New rider

Welcome the the MCN New Rider section, where we'll help you navigate your way from complete biking novice to confident beginner. If you're unsure how to begin your journey onto two wheels, the diagram below is for you.

New Rider

Year: ALL

How to stop your visor misting this winter

26 November 2008 by James Keen

Good visibility is crucial to staying safe when riding this winter and a big barrier to that is the age old problem of visor misting. As temperatures drop the likelihood of this problem occuring is...

Hand Guards for Street Bikes

16 October 2008 by iancol

I don’t always get MCN but one week recently I did and saw a short press release on the new Acerbis hand guards for street bikes – their model “Dual Road”. I made enquiries in the trade and the...

Bikers shell out £1000 a year on kit

12 September 2008 by Michael Carroll

British motorcyclists spend an average of almost £1,000 on kit every year, according to research by retailer Infinity Motorcycles. Shop for over 45,000 products with MCN Leather goods account for the lion’s share of the £960 per annum average spend, with riders shelling out £321 each year on jackets and jeans. Helmets were the next highest (£241), followed by textiles (£183), boots (£138), and...

So what does the SHARP motorcycle helmet test really mean?

04 September 2008

It’s long been a subject of great debate among riders – and particularly helmet manufacturers – whether a £500 top-of-the-range race replica offers better protection in a crash than a £50 budget lid.

Top 10 tips for looking after your motorcycle helmet

28 August 2008 by Angus Farquhar

Motorcycle helmets are a lot more fragile than you might think but as we all know they’re pretty damned important for protecting your head. MCN has put together 10 tips to keep your helmet in top...

Get your suspension set up to suit you!

14 August 2008 by andy deegan

Having ridden motorcycles since the age of three, I thought there was bugger all my mucker Gaffs could tell me about bikes! But after the obligatory half a gallon of grog on a Friday night, he convinced me to stop being a m**ge bag, and part with forty quid to have my suspension set up professionally! being an engineer, I was convinced that modern bikes come out of the factory set up to almost...

MCN shopping proves a huge success

30 July 2008 by MCN Newsdesk

MCN’s new online shop has gone live. The site is the first in the UK to allow riders to browse and compare the prices of more than 50,000 bike products, supplied by the country’s biggest retailers,...

New MCN Shop lets you find the best deal on products and kit

23 July 2008

The UK’s first online motorcycle shop that lets you track down all your biking kit in just a few seconds and compare prices to get the best deal goes live this week. MCN has teamed up with some of the...

Adam Shorrock's motorcycle test diary

14 July 2008 by Adam Shorrock

I passed my CBT last summer with CAM Rider and must admit I was surprised I passed. Looking back at handling my first 125cc motorcycle are memories of excruciating pain in my crotch and a thumping...

30mph limit is dangerous

24 June 2008 by dghackett

I believe that 70mph is the speed limit on dual carriageways. As long as you are not a hazard to others then you travel at the speed you are happy with. If 70mph is a must during your motorcycle test how can the goverment justify the 30mph limits for 50cc motorbikes and scooters?! These are allowed to use dual carrageways. HGV’s are governed to 56mph max and only allowed to 40mph on unrestricted...

Data Tag registration

22 June 2008 by oldfatfart

Hi, I bought my bike last year, it has a data tag number on it but no phone number to register it, does anyone know how to do this? please help. Thanks.

SarahC's Suzuki and BSM DAS Dary: D Day take two

19 June 2008 by Sarah Carnell

So it was once again the day of doom or the first day to the rest of my life. I headed to the BSM Training Centre for 9am ready for another day with big Chris. After a chill out we headed out towards...

SarahC's Suzuki and BSM DAS diary day seven: I'm back and almost ready

18 June 2008 by Sarah Carnell

Well, it’s been a few weeks and I’ve made it back to Birmingham for a quick refresher session ahead of my test tomorrow. As I’m up here mid week, it’s not Lichfield I’m going to test at but the South...

SarahC's Suzuki and BSM DAS Diary day five: I'm really starting to enjoy this

16 May 2008 by Sarah Carnell

Well with just one full day’s riding ahead of my test tomorrow the heat really was on. I started off by taking myself out round the pad to warm up Kay and also to put in some U-Turns so that I could...

SarahC's Suzuki and BSM DAS diary day four: By George I think she's got it!

15 May 2008 by Sarah Carnell

My first major problem of the day was actually getting out of bed. The left side of my back has decided to go in to spasm probably after the windy ride yesterday – oh great. On arrival at BSM’s...

SarahC's Suzuki and BSM DAS diary day three: To SV650 or not SV650? that is the question

14 May 2008 by Sarah Carnell

After the highs of yesterday and the unexpected success on the Suzuki SV650 the plan for the day was to go out on the road to see how I get on with the ‘big’ bike before making a final decision...

SarahC's Suzuki and BSM DAS diary day two: Good god I'm riding a 650!

13 May 2008 by Sarah Carnell

I arrived just before 9am ready for day two and really aching from yesterday, which I’d hoped would go away over night. After getting my Frank Thomas Alicia textile gear on and HJC helmet it was time...

