Phil West
Freelance journalist/editor/author
BikeSocial contributor, freelance motorcycle journalist, former editor of Bike & What Bike?, ex-Road Test Editor MCN, ex-founder Biking Times, one-time launch editor of American Motorcycles, previous contributor to FHM, Stuff, Daily Telegraph and Evening Standard, plus more bike mags than he can remember, author of six books and now in need of a holiday.
Ridden pretty much every new road bike since 1989 and most key historical bikes (’59 Bonnie, Commando, CB750 etc, yawn) before that. First road bike a Honda Express but first experience was putting a BSA Bantam 175 into a hedge aged nine. Quickly progressed through CB125T, RD250LC, RD350LC and RD500LC. Won a couple of club races in a former life and dabbled in (and spectacularly bad at) scrambles, trials and endurance.
Done most of the best launches/first rides – ’92 Blade, 916, Monster, SRAD, Multistrada etc – attended every major biking event (Bol, Daytona, TT, Sturgis, Assen etc) and has the scars, blurred memory, grey hairs and overdraft to match.
Considering putting it all in another book – while I can still remember.
Recent Posts
- Latest News
This week's best biking deals | Discounts, offers, competitions...
What are the best motorcycle and kit deals and discounts available right now?
By Phil West04/07/2025 - Bike Features
Best Middleweight Adventure Bikes (2024)
There’s a great choice of middleweight adventure motorbikes, here’s our choice of the latest range for 2024
By Phil West28/06/2024 - Bike Features
Best Café Racers for sale in 2024
There’s a great choice of café racer style motorbikes, here’s our choice of the latest range for 2024
By Phil West18/06/2024 - Bike Features
Best bobbers for sale in 2024
There’s a great choice of bobber style motorbikes, here’s our choice of the latest range for 2024
By Phil West07/06/2024 - Bike Features
Best bikes for A2 licence holders
There’s a great selection of new A2 bikes around and here’s our choice of the latest - including key features and those all-important prices.
By Phil West20/05/2024 - Bike Features
Best middleweight naked bikes (and some used ones too)
There’s a great selection of middleweight nakeds around and here’s our choice of the latest - including key features and those all-important prices.
By Phil West20/05/2024 - Bike Features
Most fuel efficient bikes on the market in 2024
There's a great choice of fuel-efficient bikes, here's our choice of the latest for 2024
By Phil West23/04/2024 - New Riders & Training
Best 50cc motorcycles (2024) | Specs & Prices
There's a decent choice of 50cc motorcycles, here's our choice of the latest range for 2024
By Phil West10/04/2024 - Bike Features
Top 10: Fastest bikes in the world
Here are the figures that count the most!
By Phil West03/04/2024 - Bike Features
Best lightweight bikes (2024)
There's a great choice of lightweight bikes, here's our choice of the latest for 2024
By Phil West27/03/2024 - Bike Features
Best motorcycles for taller riders (2024)
There's a great choice of tall seat bikes, here's our choice of the latest for 2024
By Phil West27/03/2024 - Bike Features
Best bikes for shorter riders (2024) | Specs & Prices
There's a great choice of low seat bikes, here's our choice of the latest for this year
By Phil West11/03/2024 - Buying & Selling Bikes
How does finance work on a motorcycle?
Everything you need to know about financing that purchase
By Phil West22/02/2024 - Bike Features
What motorcycle can I ride | Licensing laws
Baffled by the motorcycle licensing laws, hopefully this makes some kind of sense of learner laws.
By Phil West29/08/2023 - Electric Motorcycle
Best CBT-friendly electric bikes (2023) | Specs & Prices
There's a great choice of new CBT-friendly electric bikes around, here's our choice of what's available in 2023
By Phil West07/08/2023 - Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide (2023) - Review
BikeSocial reviews Harley-Davidson's virtually all-new 2023 CVO Street Glide
By Phil West27/07/2023 - Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide (2023) - Review
Bikesocial reviews Harley-Davidson's virtually all-new 2023 CVO Road Glide
By Phil West26/07/2023 - Latest News
Harley-Davdison CEO commits to EVs, new CVOs, and Homecoming goes annual
Annual Harley-Davidson event announced
By Phil West24/07/2023 - New Riders & Training
Top 10 A1 licence-friendly bikes
There's a great choice of new A1 bikes around, here's our choice of what's available in 2023
By Phil West11/07/2023 - Bike Features
Best used A2 bargains for sale in 2023
There's a great choice of cheap A2 bikes around, here's our choice of what's available in 2023
By Phil West03/07/2023 - Bike Features
Top 10 first big bikes for under £2000 (2023) | Specs & Prices
There’s a great selection of cheap 1st big bikes around and here’s our choice of the latest - including key features and those all-important prices.
By Phil West10/05/2023 - Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 (2023) - Review
Update and better than ever? Let's see.
By Phil West28/04/2023 - Bike Features
Top 10 best tourers (2023)| Specs & Prices
There's a great choice of tourer bikes, here's our choice of the latest for 2023.
