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Moto Guzzi: My Favourite Brand and Why I’m on My 5th
There are motorcycle brands you admire from a distance, brands you buy because they’re sensible, and brands you swear you’ll never own again after one “character-building” incident involving an electrical connector, a rainstorm, and language that would peel paint. Moto Guzzi is none of those for me. Moto Guzzi is the brand I keep coming back to. Not because it’s the fastest or the flashiest, and definitely not because it’s the easiest to explain to people who think every motorcycle should feel like a silent, perfect appliance. I’m on my fifth Guzzi because Guzzis get under your skin. They have a way of feeling like a machine with a pulse.…
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Steve McQueen: Motorcycles First, Acting Second.
Me and McQueen My dad has ridden motorcycles since before I was born, and I always remember as a child our large stone-built shed being full of them. Anywhere between 6 and 12 at any one time. I remember him riding his Yellow Suzuki PE when we were snowed in when I was about 8. I almost fell off the back of his Rothmans Honda 1000 in my teens when he forgot I was there. I remember the day he sold his Moto Guzzi Black Prince, which is now enjoying the sun in Australia; he’d just come back from a trip on it to the South of France. I loved…
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Tool Kit Essentials: 15 Tools That Handle 90% of Jobs
Motorcycle maintenance has a strange reputation. People talk about it like you need a fully equipped workshop, a lifetime of experience, and the patience of a saint. In reality, most day-to-day bike jobs are repetitive, predictable, and not especially dramatic—provided you have the right tools. The mistake most riders make is buying either too little (and getting stuck) or too much (and carrying half a garage they never use). The sweet spot is a small set of genuinely useful tools that cover the majority of routine tasks: chain adjustment, basic servicing, fairings, battery access, lever tweaks, mirror fixes, tightening bolts that vibrate loose because motorcycles are… motorcycles. This post is…
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Navigation for Motorcyclists: Phone vs GPS vs “I’ll Just Wing It”
Every rider has had the same moment. You’re 40 miles from home, the road is perfect, the sun is doing that rare UK thing where it behaves, and you think: “I’ll just take whatever looks good.” Twenty minutes later, you’re in a housing estate behind a bin lorry, doing a slow tour of speed bumps and mini-roundabouts, trying to remember which wrong turn started this whole mess. That’s the thing with navigation on a motorcycle: it’s either invisible and brilliant, or it becomes the main character in your ride. And while the internet loves a gear debate, this one actually matters. The right navigation setup keeps your eyes up, your…
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The Best Motorcycle Films, Books, and Documentaries (for Rainy Days)
There are two kinds of rainy days in the UK. The first is the sensible kind, where you accept defeat, make a brew, and watch the weather ruin someone else’s afternoon on the news. The second is the stubborn kind, where you suit up anyway and ride through it like a damp hero… only to spend the evening drying gloves on radiators and questioning your choices. Either way, rainy days are perfect for one of motorcycling’s underrated pleasures: motorcycle stories. The films that make you want to ride. The books that remind you why riding matters. The documentaries that show what “two wheels” means in different cultures, eras, and corners…
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Motorcycles and Mental Health: Why Riding Bikes is a Medicine
Let’s get one thing clear up front: riding a motorcycle isn’t a substitute for therapy, medication, or professional support. It’s not a cure, and it’s not a magic fix for depression, anxiety, trauma, burnout, or grief. But it can be a powerful tool. I’m not going to bore you with the details, but back in 2015, motorcycles saved my life, or should I say, stopped me from taking it. So this blog is written from experience and a real understanding of the power that riding motorcycles can have in improving your mental health and well-being. For many riders, getting on a bike reliably changes how they feel. It can reduce…
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Gloves Matter More Than You Think: One Pair for Every Season (Almost)
There are two types of riders. The first treats gloves like an accessory—something you buy once, forget about, and replace only when they start smelling like a damp dog. The second knows the truth: motorcycle gloves are one of the most important pieces of kit you’ll ever own, because your hands do literally everything that keeps the bike upright and under control. Throttle. Front brake. Clutch. Indicators. Switchgear. Mirror adjustments. Visor wipes. Emergency “please don’t do that” horn presses. You can ride with a slightly chilly torso and still manage. Ride with cold, wet, numb hands, and you’ll discover how quickly your confidence, finesse, and mood can collapse. So yes—gloves…
Beyond the Ride
