Bike Kit

Year: ALL

Nutcrackers: Best spanners for motorcycle maintenance

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

A good socket set is generally top of the wish – or indeed, need – list for any home mechanic’s tool set. However, following it up very closely is a good set of spanners, as sockets without the best...

Do it all: Best multi-tools for motorcycle repairs

14 September 2023 by Chris Williams

Carrying lots of kit isn’t really in line with the motorcycling brief, even with the bigger touring bikes. Yet, multi-tools for motorcycle repairs are handy. Every so often, we need to fettle with...

Gaining altitude: Best motorcycle lifts and benches for your workshop

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

There are some jobs that require you to raise your bike off the ground – taking the wheels or suspension off, for example – and this is easiest with motorcycle lifts and benches. In fact, most jobs...

Strong start: Best motorcycle batteries as picked by MCN

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

We’re all guilty of taking our motorcycle batteries for granted until they eventually run out. Whether it’s through lack of use or the battery is aged and discharging you’ll need a new one at some...

Tried and tested: Givi Corium review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

First and foremost, the Givi Corium is a very nice-looking piece of luggage. Formed in a classic brown and in what appears, from a distance, to be leather but is, in fact, vegan-friendly PU leather...

Tried and tested: Kappa WA402S rucksack review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

This Kappa WA402S rucksack is formed from PVC tarpaulin, the material will prevent any and all water from entering, ensuring that your contents stay safe and dry whatever the conditions. There are...

Tried and tested: Alpinestars City Hunter review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

If you want a motorbike rucksack that looks a little less ‘bikey’ but still lets you carry your gear in safety and to keep it dry, then the Alpinestars City Hunter is a good option. It is a truth...

Tank toppers: Best motorcycle tankbags as chosen by MCN

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Motorcycle tankbags are a great way to carry your essentials while keeping them all within easy reach. The’re perfect for things like maps, phones, keys, passports and wallets and particularly handy...

Tried and tested: Oxford F1 18-litre tailpack review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

If you have a small amount of gear to carry with you on your bike but don’t fancy – or like – wearing a rucksack, then a tailpack like the Oxford F1 is a great option. You can get all sizes of...

Tried and tested: Held Iconic Evo tailpack review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

The Held Iconic Evo is a motorcycle tailpack with. aslim profile and tall design a bit like a top box. When it comes to carrying clobber on the bike, there are numerous ways to do it. A rucksack is...

Tried and tested: Lomo 20L Rollbag review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Sometimes, if you’re heading out on a long trip or a short tour, you need some simple luggage to cart your stuff with you. You might not want to wear a rucksack or fit semi-permanent luggage, like...

Junk in the trunk: Best motorcycle tailpacks

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Carrying luggage on a motorcycle is fairly straightforward and of all the options, many favour a tailpack. This is because almost any motorcycle can be fitted with one and assuming you get one with a...

Fan favourite: How to check your motorcycle cooling system

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Checking your motorcycle cooling system is important. In the past, most bikes were air-cooled. Although that’s a bit of a misnomer; it was a combination of air and oil-cooling, with the oil being...

Keep on stopping: How to change motorcycle brake pads

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

It’s inevitable that if you carry out your own maintenance, sooner or later you will be changing motorcycle brake pads. They are, after all, consumable and will need replacing more or less often,...

Tried and tested: Ring RSC706 Battery Charger review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

There’s little particularly interesting about a battery charger. That is until you have a weakening battery, or are perhaps not planning on using the bike for a while over winter, and you want to look...

Tried and tested: Draper Expert T-handle hex keys review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Many of us will have a set of Allen keys in our toolkits that have been there forever. I know I have – several – and they are generally a bit rusty and a bit unloved. There is though another set of...

Get a grip! Best pliers for motorcycle mechanics

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Any home – or even professional – mechanic knows that sometimes, you need to get strong with a bike. Occasionally you need to go to your motorcycle toolkit and get the big breaker bar for a stubborn...

Flat-head or Phillips: Best screwdriver sets for motorcycle maintenance

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

In building a toolkit to use at home to look after your motorcycle, once you have sourced a socket set and spanners, then a screwdriver set is probably the next most essential component that you will...

