called the Union. For the best levels of fit and comfort the Nuvo SP2 shell is available in four sizes and, complete with a...

New Leo Vince exhaust for Aprilia RSV4

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

Italian exhaust manufacturers LeoVince are no stranger to performance exhausts for Italian bike brands like Aprilia and Ducati, with top race teams running their systems. Compare and buy motorcycle exhausts And now LeoVince is releasing no less than four exhausts for Aprilia’s latest big bike, the RSV4-Factory: two slip-on’s and two complete systems. You’ll find many exhaust designs in the...

R&G release top ten bike fitments in last decade

10 July 2009 by Rob Hull

R&G has just released their top ten most popular sports bike fitments as part of their celebratory 10 year anniversary, with Yamaha’s YZF-R1 coming out on top. Buy R&G crash bungs for your...

Video: Onboard the Desmosedici RR at Donington

09 July 2009 by James Keen

Go onboard with Ducati test rider Vito Guareschi as he puts in a few fast laps on the Desmosedici RR at Donington Park. Find a Ducati for sale Read the MCN Ducati Desmosedici RR review

Ride a Ducati two-seater at Donington

09 July 2009 by MCN

Riders for Health are giving people the once-in-a-lifetime chance to ride on the back of a MotoGP bike with the MotoX2 Ducati at Donington Park. This is an incredible chance to take to the Donington...

New rear wheels for Kawasaki ER5

09 July 2009 by Rob Hull

The Kawasaki ER5 has been one of the most successful budget commuter bikes of the last decade, and although it’s been replaced by the ER6 in the Kawasaki line-up, the ER5 is still used by many novice...

New Moto Hispania NK1 arrives in UK

09 July 2009 by MCN

The Moto Hispania KN1 125 is the latest bike from the Spanish manufacturer to go on sale in the UK. The KN1 uses the same water-cooled 125cc engine as the sporty Yamaha YZF-R125. The engine is wrapped...

Tech guide: How the Honda VFR1200 can switch from V4 to parallel twin

09 July 2009 by Ben Purvis

The Honda V4’s radical design means that the 200bhp engine’s cylinders can be shut down, turning the V4 into a parallel-twin, so it can sip fuel on the commute and chase superbikes at the weekend. ...

Ducati Desmosedici RR at G8 Summit

09 July 2009 by MCN

A Ducati Desmosedici RR with a one-off paint job suggested by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will be showcased at the G8 Summit of world leaders this week, before being auctioned. The...

Cycle group fights motorcycles in bus lanes

09 July 2009 by Steve Farrell

A cycle group has renewed a call for complaints about a trial of motorcycles in bus lanes despite growing evidence it hasn’t affected safety. Six months into the 18-month trial Transport for London...

Making an import road legal

09 July 2009 by Marc Abbott

The regulations for getting a bike legal on UK roads have been getting more complicated over the years and it’s easy to get confused if you have a bike that’s out of the ordinary, like a...

Poll: 2WD R1 - the future or gimmick?

09 July 2009 by MCN

MCN is the only publication in the world to have ridden the Ohlins two-wheel-drive Yamaha R1. But here’s the question: Is 2WD the future of motorcycling or is it a pointless gimmick? Read our FAQ and...

Police and MCN raid bike thief's house

09 July 2009 by Rupert Paul

MCN has witnessed first hand how modern bike thieves operate after joining a police raid in a leafy, well-to-do suburb of a southern English town last week. You see them smashing doors down on...

Sheffield’s bus lanes opened to motorcyclists

09 July 2009 by Laura Kennerley

Motorcyclists have won the right to use Sheffield’s bus lanes permanently. City councillors voted to allow motorcyclists to use all of the city’s bus lanes with immediate effect following a...

Video: GP style exhaust released for the Aprilia RSV4

09 July 2009 by James Keen

Carbon Can Co. have released a GP Style exhaust for the Aprilia RSV4. Watch the clip below to hear it in action. Compare and buy motorcycle exhausts The Aprilia RSV4 MotoGP exhaust costs from...

Glos bikers lose a champion

09 July 2009 by George Ridgeon

1960s & 70s bikers & racing enthusiasts will be mourning the loss Friday 2pm St Christopher’s Warden Hill Cheltenham, GL51 3DD of Don Browning (reported in local echo). Don Browning better known...

At the beach in Aberystwyth

08 July 2009 by Anonymous

A picture of me, Stuart Hemmings, and my mates Rob Davies, and Luke Morris from Leominster, on a ride out to the beach in Aberystwyth.

Police release new Bikesafe video

08 July 2009 by Anonymous

New bikesafe video from the police

Hawg Haven’s Terry Clarke dies

08 July 2009 by Chris Newbigging

Terry ‘Nobby’ Clarke, one of the duo who formed Norfolk-based custom shop Hawg Haven, died suddenly on July 3. Clarke’s engineering expertise helped create some of Hawg Haven’s most recognisable...

Bikes on TV: July 8-14

08 July 2009 by Alison Silcox

KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT – Discovery Real Time SHED – Discovery Shed (used to be DRTE) DSC – Discovery Channel DHD – Discovery Channel HD EXS – Extreme Sports Channel MM – Men and Motors MOT – Motors...

Win Donington MotoGP hospitality tickets with Dewalt

08 July 2009 by James Keen

Dewalt are offering you the chance to win a pair of hospitality tickets to the Donington MotoGP round. Along with the hospitality tickets the winner will also have exclusive access to the Dewalt...

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