Richard Newland – Editor

With 35 years of riding experience and eighteen years as a bike journalist, Rich has ridden pretty much every new bike of the last two decades and plenty of others beyond – dating right back to the 1930s. His big passion is for sportsbikes from the 1990s and early 2000s, but he also has a real soft spot for big bikes that handle well and can take you places. He has as a worrying penchant for 1000-mile days, and once stupidly rode from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back again without stopping (that’s 1703 miles in 30 hours).

In his own man cave there’s a 1998 Ducati 996, a 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 ‘Slabby’, a 1998 VFR800FiW and a 1975 Honda CB750 SOHC Dunstall. He rides anything between 14,000 and 35,000 miles every year in all weathers, all year round. 

Contact Rich via email or follow on Twitter.

Emma Franklin – Deputy Editor

From her earliest memory of crashing a DT125 through a wooden fence in the mid 1980s, Emma’s fascination with two wheels has seen her work on some of the UK’s best-loved motorcycling titles over the past 17 years, before becoming Deputy Editor on the world’s number one biking weekly.

From new bike launches, kit testing, touring guides, racing and advanced riding, the tame Scouser’s got a wide range of experience as well as a healthy obsession with two-strokes.

Emma owns a 1990 Kawasaki KR-1S, 2004 Honda RS125 and a 2004 Kawasaki ZX-10R. 

She’s no stranger to trackdays or racing, either. 

Contact Emma via email, or follow on Instagram.

Gareth Evans – Online Editor

Having only passed his bike test in September 2019, Gareth’s a new rider but a seasoned automotive journalist, spending the formative decade of his career writing about cars new and old.

He’s an engineering enthusiast who loves tinkering with most machines, from the vintage race cars he occasionally gets to compete in to modern smart-tech devices, and of course he’s fairly au fait with how websites work too.

But furthermore, Gareth has a keen interest in current affairs, modern sociology and history. In his fleeting moments of spare time he’s a yacht skipper too, and loves testing himself navigating challenging waters in the UK and further afield.

Contact Gareth via email, or follow on Twitter or Instagram.

Andy Calton – Content Director, Motorcycling

Andy’s been a journalist for over 30 years and a motorcyclist for longer than that!

Having been dragged around various grasstrack meetings as a kid, it was only a matter time before two-strokes ensured the biking bug bit… hard! After an AP50, various RDs and even a couple of seasons MZ250 racing (quite slowly), Andy soon moved to 600cc four-strokes. With a dodgy back and old-man wrists various twins and triples have helped ease the pain with bikes often getting more upright and comfortable!

Andy’s journalistic career has been just as varied with stints on local and national newspapers marking his early career. Andy’s had three stints on MCN in various roles and has also worked in the golf market.

He now looks after the Motorcycling Content Hub which delivers copy across many of Bauer’s bike titles and digital offerings.

Contact Andy via email.

Michael ‘Neevesy’ Neeves – Chief Road Tester

Neevesy’s been an MCN Road Tester since 2002 and has been riding motorbikes for 35 years. He’s reviewed it all, from mopeds to Rossi’s M1, and everything in between.

He covers tens of thousands of miles a year on the world’s roads and racetracks in his role with MCN, and when he’s not working he’s still on two wheels, racing both modern and classic superbikes for a variety of teams, all around the world.

To cement his position as one of the most influential motorcycling journalists on the planet, Neevesy is an Elite Instructor at the Ron Haslam Race School, based at the famous Donington Park race circuit.

He’s also a rhyming slang world champion and Rubix cube enthusiast.

Contact Neevesy via email, and follow on Twitter or Instagram. 

Mike Armitage – Deputy Editor, Bauer Motorcycling

Mike trained as a mechanical engineer (got qualifications and everything) and understands how oily bits work.

He’s been a full-time motorcycle journalist since 2001, with roles including road test editor for Performance Bikes, executive editor for Classic Bike, and deputy editor for Bike. Over the years he’s ridden everything from tank-shift 1920s pioneer bikes to Honda NR750, Kawasaki H2R and championship-winning race bikes.

