Choosing a bike

For those who dream of a life on two wheels, the place to start for many will be a 125. Arguably, the most desirable of these is the sportsbike class, which gives younger riders their first taste of...

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...

If you are looking for a bike to pass your test on, make sure that you purchase the right bike for the category of test you want to pass, or you could find yourself restricted to a 125 with only an A1...

The parallel twin cylinder engine has a long history of use in motorcycles, being the mainstay of the British motorcycle industry for 50 years until the smoother, more sophisticated four-cylinder...

The first ‘modern’ three-cylinder engine was an inline design built by the Triumph/BSA conglomerate back in the 1969 using their existing twin-cylinder motors, as a response to Honda’s revolutionary...

The simplest bike engine design is the single cylinder and it’s what’s fuelled generations of young and new bikers’ love affair with two wheels, as well as keeping the masses moving in poorer...

The V-twin engine has a long and noble history in motorcycling as it was adopted early on by manufacturers like Harley and Indian because it allowed two cylinders to be bolted into the narrow,...

The inline four-cylinder engine is the most popular layout for bikes because it combines high performance with relatively low cost. First made popular by Honda in 1970s, after they’d gained experience...

Bogumil Kusiba has just passed his bike test for the 33bhp restricted licence and he wants to trade in his Honda Varadero 125. “It’s a great bike, however due to my high commuter mileage, 54 miles...

There’s no right or wrong time to buy your first big bike, the key to the process is to be honest with yourself.   If you have been driving a car for years and have built up a fund of...

Q. I’ve finally got the nerve to do my bike test, and I’m now wishing I could have been one of the happy elite to have taken my test when I was 18, and had a man shouting at me with a clipboard some...

When you’re buying a new bike it’s easy to get carried away with the occasion and just rush to swing your leg over and get riding  But before you hand over the cash for those lovely keys, there...

If you’re looking at a bike to buy and you’ve given it a good once over, ask for a ride. You may have to leave the asking price in cash, or your family, or both. At the very least you should get a...

The £4,499 Yamaha XJ6 is Yamaha’s latest budget-middleweight bike, introduced earlier this year alongside its half-faired cousin the Yamaha Diversion. Yamaha XJ6s for sale As standard the...

Are you new to biking and looking for affordable and comfortable work transport? You’ll be needing our guide to the top 5 used commuter bikes. Thinking of trading in? Sell your bike with MCN for...

If you are in the market for a new bike, but your budget is tight so you are heading towards one of the crop of Chinese-made bikes that have entered the market over the last few years, you need to...

So you've just passed your CBT and you're in the market for a decent 125cc scooter... but which one? There's so much choice out there it can be overwhelming for new riders. That's why we've short...

MCN's problem-solving community has the answers to most biking queries you could imagine. Here, they help another newbie with their bike choice...  Burqoil: All my friends and work mates are...

MCN's problem-solving community has the answers to most biking queries you could imagine. Here, they help a newbie with new bike choice... Ziqnzoq: I passed my test last week and am now thinking about...

Here’s some recent advice from our problem-solving reader community. To join in, visit here Burqoil: All my friends and work mates are saying that a CBR600RR on a 2004 plate is a bad choice for a...

Q. I am due to take the Direct Access Scheme and test in a couple of weeks. Once I pass, I am looking to buy an all-rounder middleweight. However, being a tall bloke - 6'4", I...