This type of video is on par with what makes a written piece so special. It’s so personal and gives more time to ponder and offer more detail than a ride on / off review or account. I love it all dearly but really appreciate the time you give to these vids.
Thanks for the upload. Another gem. Passed my test on a Suzuki X7 and bought a brand new 350LC May '81. Sooo much fun. In Niall Mackenzie's autobiography he names his favourite road just North of Glasgow and how he only got beaten once on it by a guy on an LC. Now the Drymen/Stockiemuir Road was my stomping ground but I bet it wasn't me who beat him!! (Athough it could have been my brother, he was BLOODY quick on a bike.)
Neevsey,my first legal bike on the road was a 21bhp,10w,RD125lc,saved up from my16th birthday,untill two months before my 17th birthday, bought it second hand,in mint condition, I then pushed it too get on the A92,when they started construction on the bypass past my town, there was mile long strips of new perfect tarmac,where I used to thrash it back and forward, doing 100mph on the clocks, I know they where well out,but I didnt care! Then on the morning of my 17th birthday, I was up early and rode it too my YTS job🤣 Those where the days,gangs of us racing around on,RDs,MBX,DTs,and looking for Honda superdreams to beat on the road! But the first time I saw a Rd350lc I was hooked,the RD125lc though was pretty special too, thanks for the great video,it really has brought back a few memories 😂
Another really good look back at past biking times, I use to buy all the biking publications and PB was a fav back in the day when Ronnie and Gus were doing their thing great, great times, sadly missed, I passed my "big bike" test in 1979, I've owned a lot of really nice bikes over the years, from Honda CBX-6, to R6, to (5) Fireblade's, SP1, but I have to admit the GSX-R1000K5 was my all-time favorite, such an amazing machine, so capable of doing anything and the most comfortable full on Sports bike I've owned.
that very last bit made me laugh. The sheer arrogance/hubris of (an implied journo) suggesting that perhaps they knew how to setup a racebike better than an actual race team ... amazing
I reckon I'm about 10 years older than your good self Michael. Riding my Suzuki GT185, the Yamaha RD series were my dream bikes. The 250 of course could be ridden on L plates!
Keep the video's coming Neevsey! It's great to get more candid, conversational style content from a journalist we've known for so long. By the way, I'm in love with your Harada replica. Any special story behind it? Have you ever worn it or has it always been a display? You've been wearing your custom painted ones for as long as I've been around.
Very enjoyable listening to your stories, in my late 40s been riding since I can remember and have always followed mcn news. To me I feel I have lived through the golden era of motorcycle development and have been lucky to have owned a lot of iconic bikes and still do to the point the latest and greatest does nothing for me now. I love your honest and real world experience. NZ
I'm looking around and seeing what tempts me. The Ducati Diavel, and maybe a learner wheelie friendly bike because I've never wheelied a bike properly. What about you? Re: wheelies, even on a bicycle after 4-5 pedals with the front up that was my limit. I just couldn't get the balance point? Either I'd lean back too far, or not enough and I'd have to keep putting more power through my feet or the throttle to keep the front from hitting down. Can you wheelie?
Regarding the irrelevance of the modern superbike performance, I totally agree. I would happy buy a new sports bike with 100-130bhp if they weren't all parallel twins. Maybe an R9 will arrive soon and be tempting.
I had a Yamaha RD350 YPVS. Was my first "big" bike. I thought it was great, and so much faster than the 125 I'd had before it. It was relatively lightweight, especially compared to the Honda CBR600F which I bought afterwards. I had a "power slide" coming off a mini roundabout at 10-15mph, and it nearly high sided me. Turns out the back tire was nearly flat :-) The difference in speed between the 350 2-stroke and the CBR 600F was a lot. The lightweight and lower speed of the 350 probably helped me when I was younger and wilder.
