New rider

Q. I am looking into buying a Honda VF400F. But I can't find a 33bhp kit or any legal way of restricting it. I have tried as many people and places as I can think of, including Honda dealerships and...

Q. My son can be a bit like Frank Spencer sometimes. When cleaning his chain he often gets WD40 all over his rear tyre, too. Despite me warning him not to, he declares: "It's OK, I clean it off...

Q. When I brake at slow speed on my Kawasaki ZX-6R J2 track bike it feels as if the brakes are only working intermittently and at higher speeds the front shudders a lot. The brake pads are new, the...

Q. I have just had new Bridgestone tyres fitted to my Gold Wing by my local Honda dealer. The rear tyre has not got any weights and on the front they have put all the weights on one side, 2 x 10 and 3...

Q. I have a new Kawasaki Z1000SX with 900 miles on the clock, which has a faint rattle. It comes in when I am gently opening the throttle at low revs in the low gears. It’s similar to pinking or a...

Q. I’m 83 and in memory of the happy days my late wife and I had on Triumphs in 1950s I’ve got a 2008 Triumph Street Triple to have fun on. I did find it set up quite hard, so I’ve had the suspension...

Q. I was advised the rattle on my Honda Hornet 600 was probably the camchain tensioner, so I had a new one fitted, but now the rattle has returned. However, where it used to rattle when cold, it’s now...

Q. I have bought a second hand slip-on exhaust for my 2009 Suzuki GSXR750. The pipe that connects to the end pipe is slightly out of shape and the gasket does not fit in correctly. When trying to fit...

Q. I recently rebuilt my 2002 Yamaha R6 and all seems ok. It starts up and ticks over OK, but when I go to ride off it feels like it’s got no fuel and the revs die on me. She will restart just fine,...

Q. I have a 2003 Suzuki GSX-R750 and when it gets to its max temperature (107 degrees) it overheats and cuts out in traffic, I have to wait until it cools down before it starts again. It was fully...

Q. I was riding home on the M6 yesterday after a weeks touring round Scotland on my Deauville when my rev counter went haywire then died. Shortly after, the bike backfired twice and the engine cut out...

Q. What replacement tyres would you recommend for my Triumph 800 XC? I will only be using the bike on the road for weekend leisure trips and occasional long distance tours. They also need to be good...

Q. I want to uprate the front fork springs on my FJR1300A (2008 plate) as I’m finding it too soft fully-loaded. The brand names I've heard of don't do replacement uprated springs for my year of bike.

Q. Is it acceptable to re-fit a motorcycle tyre? I replaced the rear tyre on my 2007 CBR600RR last year as I was going on a long trip and didn't want the hassle of changing it when I was away. Now...

Q. I am getting a slight front end shimmy at higher speed on my Honda CBR600F. The bike is fitted with Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsas and I’ve done 1000 miles on them during which time they have been...

Q. My Yamaha V-Max will soon need new clutch plates. The Barnett sets are £20-30 more than EBC or Ferodo. Are they worth the extra cash? Mickh13, MCN forums A. Unless you are going drag racing I don’t...

Q. After 28 years off bikes I have decided to go back to riding. A lot has changed in this time and I need some advice. I am thinking of buying a pair of textile trousers with a limited budget of £75,...

Q. I need to get the exhaust headers off my Suzuki GSX600F while the engine is out of the frame to repair an oil leak. All the exhaust bolts are off the studs, but the pipes themselves are wedged in...

Q. I recently bought a pair of new Metzeler Racetecs off eBay for my track bike. Now it's my own fault because I should have asked how old they were, but when they arrived I realised they were made in...

Q. The fuel on my Kawasaki ER-5 is flowing straight through into the air filter box and it sounds like it is only firing on one cylinder, too. Quilley, MCN forums A. The ER-5 has a vacuum tap which...

Q. I’ve a 2002 Suzuki GSX-R750 with an Akrapovic end can. It runs very well, certainly not short on power! However slow speed running below 4000rpm is a bit jerky and erratic at times! Would fitting a...

Q. I've stripped the threads on two of the front disc mounting holes on my Hayabusa. Would it be OK to repair them with helicoils? David Stowe, MCN forums A. You can do a helicoil repair as a...

Q. Can you tell me what the best sports-touring tyre for a 2011 Triumph Speed Triple is? The last tyres were Metzeler Racetec Interacts that I got 3500 miles out of. I’d like some rubber that will get...

Q. My 18,000-mile 2005 Triumph Speed Triple 1050 has started sticking in first gear when stationary. No amount of force on the lever will shift it, the only way to get neutral is to turn off the...

Q. My octogenarian father still rides his Kawasaki ER6-F regularly, but worsening arthritis in his right wrist means he is having problems maintaining proper throttle control. I have been trying to...

Q. We know the police can do you for a noisy exhaust, but have they ever done anyone for excessive emissions on aftermarket exhausts? S Boucher, email A. Not as far as we’re aware. The police don’t...

Q. I was getting my GSX-R out from hibernation and I’ve noticed some stepped wear on the front tyre, it probably occurred with that end of the year track day and 300-mile ride I did last October. A.

Q. Work is taking me to Qatar and I’ll be swapping my Honda CB100R for a CRF450 to ride the dunes. As gear isn’t readily available out there, and I’m clueless when it comes to MX gear. Can you give me...

Q. I have a mint Kawasaki ZZR600 E1 which I am happily racking the miles up on. I do my own servicing and the valve clearances are coming up to be checked and reset. My Haynes manual has flagged up...

I wanted to pass on a concern I have with Shoei's XR-1100 crash helmet. The lid is awesome, very comfy, visor removal is easy and it is reasonably quiet. It suffers in one way only and has really...

Q. I own a 2001 ZZR600 and would like an opinion as to the best tyres for this bike. I am not a knee-down, throttle-open rider, basically I’m a commuter and weekend social rider. I have recently read...

Q. I have been stupid and trusted a stranger from the UK who I thought wanted to buy my 2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R from me here in Slovakia. I won’t go into details, but I lost a lot of money and I don’t...

Q. Is it just me, or are the mirrors on CBR600RRs circa 2007 really crap? I get a lovely view of my arms and that’s it. Any ideas? A. Another reader, Barry Sylvester, had a similar problem but sorted...

Q. I have had my 2002 Yamaha R6 tucked away in my man-cave over winter on a trickle charger. I started it about a month ago and all was well. But when I went to get the bike ready for new season the...