Taglioni powerplant formed the basis for all subsequent Ducati motors. As one mag put it, the Pantah “represents the best of everything that’s associated with Italian motorcycling”.TOP FUELKawasaki’s 1980 model Z1000H looked almost identical to the previous

The list of new bikes was headed by three that would have huge influence: Ducati’s 916, Triumph’s Speed Triple and BMW’s R1100GS. In racing, Messrs Doohan and Fogarty began their eras of dominance.STARRING ROLEFrom the moment that the 916 turned a

1995 began messily with mass-murderer Fred West dead in his jail cell and thousands killed in the Kobe earthquake that also wrecked Kawasaki’s factory. But it was a great year for motorcycling. New bikes included Ducati’s 748SP and Suzuki’s genre

. Roberts was eventually declared the winner.Best racing debutThese days King Kenny Roberts is bike racing’s Grand Old Man, loved and respected throughout the two-wheeled world. Easy to forget that when the brash young Yank came over to take on our reigning

from water via oil to good old fresh air…Fair to MiddlingThere was plenty of other good stuff, as the manufacturers developed an array of varied models around their recent new-generation engines. Best in many ways was the revamped, F2 version of Yamaha

1985We knew 1985 was going to be special because it was motorcycling’s centenary, coming 100 years after German teenager Paul Daimler made the first ever ride aboard a 264cc, wooden-framed single called Einspur (“One-track”) built by his dad

If you’re old enough to remember 1977 it might not seem that long ago: Elvis died, Microsoft was founded, and the Space Shuttle flew into action. But the bike world was very different. Laverda’s Jota ruled the roads, Sheene was the world’s best

conditioning systems but moved into Grand Prix bike racing in the early ’70s, building the frames that took Johnny Cecotto, Walter Villa and Jon Ekerold to 250 and 350cc world titles.Racing has provided some of Bimota’s highs over the years. Their biggest

ended up buying one.FLAT LEMONADEThe year’s most disappointing bike was Suzuki’s GSX1100FJ, which was advertised as “the best two bikes we’ve ever built” but didn’t match up as either a sportster or a tourer. Certainly it was no FJ1200.Most people

145bhp missile that ripped to 175mph at a mind-bending rate. The big Kwack was stable, comfortable and unburstable, too. Original and best of the Nineties mega-blasters.Racer of the YearStar of the UK racing scene was a lanky Londoner named Terry Rymer