Motorbike Advice: make the most of motorcycling

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.

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

A used Royal Enfield retro is a shrewd buy if you want great value and yesteryear style

Today 10:18 by Mike Armitage

Fire up your DeLorean, pop back a decade or so and tell everyone Royal Enfield will top UK sales. They’ll think you’re potty. Yet here in 2025 their charming, laid-back bikes outsell… well, quite...

Funky 50s! I reckon there's nothing more fun in motorcycling than wobbling around at 29mph...

19 June 2025 by Mike Armitage

We live in a world that’s obsessed with sharing. But instead of boring your social media ‘friends’ with pictures of your dinner, get out on a 50cc motorbike with a group of like-minded mates and share...

I rode the length of Africa on a Yamaha WR250R - here's why Botswana was my favourite country of all

18 June 2025 by Nye Davis

As I rolled into Botswana, my big African adventure seemed to be drawing to a close. This was country number twenty along the way to Cape Town and with just a short jaunt down to South Africa left, I...

These used do-it-all adventure bikes prove you don't need to buy new to buy right

17 June 2025 by Mike Armitage

What does ‘adventure bike’ mean to you? For some it’s getting wedged in ruts in a deserted sandy canyon, for others it’s comfortably exploring foreign landscapes with a pillion. Fortunately the...

Shock therapy: How to set up your motorbike’s suspension properly with a few basic tools

17 June 2025 by Matt Wildee

Your motorbike’s suspension can seem a daunting thing to take some spanners to, but do it right and you’ll almost certainly transform your bike’s ride and handling. Related: Guide to top...

Fabulous and frugal: Why I love these cheap but cheerful used bikes

16 June 2025 by Mike Armitage

First it was petrol heading towards two quid a litre. Then came inflated food prices, and now it’s the cost of energy for the home that’s got bums twitching. And let’s not mention the price of beer…...

Here's a selection of vintage '80s and '90s 400cc sportsbikes you'll be lusting after all week...

10 June 2025 by Mike Armitage

Today’s small-capacity sportsbikes are capable, affordable, reliable and lots of other things ending in ‘able’. But as impressive as they are, they simply don’t grab you inside like 400s of the late...

MCN's expert buying guide to finding a used Honda Hornet without getting stung!

06 June 2025 by Jon Urry

Honda introduced the world to the Hornet name in 1996. A Japanese market bike, the CB250F Hornet never made it to the UK so we had to wait until the 1998 CB600F Hornet to see what the fuss was...

I'm an ex-delivery rider and taking my full licence was one of the best decisions I've made

05 June 2025 by Phil Clarke

There comes a time in every moped courier’s career when riding really starts to feel like the job it is, and can remain little more than that for decades at a time. Those little moments of excitement...

Do it all sports-tourers for £6K! One motorbike really can do it all

28 May 2025 by Mike Armitage

It’s easy to think sport-tourers are a compromise: bikes that try to do too much and end up being a bit… meh. But modern engineering and design mean it’s possible to have a bike that’s fast and...

These used supersport 600s are a great way to get onto a race-rep with some real pedigree

27 May 2025 by Jon Urry

In 1997 the World Supersport series kicked off as a support class to the World Superbike championship. Designed to offer racing that highlighted the abilities of road-going supersport bikes and with...

Best bikes for shorter riders - everything you need to know to get the perfect motorcycle fit

22 May 2025 by Charlotte King and Adam Oldfield

If you aren’t blessed with long legs, choosing a bike you feel confident riding is a challenge – especially if you’re new to biking. Slow speed manoeuvres like parking, bumping up a kerb or performing...

My pick of the best used Suzukis proves you can find a stunner for not a lot of dosh

20 May 2025 by Mike Armitage

Triumph are famous for triples. Honda are known for their quality, Harley build cruisers and KTM like making bikes for getting dirty. And Suzuki? They don’t have a signature style or engine. But the...

Stand out from the crowd with one of these left-field alternative motorcycles

09 May 2025 by Mike Armitage

Daring to be different isn’t something we conservative bikers usually favour. But look past obvious, popular machinery and there are capable, desirable bargains to be had. These often overlooked...

Make every ride a special event with one of these exotic used bikes - starting from £5k

09 May 2025 by Mike Armitage

When your garage door swings open and you stand with a cuppa ogling your bike, it’s not the riding modes or heated seats causing those butterflies. No, it’s from the fact that motorcycles affect you...

Amazing bikes at sensible prices! Just how far does £2500 get you in today's used bike market?

06 May 2025 by Mike Armitage

Let’s be honest, these days two-and-a-half grand doesn’t go as far as it used to. But it also happens to be the natural cut-off point for an awful lot of desirable, capable, fabulous bikes built in...

I started off in Norfolk with a Honda Dax and tackled North Wales' Dragon Rally - Would recommend!

04 May 2025 by Justin Hayzelden

There’s nothing like that feeling of setting off on an adventure – the anticipation of ending the day somewhere other than where you started, hoping that you’ve got everything you need, knowing that...

I think these cruisers are classically styled, laid-back legends. After reading this, you will too!

23 April 2025 by Mike Armitage

Cruiser. It’s not a word you’re likely to spot in any brand’s current model line-up. The idea of feet-forward riding positions, chrome sissy-bars and lace-up leather strides doesn’t cut it in 2020.

