Best bikes, kit and rides

Your guide to the best of everything motorcycling in one place. Top bikes, product picks, epic rides and more!

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...

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...

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...

MCN hits 300k YouTube subscribers

22 December 2021 by Dan Sutherland

We’re thrilled to announce that MCN’s YouTube channel has officially ticked over 300,000 subscribers. Our videos have been viewed almost a quarter of a billion times since the channel was created on...

MCN's 2021 Black Friday motorbike kit deals guide

21 November 2021 by Chris Williams

MCN should be your first port of call when hunting for Black Friday deals. We will be hunting for top deals on worthwhile products. We appreciate that shopping is not everyone’s favourite pastime. But...

Best adventure motorcycle boots

02 November 2021 by Jim Blackstock

If you’re heading off-road on your bike, then like the rest of your kit, your boots need to be ready for the job. Like your jacket and trousers, they need to be supportive and keep you dry yet allow...

Motorcycle helmets with a feminine twist

02 November 2021 by Maria Martin

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections – read why you should trust us ‘Women’s...

Best motorcycle top boxes

29 October 2021 by Maria Martin

Motorcycle top boxes are bought mainly for functional reasons. No-one buys a top box because they want to improve the look of their bike so functionality has to come first. While it may not be as fun...

Best women's motorcycle clothing

29 October 2021 by Jim Blackstock

While clothing options for men are enormous, and have been for years, that’s not necessarily the case for women. Up until fairly recently, women had little choice but to wear the appropriate size of...

Top motorcycle waterproofs

29 October 2021 by Jim Blackstock

Sometimes, you may not want to wear your full waterproof, breathable and super-technical touring clothing when you’re out on the bike. It might be a lovely summer’s day and you’re heading for the...

Britain's best bikes: these are the 2022 MCN Award winners

20 October 2021 by MCN

The MCN Awards celebrate what we think are the very best motorbikes by category available in the UK right now. Some truly wonderful bikes have hit the roads this year, while others remain at the top...

Plug in, ride out: Best electric motorbikes of 2022

26 May 2021 by Gareth Evans

It’s time to take electric motorbikes seriously. The UK government has included motorcycles in its ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles coming in 2035 and so almost all of the major...

Strip lightning! The best naked motorbikes of 2021

17 May 2021 by Phil West

Before sports bikes gained racer-replica bodywork, touring machines required weather-beating full fairings and even adventure machines donned screens, beaks and all manner of plastic add-ons, all...

Supersport screamers: It's the best 600cc sports bikes for 2021

17 March 2021 by Dan Sutherland

The 600cc sportsbike market has taken a hiding in recent years, with almost all major manufacturers slowing development of their middleweight three and four-cylinder screamers in favour of flagship...

Best supermoto motorbikes: skids and wheelies for all!

22 February 2021 by Ben Clarke

What is a supermoto? Well, there was a time in the late nineties and early noughties where the pinnacle of two wheeled excitement was a supermoto. It’s a simple formula; choose a dirtbike, fit uprated...

Best naked 125s of 2021

22 January 2021 by MCN

Looking at buying a new naked 125? Well, MCN has got you covered with this handy pick of the bunch. The sporty naked 125 market is currently saturated with both new and used examples from almost all...

Learner-friendly fun: it's the best 125cc motorbikes in 2023

22 January 2021 by Michael Neeves

MCN tests all kind of machines, but you could argue 125s are the most important. They offer an affordable and practical means of transport for the masses, but for many they’re also a gateway to a...

Best adventure motorbikes of 2021

07 December 2020 by Phil West

Although adventure bikes such as BMW’s definitive R1250GS were conceived to be capable of conquering continents, as famously portrayed in Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s TV series ‘Long Way...

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...

Top A2 licence-friendly bikes for 2021

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.

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...

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...

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...

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

11 March 2020 by MCN News

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...

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

03 January 2020 by Phil West

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

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

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

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

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...

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

06 December 2019 by Phil West

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...

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

18 October 2019 by Phil West

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...

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

10 October 2019 by Phil West

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, 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 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:...