Choosing a bike

Year: ALL

What you can ride under new licence laws

30 January 2013 by MCN

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...

Choosing the right bike for the right test

30 September 2010 by MCN

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...

New rider: Parallel twins explained

24 September 2010 by Chris Dabbs

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...

New Rider: Why triples rock

17 September 2010 by Chris Dabbs

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...

New rider engine layouts: Singles

10 September 2010 by MCN

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...

New rider engine layouts: V-twins

03 September 2010 by MCN

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,...

New rider engine layouts: Inline fours

27 August 2010 by MCN

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...

New rider: Do you really need a powerful bike?

11 June 2010 by Chris Dabbs

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 roadcraft in...

Best first bike for a 50-mile commute

16 April 2010 by MCN

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...

New rider: questions to ask a seller

19 February 2010 by MCN

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 are...

New rider: what to look for in a test ride

19 February 2010 by MCN

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...

New rider: Top 5 commuter bikes

03 July 2009 by Marc Abbott

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...

Buying your first bike on a budget

26 June 2009 by Marc Abbott

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...

Naked or faired for a first bike?

27 May 2009 by MCN

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...

First time bikes for tall riders

21 March 2009 by Chris Dabbs

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 would prefer a bike that...