Get some HP sauce! With High Performance comes a high price – but I think you’ll be well rewarded

18 April 2025 by Jon Urry

In late 2005, BMW revealed a new range of HP models. The HP bikes (High Performance) were to be a limited-run that were a cut above the rest. The first was the HP2 Enduro (with the two signifying twin...

I think these secondhand 400cc screamers are as exciting as they are iconic

14 April 2025 by Mike Armitage

Compared to the latest bikes, a 400cc sportsbike no longer appears revvy, light or high-tech. Time and technology have moved on. But find a good example of the diminutive four-cylinder 400 and the...

Expert guide to £1500 brilliance! Astounding bikes and ownership pride for not much money at all

11 April 2025 by Mike Armitage

What can you get for £1500? You could buy a pointlessly-large TV, a flash watch or an iPhone Xs Max (yes, folk really pay £1500 for a phone). Or you could buy an amazing motorbike. There’s not really...

These are my favourite adventure bikes from the 'Big Four' Japanese manufacturers

08 April 2025 by Phil West

It’s common to associate the leading European bike brands with adventure bikes. After all, BMW’s GS is a perennial best-seller, KTM’s V-twin Adventures are the benchmark for off-roading and Ducati’s...

Extra-special Ks! BMW’s division of distance destroyers has something for everybody

04 April 2025 by Jon Urry

BMW’s K-series (the K stands for Kraftrad, or wheel power) were Germany’s response to the ever-increasing performance offered by Japanese touring rivals. The first Ks, the K100 and faired K100RS,...

Flying under the radar: These used bikes were never a hit in their day, but I think they're awesome

27 March 2025 by Jon Urry

Not every bike can capture the headlines. Maybe they were launched in the same year as a more appealing model or possibly they just flew under the radar undetected due to their subtle nature.

There have been loads of mega MT models, but these used Yamaha Masters of Torque are my favourites

25 March 2025 by Phil West

Yamaha’s MT models are a family of naked motorbikes almost as well known and loved as the YZF sportsbike moniker. Although debuting on the 2005 MT-01 oddball, the ‘Masters of Torque’ moniker came...

If cleaning chains isn't your bag and shaft drives are complicated, check these belt-driven bargains

21 March 2025 by Phil West

As bikers, we’re accustomed to our bikes having a chain. We’re used to having to adjust them, lubricate them, clean them and, eventually, replace the darned things, too. Of course, shaft drive does...

Here are six top tips from a riding expert at IAM RoadSmart and RiDE Magazine to ensure your first ride back is ace…

19 March 2025 by Matt Wildee

Paid partnership with IAM RoadSmart Although some people will get their bike out whatever the weather, not everyone wants to ride through winter, which is understandable. Winter salt, horrible road conditions, the cold… there isn’t much...

Grab a slice of Noale naughtiness with my pick of the best used Aprilias you can buy right now!

17 March 2025 by Mike Armitage

About 25 years ago a mate bought a used Aprilia. It was great… or it was until bothersome niggles and dire parts supply kept it off the road for 12 months. Such tales still affect the firm’s...

Honda's latest CBR is brilliant, but earlier ones are fantastic too! Here are my top used buys

11 March 2025 by Jon Urry

Honda have revived the CBR600RR for Europe, but do you need to pay something like £11,000 to own a CBR? Of course not… The CBR has been around since 1987 when the CBR600F-H ‘jelly mould’ first...

Modern adventure bikes regularly top £20k brand new, but these used bargains for £3k get my vote

10 March 2025 by Jon Urry

Tall, upright and comfortable, adventure bikes make for great tourers – and that’s the secret of their enduring success. If you are after a bike to carry you and a pillion on a tarmac trip away,...

These discarded delights are victims of Euro5+ regs, but I reckon that makes them epic used buys!

04 March 2025 by Jon Urry

With the introduction of Euro5+ emission regs, manufacturers are cutting the dead wood from their ranges. Amid a tough new bike market, models that aren’t selling well simply don’t warrant the...

Spring is in the air! Time to buy something special for the sunny season? Here are my top tips...

01 March 2025 by Jon Urry

What better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than by buying your next used bike? It certainly beats winter’s darkness. Related: Great riding gear for sportsbikes There is nothing...

My list of mega middleweight mile-munchers prove you can go touring on a tight budget!

27 February 2025 by Jon Urry

Traditionally, touring bikes tend to be big and heavy but there is no set rule that says you need a big capacity model to rack up the miles, especially if you plan on doing it solo. Middleweights make...

These oddballs are proof that bike firms don't always get it right... I think they're fascinating

21 February 2025 by Jon Urry

Sometimes a manufacturer releases a bike that is, well, just a bit bizarre! It doesn’t happen all that often but when it does you have to stand back and admire the willingness to push boundaries and...

These used middleweight adventure roadsters offer marvellous value and do-it-all ability

19 February 2025 by Jon Urry

Middleweight adventure bikes make for brilliant do-it-alls. With tall, upright, riding positions ensuring the rider is placed in a comfortable stance, plus long tank ranges, these bikes are more than...

Secondhand starters: Here are five feel-good first bikes I reckon a learner will love, for only £2k!

12 February 2025 by Jon Urry

Buying your first big bike can be a daunting experience. These five machines make for handy ‘first big bikes’ that have enough power to ensure you won’t be left lacking should you wish to embark on a...