SarahC's Suzuki and BSM DAS diary day one: Let's get riding again

12 May 2008 by Sarah Carnell

Well after a few months off the road I’ve finally got round to booking what will hopefully turn out to be my Direct Access route to a full motorcycle licence. Over the next week, I will be sharing my...

Faulty luggage position on Suzuki Bandit GT

08 May 2008 by Anonymous

I have just purchased a bandit 1250 GT and when I got it home I found that you could not sit two people on the bike because of the position of the top box. It sits over the back seat and means there...

SHARP helmet tests remain a work in progress

06 May 2008 by Michael Carroll

The first round of results from the Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Program (SHARP) helmet test scheme are on-track to be published during the spring, a spokesman for the Department for Transport...

675 exhaust

10 April 2008 by mark bignell

Hi, bought a Triumph Daytona 675 masterclass a few months ago. Wanted to get the best exhaust sound but didn’t want to lose the fantastic looks of the back end. Bought a never been used end can off ebay for £35 and set about removing the baffle. It took some doing but after cutting, bashing, butchering and welding it was sorted. Fitted it to the bike and what a sound. Took the bike to local...

Video: Setting your suspension up for the track

25 March 2008 by Michael Neeves

Last year Michael Neeves ran his Yamaha R1 as both a road and race bike but this year, he’s saving it just for track so to give him that extra edge he’s getting full ohlins race suspension fitted. Check out the video below to follow Neevesy and his R1 as the shiney new kit gets fitted and gives the bike a new lease of life.

KNOX chest protector

17 January 2008 by Liam Marsden

British protection specialists KNOX have responded to a recent MAID survey with the release of their chest protector. The MAID survey showed that 27% of chest injuries are critical, compared to only...

Video: What happens in a motorcycle accident

03 January 2008 by John Wakefield, Howard Boylan, Chris Slade

In the 10th of our helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, explains what happens to a your head and helmet in a motorcycle accident. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of our Helmet...

Video: What to do if you damage your helmet

02 January 2008 by John Wakefield, Howard Boylan, Chris Slade

In the 11th of our helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, explains what to do if you damage your helmet. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of our Helmet tips series. Click here to...

Video: How to reduce helmet noise

01 January 2008 by John Wakefield, Howard Boylan, Chris Slade

In the 12th of our helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, shows you how to get rid of excess noise in your helmet. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of our Helmet tips series. Click...

Video: What happens to a helmet during a crash

31 December 2007 by John Wakefield, Howard Boylan, Chris Slade

In the eigth of our helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, explains what happens to a motorcycle helmet in an accident. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of our Helmet tips...

Video: How protective is an Arai helmet

30 December 2007 by John Wakefield, Howard Boylan, Chris Slade

In the ninth of our helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, explains just how protective an Arai helmet is. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of our Helmet tips series. Click here...

Video tip: How to fit a helmet properly

02 December 2007 by John Wakefield, Howard Boylan, Chris Slade

In the seventh of our new Helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, explains explains the often missunderstood process of making sure your helmet fits properly. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to...

Video tip: What is an Arai helmet made of?

01 December 2007 by John Wakefield, Howard Boylan, Chris Slade

In the sixth of our new Helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, explains what goes in to making on your helmet. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of our Helmet tips series. Click...

Video tip: Can I put stickers on my helmet?

30 November 2007 by John Wakefield, Howard Boylan, Chris Slade

In the fifth of our new Helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, deals with the question of whether it is safe to put stickers on your helmet. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of...

Video tip: How to solve misting issues on an Arai helmet

29 November 2007 by John Wakefield, HOward Boylan, Chris Slade

In the fourth of our new Helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, shows us how to solve misting problems with your helmet. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of our Helmet tips...

Video tip: How to adjust an Arai helmet visor

21 November 2007 by John Wakefield, Howard Boylan, Chris Slade

In the third of our new Helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, shows us how to properly clean and care for your helmet. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of our Helmet tips...

Video tip: How to properly clean your helmet

20 November 2007 by John Wakefield, Howard Boylan, Chris Slade

In the second of our new Helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, shows us how to properly clean and care for your helmet. Click here to check out the rest of the helmet tips in the series. Check out the video below to see John take you through how to get the most out of your lid then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of our Helmet tips...

Video tip: How to change an Arai visor in seconds

16 November 2007 by Chris Slade, John Wakefield, Howard Boylan

In the first of our new Helmet tips series John Wakefield, from UK Arai distributor Pheonix, shows us how easy it is to change an Arai visor properly. Check out the video below to see John take you through the easy process of changing the visor then check back throughout the next two weeks to catch the rest of our Helmet tips series. Click here to ask John an Arai question

How to lift your motorcycle on to a paddock stand

26 September 2007 by Rob Hull

If you’re a paddock stand virgin then getting a bike up can look a bit daunting. There’s a particular skill to getting a bike on a stand on your own, but if you’re doing a trackday or live on your own...