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Motorbike Advice

Your one-stop shop for all motorbike advice, including how-tos, getting a motorcycle licence, servicing, maintenance and more.

Find out which bikes you should be choosing in our expertly curated Best section, or find the perfect kit and accessories at MCN Product Picks.

For those looking to learn how to ride a motorbike, head to our Learning to Ride hub, where we cover all you need to know about getting into this wonderful lifestyle.

If you've already got going, check out our Riding Tips section for the best guides and top techniques.

Looking for somewhere to go? Don't miss our Places to Visit area for some ideas for your next rideout.

And when you get home, learn how to look after your bike in our Bike Maintenance hub.

Year: ALL

How to pass your CBT and ride a motorbike on L-plates

01 June 2020 by Gareth Evans

How to pass your CBT and ride a motorbike on L-plates

If you’ve decided you want to learn to ride a motorbike, the first thing you’ll need to do is complete a Compulsory Basic Training, or CBT course. It may be a small step down from your dreams of...

Forty years of the GS: Original BMW R80 G/S designer tells us the untold story

20 May 2020 by Jordan Gibbons

Forty years of the GS: Original BMW R80 G/S designer tells us the untold story

It’s exactly 40 years since the first ever BMW GS went on sale: the R80 G/S. No one knew it would go on to be the most popular bike in the company’s history and that it would help to change the course...

Back on the bike: Brush up on safe riding with these great tips

12 May 2020 by Justin Hayzelden

Back on the bike: Brush up on safe riding with these great tips

With filthy roads, nasty weather and a distinct shortage of daylight, it’s not surprising that so many of us choose to put our hard-earned pride and joy to bed for winter. But while we’re saving our...

The lids are alright: Best sports-touring motorcycle helmets for under £300

12 May 2020 by RiDE magazine

The lids are alright: Best sports-touring motorcycle helmets for under £300

In the market for a new sports touring motorcycle helmet? Got a budget of up to £300? We’re here to help. As well as being in direct contact with manufacturers and distributors of the latest lids, our...

In the blood: MV Agusta marks 75 years of building soul-stirring motorbikes

08 May 2020 by Jon Urry

In the blood: MV Agusta marks 75 years of building soul-stirring motorbikes

Few motorcycle marques have combined racing success with showroom sex-appeal quite like MV Agusta. With 38 Grand Prix World Championship titles, the Italian brand have enjoyed the most on-track...

VE Day celebrations: remembering the Royal Enfield 'Flying Flea'

08 May 2020 by Andy Calton

VE Day celebrations: remembering the Royal Enfield 'Flying Flea'

It’s 75 years since World War II officially finished as the Allies accepted Germany’s surrender on May 8, 1945. And as VE Day celebrations remember big characters and big machines, there was also one...

Having fun without two wheels Part 4: motorbike-themed things to do during Coronavirus

30 April 2020 by Emma Franklin

Having fun without two wheels Part 4: motorbike-themed things to do during Coronavirus

Ding dong! Your latest delivery of 10 fresh boredom-busting ideas is here to see you through lockdown. Be it pure entertainment or a bit of self- or bike-improvement, you can indulge your passion for...

Two tribes go to war: The story behind the Honda SP-1

28 April 2020 by Jon Urry

Two tribes go to war: The story behind the Honda SP-1

It is not often that the might of HRC gets rattled, but in 2000 this was the case. Despite dominating the premier class of racing with Mick Doohan and the NSR500, Honda were being given a very public...

MCN's guide to selling your motorbike

21 April 2020 by MCN News

MCN's guide to selling your motorbike

Whether you’re upsizing, downsizing, modernising or just fancy a change, selling your motorbike is often a big part of the process of buying a new one. Here are MCN’s tips for getting the most for...

Safety on the move: How to ride like a road test pro

08 April 2020 by Michael Neeves

Safety on the move: How to ride like a road test pro

I thought I’d share some of the ways I ride to stay in one piece on the road. Not the mechanics of going through corners – body position and all that stuff, but the zen-like way you think about what...

Charge! Keep your motorbike battery healthy while it's laid up

07 April 2020 by Martin Fitz-Gibbons

Charge! Keep your motorbike battery healthy while it's laid up

When a bike’s being used regularly, the battery should stay fit and healthy for several years. But when a bike is laid up – as many are over the winter months, and many more were during 2020’s...