Love the race bike stories. Made me think of the time I was at brands on my r1 track bike thinking I was the business. Then Danny buchan and mason law came flying past doing some testing for their bsb season. Within 2 corners they were gone! I initially thought my bike was broken and then I remembered 😂 my bike was working fine btw! Love these nostalgia videos, keep em coming mate 👍
I never knew your history and how you got the job with MCN, but I started following you on TH-cam through MCN because your reviews are genuine, and thanks to that genuinity, your review on the 22 panigale v4s made me pull the trigger. Got it 6 weeks ago and love it to bits.
Greetings from Switzerland! I just purchased a 2022 BMW S1000R. I was stuck in between 3 brands, your review provided real driving insight and not just glossy specs. Thanks for the help Mr Neeves.
Epic could watch these all day. got Neevesy saved folder on youtube. Q. thinking about a first track bike, not sure whether to get a 600, 750 or 1000. i have a 1299s for the road. but always learning
I love these videos, it's all about my favourite era of biking. I started riding in 1998 and owned an r1 in 2001 at the age of 21! (Crashed it twice, once at Cadwell at the Ronnie smith memorial track day) Had a 916 too. What's your favourite all time bike?? Thanks
Thank you for reading my comment. Agree completely the V4 is to much for the road. It does pass the garage giggle test though, (I still giggle opening the garage door that I'm fortunate enough to own it). All the best. John
Michael, I bought a brand new RD400E on the 19th of April 1980 aged 16! Pushed it away from the shop as obviously no licence for a big motorcycle. Kept it in my shed till I passed my test a few months later, then got it Stan Stephens tuned and it was an animal on the road. Kept it for 6 years and traded it for a Honda CB900 which I dearly wanted. If only I had kept XST 368V it would have been worth a fortune now!
Another great video. Love your stories. Question: over time and especially on those big trips you often do, do you keep your preference for sports/super naked bikes, or do you see yourself leaning more towards a more comfortable bike?
My (2) CBR 600Fs, R6, GSX-R750Y, CBR600RR, were all because of you & MCN, Swapped every two years brand new, commuting! Keep up the good work. On a side note, how did the PB geezers get away with it 4 so long, I blame C. Newbiggins 4 it's demise.
Another great video Michael, thanks. I have a question for you. As someone who has been crap in the buying and selling bikes game, as I bought them over the years and very rarely got round to selling them, I am thus the somewhat confused owner of about 25 machines. Stupid I know but there it is. Some of what I have goes back to the sixties and spread up to an eleven-year-old Diavel, covering many genres. I do look at brand new bikes, which of course shall be better, but I wonder if they are going be in people's garages with a real chance of working in twenty years, and more, time? Given that getting spare parts for even a five-year-old electronic item can be a challenge, I do wonder how all the fancy electronics which we all crave now will stand up to the test of time. What do you reckon?
Could you tell us the how and why you got into racing? Your highlights etc, as someone that's recently started racing with NG in the Bandit Challenge Cup, and more recently Bemsee on my 17 R1, it's been really eye opening and unbelievably addictive, even with the associated costs of it all. Any tips would be most welcome, I love these sit down chats and enjoy all your content. All the best.
Thanks Michael another great one. Can I ask have you ridden Misano both ways, I went there, and they later changed the direction and if you have what way is the hardest. I always tell people that I set a lap record on my Blackbird at the Ring, and you can see them cringing, before I add for the slowest lap ever. However, I have been around there fast in the M5 Ring Taxi driven by Sabina. A beautiful lady inside and out.
great videos and looking forward to more catchup stories, I've just sold my fz1n 2007 and in the market for a new budget naked with power and reliability for weekend trips with the wife on back , I like to work on my bikes myself at home but struggling what to pick , my line up so far based on price are around the 2014 year so the speed triple s , cb1000r , ktm super duke 990 , or another fresh fz1 but I want to stick to something with less electrics and least maintenance cost so the bmw s1000r and tuono are off the list at the moment . any ideas of experience of good choices please throw them my way 👍🏼👌🏼😎 , the speed triple and the cb1000 fit me really nice as I'm 5ft7 but not sure if the power drop from fz1 would be a disappointment but the reach to the bars from on fz1 gave me numb hands 😆🙈
Today, it seems as though most moto journalists agree with eachother to a very large extent. Were there any bikes you reviewed where your opinion seemed to be the outlier compared to your peers? For example, did you ever rave about a bike that all the other journalists seemed to greatly dislike, or vice versa? ❤❤
Great vid. I have been fortunate to buy a lot of the bikes you have liked. 1098 streetfighter, Bimota DB9 etc. We are the same age and now my opinions of bikes have changes that due to the way the world is with policing and congestion. I look at motorbikes as experiences now so I look at things like a Rocket 3 or a 701 Supermoto or even a tricked up grom as desirable rather than superbikes and super nakeds. What are your views on bikes now and what makes a bike desirable?
