Motorcycle First Rides & Tests | Latest Bikes Road Tests

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...

Staff Blog: up close and personal with the Hog

31 May 2013 by Ped Baker

Now I’ve had the Street Bob for a couple of weeks I’ve had the chance to do something I suspect many other Harley owners do – park it on the drive, grab a beer and paw over the details that make the...

Staff Blog: Life with the Hyperstrada so far

30 May 2013 by Michael Neeves

On paper, the new Ducati Hyperstrada is right up my street. It promises supermoto fun and the ability to cover long distances. I’m running one for the 2013 summer season and so far it hasn’t...

Video: Borile 450 Scrambler first ride

30 May 2013 by Michael Neeves

Artisan bike maker Borile is creating its first small-volume, full-production motorcycle, called the B450 which will cost £9650 when it goes on sale in September. We rode the bike in Italy.

Staff Blog: Hello Moto(rrad)

29 May 2013 by MCN

If you’d told me ten years ago that I’d be ecstatic at the prospect of riding an R1200GS as a longterm test bike, I’d have been breathless with laughter before any sort of verbal response could form...

Staff Blog: Time for new shoes!

29 May 2013 by Ian Jubb

Having just clocked up 3000 miles on the RT the rear is starting to square off and with a trip to France looming I figured it’s best to get them switched from the OE Metzeler Roadtec Z8 to the all new...

Staff Blog: I Can See Clearly Now.......

26 May 2013 by Alison Silcox

It’s a couple of weeks without riding for me I’m afraid. After 24 years of being a ‘specy-four-eyes’ I’ve taken the plunge and had lazer eye surgery. You might wonder why I’m writing about this on...

Staff Blog: Fair-weather rider? I wish

24 May 2013 by Tony Hoare

This year I’ve been trying to turn myself into a fair weather rider. Honestly, it’s not me, it’s the bike – I don’t mind riding in the wet and have done thousands of miles in the rain over the...

Video: Bimota DBX first ride

24 May 2013 by MCN

Bimota has a reputation for taking engines from the likes of Ducati or one of the Japanese big four and building something rather special around it. It’s done the same here, but with a twist – taking...

Video: MCN ride Norton's TT challenger

23 May 2013 by MCN

With just days to go before the 2013 TT MCN gained exclusive, extended access over two days to the Norton team. They were preparing to test their new 200bhp V4, £100,000 Senior TT machine, which will...

Video: Ducati Hypermotard new vs old

22 May 2013 by Michael Neeves

Ducati’s new 821cc Hypermotard replaces two old Hypermotards: the little 796 and its bigger brother, the 1100 Evo. It has a similar-size engine to the small one, but more power than the big one, so...

Staff blog: The myth of the Burgman's small tank

22 May 2013 by Steve Farrell

I’ve established the Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS Executive has a much longer tank range than it’s credited with. Some reports have estimated it at 150 miles, probably because the fuel warning starts...

Staff Blog:Tyres changed after 2500 miles in five days

21 May 2013 by Andy Downes

The mobile tyre fitter has just left having swopped the worn out tyres on the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring which had been reduced to near illegal wear depth following my trip to the Ducati...

Staff Blog: All the action from the recent trip

20 May 2013 by Alison Silcox

This week’s issue, on sale 22 May, includes my full report from the recent trip to Normandy. I thought you might find it interesting to see the routes we took each day. Day...

Video: Honda CRF250M first ride

17 May 2013 by MCN

Take the useful, liquid-cooled, four-stroke single out of the popular, learner friendly CBR250R and create a proper trailie around it (the CRF250L). Then let’s go one step further and make a supermoto...

Ultimate Superbikes 1st place: Ducati 1199R Panigale

17 May 2013 by Michael Neeves

Lap time: 1:46.7 Top speed at end of straight: 164.01mph Max braking (g): 1.19 Max lean: 50.94 Why it’s so special Ducati built this homologation special for World Superbike racing. It shares the same...

