New rider

Q. I bought my 2008 Suzuki Bandit 1250SA new and I like everything except the massive end can. I replaced this with a twin outlet road legal can from Banditmania which looks and sounds great. The...

Q. While waiting for my shoulder to heal after a smash I took the radiator off my SV and got it repaired. What do I need to know about putting it back on? Is it as simple as stick it back on and fill...

Q. I've just seen an advertisement for a product that will protect motorcycle engines made before 1996 from damage that will, according to them, result from use of petrol containing ethanol. I have a...

Proguard Custom Fleximonitors earphones, £239.95 Miles covered/time used: 2000/two months What’s good: They block out as much noise as a good foam earplug (and actually more than the firm’s own custom...

Q. I have been using my Honda CBF600 for six months. I had got it into my head that the front tyre pressure was 42psi, which has always seemed fine. The other day I went to check the pressures and the...

Q. I’ve noticed the engine braking on my 10,000-mile GSX-R600 K5 has severely decreased when I roll off the throttle and I can quite happily ride round at 10mph with no throttle at all and the clutch...

Q. I own a 2010 Honda VFR800. My bike is used most of the year but could be off the road for a couple of months in bad weather. It is garaged and has a battery conditioner fitted. Can I do any form of...

Q. I have a 1999 Hayabusa with a hot start problem. It starts fine when cold and on choke, and also when hot if you start straight away after stopping, such as after fuelling up. The problems start if...

Q. I love my BMW K1600GT but I have struggled to get a decent mileage from the OE tyres. On my best behaviour I can get 3500 miles tops, but I want to get it above 4000 miles otherwise a big trip...

Q. I am going to need to take my BMW F800R off the road over the winter and would like some advice on how best to look after the battery. I cannot fit a trickle charger as there is no electricity...

Q. I have an ’04 Yamaha R6, and on cold mornings the oil light comes on for about 30 seconds after I have been riding for a couple of minutes. When the bike has done about three or four miles or when...

I have a 2011 Honda CB1000R ABS, and want to do track days, what tyres are best suited to being ridden to the circuit, do a track day and then ride home? Roearn, MCN Tyre forum Any of the new breed of...

My Kawasaki ER-6 gives a buzzing sound when I hit the starter button and that’s it. Could this mean that the battery needs replacing, as it sounds like it’s struggling to kick in. Shuks, email  ...

I bought a 2005 Yamaha YBR125 privately few weeks ago, it didn’t tick over very well then but I thought it just needed a good service. It starts OK but after it’s warmed up and ready, if you throttle...

I have a 2004 Aprilia RSV Factory on which it is impossible to select neutral when stopped. It is sometimes possible to slide it into neutral from second gear as you come to a halt, but at a...

I've been getting into track days recently, and this year's Indian summer has been a godsend. But even with the sun shining the tracks are pretty cold in the mornings. Is it time I invested in some...

If you want to raise the gearing, which makes more difference (if any), an extra tooth on the gearbox sprocket or one fewer on the rear wheel sprocket? Will either option affect the length of the...

Q. I have a 1999 Honda Deauville which has been very reliable, but I saw a newer Deauville parked up with hazard lights flashing and I thought they may be useful on my bike. I know that the 2004...

Q. While fitting a new chain and sprockets to my son’s 2007 Honda CBR125R I noticed that the engine output shaft could be moved in and out by about 1-2mm. Is this normal on this model? A. Don’t panic...

I am trying to source a rear tyre for my Kawasaki VN1600 Classic, a 170/70 x 16 Bridgestone G722. I have trolled through pages of Google search, but have been unable to locate one. I have just put on...

Kevin Ash in his Insight column a few weeks ago described raising the gearing to improve fuel economy. I would love to do this on my Tiger 800, which like most bikes is unnecessarily undergeared at...

I have a 2005 Triumph Sprint ST 1050 with a seemingly random starter problem. Sometimes it will turn over, but that’s it. Then the next day it works fine. The dealer has swapped the plugs over and...

The front Dunlop Sportmax on my Yamaha FZ6 Fazer is getting due for replacement and I’d like a reasonably priced new tyre that would suit. The rear tyre is also a Sportmax but has lots of life...

When I’m slowing down on my Honda CG125 and I’m in third gear, then go down to second, when I slowly let out my clutch I get a fast juddering noise. It seems to do it more when cold. The chain tension...

This step-by-step video shows you how to fix a punctured motorcycle tyre using the Gryyp Turn & Go puncture repair kit.  

I changed the front pads on my Hayabusa recently, but now after hitting the brakes I keep hearing an annoying ‘clicking’ sound like something is touching the brake discs. I took it back to the...

Q. I’m looking for the best all-round tyres for my Suzuki B-King. On the web forums a lot of people are changing from the 200/50 rear to a 190/55, saying you get better turn in. Plus there is more...

Q. I have a 2007 Kawasaki ZZR1400 that has, from new, produced a loud crack from the head race area. During the guarantee period I was always told at each service that there was nothing to worry about...

Q. This is my second Fazer 1000, an ’04 model after several Blades and R1s. Ticking nearly all of the boxes: performance (Akrapovic system) and practicality aswell as all-day comfort, the glaring...

I have a KTM Superduke and need to replace both tyres. I ride quite hard so need something that inspires confidence, but often get caught out in the wet, so need something that doesn’t slide all over...

I have a 2002 Kawasaki ER-5, the engine starts and runs perfectly, but as soon as you put it in gear and start to release the clutch the bike will stall, no matter how high the revs are. It's not the...

Yesterday, when I went to start up my 1998 Honda Hornet 600, I got a massive backfire. It’s never happened before and I’m wondering if it’s anything to worry about (damaging valves, etc)? The bike ran...

I bought a new Triumph Sprint ST a year ago. Right from the start, I have had problems getting a smooth, slick downchange, especially from fourth to third to second and first. Occasionally I get it...

Q. I have just bought a Honda CBR600RR and the rear tyre’s just about squared off. It’s got a BT-015R on, would there be anything better for fast road riding? Or should I keep to the same type of...

Q. I have a bar end weight screw stuck in the end of the bar after the bar end snapped off. There isn’t much sticking out to get a grip of, so I’m going to have a go at drilling it out, but are there...

Q. I replaced a bulb for the speedo on my, but when I was on my way home from work late this evening I accelerated hard to overtake a car on the slip road and join the motorway, and shortly after my...