Interesting comment you made, you don't go to video straight away, but go away and think about it,and days later before giving your opinion also shows the professional journalists you are. It's frustrating to watch seasoned journalists, star struck at bike launches laid on by manufacturers, giving limp reviews on bikes after just getting of them afraid to offend . One recent prominent bike insurer gushing over the Norton, and not challenging the designer why a 16k bike has a £5 ebay brake fluid reservoir, and Ali express like £15 mirrors. Fabulous channel, you have found a niche.
With regards to making the best videos etc. As I said last time I have always wanted to get into motorcycle journalism and ive tried that via my own TH-cam channel. I'm fairly decent with a camera, drone, audio, and editing, so if there's anything I can help with, I'd do a video for you as a freebie (as a sort of test and to show you what I can do). Could help you, and could be a foot in the door for me....🙏
This type of video is on par with what makes a written piece so special. It’s so personal and gives more time to ponder and offer more detail than a ride on / off review or account. I love it all dearly but really appreciate the time you give to these vids.
Thanks for the upload. Another gem. Passed my test on a Suzuki X7 and bought a brand new 350LC May '81. Sooo much fun. In Niall Mackenzie's autobiography he names his favourite road just North of Glasgow and how he only got beaten once on it by a guy on an LC. Now the Drymen/Stockiemuir Road was my stomping ground but I bet it wasn't me who beat him!! (Athough it could have been my brother, he was BLOODY quick on a bike.)
Delivery, duration & content are superb. Name-dropping yet self-effacing. A clever & enjoyable blend. And always entertaining, thanks.
Wow, that's made my day!!
Neevsey,my first legal bike on the road was a 21bhp,10w,RD125lc,saved up from my16th birthday,untill two months before my 17th birthday, bought it second hand,in mint condition, I then pushed it too get on the A92,when they started construction on the bypass past my town, there was mile long strips of new perfect tarmac,where I used to thrash it back and forward, doing 100mph on the clocks, I know they where well out,but I didnt care! Then on the morning of my 17th birthday, I was up early and rode it too my YTS job🤣 Those where the days,gangs of us racing around on,RDs,MBX,DTs,and looking for Honda superdreams to beat on the road!
But the first time I saw a Rd350lc I was hooked,the RD125lc though was pretty special too, thanks for the great video,it really has brought back a few memories 😂
Another really good look back at past biking times, I use to buy all the biking publications and PB was a fav back in the day when Ronnie and Gus were doing their thing great, great times, sadly missed, I passed my "big bike" test in 1979, I've owned a lot of really nice bikes over the years, from Honda CBX-6, to R6, to (5) Fireblade's, SP1, but I have to admit the GSX-R1000K5 was my all-time favorite, such an amazing machine, so capable of doing anything and the most comfortable full on Sports bike I've owned.
that very last bit made me laugh. The sheer arrogance/hubris of (an implied journo) suggesting that perhaps they knew how to setup a racebike better than an actual race team ... amazing
I reckon I'm about 10 years older than your good self Michael.
Riding my Suzuki GT185, the Yamaha RD series were my dream bikes. The 250 of course could be ridden on L plates!
“Gav” our local hero could wheelie his LC from the paper shop in to the sunset 😊
Top memories ❤
When you joined mcn was a breath of fresh Air mate . Kept me engaged and value your opinion s
Keep the video's coming Neevsey! It's great to get more candid, conversational style content from a journalist we've known for so long. By the way, I'm in love with your Harada replica. Any special story behind it? Have you ever worn it or has it always been a display? You've been wearing your custom painted ones for as long as I've been around.
