MCN - Motorcycle News
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Everything posted by MCN - Motorcycle News
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As the name suggests, the Moto Hispania SM1125 is a Spanish made learner legal supermoto. It certainly looks the part and will have young potential customers drooling at shop windows. It’s competitively priced, being one of the cheapest in its... More...
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You might recognise the name Confederate. MCN featured the original version of the Hellcat in 1998 and you may also remember that their New Orleans factory was flattened in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. They’re back in business now, still building... More...
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Rieju’s new Marathon 125 supermoto is powered by the same engine you’ll find in Yamaha’s YZF-R125 and WR125 range, albeit fitted with a 30mm Keihin carb instead of fuel injection. Costing £3199 this Spanish-made machine is actually £400 cheaper than... More...
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If your parents have a fair old wedge to chuck on your first bike, 125SM ownership is not only guaranteed to put a ruddy big smile on your face, but also pull the girls outside the local KFC. Nothing in... More...
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Triumph’s decision to revamp the original Rocket III into a streetfighter is an interesting one. Why? Because it hardly fits the bill – stripped version of a sports bike with oddball looks – because of its custom-biased specs of long... More...
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From the café racer styling to the air-cooled India-built single-cylinder engine, the Enfield clubman is soaked with nostalgia. Even the addition of modern-day fuel injection, front disc brake and the new 5-speed unit construction engine fails to dent the projected... More...
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Replacing the old Brutale 989R, the new 139bhp 990R has a sleeved-down version of the new 1090RR engine. It’s slightly lower spec, so has non-adjustable footpegs, more durable Pirelli Diablo Rosso tyres (not Dunlop Qualifier RRs), forged aluminium wheels, no... More...
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MV’s new range-topping Brutale 1090RR, the first of the new-generation of machines built under Harley Davidson ownership, might not look very different to the old one, but it’s a revelation. It’s 85% new, boasts a dual power map, an eight-stage... More...
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A great-looking, soulful bike we hope stays just as raucous and raw while its rough edges are smoothed for final production. It will be a special bike but does the JAP name cast a strong enough spell? Time will tell. More...
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Ducati’s entry-level 803cc Hypermotard 796 is a stormer of a machine. It’s 12kg lighter and its seat is 20mm lower than the Hypermotard 1100, which makes it easier to ride and in the real world, and every bit as fast... More...
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Kawasaki has revived a dead class of motorcycle – the cheap and cheerful trail bike. Soft power, a novice friendly chassis and low running costs are completely at odds with the hardcore enduro styling. It’s as happy getting back and... More...
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Yamaha’s all-new WR125X has everything it needs to be the class leading learner supermoto. It’s great looking, well-equipped, has a great new engine, is solidly built and is great fun to ride. The Yamaha WR125X is a serious, substantial piece... More...
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Harley’s Wide Glide dates back to the seventies. The new for 2010 bike retains the old-school low-rider looks of long, raked and wide-spaced forks (hence the name Wide Glide), skinny front wheel and minimalist bulk. But what makes the new... More...
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The new VFR is a good bike – but it’s not a great one. And after all the hype and expectation (Honda themselves are pumping it up as “the Ultimate Road Sports Motorcycle” and it’s simply not) that is not... More...
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Kawasaki has given the GTR a significant upgrade, added to the comfort of the original model with a larger screen and include heated grips as standard. But more interestingly they’ve improved the safety of their flagship tourer with new ABS... More...
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Strictly speaking, the BROS 400 is heavy, underpowered and outdated. But the cheap grey imports are surprisingly nice to ride – they’re well balanced, steer well and the engine is flexible, torquey and characterful given its 33bhp output. That also makes... More...
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Aprilia’s RSV4R is a more affordable version of the all-singing, all-dancing RSV4 Factory. The engine is basically the same, without some of the Factory’s advanced electronics, but the chassis parts are slightly lower-spec. Despite this it’s still a beautifully-balanced technology-packed... More...
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Even though the bike tested was a pre-production unit – virtually finished bar the paintwork and decals – this bigger capacity 690 Duke is altogether a different machine than non-R model 690 Duke (654cc). The extra 36cc (KTM won’t confirm... More...
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Based on the 2009 XR1200, the XR1200X is slightly more sports biased than the sports biased XR1200. Confused? Don’t be. All you have to think about is the X-model has vastly improved, multi-adjustable suspension that makes a difference when riding... More...
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The idea behind the Yamaha YBR125 Custom is dead simple: take the straightforward YBR125 commuter, customize it a bit with high bars, more chrome and a lower seat, bump up the price a tad, and there you go, a pointlessly... More...
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SMC is the abbreviation of Southern Motorcycles, an American company delivering affordable and reliable intermediate off-road-biased trail bikes and full-on competition. Although the bikes are off American design, for cost reasons they are manufactured in China. The SMC YB150 (150cc)... More...
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Harley’s cruiser V-Rod has been about since 2001, and the new Muscle is… is just another styling exercise to bolster what is arguably a tired range. The Muscle is essentially a reworked V-Rod with design touches (muscular, flowing lines) to... More...
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This is the basic Aprilia SR 50, called the SR 50 Street. There’s also a higher-spec SR 50 R and SR 50 R Factory. With lots of styling cues taken from Aprilia’s fire-breathing superbikes, this 50cc scooter gives Italian style... More...
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The 2010 Z1000 is the most impressive sports naked ever to roll out of Japan. It has excellent performance, handling and is super-stylish to boot. It’s less intimidating and easier to ride than a fire-breathing European super naked too. Compared... More...
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The Buell XB9SX is an oddity. What you get is an old-school v-twin in a high-tech chassis, all wrapped up in a mad-max style urban scrambler. On paper it makes very little sense – a modern naked middleweight out-performs it... More...