By Phil West14/04/2023 - Honda
Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird Review & Buying Guide (1996-2007)
The pros, cons, specs and more so you have the information you need
By Phil West09/03/2023 - Bike Features
Top 10 Best 125cc Scooters
Here's our choice for the ten best 125cc scooters from £1,999
By Phil West13/02/2023 - New Riders & Training
Best motorcycle for a new but shorter rider
Advice plus top 5 bikes
By Phil West08/07/2022 - Bike Features
Top 10 50cc scooters (2022)
Sporty, stylish, affordable or appealing - there's a 50cc scooter out there for everyone
By Phil West29/04/2022 - Bike Features
30 Years of the Suzuki GSX-R750: Top 10 Models
We take a look at the top 10 key models from the last 30 years.
By Phil West01/01/2022 - Bike Features
10 Best bikes in Bond films
On the day of the premiere of the eagerly awaited new James Bond film, No Time To Die, we take time to to look at the ones with the best bike sequences
By Phil West30/09/2021 - Honda
Honda Vision 110 (2011-2020): Review & Buying Guide
A simple, affordable, economical and easy to ride scooter
By Phil West17/03/2021 - Bike Features
Top 10 retro roadsters (2021)
Here's our pick of the best modern day retro roadsters
By Phil West16/03/2021 - Bike Features
Best pillion motorbikes of 2021
Here's our top pick of pillion bikes for this year, in ascending price order.
By Phil West16/03/2021 - Kawasaki
Kawasaki Vulcan S (2015-current) Review and Buying Guide
The pros, cons, specs and more so you have the information you need
By Phil West04/03/2021 - Ducati
Ducati Scrambler Sixty2 (2016-current) Review & Buying Guide
The pros, cons, specs and more so you have the information you need
By Phil West03/03/2021 - Triumph
Triumph Thruxton 1200/R (2016-current) - Review and Buying Guide
The pros, cons, specs and more so you have the information you need.
By Phil West24/02/2021 - Honda
Honda Forza 125 (2015-2018) Buying Guide
The pros, cons, specs and more
By Phil West15/02/2021 - Yamaha
Yamaha XV950/R (2013-2020) Review and Buying Guide
The pros, cons, specs and more so you have the information you need.
By Phil West10/02/2021 - Bike Features
Top 10 cruisers (2021)
Bobbers, Scramblers and Café Racers may steal the limelight but cruisers are here to stay. Here's our pick of the ten best.
By Phil West10/02/2021 - Bike Features
Top 10 scramblers (2021)
Of all the types of bikes none is more on trend right now than the scrambler. Here's our Top 10 for this year.
By Phil West10/02/2021 - Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson Dyna Low Rider S (2016-2018) Review
The pros, cons, specs and more so you have the information you need.
By Phil West08/02/2021 - Suzuki
Suzuki Address 110 (2007 - on) Review & Buying Guide
The pros, cons, specs and more so you have the information you need
By Phil West05/02/2021 - Bike Features
Top 10 Best Naked Motorcycles 2021
Unfaired sportsbikes, streetfighters or supernakeds. Call them what you will but here's our pick of the best
By Phil West01/02/2021 - Ducati
Ducati 749R (2004-2006) Review and buying guide
The pros, cons, specs and more so you have the information you need.
By Phil West25/01/2021 - Ducati
Ducati Panigale 899 (2014-2016) Review & Buying Guide
The pros, cons, specs and more so you have the information you need
By Phil West20/01/2021
![Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird (1996-2007) [ Review & Buying Guide ]](https://www.datocms-assets.com/119921/1714126603-honda-cbr1100xx-super-blackbird-1996-review-used-price-spec_01.jpg?auto=format&w=500 "Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird (1996-2007) [ Review & Buying Guide ]")
![Ducati Scrambler Sixty2 (2016-current) : [ Review & Buying Guide ]](https://www.datocms-assets.com/119921/1714064544-ducati-scrambler-sixty2-review-used-guide_thumb.jpg?auto=format&w=500 "Ducati Scrambler Sixty2 (2016-current) : [ Review & Buying Guide ]")
![Triumph Thruxton 1200/R (2016-current) - [ Review and Buying Guide ]](https://www.datocms-assets.com/119921/1714122447-triumph-thruxton-1200r-2016-review-used-guide_thumb.jpg?auto=format&w=500 "Triumph Thruxton 1200/R (2016-current) - [ Review and Buying Guide ]")
![Honda Forza 125 (2015-2018): [ Review & Buying Guide ]](https://www.datocms-assets.com/119921/1714128461-honda-forza-125-2015-review-used-guide_thumb.jpg?auto=format&w=500 "Honda Forza 125 (2015-2018): [ Review & Buying Guide ]")
![Yamaha XV950/R (2013-2020) [ Review and Buying Guide ]](https://www.datocms-assets.com/119921/1714119884-yamaha-xv950-2013-review-used-price-spec_thumb.jpg?auto=format&w=500 "Yamaha XV950/R (2013-2020) [ Review and Buying Guide ]")
![Suzuki Address 110 (2007 - on) - [ Review & Buying Guide ]](https://www.datocms-assets.com/119921/1714124627-suzuki-address-110-2007-review-used-guide_thumb.jpg?auto=format&w=500 "Suzuki Address 110 (2007 - on) - [ Review & Buying Guide ]")
![Ducati Panigale 899 (2014-2016) [ Review & Buying Guide ]](https://www.datocms-assets.com/119921/1714066982-ducati-panigale-899-2014-review-used-price-spec_thumb.jpg?auto=format&w=500 "Ducati Panigale 899 (2014-2016) [ Review & Buying Guide ]")