Best of

Motorcycling is a hobby which tends to start relatively cheaply. Many of us start with a used bike and budget clothing, but as the years roll by, we buy bigger, more expensive bikes and upgrade our gear with flashier helmets and better clothing. We buy various lotions and potions to keep our machines clean, and discover new tools and gadgets to help maintain them. After a few decades of riding, we'll own a tool for everything, more helmets than we know what to do with and enough fluid-filled aerosols to drown an elephant. Don't be afraid; this is perfectly normal.

Furthermore, we'll accumulate accessories. Small items which fulfill some kind of need to make riding safer, easier or more fun. I've chosen six items from Bike Stop, which every rider needs in their arsenal.

In true British fashion we’re being denied sunny weather, with this May being the wettest for many years; a real shame as things open up again. If you’re looking to brave our current weather then a good set of waterproof gear is a surefire way to make your ride more enjoyable, so let’s check out some of the best we have to offer.

So you’re thinking about getting into biking? There’s no better time – the weather is picking up and cafes are opening up again (including Bike Stop’s at the weekends). You’ve probably got your heart set on a bike already and set aside some cash for the wheels, lessons and tests…but what about the gear?

Last week we checked out some of the finest spots in the UK for bikers to go riding, but suffice to say there are many more to list; let’s take a look.

Base Layers are an essential item of motorcycle clothing to keep you warm during the winter, but also useful to wick away sweat and keep you dry in the summer. They come in many shapes and sizes and importantly in a number of materials with different properties - e.g. wool, silk, synthetics etc. Here is our guide to some of the best base layers to suit your needs. 

The classic pair of biker jeans is a staple of the biker look, harking back to a time where gear was basic and functional. Nowadays you can still go for that same look but with a lot of the protection you would get from race gear, Kevlar and aramid fibres have made jeans as protective as a good pair of leather trousers in some cases.

HJC are one of the top motorcycle helmet brands in the world (best seller in Europe and #1 in the US for 30 years!). They have achieved this through specialising exclusively on designing, testing and manufacturing motorcycle helmets utilising leading innovation and reasonable pricing. But which of their extensive range of helmets would best suit your needs? This guide helps you to make an informed decision. 

With the sheer amount of fake motorcycle helmets available on the UK market, it can be very difficult to make sure you find one that is safe, fully compliant with UK law, and provides the right protection at the right price. In this blog, we look at some of the best and safest of the different types of motorcycle helmet available to help you choose the most appropriate for your needs.

It’s getting near that time where we’d be having one of the biggest events on the motorcycling calendar; EICMA 2020. Obviously, that’s not happening this year, but it’d be silly to think manufacturers wouldn’t be announcing, releasing or developing new motorcycles even with a global pandemic!

Your feet are two of your critical control methods on a normal motorbike so it’s important to keep them protected from both the weather and any untimely accidents. With the weather changing it’s high time to sort out your weather protection.