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Forget the GSX-R and R6, this CBR is the ultimate 600

25 November 2001

Forget the GSX-R and R6, this CBR is the ultimate 600

A HONDA CBR600 that costs £17,000 might sound a bit pricey – but its maker reckons this one’s a bargain. And as that maker is the Castrol Honda World Supersport team, and the cost of the parts and...

Four stroke Yamaha gives Max power in tests

25 November 2001

Four stroke Yamaha gives Max power in tests

MAX BIAGGI and Malboro Yamaha team mate Carlos Checa have spoken to MCN after wrapping up their behind-closed-doors test of their new four stroke GP bike. Checa and Biaggi were joined by test rider...

Hodgson joins Radio Four for a week of Biker Tales

25 November 2001

Hodgson joins Radio Four for a week of Biker Tales

RADIO 4 the station better known for The Archers and the shipping forecast are lining up a week of famous, infamous and just plain extraordinary riders. ” Biker Tales ” begins on Monday 3rd December...

Counting the cost

25 November 2001

Counting the cost

On paper, the Fazer’s £7799 rrp doesn’t compare well with the £5995 Honda. Even with £500 lopped off, the Yamaha will still cost £1300 more. But the reality is rather different. A quick flick through...

Longterm test: Aprilia RSV-R

25 November 2001

Longterm test: Aprilia RSV-R

We’ve all had moments when we wish the ground would just open up. Like when you’ve spent the last five minutes saying what a tosser your boss is, only to find him standing behind you. Or when you’ve...

Bostrom and Bayliss 998 replicas ready for Europe

25 November 2001

Bostrom and Bayliss 998 replicas ready for Europe

Ducati have already unveiled the Ben Bostrom replica 998 in the US, but now it’s coming to Europe, and so is World Champion Troy Bayliss’s replica. But while we’ll be getting the 136bhp 998S engine,...

European champion James Ellison tests a Superstock Blade, R1 and GSX-R

25 November 2001

European champion James Ellison tests a Superstock Blade, R1 and GSX-R

We all know people who excel at things that the rest of us find difficult or impossible. They’re the ones who are born with the co-ordination to play a blinding round of golf, the drive to become a...

More than a motorcycle

25 November 2001

More than a motorcycle

It’s a state of mind

Oi, you at the back

25 November 2001

Bikes in this class are bound to spend at least some of the time with a pillion on board, so we did a lap of the lakes to check out the pillion seats with our tester Kev Smith bringing up the rear: HONDA VFR: " THERE’S two grab handles which give your hand plenty of room, but you get much more support from the Triumph’s single handle. The pegs are really low (10mm lower than the previous bike)...

Councils improve bike bay security

25 November 2001

Councils improve bike bay security

LOCAL authorities are finally beginning to actively tackle bike theft by installing more ground anchors in bike parking bays. We reported last month that a new report had highlighted the worst areas...

Everyone’s been so helpful…

25 November 2001

Everyone’s been so helpful…

Pick it up and start again

Ladies: Vote for your hunkiest rider of the year

25 November 2001

Ladies: Vote for your hunkiest rider of the year

LAST month, male motorcyclenews.com users had their chance to vote for the Brolly Babe of the Year. The response was huge but it seems our female visitors felt a bit left out so we’ve decided to give...

Yamaha Fazer and Honda Hornet: head-to-head

25 November 2001

Yamaha Fazer and Honda Hornet: head-to-head

Not many boxing matches are as one-sided as the punch-fest a few days ago when Brit hero Lennox Lewis made Hasim Rahman eat canvas in fine style. This fight certainly seems a lot more evenly-balanced...

First shots from Yamaha’s four stroke GP test

25 November 2001

First shots from Yamaha’s four stroke GP test

This stunning shot is one of the first pictures to emerge from Yamaha’s secret test of their new four stroke GP bike, the M1. It was snapped by our photographer while Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa and test...

Fazer 1000 prices tumble

25 November 2001

Fazer 1000 prices tumble

WHEN we tested Yamaha’s Fazer 1000 alongside the new Honda Hornet 900, the big question was whether the Yam was worth £1800 more than its new rival. Thanks to motorcyclenews.com you don’t have to ask...

Oh, the glamour

25 November 2001

Oh, the glamour

Supersport stars can get wet just like the rest of us

Close racing

25 November 2001

Close racing

Supersport provides some of the closest racing there is

Let us spray

25 November 2001

Let us spray

Supersport in the wet… feel those sphincter muscles tighten

Join the champions at the biggest off-road event of the year

25 November 2001

Join the champions at the biggest off-road event of the year

The second annual Dirt Rider Expo kicks off at the National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry on Thursday, November 29 to Sunday, December 2. The show, already established as the...

