June

KTM 250 EXC-F first ride

04 July 2013 by Jon Bentman

KTM dominate off-road sport with over 200 world championships under their belt. And they dominate because every year, without fail, the Austrian manufacturer makes its bikes better, sometimes...

Lexmoto ZSX125 first ride

03 July 2013 by Phil West

Lexmoto’s new ZSX125 is a good indicator of how far – and fast – the much-maligned Chinese motorcycle industry has come in recent years, being not just as keenly priced as ever but also now being...

Staff Blog: How’s that for the ultimate in accessories?

01 July 2013 by Alison Silcox

I’m not a slave to fashion and wouldn’t normally be classed as a girlie-girl but as a bit of fun I thought I’d add a little colour coded accessory to my Fazer8, well not exactly to the bike but more...

Staff Blog: Pushing the limit

25 June 2013 by Liam Marsden

When I picked the Victory Judge up from Victory UK I remember Victory UK’s PR man telling me I’d want to start looking for a petrol station pretty sharpish after 120 miles. He also said if the petrol...

Staff Blog: In search of confidence

24 June 2013 by Tony Hoare

I’ve started to try and get to the bottom of the confidence issue I reported in the paper last week, which has left me with chicken strips on the Street Triple R’s Pirelli tyres. First step was to...

Staff Blog: Friday Night is Rideout Night!!!

24 June 2013 by Alison Silcox

Following my recent appeal to you lovely blog readers I’ve just spent a cracking weekend riding the Yamaha Fazer8 round North Norfolk visiting some little gems that you recommended. I’m going to be...

Staff Blog: Hyperstrada at Snetterton and beyond

20 June 2013 by Michael Neeves

I took my Hyperstrada for a blast around the Snetterton 300 circuit on Monday – my second trackday of the year on the Ducati. I was there helping fellow MCN-er, Andy Davidson, who was doing his first...

Staff Blog: Bavaria and back on the Beemer

19 June 2013 by Steve Hunt

The BMW F800GT is a tourer. So far I’ve covered just short of three thousand miles worth of short trips to and from various parts of the country – living out of the panniers for the occasional odd...

Staff Blog: I bet it won’t go off-road…

19 June 2013 by Richard Newland

Whether I’m picking up a curry on a Saturday night, filling up with petrol somewhere, or answering calls from readers who are thinking of buying one (or never buying one) – I’m regularly bombarded by...

Video: MV Agusta F3 800 first ride

18 June 2013 by MCN

We head to Misano to ride MV Agusta’s new F3 800 to see if it’s 173kg and 30bph more in the midrange than its 675 brother means it really has the perfect blend of power and handling.

Staff Blog: Did You Ride to Work Today?

17 June 2013 by Alison Silcox

It’s Ride to Work Day today and after my early morning ride to the office here’s the photo of my Yamaha Fazer8 in the car park at MCN Towers! As you can see there’s only me and a couple...

Staff Blog: It’s a Family Affair!!

17 June 2013 by Alison Silcox

After four and a half long years my other half and I went for our first ride out together over the weekend. Mark was involved in a start-line crash at Brands Hatch when racing his Suzuki SV650 in the...

Staff Blog: Black Bikes...

14 June 2013 by Tim Thompson

I love the idea of black bikes. They’re the stealth option. In 2013 black also seems like the sensible choice for a sports bike like the GSX-R750, not so much because it helps you slip unnoticed from...

Michelin v Pirelli

14 June 2013 by Michael Neeves

I’ve spent this week getting to know the new Pirelli Angel GT tyres I fitted on Monday. I’ve been using my bike for commuting to work and the other day I rode the 320-mile round trip down to Ramsgate...

Staff blog: In defence of the Burgman, pt 1

13 June 2013 by Steve Farrell

I’m experiencing mild frustration at some of the preconceptions I’ve encountered about the Burgman. If you’ve read my replies to reader comments under my previous blog entries, you may have detected a...

Kawasaki Z1000 owners needed!

12 June 2013 by MCN

MCN is looking for Kawasaki Z1000 owners for an upcoming feature. We’re specifically looking for owners of: 2003-2006 original pea shooter exhaust model 2007 – 2009 second generation 2010 – current...

Video: New BMW F800 GS Adventure first ride

12 June 2013 by MCN

The ‘baby’ version of BMW’s ever-popular Adventure bike gets put through it’s paces in deepest Wales. Will it live up to the reputation gained by it’s elder sibling?

