Product Reviews

MCN Senior Reporter Jordan Gibbons tested Simpson's Venom helmet over 3500 miles, but what did he make of it? What’s good? Let’s get the looks out of the way, then get down to the tech. In...

This stand locates into the headstock, which will allow more jobs to be done, like removing forks for example. It’s easy to assemble, well-finished and comes with several pins to fit a range of bikes.

Time tested: four months What’s good? These are pattern replacement discs (£174.19) for my SDR200 project. The Little Yamaha was never officially imported to the UK, meaning that some of the parts are...

This is a really clever lift. You buy it with the dedicated kit for your bike (extra kits cost from £39) and then just offer the lift up to the bike… and lift. It’s that easy. Your bike can then be...

This is a good front stand that fits most bikes. It’s easy to assemble and the materials are fairly sturdy but when lifting there is some twisting where the stand is bolted together.  It’s easily...

Time tested: Six months What’s good? At £36 this appears to be a cheap, highly portable way to get both wheels of a bike off the ground at the same time. However, it only works if your bike has a...

Time tested: 700 miles/four months What’s good? I love my top box! There I’ve said it and I feel much better that it’s out in the open. This 48-litre box looks vast perched on the rear of my Honda...

Go into your local MoT centre and you’re likely to see an Abba stand. It is one of the very few stands that allows you to test for wheel and steering-head bearings as it holds the bike on the swingarm...

This is a sturdy stand that will fit almost any bike and comes with both cups and forks. The forks are a good shape for different bobbin diameters, though the cups can turn when engaging if you’re not...

A simple but effective stand, beautifully welded and finished. Allen bolts hold the bobbin forks in place, while the ratio of length and lifting height means it feels safe and secure when lifting.

This superbly finished stand is really handy. It has four lockable castors that allow you to manoeuvre the bike around easily, even if the rear wheel is removed. It also lets you move the bike to fit...

Time tested: one month/400 miles What’s good: Pure bliss for long, chilly hours in the saddle – a pair of long, motorcycling socks are essential for keeping lower legs and feet comfortable inside your...

Time tested: 100 miles What’s good? How good can a £20 glove (£19.99 to be exact) from Aldi be? As it turns out, not as bad as I was expecting. The Aldi gloves are made from real leather, have some...

MCN ShopMCN Consumer Editor, Emma Franklin, tested out these Crane Motorcycle socks (£2.99) over 400 miles and here's what she thought... What’s good? Pure bliss for long, chilly hours in the saddle – a pair...

MCN ShopYes if you can't believe it either Aldi. Do. Motorcycle. Gear. And MCN Senior Reporter Jordan Gibbons tested this Aldi textile jacket and trousers over 300 miles to find what all the fuss was...

Plenty of products to get your bike spick and span, but is the kit any good? Time tested Three months Price £89.00  What’s good? The kit contains six aerosols, brushes, a microfibre cloth, sponge...

We tested these Held Arctic Evo gloves (£157.99) over three months, but what did we make of them?  What’s good? I wanted a pair of seriously warm and waterproof winter gloves, and in the Arctic...

"It’s great quality and looks as good off the bike as it does on" Time tested 4 months/500 miles Price £59.99 What’s good? This is the second EDZ Yeti fleece I’ve owned and I love it. It can be thrown...

MCN's Deputy Editor Richard Newland tested Richa's Cyclone jacket and trousers (£399.99/£299.99) for 3 months and covered 3000 miles, but what did he make of the gear? What’s good? This Cyclone suit...

What’s good and what's not about BKS' race gloves? Here's the good bits: British brand BKS, creators of top-quality tailor-made leather kit, have released these all-new off-the-peg race gloves.

What's good and what's not about Kriega's R15 rider pack (£95)? Tested over 12 months here's what we thought... What’s good? Once on, it disappears – to the point, in fact, that it’s not uncommon to...

"Utterly simple but extremely powerful, it’s a very reassuring system." Time tested four months Price £109.99  What’s good Utterly simple but extremely powerful WiFi-based home security...

“They’re ideal if you spend your time flying across town with the hems of your protective riding jeans flapping in the breeze.”  Time tested two months/1500 miles Price £99.99 What’s good These...

Time tested: Four months/1000 miles What’s good? It has a total volume of 53.3 litres. There’s a padded laptop sleeve which can take laptops up to 15 inches and has kept my work laptop free from...

Time tested: Four months/6500 miles What’s good? Gone are the days of loading up on layers, waddling around like the Michelin man in a hot, sticky frustrated mess before clambering aboard my bike in a...

Cable ties are a garage essential. A whole kit of them in varying sizes should be on every fettlers wish list... Time tested Four months Price £19.63  What’s good? Despite being a heavy user of...

We put a pair of Alpinestars Faster 2 boots through their paces. 5000-miles later here's what we thought... Time tested 5000 miles Price £114 What’s good? These are my go-to footwear for the time when...

When you need some new boots on your bike, should you turn to the Bridgestone Battlax S21? Time tested Four months/1500 miles Price £145.37 What’s good? This is the first time I have used a...

Excellent quality, built to last and fashionable. Here's what we thought when we tested the Kriega Urban Messenger bag. Time tested: 3 months/1000 miles Price £135 TOP STORIES We ride the new...

MCN SHOPWe tested Rokker's black jacket (£429) over three months across 500 miles to let you know what's good and what's not.  MCN Verdict What’s good? The main thing this Rokker jacket has going...

Time tested: Three months/800 miles What’s good? When looking for a new helmet I wanted something that looked cool and sporty while also being practical enough for my long daily commute, and in the...

The Rallye suit from BMW is a top-shelf offering, but falls short where it really matters. Time tested: 4 months/12,000 miles Price Jacket £550, Trousers £435, ThinkPak Hydra £23.00  What’s...

MCN ShopLight, cool looking, tough as anything. Who wouldn't want a carbon fibre lid? Here are our top 10 helmets currently available on the MCN Shop, to suit all styles and disciplines… Bell Bullitt Carbon...

Think you can’t get a Gore-Tex Dainese suit for £600? You can. While the jacket is expensive, the matching Galveston trousers are £200, so the suit just about comes in on budget – though you’d have to...

A high-spec suit, with CE Level 2 armour throughout, plenty of vents for hot days and adjusters, a storm collar for wet ones and a quilted Outlast liner for cold ones. It has a pouch for a hydropack,...

The experience of building adventure bikes has clearly taught Triumph plenty about what riders need from their gear, shaping the highly specified, well-finished Exploration suit. It was faultlessly...