2001
The new bikes of 2002
30 December 2001
We’ve gathered together the bikes of 2002 in this one, easy access section. Follow the links, right to see them all.
Guzzi continues air-cooled development
23 December 2001
Those who prefer the traditional sound of an air-cooled Guzzi to the Euro-conformity of a water-cooled engine will be relieved to hear that the company has not stopped development of it’s water-less...
KTM’s new road bike spotted on test in Austria
23 December 2001
These exclusive spy-shots show for the first time the latest bike in KTM’s range to use the firm’s new V-twin engine, the LC8. While the first dedicated road bike to use the new engine was expected to...
Finally, the Kawasaki ZX-10R
23 December 2001
Kawasaki’s ZX-9R is a much admired sports bike. But it has started to lag behind the new breed of 1000cc superbikes. What’s really needed here is a ZX-10R: Enter TTS. Tuning firm TTS has bored out...
Haydon signs up with Foggy for WSB
16 December 2001
Yamaha British superbike star James Haydon has signed to ride with Carl Fogarty’s Petronas team in WSB for 2002. Haydon will be replaced in the Virgin Yamaha line-up by Simon Crafar, making a return...
Malaguti shows shape of things to come
16 December 2001
Developed as a prototype, Malaguti’s Super Climber has been debuted in Bologna to gauge public reaction. ” We want it to show people that Malaguti is thinking about motorcycles. We will see how people...
Foggy picks Mick in dream team but still says he’d beat him
16 December 2001
If Carl Fogarty could choose from all the riders he’s ever known to ride in his new Petronas team he’d sign up Mick Doohan and Kenny Roberts (snr). And Foggy took the opportunity of a live web chat on...
Corser’s deal with Foggy delayed by fineprint
16 December 2001
The chances of Troy Corser confirming his deal to ride in the all-new Foggy Petronas WSB squad before Christmas are fading. But he is still expected to sign up within the next 10 days. The only...
Czech supermoto arrives in the New Year
16 December 2001
The 610cc Praga four-stroke off-roader has a hand-built engine and aluminium fuel tank, a choice of Paioli or Marzocchi forks and Brembo brakes. And those features are just part of the appeal of the...
Carl Fogarty: In his own words
16 December 2001
Jonny: Carl how long do you think it will take to get a race win with the new bike? CarlFogarty: Oh, it’s impossible to say really. It would be great to have one in the first year, although that’s unrealistic. But certainly in 2003 Dave: How difficult will it be to stop yourself jumping on the bike during testing to get the fastest lap times? CarlFogarty: Oh that won’t be difficult at all.
Ducati’s new 998 versus Aprilia’s RSV-R
16 December 2001
With the 998 not due to visit our fog-bound shores until January, we had to go to Italy and get one, factory-fresh. We took our own RSV-R with us to meet its rival under clear blue skies. At Ducati...
Project X900: hub-centre steering cracked?
09 December 2001
Hans Helms has been developing this bike for over two decades. Now, with plans to put the bike into production unrealised, its bright ideas are up for sale. The majority of the patents are associated...
Two-wheel drive R1 spotted… and it rocks
09 December 2001
These pictures provide the first proof that Yamaha is seriously working on two-wheel-drive technology for its most powerful bikes. And one man who has ridden the 2WD R1 claims the system improves the...
Road-going Castrol rep CBR and Blade to go on sale
09 December 2001
The Castrol Honda race squad is adding a 2002 British superbike-spec road-going FireBlade to its previously announced CBR600 supersport racer rep, and is planning to put it on sale in road legal...
Would you give the Dog a home?
09 December 2001
Yamaha’s BT1100 Bulldog doesn’t fit comfortably into any of the pigeonholes we are used to. It’s a cross between a Ducati Monster and a Buell. Yamaha believes there’s big demand for such a hybrid. But...
BMW launches slower bike for cops
09 December 2001
BMW has launched yet another new bike. It’s a smaller capacity, lighter but slower version of its R1150RT and it’s only available to the police. The R850RT has the addition of a sixth ” cruising ” ...