Carnell-City offer help to Bikes-uk customers

18 November 2001

Carnell-City offer help to Bikes-uk customers

Those of you who bought service plans with Bikes-uk before it went into receivership are being offered help by Carnell-City. Britain’s biggest chain of dealers is opening up its loyalty service...

Angels with dirty jeans

18 November 2001

Angels with dirty jeans

From stockbrokers to Hell’s Angels… Get a Harley, and you’re in the gang…

Le Mans, Spa and Bol will go ahead in 2002

18 November 2001

Le Mans, Spa and Bol will go ahead in 2002

Thousands of British race fans will be delighted to hear that endurance racing’s big three 24-hour races are set to go ahead – even though they have been axed from the official world championship. Le...

Cowboys and indians

18 November 2001

Cowboys and indians

How does it feel when you’re riding an H-D?

Wow! Look what Yoshimura has done to the GSX-R1000

18 November 2001

Wow! Look what Yoshimura has done to the GSX-R1000

Yoshimura’s new Tornado S-1 is based around the MCN Award-winning Suzuki GSX-R1000 but little of the original remains untouched. The engine’s compression has been raised from 12.0:1 to 13.2:1 by...

First test and video: Honda’s new VFR versus Futura and Sprint ST

18 November 2001

First test and video: Honda’s new VFR versus Futura and Sprint ST

We’ve come to the Lake District, home of wet weather and stunning roads to put the newest Honda VFR through its paces against two of its stiffest competitors. Aprilia’s V-twin RSV Mille-powered Futura...

New firm GluGlu gives us dirt-track style

18 November 2001

Japan is being swept by dirt-track mania, and here’s the cash-in from new firm GluGlu. Taking their styling cues from the all-American XR750 flat-track racer, and popular 70’s colour schemes, dirt-track bikes for the road are proving to be big business. GluGlu uses current production bikes as the donors, namely the Yamaha TRX850 and SRX400/600 as well as the Suzuki Katana 250. There’s even a race...

Watch the test

18 November 2001

Watch the test

To watch the video test and see Marc Potter give you his verdict on the bikes, click on the links on the right of the page.

The racing Harleys

18 November 2001

The 1968 Low Boy factory racer. See, not all Harleys are built for 60mph.

Babe of the Year revealed

18 November 2001

Babe of the Year revealed

ITV2 might be running its Miss World vote at the moment, but we reckon they’ll be hard-pushed to come up with a line-up as hot as our Babes of the Year. We asked you to browse through the honeys who...

Motorcyclenews.com users slam cuts in traffic cops

18 November 2001

There has been an overwhelming response to the news that Nottinghamshire police has decided to scrap their dedicated traffic division. The news of their " redeployment " to other tasks has prompted a flood of condemnation from users of our Talk Boards. dirtync30 said " Have I been in a coma and the world has gone mad in my absence? Scrapping proper coppers and relying purely on cameras is...

Make Ally Pally your New Year’s resolution

18 November 2001

IF the NEC show simply whetted your appetite and you’re looking for another chance to see the best in biking then get down to London at the end of January. The Road Racing & Superbike Show, or Ally Pally Show, will be on from January 26 to February 3. Held at the Alexandra Palace in London, and now in its 23rd year, it is the South’s premier bike show. Over 63,000 visitors attended last year and...

Bikes-uk customers ‘shafted’

18 November 2001

Bikes-uk customers ‘shafted’

RIDERS around the country have been left out of pocket following the decision by Bikes-UK to call in receivers. Bikes-UK has 14 shops and after taking over control of the firm, which is Britain’s...

Custom kings

18 November 2001

Custom kings

No two Harleys should ever be alike…

Aprilia set to launch Blue Marlin

18 November 2001

Aprilia set to launch Blue Marlin

APRILIA has seen the light and is due to put the gorgeous Blue Marlin into production in 2002. The firm intends to make an announcement about its decision at the Bologna Show next month, but spokesman...

Full report on the new VFR

18 November 2001

Full report on the new VFR

November in the Lake District may not seem everyone’s cup of tea. The place has its own climate, with weather that changes around every corner. But that’s just what Gore-Tex was invented for – and...

Careers CD is just the job

18 November 2001

Careers CD is just the job

IF you’ve got a kid who’d like to make a career out of motorcycling, or if you’re a youngster who’d like to yourself, the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI) is offering a helping hand in the form...