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Adventure Motorcycling for Dummies: Packing Lists and Equipment

The Power of Dreams or Nightmares?

If you mention motorcycles then one of the first manufacturers that you would be likely to mention is Honda. The company has a great prestige in the category stretching right back to the 1960’s when Honda first competed in the Isle of Man TT. However, over recent years the dreams have turned to nightmares as Honda uncharacteristically appears to have been caught out by a combination of the global economic situation and the onslaught of mechanical development from their various competitors.

Parking Charge D-Day Looms

Pulling No Punches: 2009/2010

Six races have now taken place in the paddock that never sleeps and its time to perform our review at Londonbikers.com of the season so far and forecast what we think will happen over the silly season with news on the possible transfers keeping you up to date with the latest information. Twelve months ago we successful predicted that Melandri would buy out the second year of his contract, Nicky Hayden would make a switch to the Factory Ducati team and that Andrea Dovizioso would take his seat at the Factory Repsol Honda team. How will our predictions pan out in 2009? Keep reading to find out.

99 Not Out: Game On Rossi & Lorenzo

Back at the beginning of May at a pre-race press conference for the Jerez grand prix Valentino Rossi was asked if he were to be placed in a situation where on the final corner of the final lap he was headed by his team mate with the opportunity to overtake would he take it.

Adventure Motorcycling for Dummies: Preparation and Bike Modifications

You’ve read The Motorcycle Diaries and you’ve watched The Long Way Round, you’ve had it with your job and dream of jacking it all in to ride off into the sunset. Well you wouldn’t be the first person to fantasise of life aboard your steel horse travelling across a distant continent, but of course it’s easy to make that leap if you’re a Hollywood film star or a Cuban revolutionary. Right?

BMW F 800 R - The Future Is Bright

The future is bright for BMW at the moment. Not just bright as in the retina-burning orange paint adorning the F800R that I’m currently riding, but bright as in BMW now sell more than 100,000 bikes a year and around 5500 of those are in the UK per annum.

Talking Leather Suits with arc-on Leathers

Buying leathers is easy isn’t it? Just check out some magazine articles and nip down to the nearest bike shop to, ahem, finger the goods. Then slip a set on and if the price is right, bosh the deal is done.

Sat Nav on Your Bike - It's So Easy!

This simple answer to the problem of using a Sat Nav/GPS on a bike is something that many people have found their own way of working out, but until the So Easy Rider, I hadn't seen such an elegant, practical solution.

Riding The New Aprilia RSV4 Factory Superbike

I’m pretty intimidated by the RSV4. It’s not the huge claimed brake horsepower that’s doing it, nor the rumour of the high technology that’s crammed into the bike, which makes it more of a GP bike for the road...

MotoGP Under the Microscope: The First 3 Races

Twelve months ago it appeared that MotoGP was back to its very best. We had four different race victors in the opening four rounds and a gripping and thrilling back and forth battle for the coveted crown between Dani Pedrosa, Valentino Rossi and defending champion Casey Stoner. However, when people look back over the course of the 2008 season a lot of negative remarks arise about run away victories, not enough battles and a lack of general competitiveness.

Ducati Streetfighter - Soul of a Superbike, Attitude of a Fighter!

Living up to its name, there was little doubt that the Ducati Streetfighter would score a round one knock-out when it entered the ring for the first time at the 2008 EICMA Show in Milan. Making an immediate impact on the international press and the public, it was nominated “most beautiful bike in show” and raised the bar for extreme nakeds by creating a new point of reference in the market.

Zuru Link Straps - The New Bungee?

My first thought when I saw these straps was "they look interesting but I'm not to sure about that colour", then on further inspection it was clear a fair bit of thought had gone into producing an innovative alternative form of tie-down straps. Could they replace the ubiquitous bungee strap? Looking eye-catching and promising no more painful twanging or scratched panels sounds good, but how well they actually work is the most important thing.

The Rev'It! Ladies Pearl Textile Jacket

There was a time when as a woman if you wanted biking gear you ended up getting mens clothes in small sizes. Thankfully those days are long gone and we live in a world where bike clothing manufacturers have realised that women deserve good quality kit just as much as the boys do. It’s about time.

LB Meet Rob McElnea, Team Principle for Rob Mac Racing

In an exclusive interview with Rob Mcelnea of RobMacRacing, Londonbikers.com gets the insight on the star of 2009, Yamaha’s all-new “long-bang” YZF-R1, already hailed by some as THE way forward for ALL 4-cylinder bikes. How Ducati’s departure from the British Superbike Series is a good thing for racing all round, and what the chances were of persuading Coca Cola’s marketing people to adopt a blue colour scheme…

Who wants ABS anyway?

Just recently a series of technical acronyms have been bounding about the motorcycle fraternity that have scared and startled some hardcore, old-time bikers and raised a few eyebrows of power rangers all over the world. TC, ABS and ECU have now become even more commonplace when discussions of the two wheeled kind come to mind, with manufacturers investing heavily in this new technology to improve rider safety and bike performance. Is it change for the better?

The Maxijak Wheel Lift

Ok I admit it, I like toys. To those that know me well this will come as no surprise, so the chance to try out the Maxijak wheel lift was right up my street.

Preparing for the 2009 BSB Season with Tom Tunstall and his Hardinge - Doodson Motorsport Team

This time of the year sees the average biker removing dust sheets, kicking tyres and disconnecting battery chargers but for race teams it's already been a busy few months. Londonbikers.com caught up with BSB rider Tom Tunstall to see how preparations for his season are going.

Testing The New Dunlop Qualifier II Tyre

Make no mistake, with sportsbikes still popular on the new and used market, Dunlop’s new sports tyre is going for a big slice of the action.

Laverty’s Land in Losail

A wise motorcycle racer once said “Sometimes you have to go through bad times to learn about yourself.” That man was Valentino Rossi, but it is a statement which holds true for us all. It’s not until we are pushed to the limit, tested or questioned that our true abilities blossom and we all develop the skills which will make us stronger, better, faster and more capable to deal with what life throws at us.