May 2025
Every year sees a brace of stunning new bikes and 2025 is no different. From high-value machines built in China to state-of-the-art bikes from Europe, there is something for every rider and every budget nowadays. This month, we have chosen what we feel are ten of the most important bikes of the year and put them through their paces. From 3000 miles in Europe on BMW’s R1300GS flagship adventurer to roaming the British countryside on Honda’s endearing GB350S, there is something for everyone in 2025.
This issue also sees our annual Kit Showcase, highlighting some of the coolest new gear, from helmets to clothing and tech. Our product test looks at chain lube, assessing corrosion resistance, debris pick-up and fling to determine which works best for what sort of riding and we round-up 3000 miles with the diminutive Beeline Moto II sat nav.
Our Big Ride takes us through the delightful Wye Valley with the sun shining while our riding coach considers how many fingers you should use to brake. We also test Yamaha’s latest sportsbike, the R9 and BMW’s refined S1000R while we put Triumph’s glorious retro Speed Twin 1200RS through the UK’s most comprehensive road test.
April 2025
Finally, days are getting longer, the sun is out (though the mercury is still a little lower than we’d like) and it's time to dust off your ride and head for the hills – the new riding season is upon us. And to celebrate the fact, we have put together our new-season special.
We have 1000 miles of our favourite riding, split over ten great routes, from Scotland to Cornwall as well as five brilliant chippies to ride to – and how to get there. We have top tips from experts to help you get back up to speed – so to speak – as quickly and safely as possible after a winter off the bike and an explanation of why biking is good for you, from a physical and a mental-health point of view.
We test the latest version of Triumph’s Tiger Sport 800, Honda’s NT1100 mile-muncher and its XL750 Transalp while we also pit the Voge DS900X against the BMW F800GS, the bike it is based on. Our product test puts six ground anchors against each other – and a sledgehammer and angle grinder - and we try Rebelhorn’s CubbyV three-piece touring suit.
We also have our annual PCP guide, detailing 47 great deals that are available right now and how to spot a superb second-hand BMW S1000R.
March 2025
There is little better feeling than throwing a leg over your brand-new-to-you bike; the excitement, the anticipation and the thrill of undertaking a voyage of discovery is palpable and is one of the most exciting feelings when it comes to motorcycling and ownership. The March issue of RiDE embraces this with our bike-buying bible. We look at the best-value brand-new bikes in showrooms right now and highlight our favourite bikes for less than £3000… We also round up ten of the best pre-used bikes around as well as highlight ways to get the most value for your money. There is so much cool metal here.
Elsewhere, Jim takes us on a loop of the stunning New Forest in Hampshire, nestling against the UK’s south coast and wends his way between ancient trees and open moorland, all the while keeping an eye out for wandering equine locals. Our product test rates six sub-£500 textile suits for warmth, cooling ability and waterproofing while our buying guide shows you how to spot a brilliant used Triumph Thruxton 1200R.
We also test Honda’s CB1000 Hornet, the bigger brother of the CB750 that we ran as a long-term test bike in 2024 and Triumph’s Speed Twin 1200 with its retuned engine. We pit two of the biggest sports tourers – Kawasaki’s Ninja 1100SX SE and the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT - against each other to see which offers the best value for money and we have our usual collection of columns from lawyer Andrew Dalton and Rapid Training.
February 2025
February’s issue of RiDE is all about inspiration, with some of the best rides around for when the weather improves and the days get longer. Our Tour 25 section is filled with ideas and practical information to get the very best from what the UK and farther afield has to offer.
From Scotland’s North Coast 500 to a wonderful combination of tarmac and easy-going trails in Sicily; from the Scottish Borders to the far-flung corners of Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way; from Denmark to the south of France; you can find all the information you need right here. And not only that – as usual, you can download the routes from the RiDE website, either as Google Maps links or as GPX files, so you can go and ride these very routes yourself.
We also round up what we reckon are five of the best bikes to do a long tour on; from sportsbikes to road-going adventurers, there is something here for everyone. We also pull together the best touring kit we have tested in the magazine recently to make sure you stay protected, warm, dry and on track.
In this issue, we ride the latest Honda NT1100 DCT with revised electronic suspension and Royal Enfield’s great-looking Classic 650. Our product test creates a warm glow, pitting six pairs of battery-powered heated gloves against each other to see which offers the best combination of fit and comfort, battery life, heating and waterproofing.