Great format, endless discussion topics. 👏🏻
Very enjoyable listening to your stories, in my late 40s been riding since I can remember and have always followed mcn news. To me I feel I have lived through the golden era of motorcycle development and have been lucky to have owned a lot of iconic bikes and still do to the point the latest and greatest does nothing for me now. I love your honest and real world experience. NZ
I'm looking around and seeing what tempts me. The Ducati Diavel, and maybe a learner wheelie friendly bike because I've never wheelied a bike properly.
What about you?
Re: wheelies, even on a bicycle after 4-5 pedals with the front up that was my limit. I just couldn't get the balance point? Either I'd lean back too far, or not enough and I'd have to keep putting more power through my feet or the throttle to keep the front from hitting down.
Can you wheelie?
More great entertainment Neevesy, keep up this superb content please? 👍🏻
Regarding the irrelevance of the modern superbike performance, I totally agree. I would happy buy a new sports bike with 100-130bhp if they weren't all parallel twins. Maybe an R9 will arrive soon and be tempting.
Love this Neevsey, been buying MCN since I was 17, always read it cover to cover.
Your videos are brilliant, and different from others. Please keep developing them for us lesser riders!
I had a Yamaha RD350 YPVS. Was my first "big" bike. I thought it was great, and so much faster than the 125 I'd had before it.
It was relatively lightweight, especially compared to the Honda CBR600F which I bought afterwards.
I had a "power slide" coming off a mini roundabout at 10-15mph, and it nearly high sided me. Turns out the back tire was nearly flat :-)
The difference in speed between the 350 2-stroke and the CBR 600F was a lot. The lightweight and lower speed of the 350 probably helped me when I was younger and wilder.
TJA 273X, never forget your first LC........
I had an RZ 350 (same bike) and loved it! It felt much faster than it was. ;-)
Love the race bike stories. Made me think of the time I was at brands on my r1 track bike thinking I was the business. Then Danny buchan and mason law came flying past doing some testing for their bsb season. Within 2 corners they were gone! I initially thought my bike was broken and then I remembered 😂 my bike was working fine btw! Love these nostalgia videos, keep em coming mate 👍
Neevesy you're probably thinking "nobodies going to watch this one" but you're wrong! Enjoyed that and I'm looking forward to more stories 😊
Great stuff you deserve many more subs your expertise is appreciated,
Thanks so much
I never knew your history and how you got the job with MCN, but I started following you on TH-cam through MCN because your reviews are genuine, and thanks to that genuinity, your review on the 22 panigale v4s made me pull the trigger. Got it 6 weeks ago and love it to bits.
Nice one.
Greetings from Switzerland!
I just purchased a 2022 BMW S1000R. I was stuck in between 3 brands, your review provided real driving insight and not just glossy specs.
Thanks for the help Mr Neeves.
Epic could watch these all day. got Neevesy saved folder on youtube. Q. thinking about a first track bike, not sure whether to get a 600, 750 or 1000. i have a 1299s for the road. but always learning
I love these videos, it's all about my favourite era of biking. I started riding in 1998 and owned an r1 in 2001 at the age of 21! (Crashed it twice, once at Cadwell at the Ronnie smith memorial track day)
Had a 916 too.
What's your favourite all time bike??
Thanks
Thank you for reading my comment.
Agree completely the V4 is to much for the road. It does pass the garage giggle test though, (I still giggle opening the garage door that I'm fortunate enough to own it).
All the best.
John
Michael, I bought a brand new RD400E on the 19th of April 1980 aged 16! Pushed it away from the shop as obviously no licence for a big motorcycle. Kept it in my shed till I passed my test a few months later, then got it Stan Stephens tuned and it was an animal on the road. Kept it for 6 years and traded it for a Honda CB900 which I dearly wanted. If only I had kept XST 368V it would have been worth a fortune now!
Another great video. Love your stories. Question: over time and especially on those big trips you often do, do you keep your preference for sports/super naked bikes, or do you see yourself leaning more towards a more comfortable bike?
