Alan Dowds
Alan Dowds is a long-serving motorcycle journalist who focuses on practical riding, workshop know-how and real-world testing of new bikes. He has been riding and writing about motorcycles for more than two decades, including staff roles at dedicated bike magazines before moving into freelance work across multiple outlets. At Visordown he takes day-to-day control of the site while continuing to produce detailed guides, advanced riding features and first ride reviews for road and track riders. He also reports on industry developments such as production milestones and pricing for new adventure machines like the Norton Atlas manufactured in India.
Advanced riding and road skills
Dowds’ coverage is built around improving how riders handle their motorcycles in the real world, from city traffic to fast road and track use. He writes step-by-step pieces on topics such as getting back on a motorcycle after a crash, treating a rider’s own mistakes as a chance to sharpen skills rather than a reason to stop riding.
He breaks down techniques like getting a knee down for the first time, focusing on body position, smooth throttle control and maintaining a settled chassis rather than chasing speed for its own sake. His advanced riding advice extends to off-road green-laning, where he highlights fitness, bike control and respect for the terrain as keys to safe progress. Urban riding and filtering are another recurring focus: he draws on decades of pushing through dense traffic to explain how to make progress while protecting space and staying visible, emphasising smooth lines and constant observation.
Across these pieces he writes in direct, practical language aimed at riders who want to become faster and safer without losing mechanical sympathy for their machines.
Hands-on workshop and maintenance
A second strand in Dowds’ work is detailed workshop guidance that assumes the reader is ready to pick up tools and maintain or repair their own bikes. He produces clear how-to features on tasks like fixing a puncture, where he stresses regular tyre inspection, correct pressures and keeping an emergency repair kit ready so minor issues do not become roadside emergencies.
His guides on winter storage cover fuel levels, corrosion prevention and basic preparation so a motorcycle will start and run properly after months off the road.
He writes extensively about routine care such as cleaning and lubricating chains, explaining how to keep the drive line spinning smoothly through bad weather with the right products and process. More involved mechanical jobs are also part of his beat: he walks readers through fitting new big-end and main bearings, cleaning with brake cleaner and using tools like Plastigauge to measure clearances before final assembly. Features on fitting engine case covers and changing caliper seals after winter show the same preference for methodical steps and attention to cosmetic and safety details, with photos that reinforce the sequence. This workshop coverage distinguishes him from a purely news-focused bike reporter by making maintenance and mechanical confidence central to his journalism.
Learner and track rider coaching
Dowds devotes significant attention to riders at the start of their journey and those moving from the road onto circuit riding. He profiles training professionals and distils their advice into accessible lists, such as the biggest mistakes people make in their motorcycle test and how to avoid them.
These pieces combine instructor insight with his own experience to highlight preparation, observation and calm control of the bike as foundations for passing formal assessments. On track, he addresses common errors made by novice circuit riders, framing trackdays as a way to improve overall riding rather than a place to show off. He emphasises smoothness, understanding lines and braking habits, and treating early track sessions as structured practice rather than competition.
Together, these learner and track-focused articles make Dowds a useful contact when the story involves training, rider development or products and services aimed at new and progressing motorcyclists.
News and first ride reviews
Alongside his guides and coaching features, Dowds covers new motorcycles through launch reports and first ride reviews.
In his review of Yamaha’s YZF-R125, he reports from the press launch and evaluates whether technologies such as variable valve timing give a genuine edge to learner riders in everyday use. He balances technical description with impressions of how a bike behaves on the road, keeping the focus on usability rather than spec-sheet numbers. His background in long-term riding and testing informs how he frames new models for different rider profiles, from commuters to sport-focused learners.
In industry coverage he writes about developments like the Norton Atlas reaching a production milestone in India, linking manufacturing decisions, pricing and design origins to what they mean for customers of adventure bikes. This mix of launch reporting, practical assessments and industry news complements his workshop and riding features, giving a rounded view of modern motorcycles from factory gate to everyday use.
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