Bike news

Highways Agency’s wind warning for bikers

09 January 2008 by MCN

The Highways Agency is warning motorcyclists to take extra care in high winds and rain over the course of tonight and tomorrow (January 9/10). Gale-force and severe gale-force winds are expected...

2008 FIM Red Bull Motocross of Nations at Donington

09 January 2008 by Dave

2008 MXDN at DONINGTON ! 2008 FIM Red Bull Motocross of Nations in Donington Park FUNCHAL, 9 January 2008 Following the cancellation of the location Moneyglass Demesne due to lack of infrastructure and improvement to the venue, Youthstream and Donington Park found an agreement for the organization of the 2008 FIM Red Bull Motocross of Nations. Dr. Wolfgang Srb, CMS President, was delighted with...

Freebird falls short

09 January 2008 by Steve Farrell

New biker movie Freebird is described in the makers’ bumf as a cross between the cult classics Withnail & I and Quadrophenia, but it’s more like Pirates of the Caribbean on bikes. MCN attended an...

A Good Day!!

09 January 2008 by Gazza

What better way to spend Christmas. Snowboarding in Andorra and catching up with the MCN 2007 review!

Picture gallery: BMW's uncrashable motorcycle patent drawings

09 January 2008 by Liam Marsden

Here are all the pictures of BMW’s patent design for an “uncrashable” motorcycle. The system works through a system of pivots and hydraulics to move the wheels about. Even the handle bars can be moved...

Honda CB1100 concept gallery: Honda CB1100R and CB1100F

09 January 2008 by Liam Marsden

Here you can download exclusive wallpapers of Honda’s two new protype motorcycles. The Honda CB1100F and the Honda CB1100R. See the latest pictures of the CB1100 here Whether it is the naked CB1100F...

Video: Carole Nash Britain's got biking talent winner

09 January 2008 by Michael Neeves

This very special Kawasaki is the winner of the ‘Britain’s Got Biking Talent’ competition we ran last year with Carole Nash; seeing off over 4500 entries. Check out our video to see what makes this 170bhp ZXR1200 so special and more importantly what it’s like to ride. For a full report, check it out in this week’s MCN (Wednesday, 9th January).

Radical Ducati Cafe Racer

09 January 2008 by Ben Purvis

Spanish tuner Radical Ducati is set to launch its first complete homologated road bike later this month – the RAD 02 Cafe Racer. Designed around Ducati’s two-valve and three-valve V-twin engines, the...

Road Tax rip off

09 January 2008 by Brian Clark

I am writing to bring to the attention of MCN readers the address of a petition against motorcycle tax – http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Motorbike/. I own a Renault Megane 1.5Dci which is tax band B. 101 – 120g/km of CO gas. This means I pay £35 a year. I also own a Kawasaki ER-6N Euro III spec. I pay £64 a year according to the Documents that came with the Bike. The ER-6N pumps out 1.04g/km of CO gas.

MCN Daily: Your daily video motorcycle news for 08/01/08

08 January 2008 by Daniel Thornton, Angus Farquhar

In episode 23 of the MCN Daily motorcycle news show we hear that the Honda CB100R concept could make it to production, Ducati puts it’s MotoGP bike on ice and Johnathan Rea puts on a good show in Philip Island  Subscribe to this podcast with RSS  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in just three minutes then email us here to let us know what you think of...

Lincolnshire's hidden cameras

08 January 2008 by coffee

We always need plenty of luck in Lincolnshire – they hide speed cameras behind trees or signs, pull us up at every oppurtunity and now it’s hidden cameras, just for bikes. Never mind all the other idiots on the pot holed roads. We even have pace cars doing 35 in a 50!

Video: Freebird: trailer for new British motorcycle film

08 January 2008

Cancer deflecting motorcycle seat patent

08 January 2008 by Liam Marsden

Randall Dale Chipkar, the barmy Canadian motorcyclist who claimed that motorcycles cause cancer, has been granted a UK patent on his “electromagnetic shielding motorcycle seat”. The book, entitled...

First Impressions - Yamaha xs650

08 January 2008 by Mark Arians

For all of us there seems to be a golden era in our youth when our pay packets were bigger than our debts. A period when the demands on our time were pretty much limited to the hours per day it took to earn a wage. Our days off belonged to us. If you were like me they were spent on a motorcycle. Every Saturday morning, rain hail or shine I’d meet up with a mate. We’d take a brief look at the sky...

Sporty days.

08 January 2008 by Mark Arians

Twenty one years ago Harley Davidson re introduced the 883 ‘Sporster’. It came at a time when only Harley die hards looked forward to the latest offerings from Milwaukee. Japan was well and truly King of the two wheel domain. Reliable four cylinder, fully faired, race replicas from the land of the rising sun had eclipsed all before them. I was twenty one and in the market for my first new bike!...

Lonely Planet guide to Costa Rica

08 January 2008 by Lonely Planet

The latest in our series of Lonely Planet guides takes us to Costa Rica. Click here to check out the full range of guides online. Mention Costa Rica and people think paradise. The country’s...

Peugeot Vivacity 3 gets major upgrade

08 January 2008 by Liam Marsden

Peugeot’s  50cc 2-stroke Vivacity 3 scooter has been given a complete overhaul for 2008, to become a mini-GT scooter. The French firm upgraded the Vivacity after a survey of urban scooter riders...

Harden the fuck up

08 January 2008 by brutale r

I’m nearly 50 and I’ve rode bikes since I was 15 I am realy getting sick of hearing so called bikers say we should be good little girls and boys and not speed, ride noisy bikes, and we should all wear amarni suits and ride very quiet BMW R65’s. Maybe we should take a leaf out of the angels, outlaws n rats form one big group and help each other out when needed, most people buy bikes ‘cos they love...