Advanced mechanics: Best motorcycle workshop luxuries

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

If you enjoy working on your motorcycle, either for essential maintenance or for more in-depth spannering such as restoration work, then you will probably already have a decent range of essential...

Pull up a pew: Best workshop seats

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

If you have an elevating table, working on your motorcycle is so much easier than at ground level. However, they can still mean you need to get on your knees for certain jobs – working on brakes or...

Shoulder the burden: Best motorcycle rucksacks

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

From time to time, you will need to carry some stuff with you on your bike, and one of the most convenient ways to do that is in a motorcycle rucksack. It’s easy to get on and off, you can tailor...

Canvas opinion: Best motorcycle camping kit

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

If you’re heading off on a long, multi-day trip or tour, then you’ll need to stay in different places overnight, and motorcycle camping kit can be a great way to do it. While many people in this...

Waisting away: Best motorcycle waistbags

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

We all sniggered when we realised that Americans called waistbags (or bumbags, as they are better known this side of the pond) ‘fanny packs’ but a waistbag can be a really useful bit of riding kit. If...

The thigh's the limit: Best motorcycle leg bags

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Sometimes, the clobber you have to carry with you on your motorcycle gets in the way – and a motorcycle leg bag could be the answer. It might just be a phone, wallet, bunch of keys and a pack of...

Added extras: Best motorcycle luggage accessories

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Purpose-designed motorcycle luggage can be brilliant. Whether you use hard or soft panniers, a topbox or tankbag, all are brilliant ways of carrying your clobber around for commuting to work or going...

The winner takes it all: MCN's best motorbike kit bags

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

There will be times when you need to travel in a car or van or even, by train or air and need to carry your gear with you; you might be heading to a track day in the van, you may be heading off on a...

Tried and tested: T.ur G-Zero winter gloves review

14 September 2023 by Adam Binnie

On the other hand the T.ur G-Zero promises maximum warmth in even the most extreme weather, with a clever double glove structure than keeps unnecessary padding to a minimum too. Passive gloves that do...

Tried and tested: Furygan Blizzard heated motorcycle gloves review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

A decent pair of gloves like these Furygan Blizzards is crucial for anyone who rides throughout winter. Irrespective of the protection offered by the bike – whether from handguards, fairing, bodywork...

Tried and tested: Oxford Montreal 4.0 gloves review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

The Oxford Montreal 4.0 is one of the latest gloves to be added to the British brand’s line-up alongside the fourth generation of its award-winning Montreal textile suit. The company doesn’t specify...

Tried and tested: Alpinestars Supertech gloves review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

These Alpinestars Supertech gloves are developed directly from the Italian firm’s MotoGP race products to bring that knowledge and experience to road and circuit riders for the ultimate in...

Tried and tested: Richa Street Touring gloves review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

I’ve been wearing these Richa Street Touring gloves on longer trips for several years and again, this season since early spring. There’s a very good reason for that; they are a great three-season...

Fast hands: Best sporty motorcycle gloves

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

Once the worst of the winter is behind us and it looks like spring and eventually, summer are on the way, thoughts turn to lightweight riding kit, such as sporty motorcycle gloves. A pair of...

Get your hands dirty: Best motocross and dirtbike gloves

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

When it comes to riding off-road, whether that’s mild trail riding perhaps on an adventure bike, to doing more serious dirt biking all the way up to enduro and motocross riding, apart for needing the...

Comms away: How to fit an intercom to your motorcycle helmet

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

If you’re one of the many riders who like to listen to music or hear sat-nav instructions, or make or take phone calls and chat to passengers or other riders, then a motorcycle intercom is just the...

Tried and tested: Cardo Packtalk Bold review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

While for many, motorcycling is about isolation and distraction from the rest of the world, others like to stay in touch, and for them, a motorcycle intercom – such as the Cardo Packtalk Bold – fitted...

Tried and tested: Jabra Elite Active 75T earbud review

14 September 2023 by Jim Blackstock

The Jabra Elite Active 75t wireless earbuds are Bluetooth headphones just slim enough to wear under your helmet when riding your motorcycle. A pair of earbuds or earphones are not the obvious...