Simon Hancocks

Simon Hancocks's picture

Simon Hancocks

Head of Content

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.

Articles by Simon Hancocks
The Monster Senna edition has been inspired by the Brazilian driver’s iconic helmet design and features a host of unique details
The trailer for a new Isle of Man TT film has been released, charting the story of Dave Madsen-Mygdal who has amassed 149 TT starts
It’s safe to say this little dude is destined for great things, as he steps up to a Yamaha R6 and is knee-down in minutes
Zoox self-driving vehicles are owned by Amazon and are currently under investigation following two separate crashes with motorcycles
The Indian brand is one of the biggest in the two-wheeled world, and now TVS has its sights set on Europe
Honda has replaced its highly successful CB500X with a new model that revives an old name in the form of the NX500
The new Troy Lee range of Shark helmets covers the Spartan, Skwal and Ridill product lines
The deals cover 2023 and 2024 KTM models, encompassing the RC 125 & 390, 125 & 390 Duke, and the 390 Adventure ranges
The closure is set to take place this August and could affect some who wish to travel to Europe via Dover or the Channel Tunnel via the M25
Downing Street sources claim that a decision on the sale of new petrol-powered motorcycles will be delivered “imminently”
A front-runner in a number of TT classes, Lee Johnston has been forced to withdraw from this year’s event
A new version of the Triumph Scrambler 400 X has been teased, potentially pointing to a winter 2024 release
KTM is finally doing the right thing by fans, and is bringing a KTM 990 RC R sports bike to the masses!
The Honda CB750 Prototype features ‘sandcast’ components, different engine casings, brakes and it has a billet crankshaft
The GSX-8S Team Suzuki Pack includes graphics that replicate the Hamamatsu brand’s racing machines, although if you want one, there is a catch…
This year’s event at the Nürburgring was so big the organisers had to open up the paddock and start-finish straight to squeeze them all in!
One of China’s biggest electric car makers has confirmed that rumours of a move into the motorcycle sector are false
The £500 discount applies to either the sporty GSX-R125 or naked GSX-S125 learner legal machines
The furore centres around an equipment supplier that works with the brand, which has reportedly hired ‘children’ to do potentially dangerous jobs!
The partnership will mean Nissan dealerships will be able to sell the Silence Nano S04 four-wheeler and electric scooters
A Volkswagen has been filmed weaving in and out of traffic in London, leading to one biker having what looks like a serious crash
BMW Motorrad is set to move into the automatic gearbox sector, as its Automated Shift Assist system is unveiled
A natural disaster in the region has forced MotoGP bosses to rethink travelling to the venue, and the race will now take place later in the season
We’ve been out testing the new Maeving RM1S its natural habitat, London. Here’s how the new higher-speed electric commuter bike rides
Well, the CEO of Mini, Stefanie Wurst, has said she would ‘consider’ a switch, if there was an appetite for it