2004
New look 999
07 July 2004
Ducati has listened to calls from racers riding its 999 and announced a series of changes to the bike for 2005 that will see a new upper fairing and more powerful engine. These are the first official...
We ride new 999R
07 July 2004
MCN’s Adam Child rode the new Ducati 999R at Laguna Seca this week. Here are our first pictures as they arrive from the States, and his first impressions of the bike. They will be followed by a full...
2005 Suzuki cruisers
01 July 2004
Suzuki’s 2005 cruiser line-up has been launched in the U.S. with a new model and completely new names for the whole range. All Suzuki cruisers are now called Boulevards in the US but it is not yet...
Real price for 600s
01 July 2004
How much should you really pay for your new sports 600? The recommended retail price that manufacturers issue is only a guide price, and most dealers have got plenty of room to manoeuvre. A little bit...
Powersports open day
30 June 2004
Powersport bikes in Bradford are holding an open weekend on July 10 and 11 with test rides on the 2004 Suzukis, a bike show, trade stands and dyno run. You’ll be able to ride anything from a GSX-R1000...
Cruiser chaos at MCN
30 June 2004
The news that a Honda Rune was in the MCN car park was enough to see the office empty this morning, Wednesday June 30, 2004. The added news that there was a Triumph Rocket and a Boss Hoss parked next...
2005 Yamaha YZs launch
23 June 2004
Yamaha has unveiled it’s 2005 range of YZ off-road bikes at the Belgian motocross Grand Prix in Neeroeteren (Saturday, June 26, 2004). The two-stroke 125cc and 250cc bikes both feature aluminium...
New CBR600RR revealed
23 June 2004
Honda will reveal a revamped CBR600RR this September with reworked brakes, upside-down forks and Blade-inspired styling. Insiders who have already ridden the new bike reveal more in MCN, out on...
Honda's super cruiser
23 June 2004
Honda could be preparing to launch another mad super cruiser – following in the tradition of the US-built Goldwing-powered Rune. The new power cruiser shown here uses a VTX1800 twin cylinder engine...
MV 1000 is fastest yet
23 June 2004
The new MV Agusta F4 1000 has the highest top speed of any superbike we’ve ever tested. The previous record holder was a high-speed run on a Suzuki GSX-R1000K3 – which maxxed out at 182mph late last...
Great deals this weekend
23 June 2004
There are plenty of bargains to be had if you are in the market for a new bike this weekend. Cheltenham Motorcycles is running a special discount on its range of Suzuki’s and offering a £99 deposit on...
Suzuki launches RM-Z450
16 June 2004
Suzuki has finally launched a production version of the RM-Z450 motorcross machine that has been competing in the World MX1 championship all this year. The bike, which took its first win in the...
First-bike bargains
16 June 2004
If you’re ready to get on two wheels for the first time there are some great deals to be had on many of the novice bikes on the market, even the latest offerings from Honda and Kawasaki. Our latest...
Naked Moto Morini
16 June 2004
These are the latest pictures of the bike that Moto Morini hopes will be the first off its production line since 1993. The engine for the naked v-twin, which still hasn’t been officially named, was up...
Rocket III first test
16 June 2004
MCN has ridden the staggering Triumph Rocket III – the heavyweight cruiser which Triumph claims can beat an R1 to 100mph – at its world launch in the United States. In Wednesday’s MCN (June 16, 2004)...
RCV for the road
09 June 2004
Insiders are hinting that Honda is planning a version of its RCV MotoGP bike for road riders. Rumours of the road-legal V5 superbike follow news that Ducati is going to build a road bike inspired by...
Deals for beginners
09 June 2004
Thinking of buying your first bike? Our latest ‘Target Price’ survey reveals the prices you should be aiming for when buying a new 125cc learner bike. Whether you are ready to take the plunge...
Foggy FP1 at Goodwood
09 June 2004
Carl Fogarty will ride his new Foggy Petronas FP1 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 25-27, 2004. The event will also feature F1 stars Jenson Button in the BAR Honda, Olivier Panis in the...
R1 tops sales chart
09 June 2004
Yamaha’s R1 is topping bike sales so far this year, according to figures released by the Motorcycle Industry Association on June 11, 2004. It’s no coincidence that the R1 is the most-popular search in...
