The MCN London Motorcycle Show opens on Friday – HARRIET RIDLEY has look at some of the star attractions.

GREY skies getting you down? Suffering from February blues? Well here to break the winter tedium is the MCN London Motorcycle Show.

And with most of the big manufacturers in attendance at the event to be staged at the Excel centre in London’s Docklands, it’s your chance to admire all the latest new motorcycles that have just been launched for 2013.

Britain’s highly successful bike marque, Triumph, will be displaying its brand new Street Triple, Daytona 675, Trophy and Tiger 1050 Sport motorcycles.

The Street Triple and Street Triple R middleweight naked bikes have been completely overhauled, with a new look in-line with the brand new 675R supersport motorcycle.

The most notable styling change is the low-level exhaust, which also promises to make the Street Triple – and the 675R – even more agile by substantially lowering the bike’s centre of gravity. These bikes are set to be a runaway success for 2013.

The 675 and 675 R supersports also get a brand new in-line three-cylinder engine, slotted into a brand new chassis including new suspension and brakes.

Meanwhile the Trophy is a direct rival to BMW’s highly successful R1200RT Tourer, and like the BMW, the Triumph gets a host of electronic and rider comfort aids to make the most of the bike over long distances. Then there’s the more sports-orientated Tiger 1050 Sport, a tall touring motorcycle that’s perfect for long-distance commuting.

BMW will be there to display its new R1200GS. This adventure motorcycle has been a bestseller for years now in many different countries, prompting practically every other motorcycle manufacturer to launch their own version.

This latest model is completely new, with liquid cooling instead of air cooling for the first time ever. The updated F700GS and F800GS middleweight adventure bikes will also be on display.

BMW will also be showing its sexy new S1000RR HP4 superbike with its semi-active suspension, and the revamped F800GT middleweight tourer with its new fairing, more powerful engine and other tweaks aimed at improving its long-distance credentials.

The Piaggio Group’s Aprilia and Moto Guzzi brands will be there, the latter showing off its all-new, funky looking California model, while Aprilia will have its revamped Caponord 1200 adventure bike on display, which this year gets electronic rider aids including ABS, traction control and semi-active suspension to boost its chances against the mighty BMW.

The RSV4 superbike will also be at the show and for 2013 it gets race ABS brakes.

Ducati has also clearly seen the need to update its adventure bike in face of the revamped competition. Its 150bhp Multistrada 1200 now also gets semi-active suspension. Also there to drool over will be the 1199 Paniagale R – the most extreme version of the 1200cc V-twin superbike yet.

Harley-Davidson is celebrating 110 years in 2013, so expect a bit of a party on its stand. Look out for the new Street Bob and Street Glide Tourer, as well as special edition models to mark the anniversary.

Yamaha and Kawasaki will be out in force bringing their entire 2013 range to the show. Watch out for Yamaha’s new FJR1300, while Kawasaki will be displaying its new Z800 naked middleweight with its futuristic looks.

Also of huge interest will be its 636cc ZX6R – the new supersport machine not only has more power and torque thanks to the capacity hike, but also gets the latest electronic goodies ABS and traction control.

But the best part of the MCN London Motorcycle Show is the Revolution Live Action. Racing heroes Tommy Hill, John McGuiness, Dougie Lampkin, Chris Walker, Neil Hodgson and Jamie Whitham race each other in the indoor enduro course – none of these true racers will want to lose so fierce action is guaranteed.

The show runs from February 15 to 17 and tickets cost £16 with children admitted free.