Bike Kit

Year: ALL

Balancing act: Best motorcycle bar-ends

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

It’s a fact we must accept somewhere along the line that some motorcycles are not perfect. I know; it’s hard to accept but it’s true. One of the things that can detract from the perfection of a ride...

Top Motorcycle Touring Essentials

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Ask a dozen riders what they consider motorcycle touring essentials and you will likely get a dozen different answers. People tend to like to take different things, depending on their destination,...

Baffling options: Best motorcycle exhaust end-cans

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

There used to be a time when adding a replacement exhaust silencer would gain you additional power and performance but also a healthy dose of resentment from the outside world for the extra noise that...

Pulling power: Best motorcycle lever replacements and upgrades

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

One of the most tactile, touchy-feely parts of your bike are its control levers, for the front brake and clutch. But it’s also true that they’re one of the most vulnerable components in even a...

Best women's motorcycle clothing

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

While clothing options for men are enormous, and have been for years, that’s not necessarily the case for women’s kit. Up until fairly recently, women had little choice but to wear the appropriate...

Mental exhaustion: Best aftermarket exhausts for your motorbike

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

It’s safe to say that the most popular aftermarket motorcycle accessory of all is an upgraded aftermarket exhaust. Whether you want to make your sports bike or cruiser sound better, fancy giving...

Best motorcycle suspension upgrades and tools

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Forget about engine tuning or performance pipes if you want to make a dramatic change to your bike’s performance. If you’re looking for something that’ll affect every aspect of your riding,...

Best kit for adventure bikes | MCN's top picks whether you're blazing trails or traversing coffee shop car parks

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

As we’ve said before, getting the right kit for your ride and your motorcycle are crucial and it’s the same for riders of adventure bikes. Whether you are hitting the trails or travelling through the...

Royal Enfield Bar End Mirrors review

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Mirrors tend not to gain a huge amount of attention when it comes to motorcycles, except for several key areas. One is the off-road world, where they need to be as strong and resilient as possible.

The Best Aftermarket Motorcycle Replacement Screens

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Part of the attraction of motorcycling is the freedom, the exposure to the environment, the wind-in-the-hair (helmet notwithstanding, of course) riding experience. Sometimes though, that can get a bit...

Get Your Kids Into MX: Best junior off-road bike kit

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

For many riders who have been on or around bikes their entire lives, the chances are they first got their feet up on a dirt bike or a motocross bike. There are numerous reasons for trying MX but the...

Scratch-stoppers: Best motorcycle tank protectors

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

There are a couple of good reasons you might want to fit a tank protector to your bike’s fuel tank, both cosmetic and practical. On the first hand, one on the very rear of the tank will help protect...

Performance page turners: Best motorbike-related books

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

There was a time when the choice of best motorcycle books was limited to Haynes repair manuals or a round-up of the grand prix racing year – not anymore though. And rumours of the demise of printed...

Virtual racer: Best motorbike video games

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

If you’re anything like me, you harbour fantasies of racing against Valentino Rossi, taking on Dougie Lampkin or flying high over a motocross course. But a combination of age, lack of talent and...

Build your dream bike: Best Lego motorcycles as chosen by MCN

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Not all biking ‘buys’ have to be sensible. It’s not always about purchasing prudent protective gear or investing in wise accessories. Lego motorcycles show bikes can be fun and frivolous as...

Best Motorcycle Mirrors and Accessories

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Sometimes, no matter how hard they try, manufacturers can’t get everything right. And something that can be completely dependent on the size and shape of the rider is how well the mirrors and...

A cleaner rear end: Best motorcycle tail tidies

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Bikes are usually well-designed and stylish but the one area that often lets them down is around the rear number plate and mudguard, where clumsy fenders and overlarge hangers often clutter up the...

Best kit for sportsbike riding | From club racing to pub cruising, MCN have got you covered

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

There’s lots of kit out there for sportsbike riders, from one-piece leather suits and FIM helmets to riding jeans and casual-style boots. Top-end sportsbike kit is some of the most expensive around...

Best motorbike kit for beginners and new riders

10 October 2023 by Emma Franklin

Staying safe on your bike doesn’t always mean getting trussed up in a leather suit and spending thousands of pounds. In fact, there is a huge amount of entry to mid-level motorcycle kit for beginners...