My (2) CBR 600Fs, R6, GSX-R750Y, CBR600RR, were all because of you & MCN, Swapped every two years brand new, commuting! Keep up the good work.
On a side note, how did the PB geezers get away with it 4 so long, I blame C. Newbiggins 4 it's demise.
Not sure if you have seen the "rev zilla" test of "dave the K5" v the latest Duke Superbike, a great vid!
Another great video Michael, thanks. I have a question for you. As someone who has been crap in the buying and selling bikes game, as I bought them over the years and very rarely got round to selling them, I am thus the somewhat confused owner of about 25 machines. Stupid I know but there it is. Some of what I have goes back to the sixties and spread up to an eleven-year-old Diavel, covering many genres. I do look at brand new bikes, which of course shall be better, but I wonder if they are going be in people's garages with a real chance of working in twenty years, and more, time? Given that getting spare parts for even a five-year-old electronic item can be a challenge, I do wonder how all the fancy electronics which we all crave now will stand up to the test of time. What do you reckon?
Could you tell us the how and why you got into racing? Your highlights etc, as someone that's recently started racing with NG in the Bandit Challenge Cup, and more recently Bemsee on my 17 R1, it's been really eye opening and unbelievably addictive, even with the associated costs of it all.
Any tips would be most welcome, I love these sit down chats and enjoy all your content.
All the best.
Thanks Michael another great one. Can I ask have you ridden Misano both ways, I went there, and they later changed the direction and if you have what way is the hardest. I always tell people that I set a lap record on my Blackbird at the Ring, and you can see them cringing, before I add for the slowest lap ever. However, I have been around there fast in the M5 Ring Taxi driven by Sabina. A beautiful lady inside and out.
great videos and looking forward to more catchup stories, I've just sold my fz1n 2007 and in the market for a new budget naked with power and reliability for weekend trips with the wife on back , I like to work on my bikes myself at home but struggling what to pick , my line up so far based on price are around the 2014 year so the speed triple s , cb1000r , ktm super duke 990 , or another fresh fz1 but I want to stick to something with less electrics and least maintenance cost so the bmw s1000r and tuono are off the list at the moment . any ideas of experience of good choices please throw them my way 👍🏼👌🏼😎 , the speed triple and the cb1000 fit me really nice as I'm 5ft7 but not sure if the power drop from fz1 would be a disappointment but the reach to the bars from on fz1 gave me numb hands 😆🙈
Today, it seems as though most moto journalists agree with eachother to a very large extent. Were there any bikes you reviewed where your opinion seemed to be the outlier compared to your peers? For example, did you ever rave about a bike that all the other journalists seemed to greatly dislike, or vice versa?
❤❤
Great vid. I have been fortunate to buy a lot of the bikes you have liked. 1098 streetfighter, Bimota DB9 etc. We are the same age and now my opinions of bikes have changes that due to the way the world is with policing and congestion. I look at motorbikes as experiences now so I look at things like a Rocket 3 or a 701 Supermoto or even a tricked up grom as desirable rather than superbikes and super nakeds. What are your views on bikes now and what makes a bike desirable?
Interesting comment you made, you don't go to video straight away, but go away and think about it,and days later before giving your opinion also shows the professional journalists you are. It's frustrating to watch seasoned journalists, star struck at bike launches laid on by manufacturers, giving limp reviews on bikes after just getting of them afraid to offend .
One recent prominent bike insurer gushing over the Norton, and not challenging the designer why a 16k bike has a £5 ebay brake fluid reservoir, and Ali express like £15 mirrors. Fabulous channel, you have found a niche.
Whatever happened to Tim Thompson ? Used to really like his stuff👍
He’s still floating around as a freelancer 👍
With regards to making the best videos etc. As I said last time I have always wanted to get into motorcycle journalism and ive tried that via my own TH-cam channel. I'm fairly decent with a camera, drone, audio, and editing, so if there's anything I can help with, I'd do a video for you as a freebie (as a sort of test and to show you what I can do). Could help you, and could be a foot in the door for me....🙏