Top 5

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 fifty years' time, it's likely a motorcyclist will wake up in their solar-powered home where an array of energy-dense batteries holds a store of energy from the previous day's sunshine. They'll don their bike gear, walk to the garage and unplug their motorcycle - built from ninety per cent recycled materials - from its nightly recharge, swing a leg over and ride out to a soundtrack of whirring and buzzing. While this may sound like a dystopian hell for many bikers, it's a future that's on the cards. Some people are holding out for hydrogen power, but it's unlikely that's ever going to be efficient to produce, transport or sell. Others may put their faith in e-fuels, but unless you relish the idea of paying £6/litre, that's probably not the solution, either. It's looking increasingly likely that battery-powered bikes will form a part of our fossil-fuel-free future.

There's little doubt that adventure bikes have become increasingly popular with the buying public. Sports tourers used to be the default choice for eating miles in good comfort whilst carrying enough luggage for an arctic expedition, but things have changed. However, it's now all about big wheels, a high riding position and looking like you're about to enter the Paris-Dakar. Perhaps the fashion for adventure bikes is similar to cars, with people ditching hatchbacks and saloons in favour of rugged-looking SUVs and crossovers. There's a lot of choices out there, too. Nearly all manufacturers now offer a top-tier adventure bike, but to make sure every possible gap in the market is well and truly plugged, most of them offer smaller, lighter, junior versions, which are just as capable but with a lower price tag. Big or less big, the choice is yours. 

Spring will soon be around the corner so there's no better time to start eyeing up a new leather jacket, and arguably one of the best brands you could choose is Dainese.

Chances are you'll have had your first experience of chilly or soggy feet by now if you've not got quite the right boots, and if you've received a bit of money from Christmas then maybe you'd like to remedy that!

It's near that time of year once more where you're supposed to show extra affection to your other half - the question is which other half are you supposed to treat? On the one hand you may have a girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband, but your bike probably wants to feel some love too! If your other half is a biker then this list is for you, they'll feel the love, and pass it onto their pride and joy too.

We here at Bike Stop hope you all had a merry Christmas, and are set to have a happy New Year too! With 2018 round the corner it's time to check what bikes there are to look forward to.

Choosing a bike is quite a decision - not only will you be parting with a significant chunk of cash, but you also want the bike to be right for you in as many ways as possible. This blog will cover some of the the factors you'll need to consider when choosing a bike, be it your first, second or fiftieth!

Couldn't quite make it to the Milan motorcycle show? Don't worry we have a round up of the bikes from the show that we are really looking forward to seeing in the future!