How Yamaha’s 2WD works
09 December 2001
Ohlins/Yamaha’s system is light and so simple it can be fitted to virtually any bike with minimal modifications to the standard suspension and transmission. It uses hydraulic pressure to transmit the power to the front. A small hydraulic pump is attached to the engine, and driven by an extra chain running from the front sprocket of the stock gearbox. It uses six or more tiny pistons to pump...
The Harley rider
09 December 2001
YAMAHA is pitching the Bulldog at people exactly like Smith. She steers away from sports bikes and likes a more relaxed ride. But can this pooch tempt her away from her beloved Hog? She says the...
The Superbike rider
09 December 2001
” LOOK at those nasty alloy fork seal protectors, they’re horrible! ” Brown’s initial impression of the Bulldog isn’t favourable as he wanders over, doing up his race rep lid. Fortunately, things...
The super tourer rider
09 December 2001
Super Blackbird rider Smith likens the Bulldog to ” a great commuter bike, but with style, ” and thinks Yamaha has copied elements from a Buell and Monster. He says: ” I’m impressed with how it...
Video: Track action at Estoril
02 December 2001
Click the links in the download videos box, right, titled RM (if you use Real Player) or MOV (for Quicktime users) to see a clip of MCN’s Keith Farr lapping Estoril at the FireBlade launch.
2002 FireBlade first test – now with video and audio
02 December 2001
MCN had the first test of the heavily-revised 2002 Honda FireBlade in Estoril, Portugal earlier this week. Read Keith Farr’s first impression of the bike below or click the video and audio links in...
Two new Aprilias unveiled
02 December 2001
APRILIA has revealed a brand new contender in the naked bike market for 2002 – the Tuono – as well as a close-to-production prototype for a hybrid multipurpose machine, called the Mana. The Tuono,...
Audio: Blade designer Tadao Baba speaks
02 December 2001
Click the links in the download videos box, right, titled RM (if you use Real Player) or MOV (for Quicktime users) to hear FireBlade project Chief Engineer Tadao Baba answering questions about future...
Main changes to the 2002 FireBlade
02 December 2001
HONDA has opted to update the Blade rather than reinvent it. Its move into 2002 is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. On paper, at least. It isn’t until you ride it that you realise the changes are actually very significant ones, each with a dramatic effect on the bike’s overall character and capabilities. This is the sixth generation of FireBlade and the changes are as follows: * 1mm...
Forget the GSX-R and R6, this CBR is the ultimate 600
25 November 2001
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
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...
Bostrom and Bayliss 998 replicas ready for Europe
25 November 2001
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,...
First shots from Yamaha’s four stroke GP test
25 November 2001
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...
Wow! Look what Yoshimura has done to the GSX-R1000
18 November 2001
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...
Ducati launch Bayliss rep
18 November 2001
Ducati is going to launch a road-going replica of World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss’ machine. It will be a 998 with the red Infostrada paintscheme, not the silver one the Aussie rode in the final...
Thinking of buying or selling a bike?
11 November 2001
If you’re thinking of buying or selling a bike you’ve come to the right site. If you are looking to buy you have access to an unrivalled archive of information combined with enviable contact with...
It’s AKA a motorcycle…
11 November 2001
The NEC Show features plenty of jaw-dropping models, but few are quite as ” stand-out ” as this machine from AKA Design. But we want to hear what you think of it. The Hitchin, Herts-based firm...
First ride on Yamaha’s Road Star Warrior
04 November 2001
Yamaha’s new Road Star Warrior is no ordinary cruiser. With a mere 2000rpm displayed on the LCD tachometer (an arc of blocks which sweep around an analogue-style scale) the bike punches forward with a...
Kawasaki seeks out new niches
04 November 2001
Kawasaki has found a new niche – retro bikes that are only legal to ride on the road in the daytime (that’s about seven hours a day in the UK right now). One is a 1970s-style grasstracker. It looks...
Cannondale coming to the UK
04 November 2001
U.S. manufacturer Cannondale is starting to bring its off-road bikes to the UK. The 2002 range continues to feature the hand-welded, twin-spar aluminium frames seen on the 2001 bikes rather than the...