Motorbike Advice: make the most of motorcycling
Your one-stop shop for all motorbike advice, including how-tos, getting a motorcycle licence, servicing, maintenance and more.
Find out which bikes you should be choosing in our expertly curated Best section.
For those looking to learn how to ride a motorbike, head to our Learning to Ride hub, where we cover all you need to know about getting into this wonderful lifestyle.
If you've already got going, check out our Riding Tips section for the best guides and top techniques.
Looking for somewhere to go? Don't miss our Places to Visit area for some ideas for your next rideout.
And when you get home, learn how to look after your bike in our Bike Maintenance hub.
How to give your bike a proper clean | MCN's expert guide to getting a motorbike gleaming
14 June 2024 by
Whether you love or loathe the task of cleaning your motorbike, if you want it to shine all summer or survive the grime and salt of winter unscathed, then you need to give it more than just a quick...
The new middleweight sportsbike class is rammed with epic machinery but which one reigns supreme?
13 June 2024 by
The notion of a thrilling middleweight sportsbike has changed drastically over the past 20 years. In the 2000s, sportiness and lap times trumped everything – meaning that engine capacity and design...
This pair of supermotos are built for skids and wheelies... but which one's best? Let's find out!
05 June 2024 by
Look up the word ‘fun’ in a dictionary and (depending on what school you went to) there really should be a big fat picture of a supermoto staring back at you. Built to be raw, aggressive and minimal...
Cut through the jargon! Here are the common biking phrases and what they mean
03 June 2024 by
If you’re new to biking, there’s a huge amount to learn, and where better to start than with this handy glossary of common biking words and phrases? Got more? Why not email me and I’ll add them to...
2024 BMW R12 vs Harley-Davidson Nightster Special | Can BMW's new cruiser out-perform the H-D on UK roads?
30 May 2024 by
BMW can’t stop shooting at the US cruiser heavyweights, Harley and Indian… first with the R18 and now with the new R12. But this time it’s different. Where the R18 was an all-new, air-cooled, boxer...
Find the best off-road motorcycle: an in-depth buyers' guide to the bikes, tracks, trails and gear
29 May 2024 by
Riding an off-road motorbike is a brilliant past time. Whether you are looking to build new skills, explore new areas, or when it gets damp and chilly on the race track and you need some winter saddle...
How to pass your CBT and ride a motorbike on L-plates
24 May 2024 by
If you’ve decided you want to learn to ride a motorbike, the first thing you’ll need to do is complete a Compulsory Basic Training, or CBT course. It may be a small step down from your dreams of...
Group testing the Triumph Speed 400 vs Royal Enfield HNTR 350 Vs Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 | Little beauties
23 May 2024 by
Who needs a big bike when these A2-legal offerings are so good? In the UK there is a huge number of what are referred to as ‘dormant bikers.’ While this may sound like someone who sticks their...
Learning to ride: How to pass your full UK motorbike licence
22 May 2024 by
Inevitably, when learning to ride, at some point you’ll want to pass your full UK motorbike licence – known as a ‘category A licence’ – opens the door to one of the most exciting and liberating...
BMW F900GS Adventure vs Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro | The best of both worlds
16 May 2024 by
Looking at the current crop of big-capacity adventure bikes, I have a concern about history repeating itself. Let me explain, in the early 2000s sportsbikes suddenly experienced a huge hike in...
Indian Challenger Dark Horse vs Harley-Davidson Road Glide | Battle for bagging rights!
02 May 2024 by
Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d be writing – today we are testing two race reps from Harley-Davidson and Indian. No, seriously we are. Believe it or not, the Indian Challenger and Harley Road...
Maximum fun on a minimum budget - MCN's expert guide to used bikes to enjoy year-round
29 April 2024 by
Shopping on a budget for a bike you are going to use 12 months a year, whatever the weather – rather than tucking it away in the garage for sunny use only – doesn’t mean that you have to put up with...
Group testing the Kawasaki Eliminator 500 vs Honda's CMX500 Rebel SE vs Royal Enfield's Shotgun 650 | Cruising for a mild bruising
26 April 2024 by
Whenever cruiser motorcycles are discussed, thoughts naturally turn towards the established and often pricey offerings from America. Harley-Davidson and Indian dominate this segment and for good...
BMW R12 nineT vs Triumph Speed Twin 1200 | Roaring Roadsters - Old-school looks meet modern performance... but which is best?
22 April 2024 by
There is an argument that super-nakeds are getting a bit too, well, super. In a reflection of what happened to their litre sportsbike siblings, the fact that the current crop of full-on naked bikes...
Think the KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo is the cream of the super-naked crop? It's time to find out...
11 April 2024 by
Last month we got the chance to ride KTM’s new 1390 Super Duke R at its world launch. In an intense, testosterone-fuelled track frenzy at the Almeria circuit in southern Spain, we squeezed five...
Weird yet wonderful: not every Bologna-built bike was an instant beauty...
05 April 2024 by
A company known for beautifully-styled bikes, Ducati’s models have often crossed the boundary between art and transport. But every now and then designers go a bit rogue and the results are bikes...