Staff Blog: Bagging the F800GT

16 May 2013 by Steve Hunt

Another weekend, another trip down to Somerset to catch-up with friends and family. It was also another weekend when the heavens have opened and I’ve had to ride the F800GT down in the pouring rain.

Ultimate Superbikes 3rd place: Aprilia RSV4 Factory

15 May 2013 by Michael Neeves

Lap time: 1:49.8 Top speed at end of straight: 164.4mph Max braking (g): 1.38 Max lean: 48.2 Why it’s so special The 1199R and HP4 may be the latest and greatest superbikes to arrive, but neither can...

Staff blog: Blinded by handlebar muffs

14 May 2013 by Steve Farrell

In this week’s paper I report how the heated grips on the Suzuki Burgman 650 could be warmer. Just about every journalist on the launch in Scotland seemed to agree on the point. Some said they seemed...

Ultimate Superbikes 4th place: MV Agusta F4RR

14 May 2013 by Michael Neeves

Lap time: 1:53.86 Top speed at end of straight: 163.6mph Max braking (g): 1.19 Max lean: 41.62 Why it’s so special MV Agusta F4s are the ultimate poster bikes. The iconic Massimo Tamburini-designed...

Staff Blog: Let the journey begin!

13 May 2013 by Ian Jubb

My week of riding has begun, destination Northern Italy. Sitting in the sunshine at Folkstone waiting for my slot on the Chunnel makes me realise what biking is all about. This years seemly endless...

The ultimate superbike test

13 May 2013 by Michael Neeves

These are ‘Top Trump’ superbikes – the kind of machines you’ll probably only ever see in pictures and rarely in the flesh. The new Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC, BMW HP4 Carbon, Ducati 1199R Panigale and...

Staff Blog: Filthy Street

13 May 2013 by Tony Hoare

I’d forgotten how dirty a minimalistic bike like the Street Triple R can get. I was caught out in a rain storm yesterday and within half an hour the Triumph looked like it had been taken down a farm...

Staff Blog: What is it with this blinking weather?

13 May 2013 by Alison Silcox

Not sure what it is with the local councils, they must have come into money, three of the roads I used have been re-surfaced and are covered in chippings. A bugger to ride over and getting peppered by...

Ace 1200CR Street Special ridden

10 May 2013 by MCN

It’s a café racer, the acceptable face of Harley Sportster ownership, a two-wheeled AC Cobra and an exclusive limited edition. It’s also a celebration of 75 years of Britain’s most famous transport...

Staff Blog: Prepping for Italian adventure

09 May 2013 by Andy Downes

In just a few days I am heading to Italy on the Multistrada 1200 S Touring and I am getting the final bits sorted. I’ve done loads of European riding in the past and I much prefer to get all of my...

Staff Blog: Daily smiles from CBR500R

08 May 2013 by Andy Calton

My only fear with Honda’s CBR500R was whether it would be a little too tame and that I’d get bored with it all-too quickly. Just over a month and 1000 miles in I can categorically state that I’m still...

Staff blog: A lecture from the rozzers

08 May 2013 by Steve Farrell

You might think your licence would be safe on a scooter but I’ve already been in trouble with the rozzers a week after picking mine up. The Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS Executive has two automatic modes:...

Video: FJR old vs. new

07 May 2013 by MCN

Is the new Yamaha FJR1300 worth selling your old one for? MCN took the sport tourer out for a comparison test…

Aprilia RSV owners needed

07 May 2013 by MCN

MCN is looking for Aprilia RSV owners for an upcoming feature! We need: Original model (RSV-R and RSV) 1998 – 2003 Twin pipe model (RSV-R and RSV-R Factory) 2004 – 2010 V4 RSV4-R and Factory 2009 –...

Staff Blog: A bundle of fizzing fun

06 May 2013 by Tony Hoare

Two weeks in to ownership of the Street Triple R and I’m cementing the bond with the bike. I’m remembering the little joys of owning a Triumph, like the braided steel brake hoses and tyre valves...

First rides & tests