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Don't forget to renew your license

17 July 2008 by R Harris

Hi just thought tou should let you know (as some may not) that the first batch of photo driving licence’s will be comming up for renewal soon. If you check the pink card licence look on the front for section 4b this gives the renewal date, it costs £17.50 plus the new photos. Be warned failure to renew will lead to a fine and the cancellation of your entitlements. Could be a lot of people don’t...

A great confidence booster

17 July 2008 by Dave Ensor

My girlfreind, Laura passed her test last year (to the day) and for her birthday I bought her an activity at the Ron Haslam Race School to help her with confidence and handling craft. Therefore we were not at work so we were unable to ride to work on our bikes. We would have done. Much rather her ride around Donington. As for the riding – she couldn’t believe that this tarmac was the same as Rossi...

Carl Fogarty to take part in Iron Butt

17 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

Carl Fogarty to take part in Iron Butt

Carl Fogarty is set to make his return to competitive riding by taking part in the Iron Butts challenge later this year. Foggy has agreed to head up a celebrity team in the event, which aims to...

Online service compares petrol prices across UK

17 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

Online service compares petrol prices across UK

Traffic information website Keepmoving.co.uk is preparing to launch a petrol price comparison feature tomorrow. Anti-bike petrol stations Pro-bike petrol stations The petrol comparison feature will...

Lucky Escape on the commute

17 July 2008 by Paul Forrester

Nothing new with riding to work, I do it every shift – I always have always will. But a recent journey home was the luckiest journey of my life. I was ‘making progress’ down the dual carriageway heading towards Reading on the A33 gaining rapidly on a white hatchback. Nothing new there. Well, not util his bonnet came off! He slewed across the carriageway into my path and I was hit by debris, but...

Ride to work / track day

16 July 2008 by Stavros7

Re: Ride to work day hmmm – could you maybe modify the title to say ‘Ride to Work / Track day’? :o) Today I had the day off work and was fortunate enough to enjoy my first ever track day – and at Donington Park’s full GP circuit no less – all via Ron Haslam’s superb Race School. And yes I did ride there! Cannot recommend it highly enough – was so well organised, the CBR600RR was a dream to ride...

Is Birmingham biker-friendly?

16 July 2008 by Mike

Today I was slammed with a £50 penalty notice for “illegal” parking in the not so biker-friendly Broad Street area of Birmingham by ICC. There is no provision of motorcycle parking spaces in a public car park near my appointment at ICC but I paid the price for unselfishly parking my bike in an unparkable corner of this car park!

Banned from riding my motorcycle by my employer

16 July 2008 by John Godwin

I would love to have ridden my bike work on Ride to Work Day but unfortunately I work for a company contracted to National Museums and Galleries in Liverpool and they won’t allow me to park my Triumph Speed Triple in their car parks. I’ve tried explaining I’m doing my bit to cut congestion and emissions but to no avail. Nobody will tell me why I can’t park the bike or who is responsible for the...

Queensferry to Eastham ride to work

16 July 2008 by Anonymous

9:30. Most of the traffic has died down. I don’t want to be dicing with death on the bypass. Death being in the form of left hand drive Polish trucks making the trip from Ireland through Holyhead and past my back yard. I don’t know what the Polish for “Sorry mate I didn’t see you is!” I get the garage open. There she stands in all her red metallic Italian splendour. Check the tyres, the oil, the...

Four wheeled stupidity

16 July 2008 by Beverley

So today, again I hit the road expecting idiots galore and as usual I was not let down. They were out by the score. Do folk hand their brains in before hitting the A52? Or do they only see four wheels and just blank those of us on two? It ain’t that hard to indicate, just flick that little switch then the girl behind won’t have to slam on the anchors. On I went, thinking the madness was over, but...

Solve the conjestion problem, ban all cars

16 July 2008 by Phil Reeves

I am not one of these Sunday morning blast bikers, don’t quite see the appeal. I have plenty else to be doing with my time. However, I hate that rush hour traffic so I commute daily the 30 mile round trip on my bike. Sometimes the M27 car park lives up to its name, other times it would be just as quick in my car. Overall, by the time I have leathered up and de leathered it is probably slower by...

