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.

KFC Wuhan Coronavirus
Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro Vs Yamaha Ténéré 700
We take a look at the pros and cons of two of the best middle-weight adventure motorcycles on the market today
Yamaha Tenere 700
Top Ten Mid-weight Adventure bikes
Visordown takes a look at the best mid-weight adventure bikes currently available
Triple R
TOAD TALKS: Are aftermarket exhausts a thing of the past?
Visordown looks at the current trend for OEM exhausts and wonders why you’d need anything more
Five annoying things every biker does at least once
From simple errors of judgement to frustrating pre-ride rituals – these are five annoying things we’ve all done at least once!
CCM stealth
TOAD TALKS: CCM prove that building bespoke UK built bikes can work
With many pointing the finger of Norton’s demise at its business model, CCM is showing the UK and the world how it should be done
Norton Logo
TOAD TALKS: Why you shouldn’t believe all you read in the paper
With the collapse of Norton, Toad wonders why so many people didn’t read the signs