Every year, as new motorcycle models come out, there’s no shortage of new bike reviews; first looks, first rides, first opinions… That’s all good, well, and necessary – but what about old bike reviews? Few new riders can afford the latest models, and for someone who’s just starting out and isn’t yet sure whether they want a dirt bike, a dual-sport, or a big ADV machine, an old bike review could come in handy, especially as so many of us start off on second-hand bikes.

New and shiny is awesome, but old and second-hand is often the reality. Forum discussions aside, there aren’t really many old bike reviews and recommendations on what mods to look for when buying a second-hand bike.

When I was just starting out, I had no idea what to look for and what to buy; after a two-year stint of riding South America on a little 150cc bike, I came back to Europe with a vision to finally get A Real Adventure Bike. However, having zero clue, I ended up with a leaky monstrosity – a TDM850 – and it took me over two years and another leaky Yamaha to finally settle on a Suzuki DR650. Back then, some thorough old bike reviews would have been a fantastic source of information and help.

Now, it feels like in addition to old bike reviews, experienced riders could compare old vs new: the old Africa Twin versus the new model, the XT660 versus the T7, the BMW X Challenge versus the GS650… Sure, some of these models have been discontinued – but they’re still available as second hand bikes, and people still buy them.

What’s your take? Would you like to see old bike reviews, and if so, which bikes would you like to see discussed the most?