Builder's cups

16 July 2008 by John Lilley

I was going under a single-lane low bridge behind a builder’s flat-bed lorry. The guys in the lorry thought they would have some fun with me and threw their empty plastic coffee cups out of their windows. Cursing quietly to myself I managed to dodge the cups. We emerged on the other side and the lorry guys were too busy watching my progress that they failed to notice an oncoming lorry and smashed...

Bridgnorth Endowed ride to work 2008

16 July 2008 by mike vorwerg

Bridgnorth Endowed ride to work 2008

A really nice sunny Shropshire morning meant that all three staff motorcyclists at Bridgnorth Endowed School had a fun ride to work for Ride to Work Day. Ian Giles travelling in from Albrighton, on...

Every day is Ride to Work Day

16 July 2008 by Richard

I ride to work every day from Guildford to central London through rain, snow, and occasionally sun. Baking and freezing, though more freezing than baking. Past lines of cars and lorries, I try to nod thanks to those that let me through, and curse the ones that seem to deliberately block my path, or just jump lanes without looking behind. Past the accidents where I look for and all too often see a...

Never get complacent!

16 July 2008 by Stephen Lui

I have been riding my Suzuki Bandit 650 to work nearly every day for the past two years without a single problem, scare, or even diesel spill! Apart from today that is. I was enjoying the dry and almost sunny ride to work and was just coming off the last roundabout to work and accelerating up to 30mph when a pedestrian stepped out into the road with out even looking. I was full on the brakes.

Continental facing takeover by Shaeffler Group

16 July 2008 by Sarah Carnell

Tyre manufacturer Continental is facing a takeover by private German company Shaeffler. View tyres for sale here Shaeffler is the world’s biggest maker of ball-bearings and has reportedly offered €10 billion (£7.9 billion) for the takeover. Continental has been valued at €10.9 billion (£8.6 billion) and the company’s share price has halved in recent weeks as rising costs of raw materials takes...

My Goodwood festival of speed pictures

15 July 2008 by Danuiel Green

My Goodwood festival of speed pictures

Goodwood festival of speed!!!! Enclosed are some photos of my day, I would like to congratulate the organisers for a job well done, but we need more motorcycles and legends!! Also lots of thanks to...

Scott Leathers still in business

15 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

Scott Leathers still in business

Scott Leathers is still open for business, despite reports in the Sunday Telegraph that stated the company had gone bust, owner Jim Aird has told MCN. View leather suits for sale here Aird says the...

Sneak preview of new Alpinestars range

15 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

Sneak preview of new Alpinestars range

Alpinestars is set to expand its 2008 range of products on September 1 2008 with the launch of several summer-style products. Shop for Alpinestars gloves Shop for Alpinestars trousers MCN has a...

Swindon to ditch speed cameras

15 July 2008 by Steve farrell

Swindon to ditch speed cameras

A town is to become the first in the UK to ditch speed cameras after the local council branded them “a blatant tax on the motorists”. Conservative-run Swindon Borough Council wants to pull the plug on...

Mobbed after the Heart of England Rally

15 July 2008 by Eddie & Mel

Mobbed after the Heart of England Rally

Upon our return from the Heart of England rally, we were greeted by the mob!!!

Video: Long distance travels on a Victory Vegas

15 July 2008 by Angus Farquhar

My fellow workers here at MCN think the Victory Vegas 8-Ball that I’ve got on long-term-test is only good for slow cruising and showing off so I thought I’d prove them wrong by piling on some serious miles. Check out the video below to see how the Vegas coped with a ride from Peterborough to the Isle of Sky in one day.

Biker killed at speed camera site

15 July 2008 by Steve Farrell

Biker killed at speed camera site

A motorcyclist has died after being rear-ended by a car at a speed camera site. Police have refused to officially confirm details of Saturday’s fatal collision but an insider said the accident report...

Venhill slash throttle and clutch cable prices

15 July 2008 by Michael Carroll

Venhill slash throttle and clutch cable prices

Braided brake line manufacturer Venhill is offering a discount of up to 33% off the combined price of its throttle and clutch cables, as part of a campaign to increase sales in the UK. Anyone ordering...