Mike describes himself as a natural cynic who rides 30,000+ miles a year, all year round and in all weathers (can’t afford a car), and has an unhealthy penchant for small-capacity two-strokes. Owns a 1973 Honda C50, 1990 Yamaha TDR250 and a small collection of MZ parts. Distinctly average drummer.

Contact Mike via email, and follow on Twitter.

Martin Fitzgibbons – Deputy Editor, Bauer Motorcycling

Maths graduate Martin has been riding for over 20 years and testing bikes professionally for 16 of them. 

A road rider first and foremost, MFG enjoys the occasional jaunt off-road or round a racetrack but is thoroughly grounded in reality. Commutes by bike all year round, has owned the same SV650S since he was 21 and tested hundreds of new bikes over the years. 

The weirder fringes of his eclectic riding history include hill-climbing Honda’s DN-01, riding a 125 from Paris to Vienna in 24 hours, taking a Dakar rally bike through a McDonald’s drive-through and riding a Moto2 prototype on the road. Loves a punchy power delivery, hates stiff suspension and admires efficiency. Knows the difference between torque and thrust and isn’t afraid to bang on about it. Endlessly. Whether anyone’s listening or not.

Contact Martin via email, or follow on Twitter or Instagram.

Jordan Gibbons – News Editor

Jordan bought his first bike at 17 because he thought it would make him cool and a hit with the ladies.

He was completely wrong but he’s been hooked on two wheels ever since. Jordan has been the source of the biggest news at MCN for four years, which has seen him reporting on the Dakar rally from the middle of the desert one week and challenging CEOs in the boardroom the next.

When he’s not getting to grips with the latest machines or searching out some breaking news, he can often be found ripping through Essex on his KTM 690 Rally bike or tinkering in the workshop with his classic Harley.

Contact Jordan via email.

Dan Sutherland – Senior Writer

Dan joined the MCN team straight from his studies at the University of Sheffield, having achieved Class One Honours in Journalism Studies and a Gold Standard Level 3 Diploma in Journalism from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).

With a hunger for the truth and a passion for all things two-wheeled, Dan has reported on everything from breaking new bike news to charity fund raising, as well as attending countless international new model launches and nurturing the growth of MCN’s online community; #ride5000miles.

Completing his Compulsory Basic Training on his 16^th birthday and passing his full test around a year later, 24-year-old Dan now covers around 20,000 road miles a year on motorcycles of all genres. He has also experienced elements of advanced rider training, tackled countless UK and international short circuits and achieved an ACU race licence to begin a fledgling competition career.

Contact Dan on Twitter or Instagram.

Ben Clarke – Staff Writer

Ben joined the MCN team after retraining as a journalist in 2018, but his love of motorbikes began a long time before that, watching his dad ride his 1976 Honda CB400F. Ben’s own riding history started when he learned to ride on an 80s Yamaha XT250 in a mate’s field and then took a direct access bike test at 21.

Three months later, he embarked on a 13,500-mile tour across the USA and down through Central America on a Yamaha XT660R. This crash-course (quite literally a few times) started in Miami and finished in Panama City and took in just about every type of terrain you can imagine; from the racetrack-smooth bends of California’s Pacific Coast Highway to the depths of Nicaragua’s forests.

Since joining MCN Ben has been to knee-down school, gone off-roading with James Bond stuntmen and ridden tens of thousands of miles on test bikes.

Contact Ben on Twitter or Instagram.

Alison Silcox – Office Manager

Who’d realise that a chance encounter and a corny chat up line from a Kawasaki ZXR750-riding RAF Corporal would lead to a life on two wheels for our Office Manager, Ali.

Initially riding pillion on the ZXR750 followed by a more sedate Honda VFR750 through to, what some would deem a highly inappropriate, Ducati 998S. She’s toured far and wide before taking the plunge and getting her licence.

Riding solo since the mid-noughties, a fan of middleweight twins and when she’s not herding the team at MCN HQ, loves nothing more than heading off on a solo weekend adventure. Part owns said Ducati 998S (she married the Corporal), fully owns a Ducati Monster 695 and for commuting a Yamaha X-MAX400.

Contact Alison on Twitter.