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Bike Test: Yamaha XV535 Virago
Bob Pickett reports on Yamaha’s hugely successful mid-size cruiser. Perhaps the greatest tribute to a bike is that it remains in production alongside the bike that was meant to be its replacement. This is the story of the XV535 Virago; the rest of the range was scrapped and replaced by the unfortunately named ‘Dragstar’ range…
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2010 BMW R1200RT review
To read about the updated engine, click here The Adventure is updated with the same twin-cam motor as the standard GS. The radial-valve engine’s additional torque is arguably even more useful with that extra weight to shift – at 223kg dry, it’s 20kg heavier than the standard GS, even before you top up its 33-litre tank.…
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2010 BMW R1200 GS Adventure review
To read about the updated engine, click hereArticle continues below… Advert Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to subscribe, or Read FREE Online. The Adventure is updated with the same twin-cam motor as the standard GS. The radial-valve engine’s additional torque is arguably even more useful with that…
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2010 BMW R1200GS review
You wouldn’t expect BMW to change the R1200GS very much. After all, the big dual-purpose boxer makes up more than half the firm’s motorcycle production, and almost 200,000 of the things have been sold since its arrival in 2004.When a bike is that popular, you’d be crazy to mess with it. But BMWdoesn’t like standing…
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2010 Ducati Hypermotard 1100 EVO review
The Hypermotard has never been the most practical of bikes, with its exposed riding position, tiny tank, tall seat, and unashamed focus on style and fun. But with the entrylevel Hypermotard 796 having recently arrived to give a more down to earth option, Ducati couldn’t resist moving the Hyper family in the other direction, with…
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2010 Triumph Sprint GT
Sports-tourers beware: Triumph’s new Sprint GT is set to be one of the best value big tourers out thereArticle continues below… Advert Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to subscribe, or Read FREE Online. TRIUMPH’S brief was simple: take an existing sports-touring Sprint ST and make it more…
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2010 DUCATI MONSTER 796
Great midrange grunt, handling and style: the new Monster is a wallet-friendly middleweightArticle continues below… Advert Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to subscribe, or Read FREE Online. The dreaded Icelandic volcano ash cloud unfortunately disrupted Ducati’s original Monster 796 launch, preventing much of the UK press from…
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2010 Yamaha WR250R Review
Trail riding on endless miles of flowing tracks deep in the mountains with the sun warm on your back takes some beating. MCM travels to southern Spain to tackle its terrain aboardArticle continues below… Advert Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to subscribe, or Read FREE Online. Yamaha’s…
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Triumph Speed Four Used Bike Buying Guide
Underrated, overlooked but a brilliant bargain, Triumph’s Speed Four makes magnificent sense in these cash-strapped timesArticle continues below… Advert Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to subscribe, or Read FREE Online. Triumph’s model range has always been a little schizophrenic. On one hand they’ve produced unique machines that…
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2010 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom Review
Compared to Kawasaki’s Versys, and BMW’s F650GS, the Suzuki is the least sporty of the three bikes, despite having an alloy frame and sharing its water-cooled, fuel injected V-twin engine with the SV650 that dominates mini-twins racing. Styled like an adventure bike, the V-Strom is really a middleweight tourer. Which means it’s comfy for one…
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2010 Kawasaki Versys 650 Review
The Versys stands tall, like an adventure bike. It’s easy to forget that it shares most of its chassis with Kawasaki’sER-6 sportster including the 17-inch wheels on road tyres (although the standard fit Dunlop Sportmaxs are horrible in the wet – fit some Roadsmarts at the earliest opportunity). Like the Suzuki DL650 V-Strom it’s also…
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2010 Honda DCT VFR1200 Review
The biggest step forward in motorcycle controls for 70 years or the answer to a question nobody asked? MCM rides Honda’s new DCT VFR1200 to find out…Article continues below… Advert Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to subscribe, or Read FREE Online. Just what is DCT? Dual Clutch…
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2010 BMW F650GS Review
This bike’s got an 800cc engine. Nobody, even at BMW, knows why it’s called an F650. Similarly, no one seems to know why the F800GS – the more off-roady of the two 800cc GS bikes – gets the more powerful engine (more power is generally a liability off-road) while the roadster gets the restricted motor.…
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2010 MV Agusta F4 Review
MV’s F4 has always been stylish and fast, but it hasn’t always had the refinement to match. So, while the most obvious result of the new F4’s comprehensive revamp is a sharper, more angular look, the other, more important changes have a very definite aim. Like MV’s recently updated naked Brutales, the latest F4 has…
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2003 Harley Davidson 883 Sportster 100th Anniversary Used Review
9387 miles, up for £3195Article continues below… Advert Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to subscribe, or Read FREE Online. First impressions: Although I’m not that much of a Harley fan, I can see the all-shine, no grime attraction. Harley-Davidson have been knocking out bikes for over 100…
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2002 Aprilia RSVR Tuono Used Review
4472 miles, up for £4695 First impressions:Article continues below… Advert Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to subscribe, or Read FREE Online. Before the flashy Racing version of the Tuono appeared, the RSVR version had all the weapons fitted. Ohlins forks and shocks, and even a steering damper are…
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DIY know-how: Understanding Chains and Sprockets
Understand the driving force behind your bike with MCM’s handy hints and know-how… When should I replace my chain? A worn-out chain will sap power and potentially become dangerous. Since the drive chain is responsible for getting all the horsepower from the engine to the wheel, riders who want to transfer that to the ground…
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2009 Mavizen TTX01 review
Mavizen, the company behind the TTX01 superbike and promoters of the first ever zero-emissions international motorcycle race, have salubrious new headquarters in Gerard’s Cross, South Bucks. That’s where I found myself the last week of January. Chris Hodder, government relations executive of the BMF, was there too. We were to share the honour of being…
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2009 Kawasaki ZX-10R winter riding review
Changes to the latest version of the awesome Kawasaki ZX-10R make it more user- friendly, a move tester Ian Grainger gives his full approval. There’s a time and a place for riding nine-grand’s worth of one of the world’s fastest superbikes. Mid February, on damp roads and with the temperature just a tad above freezing,…
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Triumph Bonneville T100
Unashamedly celebrating the past, the Bonneville T100 serves a perfect reminder of how things used to be back in the days when open-face helmets were the norm and the Ace Café was doing a roaring trade with rockers.Article continues below… Advert Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to…
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2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000
For 2009 Suzuki’s GSX-R1000 is entirely new, but can it still work as well on the road as it does the track, or is this a motorcycle that is only good for one thing? Abusing tyres?Article continues below… Advert Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to subscribe, or…
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2009 Honda CBF125 Review
Honda’s all-new CBF125 may not be as drop-dead gorgeous as Yamaha’s stunning YZF-125 or as sporty looking as its popular CBR125 stablemate, but it’s a whole lot more practical, quite a bit cheaper and it’s not bad looking either. The 125 class has started to make a bit of a comeback at long last. For…
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2009 BMW R1200RT SE Reader Review
The BMW R1200RT has been described as the world’s best touring bike. Owner Graham Thompson thinks it’s that and so much more. This is his report of their first year and 10,000 miles together. Two bikes share my garage – a BMW R1200RT SE and a Harley Fat Bob. I love them both but for…
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2009 Suzuki GSX650F review
MCM freelance Bob Pickett took a Suzuki GSX650F for a 100-mile test ride and ended up buying it. He has now put 1000 winter miles on the clock and files the first of a series of reports we will be producing on life with the middleweight all-rounder. There can be no greater compliment than to…
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