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MCN - Motorcycle News

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Everything posted by MCN - Motorcycle News

  1. Canadian René Waters is the man responsible for transforming a 1978 Ducati 900 GTS into this café racer. The bike, featuring completely new bodywork, engine rebuild, rims and adjustable Tomaselli clip-ons, was actually built for his wife Sue. Waters said,... More...
  2. This is the smaller engined version of Benelli’s brilliant, but unfortunately rare Tre K 1130 sports tourer. We rate it highly: it’s comfy, easy to ride, sounds great, handles well and has a wild side for when the mood takes... More...
  3. The ‘updated’ version of Honda’s bum-basic commuter only needed a few upgrades over the original 1960’s design – CDI ignition is the main benefit, reducing maintenance. Otherwise, it’s still the crude but charming plod-along it always was – only emissions... More...
  4. The standard Aprilia SL750 Shiver is just another funky naked bike – but the simple addition of a fairing turns it in to one of the best Italian all rounders you can buy. The Shiver GT is very competent, mixing... More...
  5. With no roadster to fill the void in Yamaha’s range between a learner 125 and something like an 80bhp XJ6, the Japanese firm have decided to bring the YBR250 in to the UK as a limited run. It’s friendly, practical... More...
  6. The biggest yet of Piaggio’s peculiar MP3s has an identity crisis. It looks like a scooter but the law classes it the same as a Reliant Robin three-wheeler car. Because Piaggio has added a footbrake and widened the space between... More...
  7. The Moto Guzzi Stelvio is well built, sounds great, stylish, easy to handle, comfortable, practical and comes with that historic Moto Guzzi badge on the tank. It’s not as focussed as the BMW R1200GS Adventure on road and nowhere as... More...
  8. Don’t think of the Brutale 989R as a watered-down version of its 1078RR bigger brother; it’s a powerhouse of a bike in its own right. MV claim a massive 142bhp from the crank and a top speed of 165mph, which... More...
  9. The largest incarnation of the Piaggio MP3 retains the same reassuring all-weather grip and stability afforded by the third wheel, but with more power for motorway cruising. It’s no Goldwing, but if your daily commute mixes town work with high-speed... More...
  10. The Gilera Nexus sits between the Nexus 125 and the Nexus 500 as the mid-capacity sporty scooter in the Gilera range. The design is based around the concept of a sportsbike, but adapted for a CVT step-through scooter. It’s certainly... More...
  11. The Piaggio X7 250 ie is halfway between a full-on maxi scooter and a lightweight city scooter, so in theory should offer comfort and a bit of class with some traffic busting ability. It manages it too – it feels... More...
  12. The Suzuki Sixteen 125 is aimed at trendy teens looking for stylish transport (hence the name – continental teenagers can ride one from age 16), but the UK scooter market is different – it fits with a more mature rider,... More...
  13. Now that the iconic Vespa PX series has been killed off by emissions laws, the LX twist-and-go four-stroke is just about the closest thing to the original Vespa look. Underneath the classic looks they’re a modern scoot – and the... More...
  14. Cheap-as-chips replacement for the venerable CG125 offers the same kind dependable utilitarian transport but with a dash of style. The CBF125 has flown out of showrooms since its introduction in January – so much so that dealers complain of not... More...
  15. Unlike most big scooters which aim for open road cruising ability as well as town prowess, the Peugeot Satelis maxi-scooter keeps small-scoot size and manoeuvrability. That means high speed corners and bumps are a bit hairy – but as a... More...
  16. The £6999 Mana 850 GT ABS is a clever bike and so much more than just a motorcycle with a big scooter engine. The new fairing and ABS add an extra layer of practicality and safety to a package which... More...
  17. Peugeot’s luxury-learner scooter is an ideal tool for the well-heeled provisional licence holder – it’s well-equipped, nicely made and rides well. It’s not so good out of town, but then few 125s are really. More...
  18. Image is everything when you’re 16 – the Piaggio NRG has it with race bike styling and graphics. But it’s still a 50cc moped restricted to 30mph by law, so unless you’re old enough to derestrict, progress is painfully slow. More...
  19. The easiest way in to Vespa ownership is a slow-going affair, but it looks great and is a reasonably practical machine. More...
  20. The Piaggio Typhoon 50 has been around 16 years – as long as the teens allowed to ride it! Originally a cutting edge sports scooter, the lightweight Typhoon is still a lot of fun but is now at the bottom... More...
  21. BMW’s successor to long-lived and popular entry-level F650 single is, confusingly, being based on the F800GS, neither a single (it’s a parallel twin) or a 650 (it’s 798cc) – so perhaps not surprisingly it’s miles better than the old one.... More...
  22. Hybrid technology has finally reached motorcycles – the MP3 Hybrid has an electric motor that can assist the petrol engine or run as a standalone engine. But sadly it’s not quite ready to provide a viable alternative yet – price... More...
  23. If the idea of a 1187cc, 115bhp V-twin machine with Scrambler clothing and mild off-road capability provokes the madness within, the Scrambler is the doorway to the nearest nut house. On the road-biased tyres (an optional fit because the standard... More...
  24. The Runner is a long-term favourite in the scooter market, and for this year the original design was finally updated. Now four-stroke, the Runner is a sporty-looking and practical machine. More...
  25. The Roehr is a very exclusive, hand-built, all-American sports bike using a supercharged Harley Davidson 1250cc V-twin stolen from a V-Rod. The frame was designed by Walter Roehr himself. It’s not just a gimmick either, it works and, considering the... More...
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