Best motorcycle indicator upgrades

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Motorcycle indicators are hardly the stuff of legend or discussion; you will rarely get another biker coming up to you at a bike meet or a bacon-butty stop to ask where you got them, how you find they...

Best kit for the retro bike rider | Let MCN take you back with our old school gear choices

10 October 2023 by Charlotte King

There is a definite retro vibe going on in motorcycling right now. All the big manufacturers – and a fair few of the smaller ones as well – have retro machines in their line-up. It’s an...

Crossing continents pads: Best motorcycle seat pads

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

For a long-distance rider, there’s little more likely to cause dread on a ride than an uncomfortable seat. The feeling of ‘numb bum’, where sitting on a hard or uncomfortable saddle for a long period...

The best summer motorcycle gear rated by MCN for adventure, cruising, racing and touring

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

One of the best times to go riding is in the summer; bright sunshine, warm weather and long hours of daylight make any ride even more fun. And the prospect of a ride to the seaside for fish and chips...

Keep it under wraps | Best motorcycle covers for indoor and outdoor use tested by us

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

There are lots of reasons for having a motorcycle cover – particularly if you have no garage and have to keep it outside. A cover can keep the wind, rain, and leaves off it so that you won’t need to...

Best Motorcycle Shelters

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

If you don’t have a shed or garage to keep your motorbike in, then it will have to stay exposed to the elements and prying eyes of potential thieves. While a cover will help protect it from sun and...

Warm hands, cold start: Best heated grips for your motorbike

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Contrary to what many people think, a pair of the best heated motorcycle grips isn’t purely the domain of riding in the deepest of winter. Of course, when the temperature drops, they can help...

Let there be light: Best motorcycle spotlights

10 October 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Just like when we looked at uprated headlight bulbs, the benefits of adding riding or auxiliary spotlights to your bike are mainly two-fold. Firstly, the additional light will help you to see at...

Shad SW45 Rucksack Review

10 October 2023 by Ben Clarke

The Shad SW45 Rucksack is a little bit like a roll bag that’s been transformed into a highly effective waterproof motorbike rucksack with a few adaptations. The main body of the rucksack is a...

Our favourite Cardo intercom is 20% off - here's why you should snap it up while you can

10 October 2023 by Adam Binnie

Current range-topper, the Cardo Packtalk Edge motorcycle intercom, is on sale during Amazon Prime Big Deal Days (October 10th/11th) with a saving of 20%. It comes with all the key tech you’d expect –...

Next-gen sports-touring rubber: Metzeler Roadtec 02 tyres announced for 2024

09 October 2023 by Ben Clarke

Motorcycle tyre specialists Metzeler have announced a new version of their popular Roadtec 01 sports-touring tyre. The Metzeler Roadtec 02 will be available for purchase from January 2024 with claimed...

Can't stand wet hands? The Gore-Tex in these Richa Altantic gloves is so stealthy I didn't even notice it

27 September 2023 by Adam Binnie

Getting caught in a downpour can happen at any time of the year, and while it might be possible to stash a jacket drop liner somewhere on the bike for emergencies, I really don’t have space for a...

No need to break the bank or your fingers with these sub-£100 gloves: MCN's Oxford Nexus 1.0 review

25 September 2023 by Adam Binnie

Any motorcycle kit offering more than two attributes from the “affordable/protective/comfortable” pyramid demands a closer inspection, which is exactly why we’ve got these Oxford Nexus 1.0 gloves on...

Sporty styling meets touring practicality: HJC R-PHA 70 helmet review

19 September 2023 by Alison Silcox

I’ve been a fan of HJC motorcycle helmets for a number of years and have tried various flip-front and full-faced versions. This particular model, the HJC R-PHA 70 helmet has been around for a few...

Power play: How to hard-wire heated motorcycle gloves into your bike

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Heated kit is a brilliant addition to your winter riding kit. It allows you to wear less insulating clothing and instead, generate heat to maintain your body temperature while remaining comfortable...

Courier style: Best motorcycle top boxes

14 September 2023 by Maria Martin

Motorcycle top boxes are bought mainly for functional reasons. No-one buys a top box because they want to improve the look of their bike so functionality has to come first. While it may not be as...

Tried and tested: T.ur G-Two Adventure gloves review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

We know that the ultimate summer clothing consists of lots of mesh panels in the non-critical areas to allow as much air as possible to enter while critical areas feature solid material for...