BMW superbike to outgun Busa
02 June 2004
BMW’s new K1200S could outgun the likes of the Hayabusa thanks to a peak power of 167bhp and less weight than the outrageous Suzuki. It will be BMW’s most powerful road bike so far by almost 40bhp.
Honda crossers slim down and power up
02 June 2004
Honda’s new motocross lineup for 2005 is leaner and meaner with the firm managing to shave off weight from almost every component of the 2004 bikes. The CRF450, CRF250 and CR85 all get a complete...
Fila rep Malaguti
02 June 2004
To celebrate its status as official paddock bike supplier to the Ducati MotoGP and World Superbike squads, Malaguti has launched a limited edition F15 scooter in full Fila Ducati livery, called the...
Grab an '03 bargain
01 June 2004
If price is the first thing you think about when you’re shopping for a new bike then there are some great deals to be had if you’re prepared to go without that ’04 tag. There are minimal changes on...
Naked 1000cc Blade due
01 June 2004
The Hornet 900 is set to be replaced by a new naked Honda using a derivative of the latest 1000cc Blade engine. Insiders say the update is a response to tougher competition from the likes of the...
2004 Fireblade recall
01 June 2004
Honda is recalling a number of its 2004 CBR1000RR Fireblades to fix a potential speedo fault. The fault can make your bike show that it’s going 25 per cent slower than it actually is. Honda claims...
Suzuki offers Bank Holiday bargains
26 May 2004
Suzuki says its dealers will offer amazing deals this coming Bank Holiday weekend – particularly on Bandit GSF600/SK4 and GSF1200/S, GSX-R1000K4, GSX-R600K4, GSX600FK3 and the SV1000K3. The ” Big...
Nexus hits the UK
07 April 2004
Gilera has aimed its newly launched Nexus 500 scooter squarely at the weekend sports bike rider in a bid to tempt them out of the car during the week. And with the offer of an easy, no hassle, but...
GSX-R750: Our first impressions
18 February 2004
Suzuki’s GSX-R750 could be the perfect sports compromise – it handles as sweetly as the firm’s 600 yet offers huge bhp for performance that won’t see it lagging too far behind a GSX-R1000 on the...
First ride: '04 Yamaha R1
11 February 2004
Yamaha has launched the 2004 YZF-R1 in Australia and MCN road tester Michael Neeves was there to get the first ride. But while riding the bike in the perfect Australian weather is one thing, we wanted...
Ridiculously fast made ridiculously easy
04 February 2004
THE new Honda CBR1000RR has been developed by the same team that was behind the unstoppable GP-winning RC211V. And boy does it show. After the first track session at the new Blade’s world launch in...
Rossi: Biaggi must win MotoGP title
04 February 2004
Defending world MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi is tipping bitter rival Max Biaggi for the title this year. The London-based rider speaks out in a world exclusive interview in the Wednesday, February...
Kawasaki launches V-Strom rival
04 February 2004
Kawasaki is launching a rival for Honda’s Varadero and Suzuki’s V-Strom. The KLV1000 uses a 90-degree V-twin 996cc fuel-injected engine making close to 100bhp in a twin-spar aluminium frame. Outside...
Supersport shootout - our first impressions
04 February 2004
The MCN road test team is just back from three days of testing in the south of France. We’ve been pitching the new Suzuki GSX-R600 against Honda’s CBR600RR, Triumph’s Daytona 600, Kawasaki’s ZX-6R,...
Honda ups the stakes
04 February 2004
Just like the GP-winning RC211V (and the CBR600RR, which also shares the same DNA) the new Fireblade is phenomenally quick. But also, just like the RCV and RR, it is so smooth and slick there’s no...
Ducati reveals 2004 Desmosedici
04 February 2004
Ducati unveiled its new 2004 Desmosedici GP4 MotoGP bike in Bologna today (February 4). MCN’s Chris Jones was there and will bring you a full report on all the changes to the bike in the next issue of...
ZX-10R vs Blade vs GSX-R1000
28 January 2004
We’re conducting the first full group test of this year’s leading superbikes over the next few days. We’ve got the bikes, we’ve got the riders and we’ve got all the measuring equipment set up. Now all...