New rider

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...

Q. I have two bikes wanting new tyres – a 1979 Honda CB650Z and a 1998 Honda CB500S. I am not concerned about tyre wear, wet weather performance, or achieving the classic look, all I need is the best...

Q. My 2007 Honda CBR600RR has developed an idle problem. After start up one morning it was ticking over so slowly that it was nearly stalling. After a ride it seemed OK, but now it’s idling too fast...

Q. I have been using my Yamaha YBR125 to ride up from Cornwall to Stevenage on family visits. It’s 289 miles each way and I get a terribly numb bum after a while. It gets so bad I have to stop every...

Q. The brakes on my Yamaha XJ900 Diversion only give me decent feel when the lever’s span adjustment is right out. My last bike was an XJR1300 and the brakes were great, so I’m thinking of grafting on...

Q. I would like some advice on what tyres to buy for my 1998 Ducati 916. I have had the bike for five years and fitted a set of Michelin Pilot Sports when I got the bike. I have been happy with the...

Q. I am looking at upgrading the front wheel on my 1992 Honda Fireblade to a 17 incher. Which wheel is best as there were three wheel upgrades to the CBR900 and what size tyre would I need?...

Q. I’ve almost completed the restoration of a 1999 Moto-Guzzi Daytona RS. Just how much "play" side to side and up and down on the floating discs should there be? There's a tiny tack weld on the back...

Q. I've had a Suzuki DL1000K2 for the last six years, it has only covered some 22,000 miles and has never let me down but it does have a sticky gear change. Sometimes it snicks up or down sweetly,...

Q. I’ve a Ducati 916 that has been running rough for a little while. The electrics are all fine, with no dodgy relays and the bike was recently serviced with a clean bill of health. Mick Illingworth,...

Q. I’ve just got a 1992 Moto-Guzzi 50 Targa with aging Pirelli Stradas fitted and I want a set of tyres that give me good directional stability when I head out on weekend runs. Mike Henaghan,...

Q. A friend of mine has a Triumph 1050 Speed Triple and the digital readouts seem to have packed up with no mph and the clock stuck at 1.00. The price for replacement instruments from Triumph is £700.

Q. I’ve a Yamaha 2000 FZS600S Fazer with 56,000 miles on clock which I use for commuting. I change the oil/ filter every six months and just recently changed the battery and new plugs and slightly...