Video: Moto Guzzi's Stelvio first ride

08 January 2008 by Michael Neeves, Howard Boylan

In our world Exclusive video test, Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves travels to Italy to ride Moto Guzzi’s brand new Stelvio. This is the Italian firm’s answer to the mighty BMW R1200GS, but is it any good? Check out the video and the full report in this week’s MCN to find out…

Honda CB1100R concept could reach production

08 January 2008 by Ben Purvis

The designer of Honda’s stunning CB1100R concept bike has said he would like to see the machine reach production. The retro-styled race-rep was the star of the Tokyo Motor Show last October. Now,...

UK Potholes costing £billions

08 January 2008 by Chris Newbigging

A car warranty firm claims that potholed UK roads are costing motorists billions of pounds in repairs. Warranty Direct used claim data from nearly 500,000 cars and found that over one third and up to...

hell's grannie

07 January 2008 by Duff one

Paignton in winter

MCN Daily 07/01/08: Your daily video motorcycle news

07 January 2008 by Angus Farquhar

In the 22nd episode of the MCN Daily news show we learn that Lincolnshire police are to use hidden speed cameras to target bikes, one Youtube speeder has posted a video of a 189mph ride and Nick Sanders has defied terrorist threats by vowing to continue his Africa expedition.  Subscribe to this podcast with RSS  Subscribe with iTunes Check out the video below to catch up with all the news in...

Suzuki announce 0% finance offer

07 January 2008 by Liam Marsden

Suzuki has announced a new 0% APR finance offer on selected models for 2008. The scheme offers a 30 month 0% APR finance with a minimum deposit of £1. The offer will be available on the V-Strom 1000,...

Fastest ever YouTube rider

07 January 2008 by Steve Farrell

Police are hunting a rider who appears to hit 189mph on UK roads in a YouTube clip. The speed is thought to be the fastest ever recorded on UK roads and posted on a film sharing site. It’s the latest in a series of clips that have prompted police to launch a clampdown in which riders’ homes have been searched and computer equipment seized. It shows onboard footage of a Kawasaki ZX-10R on the...

Video: Onboard lap of Jerez

07 January 2008 by Angus Farquhar

Last year MCN road-tester Michael Neeves rode his long-term test Yamaha R1 down to Jerez for a bit of fun and a track school with the Masterclass race school and was taught the ropes by none other than ex-MotoGP god, Jeremy McWilliams. We’ve already shown you the highlights of the school in a previous video but dreadging through the archive we realised that the onboard footage from the session was...

Nick Sanders defies terrorist threat and continues trip

07 January 2008 by Chris Newbigging

Round-the-world record holder Nick Sanders is to continue leading a group of motorcyclists across Africa to Timbuktu despite terrorist threats which lead to the cancellation of the Paris-Dakar...

Lincolnshire police target bikes with hidden cameras

07 January 2008 by Chris Newbigging

Lincolnshire police forces are to use hidden speed cameras to catch speeding motorcyclists in the county. Police claim that nearly one quarter of the 79 road deaths on Lincolnshire roads were...

MCN in Hawaii

07 January 2008 by Phil Greenough

On honeymoon on Waikiki beach, Hawaii, after getting hitched in Las Vegas! Phil, Stockport.

MCN Babe entry 67: Sophie Reade

07 January 2008 by MCN

Name: Sophie Reade Are you single? Yes What makes you stand out from the crowd? My good looks, fabulous body and outgoing personality Vote for Sophie: By text: BABE67 to 84188* By email: BABE67 T&C’s...

Bracket for Garmin Zumo 550

06 January 2008 by Ned Gaunt

My wife and I travel around europe each year with friends and have recently purchased a GTR1400. This year we have organised a trip to Slovenia and Croatia and have now added a Garmin Zumo550 to our...

The Deiseleers

05 January 2008 by Anonymous

A couple of weeks ago I watched a program called Last Chance Driving School. In this program there was a young lad talking about him and his mates going drifting in their cars. But what these prats do is poor deisel on the tarmac so that they get a better slide. I can’t understand what goes through their minds. The driving instructor he was with did’nt even tell him what sort of accident he...

DVLA license cock up

05 January 2008 by pete v

Similar scenario with the DVLA except with car entitlement. They only have record of my full bike licence. Both tests were taken & passed in 1982. I discovered this when police stopped me in the car before christmas. I phoned Swansea, quoted my licence number and they suggested I send my licence in. I do not intend doing so unless they provide me with proof of at least motorcycle entitlement. If...

Pennis Lane

05 January 2008 by angeward

My partner Del can’t go anywhere without his copy of MCN. Nice little country lanes backing on to Brands Hatch were found to be quite interesting! Mind you, made me smile…

Video: Police clampdown on YouTube racers

04 January 2008 by Steve Farrell

Riders who post clips of themselves speeding on the internet face having their homes raided and computer equipment seized, police have warned. They say they are monitoring film sharing sites such as YouTube.com and will leave no stone unturned in the search for culprits. The warning came after a clip emerged of a motorcyclist hitting an indicated 180mph. The clip, on the website LiveLeak.com,...

You Tube video plonkers

04 January 2008 by rushybike

I have read all the comments about the idiots uploading video of themselves gunning it and then being thick enough to be traced. Totally agree that these nutters deserve what they get when the cops turn up. It absolutely does nothing but give the anti motorbike lobby ready made grenades to throw! I know there is little we can do to stop anyone posting just about anything to Youtube, however, I...