MCN
16 June 2021Launched in 1955, MCN has been bringing its readers exclusive news stories about bikes for 60 years. Every week, MCN’s team of expert test riders & journalists will: • Review new and used motorcycles • Help bikers make the very best buying decisions • Provide the latest MotoGP and Superbikes news MCN is also famous for its unrivalled motorcycle sport news and insight. From the white-knuckle world of MotoGP to the elbow-clashing action of World Superbikes and British Superbikes, MCN gives the inside story. There are also thousands of motorcycles for sale in MCN. So if you’re thinking about buying a new machine there’s almost definitely a fantastic bargain waiting to be snapped up!
in this issue
7 days in 60 seconds
‘If you’re a TT fan, it will blow your mind’PAUL PHILLIPS, ISLE OF MAN TT ISLE OF MAN TT Legendary TT gets a big shake-up Two years without the Isle of Man TT races has felt more like a decade – but the races will be back in 2022, and they’re coming back bigger and better. And every single lap will be broadcast live! Then, in 2023 the second stage of the IOMTT fight-back will be enacted, with significant changes to the races run, and when. It’s the biggest shake-up in the event’s history and it sounds brilliant. PAGE 70 TOP STORY Langen-ring-ding-ding-baaaa Ah, the sweet smell of two-stroke in the morning... While many of us will be flooded with sensory recollections of a time long passed whenever someone mentions two-strokes, there is still a place…
‘it takes a lot of balls to change the tt races’
Evolving a time-honoured event like the Isle of Man TT races takes cast iron determination and not an insignificant dose of bravery. Get it right and everyone will love you – but get it wrong and millions of die-hard fans will find it hard to forgive you for messing with their annual addiction. But while it takes a lot of balls to change the TT races, the manifesto set out by the TT’s top brass for the future of the event – kicking in over the next two years – sounds genuinely superb (p70). While any normal year would see the team trying to make incremental improvements, the misery of the enforced Covid break has given them an unprecedented (in recent times) opportunity to really sit back and interrogate the opportunities.…
sheene’s big parade
Steve Parrish is hoping to assemble the biggest ever gathering of Barry Sheene replicas at the televised Barry Sheene Classic at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough (June 26-27). Parrish said: “We are looking to get the largest ever collection in one place and let them parade for a lap or two.” Replica owners are being asked to contact Hayley via: Office@oliversmount.com Diavel’s new look Ducati have unveiled the Diavel 1260 S Black and Steel. The bike follows in the footsteps of the special Lamborghini Diavel launched last November and, like that machine, features new colours and finishes. It gets glossy grey and matt black paint with new, asymmetrical graphics and sporty touches in bright yellow. The new Black and Steel joins Ducati’s standard Diavel S, available in red or black both with red frames,…
stroker revolution
The eagerly anticipated two-stroke Langen has moved another step closer to hitting UK roads – after two years of development, the first machine has been approved for UK roads, after passing Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA). Starting at £34,000, the Wigan-built Langen Two Stroke blurs the lines between retro and naked and is powered by a 249.5cc V-twin two-stroke motor producing a claimed 75bhp at 11,500rpm. The firm plan to begin the limited 100-unit production run in the Autumn. “We spent two years leading up to that hour-long test. It was a big milestone,” Langen founder Chris Ratcliffe told MCN. “The biggest thing for me personally was getting to that point and knowing all the work that everybody here and the full team have put into it, with the long days and…
new mv is as brutal ever
MV Agusta have unveiled an updated version of their Brutale 1000 RR super-naked for 2021 with Euro5 tweaks to the engine. In order to hit the more stringent emissions regulations, MV have worked on reducing friction with new sintered valve guides and DLC-coated tappets. The exhaust has also been redesigned to help. This means that despite being cleaner, the motor loses none of its ludicrous 205bhp claimed power output. What’s more, new cam profiles have been used to move the torque curve lower in the rev range, which means you should be able to access a bit more of that power on the road without going straight to prison. The new Brutale also swaps the previous model’s Bosch cornering ABS control unit for a Continental version. Along with the new inertial measurement kit,…
white noise
A new British challenger to the electric land speed record for motorcycles will be officially unveiled next week at Silverstone. Created by Northants-based White Motorcycle Concepts, the WMC250EV promises radical aerodynamic and electric drive solutions, using the land speed record to prove their efficiency. So far, the firm have revealed only snatched glimpses of the machine but they have high hopes that their ideas will be able to translate to improving mass-market electrics. While the full reveal isn’t due until June 23, White Motorcycle Concepts say the bike incorporates three key technologies, dubbed ‘V-Air’, ‘D-Drive’ and ‘F-Drive’. They’re intended to help it beat the record for a semi-streamlined electric motorcycle, set at 366.94km/h (228.05mph) by Max Biaggi on the Voxan Wattman last October, but also to have applications beyond that. Founder and CEO,…
