New rider

Just because a bike uses oil doesn’t necessarily mean that it has a problem. For a long time now, bike makers have designed engines with under piston oil feeds. These are there to cool down the piston...

Q. I recently bought a 2003 Yamaha R6. It was working all right for a week, but one evening it didn't start. On pressing the starter switch I could hear the starter sound but the bike failed to...

Q. I’ve been reading some articles stored in my garage on the Triumph T595 from 1998 and I’m worried. It says the bolts on the starter sprag clutch can come undone, and you first hear a rattle, before...

Avon tyres have got a scheme called the Road Hazard Warranty. If one of their radial tyres becomes damaged or punctured they will replace it free of charge, as long as there's no more than 1mm of...

There are a few things you can do to combat the risk of punctures. First of all, try to avoid the areas of the road that debris collects in. That tends to be between opposing lanes, around traffic...

I have a Honda ST1300, that’s in generally fine fettle, with good tyres and swingarm, and with steering head and wheel bearings in good condition, too. However, when pulling away, the bike feels like...

Q. I have a Kawasaki ZX-6R G1. When I go round corners my steering wobbles and when I’m going really slow in traffic, I’m fighting to balance, but then it’s fine in a straight line at speed. I checked...

Q. One of my chums yesterday told me he was getting a new tank for his old Bonneville. When I asked why, he said because he put Petseal in the tank and now that petrol has a higher percentage of...

Q. I'm a female pensioner who has taken up biking again in the last couple of years after a long absence. I live in Spain and it's great for biking, but I have one problem. I'm pretty heavy and after...

Q. I’ve just started out on bikes and have a 10-year-old Suzuki Bandit 600 which is great fun. But having come from cars with all that noise deadening bodywork and in-car entertainment to muffle the...

Q. I was recently at the Motorland circuit in Spain. This track is very fast and has a strong left-hand bias and is tough on tyres. The Dunlop Sportmax slick fitted to my 2004 Yamaha R1 wore really...

Q. I currently own a 954 Fireblade and am looking to upgrade to a 2008, 2009 or 2010 model, but I keep hearing from owners that they use quite an amount of oil. My 954 never uses oil from one service...

Q. I get an unusual rattle for a few seconds when I first start my BMW R1200RT from cold. It comes on after about 15 to 20 seconds of starting, lasts about five seconds, them disappears. Any ideas...

Q. I want to replace my 1998 Kawasaki ER-5’s front brake caliper with a better brake, maybe a twin or a four-piston set-up. Is there a brake that would fit straight on or would I have to make an...

Kryptonite New York disc lock, £56.99 Time used: Six months What’s good? This little disc lock travels with me whenever I make a journey that’s not garage-to-garage. It’s light enough to carry in a...

Oxford Bone Dry Sports Gloves, £47.49 Miles covered/time: 500/three weeks What’s good? They’re smooth and silky inside and immediately comfortable on the ends of your arms. The armour seems solid and...

Q. My front tyre has only done 1300 miles, but it keeps deflating. When I took it to a local tyre dealer they said it was porous – is this normal? PTMX1234, MCN forums A. The majority of problems with...

Q. I have just had a low speed coming off. The bike, a Ducati 749, dropped onto one side and slid into a kerb putting a small dent into my front Marchesini wheel rim. What is your opinion on getting a...

Q. I decided to sync the carbs on a 1999 Bandit 600 I just bought. I got her warmed up and tried to set the idle speed at 1750rpm for the sync (as per the Haynes manual). I turned the adjuster screw...

Q. I'm looking to replace the rear tyre on a Ducati GT1000 which has a spoked wheels and inner tubes. Can tubeless tyres be fitted, but with tubes, to broaden my choice or am I really limited to the...

Q. I was advised at my MoT that one fork seal on my '04 Fireblade was worn (there was slight misting of oil on the fork). The garage said they could replace just the one, but when I rang the main...

Q. I got on my Suzuki RF600R today to go home from work, and the first thing it did when I tried to start it was backfire and shoot flames. I thought what the hell, maybe these things happen. When I...

Bike engines will make a variety of noises, hardly surprising with several hundred metal parts whizzing round thousands of time a minute. If you are worried about the mechanical noises coming from...

I thought i would drop you this email, to let you know if interested that I was 17 on the 2nd october, where i pre booked my theory and passed then got a cancelation for mod 1 then passed,...

I need some new tyres for my 2003 Kawasaki ZX-9R. It’s currently fitted with Bridgestone BT-014s, I'm mainly an easy road rider, but I like to get it over in the bends occasionally, so could do with...

I have a 1994 Suzuki Slingshot streetfighter which I love the look of, but getting the carbs balanced is costly. So I would like to fit a more modern fuel-injected engine, or can I get away with a new...

I have been letting my brother learn to ride on my Yamaha YBR125, since upgrading myself to a CB500 - which has worked out well, except the YBR has now seemed to developed some weird clutch issue,...

I am so proud, Suzanne McLean my partner passed her Direct Access Today, then rode straight to bike night at MCN Top bike spot the Pitstop diner, A dauting task infront of all those bikers, but she...

If you’ve kerbed a car wheel you’ll know what sort of mess it does to the rims, but you can keep driving most of the time. Damage an alloy wheel on a bike and it will ruin the bike’s handling and...

Tubeless tyres have several advantages over tubed tyres and are far more numerous on today's bikes. Among those advantages are that they run cooler, so can cope with higher performance and give longer...

Q. I have a 2008 ABS Honda Hornet which has an Akrapovic megaphone end can fitted. At the moment the bike doesn’t run smoothly at certain points. Would this need to be fixed by a Power Commander? Or...

Q. I just wondered if any other readers have had the same problem with Triumph paint as I have. I am the owner of an ’09 Sprint 1050 ABS in Phantom Black which I sadly managed to drop in a paddock...

Q. I have a problem with my 1995 Fireblade. When I brake heavily I get violent front end judder. I do track days and it is making it unrideable. Save £££s on motorcycle tyres The discs and pads are...

Falstaff jacket, $397 (£258) Miles covered/time: 4200/13 months What’s good? The closest you can come to putting on your favourite slippers, this jacket immediately feels that you have owned it for...