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

BSA Gold Star vs Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 video review

27 January 2023 by Michael Neeves

On paper, BSA’s new Gold Star is a worthy adversary for the class-leading Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. They have similar stats for weight, power, price, capacity and both borrow heavily from a claim...

Cross the Alps by motorcycle with the Great Malle Mountain Rally

27 January 2023 by Saffron Wilson

Imagine riding across the rooftop of Europe, ticking off all of the highest passes in the Alps as you do so. Cruising along the serene tarmac of a carefully planned pre-set route, triumphing over...

WWII despatch rider Lewis Banham has died

20 December 2022 by Dan Sutherland

MCN is saddened to learn of the loss of Lewis Banham, an incredibly brave Second World War despatch rider that inspired a Veterans Living History Museum (VLHM) project to ride a 1944 BSA M20 from...

Building perfection: Michael Guy sets about buying and modifying his ideal adventure bike

10 November 2022 by Michael Guy

MCN Sport Editor Michael Guy has a new video series exploring the middleweight adventure bike market. But unlike most bike reviews, once he decides on the best one he buys it with his own money and...

Going extreme for charity: Pol Tarrés helps boost the work of Riders for Health

14 October 2022 by Richard Newland

This page is a free example of the amazing content MCN Members get every single week. Becoming an MCN Member gives you full access to all of the bikes, the behind-the-scenes stories, news exclusives,...

Ducati’s master plan: CEO talks electric, alternative fuels and the brand’s future direction

14 October 2022 by Richard Newland

Eddie Kidd’s next challenge: Ahead of his festival of stunts, MCN joins the legendary high-flying superstar for a jump down memory lane

23 September 2022 by Saffron Wilson

Tyre test: Metzeler M9 RR sports tyre review

16 September 2022 by Michael Neeves

Seven years after their launch, Metzeler’s Sportec M7 RR sports tyres can still mix it with the best. Related: Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE review But under attack from new rivals in the rubbery shape of...

The new breed: The traditional 600 class may be dead and buried, but the middleweight sportsbike is far from gone

10 August 2022 by Dan Sutherland

It’s all too easy to have too much of a good thing. Too much booze on a night out, too much food at the all-you-can-eat buffet, or too great an obsession with racetrack performance – eventually...

How to get your bike track ready: Some easy prep will make your trackday a total success

24 June 2022 by Bruce Dunn

If you’ve booked a place on a trackday it can be easy to focus on preparing yourself as a rider and forget to get your bike ready. In the best case scenario, this may mean having to borrow a pressure...

2022 MCN Sicilian Superbike Shootout

23 June 2022 by Michael Neeves

We all know that superbikes have evolved massively over the past few years. It wasn’t that long ago they could be improved with time on a dyno, tweaked suspension, bigger brakes and stickier...

Don't miss National Motorcycle Museum Live 2022

23 May 2022 by Phil West

Henry Cole of TV’s Shed & Buried will star alongside engineering master Allen Millyard, plus racers Steve Parrish and Peter Hickman at this year’s National Motorcycle Museum Live in late...

RoadSmart IV tyre review: Dunlop's ever-improving all-rounder

25 April 2022 by Michael Neeves

More than ever sports touring tyres have become all the rubber you’ll ever need for your road bike – from small nakeds to tall-roaders, adventure bikes, big tourers, sportsbikes and everything in...

Where it all began: Prototype Triumph from 1901 unearthed

20 April 2022 by Ben Clarke

A veteran collector has restored the first-ever Triumph to running order – and it’s a prototype which predates the company’s official first production bike by a year. It’s generally accepted that...

Pirelli's 2022 Diablo Rosso IV Corsa is a real world easy to manage trackday tyre

08 April 2022 by Michael Neeves

If you put adventure and dual-purpose rubber to one side there are three basic tyre types for your road bike. Sports touring, sports and trackday. That all sounds simple enough, but there’s actually a...

Verdict: Metzeler’s Karoo 4 raises the bar for on and off-road riders

06 April 2022 by Michael Guy

It’s a question that gets asked constantly. What’s the best tyre for my adventure bike? It obviously all comes down to the type of riding you intend to do, but if your answer is a healthy mix of...

MCN joined in the soggy fun at the 60th Dragon Rally

04 April 2022 by Justin Hayzelden

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Dragon Rally, one of the UK’s most enduring meets. Traditionally taking place on the second weekend in February, this extreme event sees up to 2000 hardcore...

Rising from the ashes: Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum re-opens

30 March 2022 by Phil West

A motorcycle museum that was completely destroyed by fire in January 2021 – along with 330 rare bikes – is preparing for its busiest summer season ever. Astonishingly, the Top Mountain museum in...