Neevesy's bike-hacks: How to set up your motorbike like a road test pro

01 April 2020 by Michael Neeves

Neevesy's bike-hacks: How to set up your motorbike like a road test pro

So your bike is sitting patiently in your garage, waiting to blink back out into the sun again when this is all over, but what can you do to it to make it work better for you, without spending any...

Clinical trials: Dougie Lampkin trains Riders for Health workers in Lesotho

19 March 2020 by Ben Clarke

Clinical trials: Dougie Lampkin trains Riders for Health workers in Lesotho

The rider ahead is still sitting down, which I find reassuring. If he can navigate the wet clay, loose rocks and increasing gradient without having to leave the saddle, then even a wobbly off-roader...

Putting the style in textile: MCN's guide to the best waterproof gear you can buy right now!

11 March 2020 by MCN News

Putting the style in textile: MCN's guide to the best waterproof gear you can buy right now!

Aside from being unpleasant and sucking the fun out of your riding, being uncomfortable or cold on a motorbike can lead to distraction or slow down your reactions. One of the best ways to avoid this...

Motorbike tyre advice: know your bike’s boots

03 March 2020 by MCN News

Motorbike tyre advice: know your bike’s boots

Tyres are the most important part on your bike – your sole connection with the road for the overwhelming majority of the time. Related: Best tyre pressure gauges There’s a lot to know about your...

Tyre test: Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE review

02 March 2020 by Michael Neeves

Tyre test: Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE review

Metzeler’s Roadtec has been at the top of the sports touring tree for a decade now, firstly the Interact Z8 version, followed by the 01 in 2016 – both offering class-leading levels of all-weather...

Can do attitude? It's MCN's guide to replacing your motorbike exhaust silencer

02 March 2020 by Bruce Dunn

Can do attitude? It's MCN's guide to replacing your motorbike exhaust silencer

Fitting a new motorcycle exhaust is usually a luxury rather than a necessity. It’s nice to slip off a clumpy, heavy OE silencer and slip on something altogether lighter and sexier. But sometimes you...

Triumph Daytona exhibition opened at Hinckley Visitor Experience

26 February 2020 by Ben Clarke

Triumph Daytona exhibition opened at Hinckley Visitor Experience

The Triumph Factory Visitor Experience in Hinckley has assembled a collection of 14 Triumph Daytona models that display the chronology of the firm’s sportsbike over a 50-year period. The centrepiece...

Braking bad? How to change your motorbike's brake fluid

18 February 2020 by Bruce Dunn

Braking bad? How to change your motorbike's brake fluid

Changing your motorbike’s brake fluid is a relatively easy DIY job. It may be hidden from view, but the liquid inside your bike’s braking system should never be taken for granted. Related: Top...

Video: Joacim Boive riding his KTM enduro bike off-road

07 February 2020 by Jordan Gibbons

Video: Joacim Boive riding his KTM enduro bike off-road

A Swedish motorcyclist is aiming to be the first one-legged person to compete in an enduro series after taking up off-road riding. Joacim Boive lost his right leg to cancer when he was 13 but was...

Special investigation: Lookalike fake helmets have never been more dangerous

30 January 2020 by Jordan Gibbons

Special investigation: Lookalike fake helmets have never been more dangerous

Counterfeit goods are nothing new but the problem is now worse than ever. Not only are the copies looking better, making it harder to distinguish a fake at first glance, but online retailing makes it...

Yamaha RD350LC at 40 - a celebration

28 January 2020 by Phil West

Yamaha RD350LC at 40 - a celebration

Arguably the most loved and inspirational Japanese bike of all – Yamaha’s RD350LC – went on sale for the first time 40 years ago. And while the abilities of the 47bhp stroker twin are now the stuff of...

From 50-650cc, MCN's round-up of the best new Chinese bikes

03 January 2020 by Phil West

From 50-650cc, MCN's round-up of the best new Chinese bikes

Chinese-built bikes have had a chequered history over the past decade or so due partly to a reputation for being cheap or poor quality copies of old Japanese designs – but that’s certainly changing...

