The Used Bike Company

Motorcycle Marketplacemotorcyclenews.com

The entity operates as Motorcycle News (MCN), a UK-based motorcycle enthusiast platform serving riders and buyers with editorial reviews, a 12,442-listing used-bike marketplace, insurance comparison, and gear content, published by Bauer Media Group.

Company typePrivate
Founded1955
HeadquartersPeterborough, United Kingdom
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What The Used Bike Company does

The entity described in the input data operates as Motorcycle News (MCN), a UK-based motorcycle enthusiast media and marketplace platform, though firmographics label the company as "The Used Bike Company." The platform serves UK motorcycle riders and buyers through five core surfaces: editorial news, expert bike reviews, a used-bike for-sale marketplace, an insurance comparison service (MCN Compare), and gear/accessory content. As of the observed site state, the marketplace indexes 12,442 active for-sale listings and the review database holds 1,507 reviews across makes and models. The site additionally hosts editorial coverage of MotoGP, new model launches, and an advice/learning section for entry-level riders.

The product is built on a standard CMS plus classifieds architecture, with faceted search across make/model, category browsing for gear, and embedded affiliate widgets for insurance and print subscriptions. No proprietary AI/ML systems are disclosed. Underlying technology appears conventional: a content management system, a classified listings database, and referral/affiliate integrations with insurance and magazine subscription partners (Great Magazines). The site also links to a separate Bike Check service, indicating adjacent owned properties.

The business model relies on diversified media monetization: display and native advertising, insurance lead generation/affiliate revenue via MCN Compare, gear and accessory affiliate referrals across extensive category pages, print magazine subscriptions, and dealer listing fees for the for-sale marketplace. The entity is published by Bauer Media Group, which provides group-level sales, distribution, and capital, situating the business as a niche vertical-media title within a larger media conglomerate rather than a standalone scale business. Founded 1955 per firmographics, headquartered in Peterborough, UK, with 11-50 employees.

The Used Bike Company firmographics

Firmographics

Name: The Used Bike Company
Website: https://motorcyclenews.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1955
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: The entity operates as Motorcycle News (MCN), a UK-based motorcycle enthusiast platform serving riders and buyers with editorial reviews, a 12,442-listing used-bike marketplace, insurance comparison, and gear content, published by Bauer Media Group.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

The Used Bike Company industry classification

Industry

Product category: Motorcycle Marketplace
NAICS: Motorcycle, ATV, and All Other Motor Vehicle Dealers (441227)
SIC: Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
akta.pro primary industry: Used & Refurbished Bike Retail (CRAMAHAK)
akta.pro secondary industry: Motorcycle Riding Gear & Apparel Retail (CRAMANAA)

Keywords

Used motorcycle marketplace
Motorcycle reviews
Motorcycle insurance comparison
Motorcycle news
Bike accessories

Where The Used Bike Company is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Peterborough
HQ country: United Kingdom
HQ region: Europe

Markets served

The Used Bike Company business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

The Used Bike Company product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The company runs a UK-focused motorcycle media and marketplace platform (motorcyclenews.com) that publishes bike reviews, motorcycling news, and gear/accessories content, while hosting a listings marketplace of over 12,000 motorcycles for sale from dealers and an insurance comparison service (MCN Compare) connecting riders to cover providers.

Product overview

Motorcycle News (MCN) operates as a motorcycle enthusiast media platform offering bike reviews, news articles, bikes for sale listings, insurance comparison services, and motorcycle gear/accessories content. The platform connects buyers and sellers of motorcycles in the UK market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Bikes For Sale Marketplace Online marketplace listing over 12,000 new and used motorcycles from dealers across the UK, browsable by make, model, and category (custom, adventure, scooter, sports, sports-tourer, naked). Targeted at UK motorcyclists buying or selling bikes.
Bike Reviews
Motorcycling News
MCN Compare Motorcycle Insurance
Bike Kit / Accessories Reviews

Companies that use The Used Bike Company

Customer profile

Ideal customer profiles1 record

The Used Bike Company technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

The Used Bike Company partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

The Used Bike Company competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Auto Trader UK: Dominant UK vehicle marketplace that has expanded into motorcycles, offering massive audience scale that competes with MCN's marketplace listings and dealer acquisition.
Gumtree UK: Major UK classifieds platform hosting large numbers of private motorcycle listings, providing a free or low-cost alternative that competes on price with MCN's dealer listings.
Auto Express: Larger UK automotive publisher (also Bauer Media-owned) operating adjacent automotive marketplace and editorial — illustrates the cross-format publishing competition within the same parent group.

Direct peers

Bennetts (bikeSocial): UK motorcycle insurance provider that also publishes bikeSocial content (news, reviews, advice) — directly parallel to MCN's editorial + MCN Compare insurance affiliate model.
Devitt Insurance: UK motorcycle insurance specialist that distributes via comparison and direct channels, competing directly with MCN Compare for motorcycle insurance affiliate commissions.
Bike Trader: UK-focused motorcycle marketplace (part of Auto Trader Group) directly competing with MCN's bikes-for-sale vertical on the same UK used-bike audience and dealer base.
Carole Nash: UK motorcycle and scooter insurance broker with brand presence in enthusiast media; competes in the insurance comparison / content-plus-insurance vertical MCN occupies.
Visordown: Long-running UK motorcycle news, reviews, and used-bikes platform with overlapping editorial format, audience, and monetization model to MCN.
RiDE Magazine: Long-established UK motorcycle magazine with digital presence, competing for the same enthusiast audience, advertising spend, and editorial attention as MCN.

Emerging players

Bike Magazine: UK motorcycle enthusiast title with a digital-led editorial strategy, targeting overlapping readers and advertisers as MCN's news and reviews vertical.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

The Used Bike Company financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

The Used Bike Company leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

The Used Bike Company funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

The Used Bike Company M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Used Bike Company

What does The Used Bike Company do?

Is The Used Bike Company a public or private company?

The Used Bike Company is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.

When was The Used Bike Company founded?

The Used Bike Company was founded in 1955. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is The Used Bike Company based?

The Used Bike Company is headquartered in Peterborough, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.

Who are The Used Bike Company's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Auto Trader UK, Gumtree UK and Auto Express. Direct peers are Bennetts (bikeSocial), Devitt Insurance, Bike Trader, Carole Nash, Visordown and RiDE Magazine. Bike Magazine is listed as an emerging player.

Does The Used Bike Company have an API?

No public API is recorded for The Used Bike Company.

What industry is The Used Bike Company in?

The Used Bike Company's product category is Motorcycle Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAHAK, Used & Refurbished Bike Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMANAA, Motorcycle Riding Gear & Apparel Retail. Its NAICS code is 441227 and its SIC code is 2721.