Simon Hancocks
Editor
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
Prior to Visordown, Toad worked in the motorcycle insurance industry, before creating a role at a small motorcycle website and starting his journey as a journalist and road tester.
Since then Toad has launched bikes on all of the world's continents that aren't permanently frozen, covered hundreds of thousands of road test miles and always maintains that a bad day on a bike is better than a good day in a car!
Toad is happiest when touring through Europe, hammering a big adventure motorcycle up a trail, or riding around a race track, his favourite is Jerez, accompanied by a Panigale V4! He had a go at trials once, but it'd didn't go terribly well - his ambition definitely outweighed talent!
Now Toad is working through the restoration of a classic Ducati sports bike, and yes, it's taking much longer than he planned.
New Bikes
16/02/22
The next generation of bikes from the Harley-Davidson sub-brand LiveWire are coming – and sooner than you might have thought
New Bikes
15/02/22
The most hardcore of the breed has landed! Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid edition specs, features, and pictures
MotoGP
15/02/22
Just a day before MotoGP Unlimited premiers in Madrid and Paris, an Amazon employee has confirmed the shows arrival date
General
15/02/22
The recently introduced Harley-Davidson Sportster S has broken a 24-hour speed record, completing 1,951-miles at an average of 81mph
New Bikes
15/02/22
Some of Mandello del Lario’s best-selling models have been tweaked for 2022 as the Moto Guzzi V7 Stone and V85TT land in UK dealerships
General
14/02/22
The new Pay at Pump rules mean an amount of up to £100 could automatically get reserved, regardless of the amount you need to fill up by
Product News
14/02/22
The new Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsa hoops promise more grip, increased feedback, and consistency on road and track
Industry
14/02/22
A shift away from Vehicle Excise Duty and towards so-called smart road pricing is being touted by MPs
New Bikes
14/02/22
There is a lot of chatter in Japan right now suggesting that the Honda Hawk concept is nearing release as a CB1100 replacement
General
11/02/22
Faye Ho has scooped a Mercedes F1 factory tour after Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner bought it before falling foul of the T&Cs!
General
10/02/22
Butts Quarry is one of the UK’s favourite MX and enduro tracks, and it is about to do battle with its neighbours over noise
General
10/02/22
Stratford has for years been a favourite motorcycle destination for those living in the midlands, although that is set to change
Industry
09/02/22
Stuart Garner the ex-CEO of Norton has this week pleaded guilty to the crime of ploughing investors pensions into the Norton business before its collapse
New Bikes
09/02/22
The rugged-looking Voge 650 DSX is a 652cc, 47bhp, adventure motorcycle that has a starting price of £6,399
Industry
08/02/22
The automotive brand is helping to speed up electric vehicle uptake with Tesla Superchargers for all vehicles
Industry
08/02/22
January sales data released by the MCIA has shown tremendous growth, with the L-Category motorcycle and adventure sector shining brightest
New Bikes
08/02/22
The first electric motorcycle produced by Triumph has hit a milestone today, as the bike begins the next phase of live testing development
New Bikes
08/02/22
The CFMOTO 700CL-X was first spotted wowing the crowds at Motorcycle Live at the NEC, now you can check it out in your nearest dealership!
MotoGP
08/02/22
Ducati has pulled the wraps off its factory MotoGP contender, as the GP 22, along with Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia, is revealed
Top 10s
08/02/22
Visordown takes a trip down memory lane as we look at the great Yamaha LC motorcycles of all time
New Bikes
08/02/22
The middleweight KTM 890 Duke R has received new colours for 2022 aligning it with the firm’s RC16 MotoGP machine
General
07/02/22
The Suzuki CV1 microcar was limited to just 100-units worldwide and is powered 50cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine
Industry
07/02/22
UK motorcycle lobby groups have said they will back the boost of battery motorcycles, but not to the detriment of petrol-powered bikes
General
03/02/22
The details of one of the UK’s biggest free car and bike events have been confirmed, as Coventry MotoFest shifts up a gear for 2022