Changing the game: Neevesy's top 12 bikes of the last decade

25 December 2019 by Michael Neeves

Changing the game: Neevesy's top 12 bikes of the last decade

With 2020 just days away, we wave farewell to another year and another decade of motorcycling excellence. The past 10 years have seen some dramatic changes to the two-wheeled landscape; with the...

Cruise controlled: Top Gun movie delayed

16 December 2019 by Gareth Evans

Cruise controlled: Top Gun movie delayed

Sister publication Empire magazine is reporting the US release of the new Top Gun film has been put back to December 23, 2020, due to Coronavirus. Since the UK launch was slated for after the US one...

The golden ratio? It's MCN's best automatic motorcycles of 2021

16 December 2019 by Phil West

The golden ratio? It's MCN's best automatic motorcycles of 2021

Automatic motorbikes are very rare. Or rather, they used to be. But now the swathe of ‘twist ‘n go’ scooters have equivilents in the larger, more powerful classes of bikes too. With changing biker...

Modified mayhem! Find the best base bike for your custom motorbike with MCN

12 December 2019 by Phil West

Modified mayhem! Find the best base bike for your custom motorbike with MCN

Custom bikes are more fashionable than ever – and we don’t mean old school, V-twin cruisers. Today a personalised ‘Bobber’, individual ‘scrambler’, uniquely accessorised ‘retro roadster’ or even a...

Vredestein Centauro ST tyre review: new kid on the block

10 December 2019 by Michael Neeves

Vredestein Centauro ST tyre review: new kid on the block

This is Vredestein’s first big bike radial tyre. The Dutch firm, better known in the car world, have been owned by the Indian Apollo group since 2009 and are kicking off their motorcycle range with...

Get down and dirty today with MCN's best off-road bikes

06 December 2019 by Phil West

Get down and dirty today with MCN's best off-road bikes

While winter may put a chill and a dampener on road and track motorcycling it remains a great time of year for those who enjoy riding in the dirt. After all, colder temperatures and slippery surfaces...

Cold caller: MCN’s guide to buying a winter motorbike

04 December 2019 by James Archibald

Cold caller: MCN’s guide to buying a winter motorbike

Buying a second motorbike to use as a winter hack is a sensible and practical way to keep riding through the colder months without adding hard miles to your pride and joy. Related: Essential winter...

Silverstone celebrate rich heritage with new Experience Centre

11 November 2019 by Dan Sutherland

Silverstone celebrate rich heritage with new Experience Centre

After a seven-year-project to restore a WW2 RAF hangar into an interactive museum, the all-new Silverstone Experience centre will open its doors to the public on Friday, October 25. Celebrating the...

Embrace the street scrambling scene with MCN's best ‘soft-roaders’ and enduro motorbikes

18 October 2019 by Phil West

Embrace the street scrambling scene with MCN's best ‘soft-roaders’ and enduro motorbikes

No type of motorcycle is currently more fashionable than that of retro-styled street scrambler. Related: Best enduro motorbike helmets Inspired by the trail bikes of the 1960s and ‘70s these largely...

The ultimate motorcycling high. Riding the Himalayas

14 October 2019 by Andy Davidson

The ultimate motorcycling high. Riding the Himalayas

Mountains are earth’s giants. They’re behemoths, slowly pushing their way through the clouds over millions of years to scratch at heaven’s belly. Related: Royal Enfield Himalayan review on MCN The...

State style? It's the best cruiser motorbikes of 2021

10 October 2019 by Phil West

State style? It's the best cruiser motorbikes of 2021

Take the easy rider route with MCN’s best cruiser motorcycles. American-style cruisers and customs may not be for everyone, as they emphasise States-style rumbling and leather-clad posing over sporty...

Peter Fonda, 1940-2019

19 August 2019 by Jordan Gibbons

Peter Fonda, 1940-2019

Peter Fonda, the star of the iconic motorcycle film Easy Rider, has died aged 79. Fonda had a long and varied career, however it was his depiction of Wyatt in the cult 1969 road movie that he was...

The UK's best biker cafés of 2019

15 August 2019 by Richard Newland

The UK's best biker cafés of 2019

The best motorbike cafés in the UK are places to meet, eat and socialise with likeminded people who love motorcycles. Related: vote for the UK’s best biker cafe 2020 here! Latest biker café news:...