New rider

Consumer Editor Tony Hoare lets us in on the little known secret of taking your helmet on and off without undoing the D-ring.

The new licence laws, which came into effect on January 19 might seem baffling, but a grounding in smaller bikes is the foundation of brilliant riding. And there's no shortage of bikes to choose...

Q. I have been running Dunlops on my Yamaha R6 and didn’t get on very well with them. I did start looking at Pirelli Diablos or Metzelers, then someone suggested Michelin 2CTs… Plumbus, MCN Forums A.

Q. I want to raise the gearing on my 1997 Bandit 600 by changing the front sprocket. What's the best way of getting it off and torqueing it back up correctly again? vmcpakmcn, MCN forums A. Such a...

Q. My Honda VFR750FR revs and runs well in the first four gears, but struggles in fifth and sixth to get past 6000pm. It also backfires – especially at low revs. I've changed the fuel filters and air...

Q. My dad has a Suzuki Bandit 1250S on an ’07 plate and it's 50/50 whether it will start each time he thumbs the button. He's replaced the battery but it's not turning over at all. Suzuki Dude, MCN...

Q. My GSX-R750 K2 is now 10 years old (obviously!) and has nearly 35,000 on the clock. Everything I read about 'suspension' says it will need replacing or refreshing after about 16,000 miles, so I can...

Q. I am currently using Avon Storm 2 Ultras on my Kawasaki ZZR1400 but fancy trying Bridgestones what should I try, BT023 or S20s? I’m not a track day loon but I like to get a move on. But I want them...

Q. Is there a product or a process to clean aluminium radiators and oil coolers? You could eat your dinner off the rest of my bike but these get covered in crap and corrosion. It can't be good for...

Q. I have a bike with stupid tyre sizes - 100/90 x 19 front and 130/80 x 17 rear. I'm looking at the possibility of sticking different tyre sizes on the same rims. I've done this before but what I...

Q. I'll be getting my first bike next week, a 2010 Kawasaki ER-6F and I'm trying to work out what kind of security mechanisms to get. The bike will be kept overnight in a locked compound (I live in a...

Q. I have an old Suzuki GS750 and it’s running very sweetly since I cleaned and synced the carbs, but it's just developed a bit of a hissing sound (in time with the engine) from the front of the...

Q. I'm wondering if my Honda Hornet 600 has a radiator fan. When I went on the recent Plymouth Megaride with 4000 bikes my bike was right up in the red on the temperature gauge. I had to keep turning...

Q. My 10-year-old SV650 is coming up to new tyre time and I was told to watch out for wheel bearing seals and spacers with high mileage bikes. The thing is, I don't actually know what I'm looking for...

Q. I am just wondering if there are any MoT or legal issues with a Steibel Nautilus horn that pumps out 139 decibels? My existing horn is fading slightly and I lost count of just how many people...

Q. I recently changed my tyres just fine, but 300 miles later I was on my way home from work when the front went all soggy and it was obvious the front tyre had lost pressure. I limped to the nearest...

With my 1991 ZXR400 weighing the same/slightly more than a modern 600 sports bike what rubber should I buy next? I use the bike every day as it is my only form of transport. So is there something that...

What are your thoughts on internal drop-down sun visors? Are they worth having? Debthehog, MCN forums The only downsides to them are that a few can become loose and rattle inside your helmet or drop...

I seem to have a major problem. After riding my Kawasaki ZZR1100 to work on a dairy farm I came back to it after milking to find that the clutch was completely unusable. The lever is solid and when I...

My 1997 Suzuki GSX-R600 is overheating. After a 45-minute ride the temperature had risen to around 125°C. Since then I have had the radiator drained, flushed and filled with new coolant. I have had...

I currently own a 2010 BMW S1000RR and will need to change the tyres soon. It has the stock Conti Sport Attacks at the moment, I am not too concerned about mileage as I use the bike socially when I...

My brother's got a problem with his GSX-R1000 K6, the symptoms are: No fault codes showing; misses when held between 3-4000rpm; only does it when hot; all four plugs sooted up; no problem...

My Suzuki Intruder 1500 has a starting problem, sometimes it starts fine, but about 50% of the time it will turn over really slowly and not start. I have adjusted the decompressor cables, fitted a new...

Getting my Triumph Sprint in and out of a more and more cluttered garage is becoming hard work. So much so that I am avoiding taking it out. I know that you can spin a motorbike around on the...

I have no fuel going into the cylinders of my Suzuki TL1000S. The ignition system is normal and the fuel relay kicks in, so the fuel pump in the tank working and fuel reaches the injector rail. The...

Q. I’m on my third track day using Bridgestone 016s on a Fireblade. I set the pressures at standard road pressure minus 2psi front and rear. But at the end of the day my tyres looked like I'd been...

Q. The steering on my Kawasaki ZZR1200 has gone all notchy. Is it worth changing them to tapered roller bearings? Vince Taylor, email A. In fact Kawasaki used to have taper roller bearings fitted to...

Q. I have replaced the original brake lines on my 2008 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade as they were feeling 'baggy' on a long, fast ride, but I can't get the lever to firm up now. If I tie the lever in...

Q. I have managed to shear off a new spark plug from my 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000. What are my options for getting it out? Oz Stephens, email A. You may well have to lift the cylinder head to get at it,...

Q. I am looking for sport touring tyres for a 1996 BMW R1100RT which has a rear size of 160/60 ZR 18. I’m rather taken by Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact that was recently tested. John Hagger, email...

Q. Over the past couple of days I've noticed a small amount of oil dripping from one of the breather hoses under the rear shock on my 2001 Fireblade. I've only noticed this happening after I've ridden...

Q. My 1992 Kawasaki ZZR600 cuts out in warm weather and won’t turn over with the electric start till it cools down. I can do quite a few miles before it cuts out again. All the ignition lights light...

Q. When my Suzuki Bandit 600 is cold or just warming up I can hear a knocking noise like a “tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap”. When the bike warms up it stops. Is this ok or something I should worry...

Q. I have to replace the fork seals on my Honda CLR125, but someone’s been in there before me and the Allen socket on the end of the damper rod has rounded out so my Allen key just spins around.

Q. If I have a dealer-approved Arrow exhaust system fitted on my Triumph by the dealer and these EU rules come in saying no aftermarket exhausts, would this mean I have to take it off and refit the...