Staff Blog: Please don't kill me

11 June 2013 by Tony Hoare

Well that was the scariest, most bum-puckery, head-duckery moment I’ve had since I got back on a bike in the Spring. Casually riding south on the A1, thinking about whether to make one more overtake...

Staff Blog: Not so naked now

10 June 2013 by Andy Davidson

I have finally fitted a screen from German firm MRA. The aftermarket plastic is not specifically designed for the Z800 but is a racing screen built for newer, aggressively-styled naked bikes. I fitted...

Staff Blog: Barely a sign of 6000 miles ridden

10 June 2013 by Andy Downes

The odometer clicked through 6000 miles on the Multistrada 1200 S Touring on the way to work this morning and in light of this approaching milestone I spent three hours giving the bike a deep clean...

Staff Blog: Hyperstrada Tyre Testing

10 June 2013 by Michael Neeves

I’m working my way through as many new-for-2013 tyres as I can for this year, so I can see what the tyre companies have been up to. With each new generation of tyre, we get more bang for our buck. The...

Staff Blog: Thanks for all your suggestions

10 June 2013 by Alison Silcox

Further to my previous blog I’ve been really chuffed with the amount of reponses I’ve received so thank you. My route around North Norfolk is taking shape nicely with the addition of a particularly...

Staff Blog: Get your thinking caps on......I need your help!!!

08 June 2013 by Alison Silcox

With the sun shining and hopefully continuing to shine for some weeks to come I’m planning to ride as much as I can and need your help. My next planned jaunt is to the North Norfolk coast in a couple...

Staff Blog: Passports at the ready

07 June 2013 by Tony Hoare

There’s always a tingle that comes with the thought of riding abroad. And, now the working day is coming to a close, I’m feeling the tingle. The sun’s shining, the TT commentary is piping out of the computer and I’m headed for Belgium on the Street Triple R. It’s not designed for touring, but you can go anywhere on anything if you’re in the mood. Which I am. The ride is part of my girlfriend,...

Staff Blog: Mud flinging

07 June 2013 by Liam Marsden

Senior Editor Richard Newland’s BMW R1200GS isn’t the only longtermer with a mud-flinging problem, the Judge has one too. On damp, wet or just plain dirty roads the front wheel throws up a lot of...

Staff Blog: Finding time for the Hyperstrada

06 June 2013 by Michael Neeves

I’ve never known it to be so busy in MCN Road Test land, so I find myself away travelling lots. It means that sometimes I’m riding my Hyperstrada every day and occasionally weeks will go by where it...

MV Agusta F3 800 ridden!

06 June 2013 by Michael Neeves

MV Agusta’s brand new £11,499 F3 800 is currently being put through its paces at Misano in Italy by MCN Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves. Here are his first impressions: “The new machine is...

Staff Blog: Deflated at Donington

05 June 2013 by Steve Hunt

Being responsible for the online aspect of Motorcyclenews, I don’t get much of a chance to leave the office and the phosphorous glow of the monitor screens. So, when I had the opportunity to spend...

Staff Blog: Swings and roundabouts

05 June 2013 by Richard Newland

Every bike will delight and frustrate you to some extent – it’s an inevitable truth. While touches of pure and simple genius will provide fodder to evangelise to your friends, there will always be...

Staff Blog: Welcome back CBR500

03 June 2013 by Andy Calton

When the first Yamaha FZR600 came out back in the day (1990) I was all over it like a rash. The black and pink paintscheme may have been a little ‘let’s go disco’ naff but these were the days of the...

First middle age fumblings with a Ducati

03 June 2013 by Jeff Patrick

On a weekend where the sun sat high and my adrenaline ran free, it seemed appropriate in the infancy of middle age to throw my leg over my first ever Ducati and see what Hampshire’s bountiful roads had to offer. The bike in question was a 2013 Panigale, which, with its £5,000 insurance excess had the temperature up before the very obliging salesman even turned the key and fired up what can only be...

Staff Blog: I Love Sunny Saturday Rides!

03 June 2013 by Alison Silcox

What glorious weather, waking up on Saturday morning with sun streaming through the window I had no excuse but to get out on the Yamaha Fazer8 and ride. My other half was helping mates at the Bemsee...