June

What happens when I remove exhaust baffles?

30 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I have just purchased a new GSX-R1000 K7 with dealer fitted Arrow cans with removable baffles. Can you please tell me whether it would harm the bike if I removed them. Save cash on motorcycle...

How to troubleshoot a Power Commander

30 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I have a Dynojet Power Commander III USB on my GSX-R750, but when I try to connect it to the control centre software on my computer the software says “No Power Commander Connected”. What am I doing...

How to make a Superduke less twitchy

30 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I’ve just bought a 2007 KTM Superduke with 5000 miles on the clock after owning a 2005 Kawasaki ZX-10R. All the reviews say the handling is perfect and near superbike level, but when I up the pace...

Plan your first ride with care

25 June 2010 by MCN

You’ve passed your test, bought the kit and blown all your hard-earned on your dream bike. Now it’s time to go for your very first ride. And that needs preparation. If you passed your test by the...

Why aren't my cooling fans working?

22 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I’m having trouble with my 2000 MV Agusta F4. The cooling fans aren’t coming on when the engine gets hot (105 degrees). I’ve checked the fuse and that’s OK, I’m not too sure where to look next.

Can I rethread a sump?

22 June 2010 by MCN

Q. When I changed the oil on my GSX-R750 K2 last time I managed to overtighten the sump plug so I felt the thread giving a bit. I was using a torque wrench too. I have just changed the oil again today and fine bits of ‘thread’ came out of the sump thread as I removed the plug! Have I now screwed up the sump or is there a way of re-threading it? I managed to re-fit the sump plug but it was hard to...

Best tyres for less-than-spirited riding

22 June 2010 by MCN

Q. My girlfriend has just returned to biking after a long lay-off and at present I’m doing 95% of my riding with her. Save cash on motorcycle tyres It’s great and she’s rapidly building confidence...

Sorting out your confidence

18 June 2010 by MCN

Confidence isn’t just a ‘preference of the habitual voyeur’ as Blur would have it, but arguably one of the most vital parts of a rider’s armoury. Building it up as you start out, without straying into...

Kit review: Hein Gericke Milan jacket

17 June 2010 by Marc Abbott

Hein Gericke Milan jacket, £149.99 Miles covered/time: 1000/two months What’s good? Many people, those who ride and those who don’t, have commented that it doesn’t look like a bike jacket. I think...

Best tyres for a Multistrada 1100S

15 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I’m hoping you can help me with some advice on tyres. I recently bought an ’08 Multistrada 1100S and I need to put some new tyres on it. The Metzeler Z6 looks to be a good, if slightly expensive...

Respraying your bike? Who to inform...

15 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I am getting my bike resprayed in a different colour. I know I have to change the logbook, but how do I go about getting the MoT certificate changed? Olly Heggs, Redditch A. As you say, you need...

Will my headlamp fail an MoT?

15 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I took my 1997 Honda RC45 RS down for its annual MoT and the tester said that I had a “problem” with the headlamps, that the dip beam was “flat” with no “break off” to light the pavement etc. He...

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...

New Rider: How to ride safely on a motorway

11 June 2010 by Chris Dabbs

Motorways may be boring to ride on, but they are the safest roads in Britain despite the high speeds and vast volumes of traffic that use them. This is because they traffic joining them filters on...

Advice: What are the best tyres for a Kawasaki ZZR1400

09 June 2010 by Marc Abbott

Q. I have recently purchased a 2008 ZZR1400 which has about 5000 miles on the clock and is fitted with Bridgestone Battlax BT-014 tyres which are in very good condition. Are these tyres suitable for...

Advice: GSX-R Winter lay-up fuelling problems

09 June 2010 by Marc Abbott

Q. My GSX-R has been sat all through winter with the same tank of fuel in it (I know, not the best idea), so now as a result my bike is very sluggish to respond to the throttle movements and hence...

How to push a motorcycle

04 June 2010 by Chris Dabbs

It’s hard to believe when you are tipping your bike into a bend with the merest fingertip pressure on a bar, that your bolide weighs a couple of hundred kilos. But when you’ve got to push it into the...

How to tell if you have a puncture

04 June 2010 by Chris Dabbs

The tubeless tyres that are fitted to the vast majority of bikes these days are more puncture-resistant than tyres with inner tubes and don’t tend to suffer from the rapid deflation that is a...

How to push your bike around

04 June 2010 by MCN

It’s hard to believe when you are tipping your bike into a bend with the merest fingertip pressure on a bar, that your bike weighs a couple of hundred kilos. But when you’ve got to push it into the...

Tubeless tyres and punctures

04 June 2010 by MCN

The tubeless tyres that are fitted to the vast majority of bikes these days are more puncture-resistant than tyres with inner tubes and don’t tend to suffer from the rapid deflation that is a...

Tight FireBlade chain is causing problems

02 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I have a ’97 Honda Fireblade RRV. In May I rode up to the BMF Rally two-up but I didn’t realise that the chain was running too tight over bumps and when accelerating. It’s now making a ‘clattery’...

Chinese 125 carb problems

02 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I own a Sukida SK125-4 Commissioner (it’s Chinese), which if it’s not careful is going to be turned into coke cans as it’s doing my head in. The problem is that when I go for a run and its warm it...

Why is my R1200GS front disc pulsing?

02 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I recently took my pride and joy R1200GS to my local BMW garage for its 6000-mile service. I asked them to investigate a front brake pulsing at low speed. Now I had a Tiger that did exactly the...

If in doubt, change your tyres

02 June 2010 by MCN

Q. I have returned to motorcycling after a 48-year break and my bike is a 1990 Yamaha XV535 which is very pleasant to ride - even with the gearlever on the left! But on some road surfaces the...