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First Ride: 2007 Suzuki B-King
By Niall Mackenzie on 02/04/2008 18:18:16
In the six years since we first saw the B-King it has been the subject of heated discussion in Japan. Should it be dumbed down for mass market or a full-blown radical bike? Find out who won the argument...
acceleration. The engine feels effortless in every gear and has a really nice throttle connection that means a light and precise throttle at all speeds. Round town and along country roads the B-King is a pussy cat with perfect manners but lurking underneath
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First Ride: 2007 Suzuki B-King
By Niall Mackenzie on 29/03/2008 10:03:26
In the six years since we first saw the B-King it has been the subject of heated discussion in Japan. Should it be dumbed down for mass market or a full-blown radical bike? Find out who won the argument...
sports bike, especially under acceleration. The engine feels effortless in every gear and has a really nice throttle connection that means a light and precise throttle at all speeds. Round town and along country roads the B-King is a pussy cat
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First Ride: 2006 Honda Fireblade
By Niall Mackenzie on 20/09/2010 22:47:05
It wasn't broken but Honda fixed it anyway. Niall plays 'spot the difference' with a freshly honed 2006 Fireblade
Yamaha launched its original R1 in 1997 we congratulated it on giving us the most exciting road bike ever. Over the next four years it gradually sedated this fine tool before finally re-fitting excitement and character for '04. Since '02 Suzuki has been
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Niall's Spin: Yamaha FZ1 Fazer
By Niall Mackenzie on 28/09/2010 15:11:18
The FZ1 Fazer may look striking but lacks some certain detail...
limited ground clearance it's satisfying to ride too, with great poise whether you're pushing hard on A or B roads, or cruising down the M5. We had a great trip earlier this year around Somerset and the North Devon coast where I desperately wanted to fall
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Niall's Spin: KTM 990 Adventure
By Niall Mackenzie on 30/09/2010 12:34:53
The KTM 990 provies a firm, positive ride but fails to impress when comes to being comfortable
to flick around on twisty B roads.Should you decide to go off-road there's no comparison. The lighter Adventure will win every time whether you're on mud or dusty trails. The 990cc V-twin feels more like a big single with its instant pick up and wheelie
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Niall's Spin: Yamaha YZF-R6 (2000-01)
By Niall Mackenzie on 11/10/2010 11:47:52
Contender for the greatest 600 of all time and still a class act on the track and road, the bike that set the modern day standard in the supersport class is still a cracker
, but shared the same razor-sharp chassis and screaming motor. Steering can get twitchy if ridden hard on bumpy roads but that's true of all early-Noughties sports bikes. Powerful (dynos show around 100bhp - 120 is a claimed crank figure) with a decent spread
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Living with a Yamaha WR250F
By Niall Mackenzie on 15/05/2005 14:46:29
Niall rolls in the dirt on the WR250F
. The D606 Dunlops seemed good on muddy 'B' roads, although with near freezing temperatures they had to be cranked over with care. Although the 606s are a totally road legal tyre they do work well for trail riding, but are no match for the full
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Longest Test: Yamaha YZF-R6
By Niall Mackenzie on 02/11/2009 10:37:09
Our undisputed king of the Supersport class for 2009, Niall Mackenzie explains why he wouldn’t swap the YZF-R6 for anything else...
‘BSBs’ have never been as sticky and even stay toasting hot after a half hour lunch stop. On our day out we ride Autoroutes, A and B roads, through towns and even onto the beach. Being the loyal, faithful type I thought my R6 was the best all round bike
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