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

Boxer goodies: Polish custom house create stunning café racer BMW R100RT

18 November 2020 by Dan Sutherland

A Polish motorcycle custom house have transformed a 1982 BMW R100RT into a modern café racer. Warsaw-based Eighty Six Gear Motorcycles spent a year-and-a-half turning the 49,700-mile classic into the...

The Tesi H2 marks Bimota's return – but where did it all begin?

13 November 2020 by Phil West

With orders now being taken for the supercharged, hub-centre-steered Bimota Tesi H2, it’s worth revisiting the Italian brand’s glittering, yet chequered, history. Related articles on MCN Bimota KB4...

MTB to motorbike: The Mod 1 test

06 November 2020 by Adam Binnie

Given how everyone I know with a motorbike says the first practical test is harder than the second, I was surprised to discover it usually takes about 15 minutes and mostly involves riding around...

Our bikes: Richard Newland's Ducati 996

05 November 2020 by Richard Newland

There’s something exceptionally pleasing about big V-twins. The flatness of their delivery, their deceptive speed and gluttonous dollops of torque. The way they build power with a surging tide that...

Dream Ducatis: Michael Neeves tangos with a trio of Superleggeras

04 November 2020 by Michael Neeves

Ducati’s Superleggera is a rare, exotic beast. Only 1500 have ever been built: 500 magnesium-framed 1199s in 2014, 500 carbon-framed 1299s in 2017 and new for this year 500 carbon-framed V4s. They’re...

Thanks for the memories: Honda Ron Haslam Race School calls time after 24 years of expert tuition

03 November 2020 by Dan Sutherland

After 24 years and an estimated 87,000 customers, the chequered flag has fallen on the Honda Ron Haslam Race School. Having announced that 2020 would be their final year of operation back on...

Celebrating Black History Month: As one of the few mixed race riders in bikesport, Asher Durham hopes he can inspire others

30 October 2020 by MCN

Asher Durham is a BSB Junior Superstock 600 racer who started in motocross and then became the youngest ever rider to compete in the 125cc British championship at the age of 13. He went on to be a...

Celebrating Black History Month: Ex-bike journalist Jane Omorogbe is one motorcycling's rare high-profile black riders

30 October 2020 by MCN

Most people first became aware of Jane Omorogbe as ‘Rio’ in the late-90s TV phenomenon that was Gladiators (she was also in the film epic, Gladiator). She went on to present a wide array of TV...

Put a spring in your step: Why you should get a pro suspension set up

30 October 2020 by Justin Hayzelden

Feel like making a dramatic change to your bike’s performance, something that’ll affect every aspect of your riding? Forget fancy carbon-clad exhausts – pound for pound suspension upgrades make the...

Plans announced to ban all mobile use at the wheel

29 October 2020 by Jordan Gibbons

A consultation has been opened to toughen up the laws around using a mobile phone while in charge of a vehicle on the road. You might think that the rules stop you from doing it already, but...

The Ace Café London through the ages

19 October 2020 by Ben Clarke

The Ace Café on London’s North Circular has been a home from home for motorcyclists for over 80 years, so we at MCN thought we’d put together a gallery of pictures to show how it has changed in that...

Zef Eisenberg, 1973-2020

08 October 2020 by Jordan Gibbons

Multiple world and British speed record holder Zef Eisenberg tragically lost his life in an accident during a record attempt at Elvington airfield on Thursday, October 1. Zef, 47, was a businessman,...

Smile for miles! It's the best touring motorbikes of 2021

07 October 2020 by Ben Clarke

Touring by motorbike is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable things you can do on two wheels. While it’s true that you can tour on anything from a superbike to a 125, this list will concentrate on...

Boxing clever: BMW R18's engine was 100 years in the making

05 October 2020 by Jordan Gibbons

The 1802cc air-cooled unit inside the new BMW R18 is the largest and torquiest boxer they’ve ever built. It sets a whole new standard in modern, air-cooled engine design but the basic layout stretches...

