2014
Product Review: SDoc100 Gel Total Cleaner
14 February 2015 by
SDoc100 Gel Total Cleaner, £13 Tester: Richard Newland Time tested: Four years What’s good? At MCN we get to test a lot of different cleaning products, but the one I always return to as my default...
Product Review: Givi T470SM small tank bag
21 January 2015 by
Givi T470SM small tank bag, £94.42 (updated XS312 model) and T460B universal ‘Tank Fitting System’ (TFS), £20.79 Tester: Michael Neeves Time tested: Three years/20,000 miles What’s good? This is my...
Product Review: Racelogic VBOX Sport
20 January 2015 by
Racelogic VBOX Sport £298 Tester: Emma Franklin Time tested: 12 months What’s good? Dataloggers used to be complex – a mass of wires, antennas and impenetrable software. They also used to be extremely...
Product Review: Spot Gen 3
15 January 2015 by
Spot Gen 3, £150 Tester: Andy Davidson Time tested: 8 months/3000 miles What’s good? Spot Gen 3 is a small GPS tracking device that can send check-in emails to loved ones and friends and give them...
Product Review: Makita GA4530 720W angle grinder
09 January 2015 by
Makita GA4530 720W angle grinder, £61.99 Tester: Ped Baker Time tested: Six months What’s good? You could argue that on specifications alone there’s no difference between the £61.99 Makita GA4530 and...
Product Review: Proguard Fleximonitors Custom Earphones
08 January 2015 by
Proguard Fleximonitors Custom Earphones, £225 Tester: Michael Neeves Time used: Four years What’s good? This is my third review of these custom in-ear headphones and they’re my favourite piece of...
Product Review: Garmin Zumo 590LM
07 January 2015 by
Garmin Zumo 590LM, £549.99 Tester: Andy Davidson Time tested: Three months/4500 miles What’s good? While there’s no denying a sat-nav is going to get you there quicker than using a map or guesswork,...
Product Review: Woman on a Motorcycle Riding Skills Day
31 December 2014 by
Woman on a Motorcycle Riding Skills Day, £199 Tester: Alison Silcox Time tested: One day/75 miles What's good? I was a little apprehensive taking part in this women only event, I’m not usually fussed...
Product Review: R&G Elevation Paddock Stand
24 December 2014 by
R&G Elevation Paddock Stand £86.99 Tester: Emma Franklin Time used: 2 years What’s good? Brilliant value and so sturdy. Everything from the powder-coated tubular steel body to the chunky castors...
Product Review: Motorex Viso-Clean
24 December 2014 by
Motorex Viso-Clean £3.99 (6 pack) Tester: Michael Neeves Time used: 3500- miles What’s good? I came across a big box of these handy visor wipes at a recent KTM track launch, grabbed a handful and...
Product Review: Shoei kit bag
17 December 2014 by
Shoei kit bag, £89.99 Tester Adam Child Time tested: Three years What’s good? This kit bag is large enough to take full race leathers, lid, boots, gloves, body armour and enough clothes for a week...
Product Review: Ion Air Pro video camera
16 December 2014 by
Ion Air Pro video camera £299 Tester: Michael Neeves Time used: Two years What’s good? This is my second review for this lightweight ‘bullet cam’. I didn’t get on with it at first and only gave it...
Product Review: Oxford Lifetime X1 tank bag
10 December 2014 by
Oxford Lifetime X1 tank bag, £29.99 Tester: Alison Silcox Time tested: One month/1000 miles What's good? I turn to this little bag when popping out for a quick spin or commuting to work. It fits...
Product Review: Motion Pro tyre lever and chain breaker
03 December 2014 by
Motion Pro tyre lever and chain breaker £26.50, £59.50 Motion Pro’s aluminium tyre lever is lightweight and comes with a choice of spanner size on the other end. The comprehensive chain breaker set is...
Product Review: Overboard large phone case
03 December 2014 by
Overboard large phone case, £13.29 Time tested: Four months, 6500 miles What’s good? My rucksack isn’t waterproof so I couldn’t chuck my phone, cash and passport inside and hope for the best. The...
Product Reivew: Halfords Professional 9-piece Allen Key set
12 November 2014 by
Halfords Professional 9-piece Allen Key set, £19.99 Time tested: Four years What’s good? There’s plenty of snobbery in the tool world, and I’m pretty guilty of it myself, but Halfords’ Professional...
Product Review: Oxford X.9 leg bag
05 November 2014 by
Oxford X.9 leg bag, £19.99 Time tested: 3000 miles/two weeks I’m not sure why people think they need one of these. Most motorcycle jackets and trousers come with pockets, don’t they? I found I...
Product Review: Givi WP401 80 litre roll bag
05 November 2014 by
Givi WP401 80 litre roll bag, £83.46 Time tested: 3500 miles/one month I’ve no idea how I’d ever fill this bag, because it’s so big it’ll create its own weather system if you keep it shut for too...
Product Review: Givi Xstream rucksack
29 October 2014 by
Givi Xstream rucksack, £108.99 Tested for: Two months/1000 miles What’s good? Versatile and well thought out, the Givi easily lugs everything I need for a day out or a day in the office. There’s a...
Product Review: Ermax nose screen for Honda CB650F
29 October 2014 by
Ermax nose screen for Honda CB650F, £75.90 Time tested: One month/1500 miles What's good? After fitting this to my Honda CB650F long-term test bike it’s provided massive relief on long stretches on...