'We've got a lot of big plans' - New tech on the way as UK-based Mutt look to petrol-free future

29 March 2022 by Dan Sutherland

The co-founders of British small-capacity retro roadster firm, Mutt Motorcycles have confirmed that their first liquid-cooled bikes will be shown later this year – with development of electric and...

Going the distance: 120 years of Royal Enfield adventures

01 March 2022 by Simon Weir

In the world of YouTube and Instagram and massive machines with satnavs, spotlights and metal panniers, it’s easy to imagine that adventure-biking is a modern phenomenon – but that’s not true. Royal...

Winter wonderland: 16 secrets of conquering even the coldest conditions

28 February 2022 by John Westlake

Riding all year round is one of the most life-enriching things you can do. Yes – some people will think you’re mad; yes – you’ll have to wash your bike more in salty conditions and be more attentive...

How to fit clip-on bars for that tucked-in race-style ride

25 February 2022 by MCN

If your bike has standard fitment one-piece handlebars and you want a tucked-in race-style riding position, then lower clip-on bars, which bolt directly to the fork legs, are the answer to your...

MCN's Jordan Gibbons finds battery bikes are the perfect pal for city life

25 February 2022 by Jordan Gibbons

No matter how much some people might yearn for carbs, induction roar and the sweet smell of Castrol R, motorcycles are only going to get greener. The world is getting hotter, our air is becoming...

Riding a trio of special Honda RC30s and meeting the men who still use them as Honda intended

25 February 2022 by Michael Neeves

For many of us, Honda’s RC30 has been an object of desire since it was released back in 1988. With around 3500 made, they’re not as rare as you might imagine, but they were expensive – twice the price...

Safety expert urges retailers to meet the latest riding kit standards

21 February 2022 by Dan Sutherland

A leading motorcycle kit safety expert says he would support heavier involvement from Trading Standards to stamp out sellers peddling substandard products at biking shows and other events. Paul...

Discography: How to change your brake discs

07 February 2022 by Alan Seeley

Changing your brake discs yourself can save you a good chunk of cash and give you that warm fuzzy feeling inside as you complete a job well done. In this article we’re going to take you through the...

Royal Enfield’s Dean Coxson talks exclusively about their record-breaking expedition to the South Pole

04 February 2022 by Saffron Wilson

On December 16th 2021, Royal Enfield rode into the history books when employees Dean Coxson and Santhosh Vijay Kumar reached the South Pole on a near-stock Himalayan, becoming the first people to...

MCN's guide to affordable two-strokes

03 February 2022 by Mike Armitage

Back in 2004, I flogged my Suzuki RGV250M. It was in good nick, had a complete spare engine in a box, and I got £1000. Since then two-stroke values have gone wild, and replacing it today in 2022 would...

Learning to ride: how to avoid stalling your motorbike

02 February 2022 by Chris Dabbs

Stalling turns your fleet-footed steed that responds to every delicate touch, into a 150 kilo lump of metal that wants to crush your leg. But if you learn the warning signs you can pull away cleanly...

Pass that test: How to u-turn on a motorbike

24 January 2022 by MCN

Perfecting the dreaded feet-up U turn can be one of the most stressful parts of learning to ride a motorbike. Most of us neglect the skill the minute we pass our test, but it can be a useful manoeuvre...

Stop motion: How to service your brake calipers

17 January 2022 by Bruce Dunn

Cleaning and servicing your brake calipers is a crucial job if you’ve ridden through winter or had the bike laid up for a while, but it only takes an afternoon. So what are you waiting for? Related:...

Go off-road in a sidecar: We get a taste of outfit life by riding Ural’s latest three-wheeler in Portugal

14 January 2022 by Jordan Gibbons

How many riding situations are there in motorcycling where you effectively need to forget everything you know? Trials maybe? Ice racing perhaps? For me it’s riding a sidecar. It’s the single hardest...

Shaft-drive bikes vs chain-driven bikes

13 January 2022 by MCN

What are the advantages and disadvantages of shaft drive motorcycles and chain-driven bikes? The major benefits of shaft-drive are lower maintenance and running costs, and cleanliness. The...

Try trials with the family for a one-of-a-kind shared experience

07 January 2022 by Saffron Wilson

What’s a better idea than trying trials for the first time in the depths of winter? That’s easy – taking my 59-year-old dad along for the ride. Off we both ventured, fuelled by nerves through pouring...

The youngest person to ride around the world... during a pandemic

05 January 2022 by Saffron Wilson

Although still being verified by Guinness World Records, Jack Groves is the youngest person to ride around the world on a motorcycle. At just 22, Jack finished his studies and set out to break the...

Charge of the light brigade: Army Parachute Regiment trial electric bikes

24 December 2021 by Laura Thomson

It’s a frigid November evening and I’m standing in a muddy field in the middle of rural France, as diesel generators shake the air around me. The area is abuzz with activity as military vehicles move...