The Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show 2019

Never ones to pass up the chance to poke around a bunch of new motorbikes, we took a trip up the tracks (well, sort of around, along, up a bit, along a bit more...cheers Southern Rail!) to take in the sights, sounds and smells(?) of the MCN Motorcycle Show. It's always fun to break out of our little niche and check out what the rest of the industry has been up to – and also to sit our resident tall guy James on sports bikes and see how funny he looks. Here's a collection of some of our favourite snaps from the day:

Rare sights: the legendary and elusive Foggy Petronas FP-1 on the left, while a Norton is built for a live audience on the right.

Speaking of Norton, the new Atlas models were pride of place – we've no doubt there'll be a few of these pulling up outside the shop before long.

We're big fans of the ultra-clean welding CCM bring to their Spitfire bikes, and this one-off for the RAF Benevolent Fund is a shining example. Jordan Gibbon's dazzle paint KTM 690 was also very cool, while admittedly not as clean. But then that is sort of the point.

Couple of scramblers stretching the definition scrambling. Although, hook a whisk up to those v-twins and you'll get some very scrambled eggs.

Closing proceedings with a look back and a look forward. Royal Enfield have finally returned to the world of two cylinders, and this Interceptor (left) looks a real retro treat. On the right, however, we have the Energica Ego. This will be silently whizzing round your screens later this year, during the inaugural MotoE world Cup.