Product Review: Brembo Serie Oro brake discs and pads
22 October 2014 by
Brembo Serie Oro brake discs and pads, £395 Time used: Two months/1200 miles What’s good? I needed new brake discs and pads on my recently purchased 1989 BMW K1 as the originals were shot to bits.
Product Review: Mitutyo ABSOLUTE AOS Digimatic Caliper 0-150mm
15 October 2014 by
Mitutyo ABSOLUTE AOS Digimatic Caliper 0-150mm, £118.80 Time tested: Five years What’s good? Whether you’re buying secondhand parts off Ebay or building a custom bike from the ground up, calipers are...
Product Review: Knox Dry Inside base layer
15 October 2014 by
Knox Dry Inside base layer, £39.99 Time used: Three years/3500 miles What’s good? It’s a base layer that works under leathers or textiles to stop the build-up of perspiration next to your skin.
Product Review: Kriega R15 Rucksack
08 October 2014 by
Kriega R15 Rucksack, £79 Time tested: 20 months/ 26,000 miles What’s good? The R15 has been my rucksack of choice for the last 20 months. I use it for my 500-mile a week commute, when I travel abroad...
Product Review: Road: The movie
01 October 2014 by
Road: The movie, £15.99 on DVD, £17.99 on Blu-Ray Time tested: One evening What’s good? A must-watch film for fans of real road racing, this is the gritty, captivating and highly emotional documentary...
Product Review: Bags Connection Cargobag Motorcycle Tail bag
01 October 2014 by
Bags Connection Cargobag Motorcycle Tail bag, £121.91 Time tested: Two months/2000 miles What's good? It’s a great piece of luggage, so easy to fit to the bike without the need for any modifications.
Product Review: Petronas Durance Helmet Wipes
24 September 2014 by
Petronas Durance Helmet Wipes, £9.99 Time tested: One month/1500 miles What's good? This disposable two-wipe system is very easy to use and small enough to pop your pocket you can always have one to hand. There isn’t any need to leave the wet wipe on the visor to soak into the dead bugs; it’s literally a case of a quick rub over and hey presto. The wet wipe is sufficiently damp to clean two visors...
Product Review: ACF50 Corrosion Block grease
17 September 2014 by
ACF50 Corrosion Block grease, £10 approx Time used: Two years What’s good? I am a massive fan of the way ACF50 anti-corrosion spray works to keep a British winter’s destructive power at bay, but this...
Product Review: Oxford Chain Brush
17 September 2014 by
Oxford Chain Brush, £9.99 Time Tested Six chain cleans What’s good? Looking after chains is an important job to me, and this brush makes it much easier than it was before I had it. The bristles clean the chain from both sides and the rear at the same time and do a great job of getting rid of old lube, and light surface rust if the bike has been ridden in the wet. I use it with paraffin, which is a...
Product Review: T-Cut scratch remover
10 September 2014 by
T-Cut scratch remover £6.99 Time tested two scratches What’s good It does exactly what it says on the tube – removes light scratches. My Hayabusa picked up two mystery scratches not long into my...
Product Review: Kappa WA405F rollbag
10 September 2014 by
Kappa WA405F rollbag, £46.27 Time owned: One month/750 miles What's good? This 40-litre roll bag is cavernous. I used it for a long weekend away recently and my gear barely touched the sides. It's...
Product Review: Dark Sky weather app
03 September 2014 by
Dark Sky weather app, £2.99 Time tested: Four months What’s good? It’s a weather forecasting app that uses ultra-localised data to give you the exact forecast for the next hour, wherever you are, meaning you can ride away from impending rain, find a café or at the very least get my waterproofs on. The app uses weather radar info for the area you are in to give you a basic screen with temperature...
Product Review: Bike HUD
03 September 2014 by
Bike HUD, £397 (currently £297) Time tested: Two months/1500 miles What’s good? Despite the doubtful comments from most who’ve seen it, it works. This is a small screen that sits just in front of the rider’s cheek and makes it a matter of a small flicker of the eyes to collect information like road speed, gear position, time and outside temperature. The digital speed display changes colour as it...
Product Review: Oxford Track Pump with gauge
28 August 2014 by
Oxford Track Pump with gauge, £29.99 Time used: Seven race meetings. What’s good? When my twin-cylinder Sealey foot pump broke on me after just a year (letting air out of the tyre when you connect...
Product Review: Sealey twin-cylinder foot pump
27 August 2014 by
Sealey twin-cylinder foot pump: £11.17 Time used: One racing season. What’s good? I’ve been using this for regularly for racing, as well as keeping my road bike, pushbike and car tyres inflated. The double cylinder gives more bang for your buck and the unit is pretty sturdy. Sometimes the metal frame on cheap footpumps like this can be too thin and will buckle if you don’t hit it square-on with...
Product Review: Oxford First Time Mini Tankbag
27 August 2014 by
Oxford First Time Mini Tankbag, £34.99 Time tested: One week/2300 miles What’s good? The convenience of having the essentials right where I need them makes a long riding trip so much easier, which is where tankbags score highly in my book. But the bulk can make them awkward when riding and, especially, when refuelling. This small Oxford bag is small enough to not be noticeable while riding, easily...