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 Indian Chief custom build contest will take place at Punta International Courchevel custom bike event in France
It turns out Prue Leith enjoys spending her days whizzing around the countryside on her husband's Harley-Davidson Tri Glide
2023 proved a tough time for Norton, although new product lines and expansions into new territories could be a lifeline
Despite the Z7 and Ninja 7 hybrids being on sale in the UK, Europe and the USA, Japanese riders will not be able to sample either model yet
The CFMoto 500SR Voom is a retro-styled sports bike powered by a 500cc inline four-cylinder engine
The whacky-looking Chinese-built Benda LFC 700 has been confirmed for Europe, with €11,990 price revealed for the French market
The system, which seems to be aimed at the high-performance end of the Yamaha range, could improve stability when braking and accelerating
Powered by a huge 2,000cc ‘flat eight’ engine, the Souo S2000 GL clearly has one bike in its crosshairs
The Automated Vehicle Act will mean self-driving and autonomous vehicles will be on the UK’s roads as soon as 2026
The F900 R and F900 XR Sport Editions take the styling of the M1000 R and M1000 XR and bring it to the mid-weight platform
The move would allow motorcyclists to take to the hard shoulder of a motorway as long as certain rules are followed
Toad and the TRF respond to a column posted by the Guardian about motorcycles riding on green lanes
The consultation was launched last month and has already received a lot of interest from the public
Cadwell Park will reverberate to the sound of Suzuki motorbikes again this summer, as the Hamamatsu brand celebrates two of its most popular models
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