Ode to an R6

15 July 2008 by Keith Gallier

Ode to an R6

The car sits outside, looking sporty and fun and in the back of my mind I’m thinking ‘Will it still run?’. The oil light is on and the bonnet is broke, I can’t reach the catch – this is my only...

New MCN July 16: The Harley Davidson XR1200 takes on its rivals

15 July 2008 by Liam Marsden

New MCN July 16: The Harley Davidson XR1200 takes on its rivals

In this weeks edition of MCN, Adam ‘Chad’ Child rides Harley Davidson’s new flat-track inspired XR1200 to Spa, in Belgium to see how it fairs against its rivals. The Harley Davidson XR1200 was...

Video: Ronnie Renner breaks world record for high jump

15 July 2008 by Liam Marsden

Freestyle motocrosser Ronnie Renner has broken the world record for the highest jump on a motorcycle. The freestyle rider hit a height of 59 feet, 2 inches on a quarter pipe jump in Santa Monica. It took sixth attempts for Renner to reach the height, which 20,000 people witnessed. Renner originally only had plans to jump 50 feet, but decided to have one more attempt for the crowd. Renner said:...

Unmarked Police Bikes in Kent

14 July 2008 by Anonymous

Kent Police have proudly announced their new unmarked patrol bikes, specifically to “catch thrill-seekers unaware” in their newspaper, “Policing Kent 2008-11”. They also state “riders count for one per cent of the vehicles on the roads, but tragically more than 25% are seriously injured or killed”. What? One in four of us will die this year? Surely some mistake, Mr Plod. I suggest you check you...

RAC says get on a motorcycle and cut carbon emissions

14 July 2008 by Sarah Carnell

RAC says get on a motorcycle and cut carbon emissions

Motoring organisation the RAC says that more people switching to motorcycles could help the Government to achieve its Co2 targets. So far the Government is falling behind its own target to cut carbon...

Video: Harley Davidson XR1200 takes on Ducati's GT1000 and the Moto Guzzi Griso

14 July 2008 by Adam Child

Harley-Davidsons XR1200R challenges the best European retro roadsters available in Ducati’s GT1000 and Moto Guzzi’s 8v 1200 Griso in our video road test. MCN road tester Adam Child took the motorcycles on a european adventure to the Bikes Classics Festival in Spa, Belgium to see legends such as Agostini and John Surtees compete. Watch the video below to see how the Harley-Davidson got on and read...

The bliss of summer commuting

14 July 2008 by David Eatough

The bliss of summer commuting

It’s 9am and my non-fuel injection Honda CBF600 grumbles into life. We head out of the garage with a press of the remote for the roller-shutters and then turn down the street into a blaze of sunshine.

Baby's first MCN

13 July 2008 by Anonymous

Baby's first MCN

This is our nine month old son Preston. He has to have first read of MCN or there will be tears!

mick doohan - star of goodwood

13 July 2008 by steve cuthbert

mick doohan - star of goodwood

I just got back from a fantastic day at goodwood. The organisation was great and the facilities including parking were excellent (take note brands + donington). Thanks to all the riders/drivers who...

Harley Davidson buys MV Agusta and Cagiva

11 July 2008 by Angus Farquhar

Harley Davidson buys MV Agusta and Cagiva

Harley Davidson is buying motorcycle manufacturers MV Agusta and Cagiva in a massive £56 million (70 million Euro) deal. The MV Group is currently owned almost entirely by the Castiglioni family with...

Michael Schumacher on foreign track day with MCN road testers

11 July 2008 by Liam Marsden

Michael Schumacher on foreign track day with MCN road testers

MCN road testers Michael Neeves and Adam Child are currently on a track day on their long-term-test motorcycles at Magny Cours, France, and just happened to bump in to Michael Schumacher. The former...

Bike shop Kickstarted after floods

10 July 2008 by Tim

Bike shop Kickstarted after floods

Upton on Severn reverberated to the sound of a local motorcycle specialist Kickstarting his shop into action, after flooding wiped out the popular Motorcycle workshop for a second time in 2007. “The...