In the garage, we put two clutch-lever-less bikes – the Yamaha MT-09 Y-AMT and the Honda CB650R E-Clutch - against each other to see how they work while there’s everything you need to know if you’re on the hunt for a used Aprilia RS660.
January 2025
The winter months tend to have a polarising effect on motorcyclists; some relish the prospect of remaining on two wheels despite whatever mother nature has in store while others prefer to hunker down and wait for the return of longer days and higher temperatures.
If you’re in the former camp, then the January issue tells you all about how to boss winter; from dealing with torrential rain to debris on the road to fog – everything you need to know to thrive in the worst conditions.
If you’re in the latter, then why not do a little armchair shopping? We have rounded up 13 of the key new bikes for 2025 that are worth considering if you’re in the market for a new ride.
Our Big Ride feature takes Jim back to the South Downs, where he escaped the city as a kid, for a cross-country romp from Winchester to Eastbourne, culminating in the stunning Beachy Head road while our Product Test compares and rates five all-in-one toolkits that will cover all eventualities.
We try the new BMS R1300GS Adventure, Ducati’s answer, the Multistrada V4S and the latest version of Honda’s adventure-scooter, the X-ADV 750 while our Buying Guide shows how to find and spot a great example of the lovable Royal Enfield Himalayan 411.
December 2024
One of the most-debated subjects in recent years is the viability of Chinese motorcycles. To try to settle the argument one way or the other, we put two of the latest offerings – the Kove 800X and the CFMoto 800NK – to the ultimate test; a full 24 hours of hard riding across a variety of conditions to see how they stack up. From sporty B-roads to commuting and motorways, can they handle the rigours of more than two month’s of average mileage in less than a day?
With the nights drawing in, we look at how to boss the winter months. We look at riding techniques, foreign getaways, off-season maintenance and even the best bikes to treat yourself to a brand-new ride.
Our Big Ride takes in the lake district – not in Cumbria but the Welsh version, with Simon riding around mid-Wales from Rhayader to Llandovery, taking in six reservoirs on the way.
Our Product Test pits five DIY or self-fit trackers against each other to see which offers the best chance of recovering your bike if the worst happens and it gets stolen, despite whatever security you have in place. We also try the latest Kawasaki Versys, the 1100 SE and the Ducati Multistrada V4 RS while we choose our favourite seven bikes for less than seven grand – a lot of fun to be had there for not a lot of money.
November 2024
For many, the adventure bike is a perfect solution to their motorcycling needs. An upright riding position tends to be easier on the back, knees and wrists than say a sportsbike or even many sports tourers. They tend to be excellent at carrying pillion passengers or luggage or – in many cases – both. Supple suspension to let you enjoy fun roads but soak up dubious surfaces and usually, an engine to make short work of twisties and long-distance runs. We have rounded up what we reckon are ten of the top road-biased, 19in-front-wheel-wearing adventure bikes around at the moment, from budget to premium.
Elsewhere, contributor Jim Moore tells us how his son – somewhat inevitably, we suppose – got interested in motorcycling, from riding as a kid to taking up pillion behind dad and now, getting ready to ride on the roads himself. This is something Product Editor Jim has also found with his kids – the apple doesn't fall far from the tree…
The Big Ride takes Simon to the border region of Northumberland, where he straddles the divide between England and Scotland from Hawick, home of Steve Hislop to Alnwick Castle close to the east coast.
We get naked for new bikes, trialling the Voge 900DSX and the CFMoto 450NK and our product test puts six pairs of lightweight touring boots through their paces – literally – by walking, riding and testing for water resistance in each pair.
October 2024
Unencumbered by fairings or screens, for many, the naked motorcycle is the very definition of the attraction of two wheels; wind in the hair, bugs in the teeth and nothing between you and the visceral freedom of motorcycling. With this in mind, we assemble five of the nation’s favourite nakeds – retro, supernaked, premium, value and A2 – to see which offers the best combination of fun, performance and value for money.
At the opposite end of the two-wheeled spectrum, ed Matt takes the latest version of Honda’s ubiquitous Gold Wing – 50 this year – from St Ives in Cambridgeshire to St Ives in Cornwall and back again in one day to see what 750 miles in the most sumptuous saddle is like. Wonder if he met a man with seven wives…
We test two of the latest bikes to come from China – the Kove 800X Pro adventurer and the CFMoto 450SR S sportsbike - and we also look at how to spot a great second-hand Ducati Multistrada with our buying guide.