These three used do-it-all bargain bikes offer a two-wheeled solution to a lot of life's problems
04 April 2024 by
For some riders the decision to take to two-wheels is very much leisure-related. A sunny day will see them don their leathers and head out to enjoy the delights of a superbike or super-naked for the...
Expert guide to buying sub-£3k used adventure motorbikes
02 April 2024 by
Tall, upright and comfortable, adventure bikes make for great tourers – and that’s the secret of their enduring success. If you are after a bike to carry you and a pillion on a tarmac trip away,...
(Under) a ton of fun! PCP heroes for under £100 a month
28 March 2024 by
Imagine having a pot by your desk and every day you try to drop in three quid. Yep, just three. Wouldn’t be that hard, would it? On the way into work you could skip that posh coffee and instead get an...
Expert guide to buying used Yamaha YZF-R1 range
15 March 2024 by
This year marks 25 years since Yamaha released the first R1. Featuring technology that at the time was radical but is now commonplace, the R1 created the blueprint for the modern sportsbike...
Expert guide to used sports tourers on a budget
15 March 2024 by
Blisteringly fast when requested, these high-speed tourers are also sporty enough to enjoy on twisty mountain roads while delivering comfort, luggage-carrying capacity and relaxed riding positions to...
Honda and Suzuki’s rugged adventure bikes take on the MCN250
14 March 2024 by
Entering the world of adventure bikes can be daunting as this rapidly expanding segment is filled to bursting point with a huge variety of bikes all falling under the ‘adventure’ umbrella. And they...
Can Chinese-built Voge DS525X rival the updated Honda NX500?
14 March 2024 by
When it comes to the light/middleweight adventure motorcycle market, one machine has been dominating the show – Honda’s CB500X. Launched in 2013 alongside its naked CB500F and fully-faired CBR500R...
Expert guide to buying used old-school sportsbikes
07 March 2024 by
Yamaha’s beautiful and brilliant YZF750, Kawasaki’s gorgeous ZX-7R and their old-school superbike stablemates still deliver a more than-sufficient 120bhp+ yet do so with analogue technology, lack of...
Apex predators | Bag a used superbike bargain and enjoy genuine racing pedigree on the road
06 March 2024 by
World Superbike has quite literally defined and directed the course of litre-class sportsbikes for the last 20 years with the leading brands developing ever-more potent, extreme and sophisticated...
Expert guide to buying used Kawasaki Ninjas from £1500
04 March 2024 by
When it comes to sporting dynasties, one name is synonymous with performance – Ninja. First used by Kawasaki in 1984 on the GPz900R Ninja in the US market (the same year that Mirage Studios...
Expert guide to buying used winter motorbikes
01 March 2024 by
This week we look at buying a winter motorbike for soaking up those cold, hard miles and ensuring you arrive at your destination ready for the day ahead. They may not be the most alluring bikes...
Can BMW’s blacked-out R18 Roctane steal a slice of the Indian Springfield Dark Horse’s American pie?
29 February 2024 by
You can’t help but admire BMW’s determination to take on classic US cruiser motorcycle brands Harley-Davidson and Indian with their all-new R18 Roctane bagger. First, in 2020, they came up with...
Welcome to Wallonia | Explore one of biking’s best kept secrets with 1300km of great riding routes
29 February 2024 by
Paid partnership with VISITWallonia Ever heard of Wallonia? It’s the southern half of Belgium, and as far as motorcyclists are concerned, the more exciting half. It’s home to the Spa-Francorchamps race circuit, classic racing at...
These top-spec middleweights are the cream of the crop, but which one is the best used buy?
27 February 2024 by
The middleweight class has been on fire over the last few years with no shortage of bikes packing stacks of performance – and that is great news if you are after a bargain because plenty are entering...
Expert guide to buying your first big motorbike used
27 February 2024 by
Buying your first big bike can be a daunting experience. These five machines make for handy ‘first big bikes’ that have enough power to ensure you won’t be left lacking should you wish to embark on a...
Why mid-size scooters offer the best of everything around town
22 February 2024 by
There is a tendency to assume mid-size scooters are an unpopular choice of two-wheeled transport in the UK. While European cities seem packed full of scoots, with everyone from teenagers to glamorous...
Cheap, comfy and quick! These £3k sports tourers offer plenty of bang for your buck
15 February 2024 by
Who doesn’t love the thought of escaping the confines of their local neighbourhood in search of pastures new? And, better still, some thrilling and challenging roads to explore for the first time. If...
Middleweight road-going adventure mega-test! We pit V-Strom 800RE vs Transalp vs Tiger 850 Sport
02 February 2024 by
Of all the myriad motorbike sub-classes, the middleweight adventure sector is perhaps the most important. With machines ranging from 700 to 900cc in capacity, and prices starting at less than...
A year in film: Watch MCN’s most popular YouTube videos of 2023
29 December 2023 by
It’s been another busy year for the MCN team, bringing you the latest news, reviews, and sport coverage from the world of motorcycling. It’s the same story on our YouTube channel too, with an...
Buying your first big bike: MCN's guide to the best A2 friendly motorbikes in 2025
12 December 2023 by
A2 motorbikes may exist to fulfil a licence category, but they can also be a lightweight, simple and budget-friendly option for any level of rider – and great fun to ride, too. Once you’ve passed...