30 years on: The story behind Triumph's rebirth

23 September 2020 by Phil West

Thirty years ago this month, in September 1990, Triumph Motorcycles were reborn when, not one, not two, but SIX all-new Hinckley-built bikes were unveiled on the opening day of the Cologne Show in...

Buying your first big bike: MCN's guide to the best A2 friendly motorbikes in 2023

10 September 2020 by Phil West

If you’re 19 or older, after a CBT, theory test and two-part practical assessment you can gain an A2 licence, which allows you to ride a bike of up to 35kW (roughly 47bhp) without displaying L-plates.

Cow herding…on a bike! Ex-Great Escape Triumph TR6 is a firm farm favourite

09 September 2020 by Michael Guy

Nearly 60 years ago Steve McQueen wowed motorcyclists with his riding in the classic movie The Great Escape. Following completion of filming, the Triumph TR6 that was used in the famous jump over the...

How to pass your full UK motorbike licence

27 August 2020 by MCN News

Getting a motorcycle licence in the UK – known as a category A licence – opens the door to one of the most exciting and liberating experiences going, but doing so can seem offputtingly complicated.

Upright aggression: MCN's guide to the best stripped-back super nakeds on the market in 2021

26 August 2020 by Michael Neeves

The super naked motorbike market is sizzling right now, with bikes such as the Ducati Streetfighter and BMW S1000R bringing superbike performance to the upright, naked bodystyle. There’s never been a...

MCN's August Bank Holiday events guide

24 August 2020 by MCN News

The August Bank Holiday weekend is almost upon us and is offering bikers a chance to get out and about at some great events, as well as enjoy some cracking world championship motorcycle racing...

All-rounder rubber! It's the best sports-touring tyres

14 August 2020 by Matt Wildee

Welcome to MCN’s 2021 sports-touring tyre test. This is the rubber that promises the best of everything; handling performance, allweather grip and thousands of miles of life. In fact, apart from...

Go-anywhere Garmins: Montana 700 series launched complete with SOS feature

10 August 2020 by Dan Sutherland

Riding a motorcycle along a rugged trail just got a little safer, thanks to a new all-terrain sat-nav system from Garmin, complete with emergency SOS functionality. Consisting of three navigation...

Jam busters! How to filter on a motorbike

03 August 2020 by Tim Thompson and Mark Edwards

As cars and 4x4s get ever fatter, the lanes we use for filtering are becoming narrower, the margins for error tighter. So more than ever the slickest and safest way to slip through traffic is to slow...

Biking on the big screen: On Any Sunday turns 49

28 July 2020 by Ben Clarke

Not only was it nominated for a 1972 Academy Award for best documentary, but On Any Sunday was also backed by Steve McQueen – the coolest man ever to have graced Planet Earth. Related: Best motorbike...

Testing times: How to pass your motorbike MoT first time

09 June 2020 by Bruce Dunn

If your MoT expired from March 30, 2020 the Government gave you an automatic extension on your current certificate without needing a retest. But that extension will lift on August 1 as restrictions...

Teenage dreams: We ride Allen Millyard's Honda SS50 specials

03 June 2020 by Bruce Dunn

The humble Honda SS50 is iconic. Built and sold in their thousands as the moped craze swept through 1970s UK, the slick-looking four-stroke looked like a miniature motorcycle. Flat bars, upswept...

Safety first: Join a Biker Down! course near you

02 June 2020 by Maria Martin

There are plenty of courses available to bikers to help them with improving riding skills, awareness and basic maintenance – you can join an IAM training course or sign-up for a Bikesafe workshop, for...

Fun in the sun: Top tips for riding your motorbike in a heatwave

02 June 2020 by MCN News

When the sun comes out it’s more tempting than ever to get the bike out of the garage and rack-up some miles. Riding in hot weather is great but you and your bike need to be prepared. This is...

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

01 June 2020 by Gareth Evans

If you’ve decided you want 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 exploring the...

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

20 May 2020 by Jordan Gibbons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...