Our product test tries six leather jackets, assessing their fit, comfort and protective abilities while we also give the latest offering from Metzeler tyres, the Roadtec 2.0, to see the effect they have had on our long-term test Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+. We welcome the BMW S1000RR to the long-term test fleet too… it's a proper weapon.
September 2024
It all kicks off with this issue’s Britain’s Brilliant B-Roads supplement, free with the September issue. This highlights some of the best routes possible on the UK’s smaller roads. And in the main magazine, we pick out some of our favourite road-trips or, in Matt and Damian’s case, off-road trips. Jim does a loop of the Ring of Kerry, Matt and Damian tackle the Trans-Euro Trail and Simon takes the fun route from John o’Groats to Land’s End.
We cross the channel as well, with a ride through France’s Massif Central and head to Spain for a fly/ride adventure, ridden on a local hire bike, with all the information on how you can do the same.
As ever, all the routes are available to download on the RiDE website – www.ride.co.uk.
We also test the latest version of Yamaha’s stonking naked, the MT-09SP and BMW’s baby GS, the F800 and take an early look at CF Moto’s enticing 800NK advanced. Our product test looks at six of the best dual-sport adventure-bike helmets and rates them for fit, comfort and noise while we put two four-cylinder tall-rounders head-to-head; BMW’s F1000XR and Suzuki’s GSX-1000GX.
August 2024
After a period of what felt like insanity, the used-bike market has returned to a semblance of normality, with prices becoming far more reasonable than they were a couple of years ago. Recognising that, we have profiled ten of what we feel are the top used-bike bargains. All ride and feel completely modern but at a fraction of the showroom cost of their brand-new siblings. Make no mistake, saving money does not mean compromising on fun…
We also ask the hard questions of Moto Guzzi’s Stelvio sports tourer in the UK’s toughest road test and leave the adventure bike in the car park as we take a lightweight enduro for a ride off-road – and are astounded.
Our product test puts sporty summer gloves under the spotlight to see which works best for fit, comfort and ventilation while we also put 1000 miles – much of it wet – on the latest entry-level Rukka suit.
Our Big Ride feature takes us in an east/west line across the very centre of Wales and Chris rides a loop of Northern Ireland after a visit to the North-West 200. As with every issue, the routes are available for download on the website so you can enjoy these stunning rides as much as we did.
July 2024
The sports tourer is, as the name suggests, a great all-rounder; it will do distance while allowing the rider to have fun at the same time. These two qualities used to be mutually exclusive but nowadays, bikes such as the Kawasaki H2 SX mean you can spend a relaxed day in the saddle and enjoy a pulse-increasing blast through twisty roads at the end.
To prove this, we take the big Kawasaki to Wales and back in a day and speak to three readers who took the plunge with hyperbikes; a Suzuki Hayabusa, Kawasaki ZZR1400 and a Honda Blackbird. We also put BMW’s latest exercise in excess, the M1000XR, through the UK’s toughest road test – is it the ultimate sports tourer?
Jim takes us on a flowing romp on the roads around Salisbury Plain as well as a ride over easy-going gravel trails in the military training area while our Product Test looks at six sets of road-going tyres for big adventure bikes, finding out which is the best for grip, confidence and comfort. We also show what to look for if you are considering a used Triumph Tiger 900 and pit Suzuki’s GSX-8R against Yamaha’s R7.
June 2024
It was Mark Twain who said; It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog. The same could be said of motorcycling; nowadays, it isn't all about the size of the engine but the size of the fun. And we know more than anyone how much fun can be had on what many regard as ‘middleweight’ bikes.
So in the June issue of RiDE, we have rounded-up what we feel are the 20 best bikes with engines smaller than 1000cc. These range from Honda’s bargain Hornet to the stunning Yamaha XSR900GP retro. All less than 1000cc, all 100% enjoyment.
Our Big Ride takes us to the Blackdown Hills National Landscape, straddling the border of Devon and Somerset and comprising a delightful array of roads, from fast and flowing As to tight and twisty lanes. We test Honda’s first bike fitted with its E-Clutch – the CBR650R - and CFMoto’s new 450 adventurer. We also put Royal Enfield’s new Himalayan through the UK’s most comprehensive road test.
Our product test looks at five action cameras to see which is the best at reproducing your adventures and we trial the latest airbag vest to use In&motion’s technology. There’s what to look for when buying a Yamaha Tracer 700 and reports on our long-term test fleet, including the BMW F900GS, Suzuki GSX-S1000GX, Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ and Triumph’s Speed Triple RR.