Nothing is ever as simple as it once was, as obvious as it might have been or, indeed, there to clearly figure out in black and white. Some answers don't come easy, the questions only with a little less difficulty. Which leads us, in a crisp CGI

BACK IN 2000 the ZX-12R arrived with huge claimed power-figures, aerodynamics from a jet aircraft, a 200-section rear tyre and a ram-air snout that could snaffle a pigeon whole.It also came with the worst looking mirrors in the universe, a thirst

"Like the mag lads," said the bloke to us in the office's local pub, "but why don't you test secondhand bikes? Not all of us can afford the new stuff you're always on about." And he had a point. So in the interests of research I asked him how much

. And that's all because of the engine.Trundling along a twisty South African coastal road at a steady 60mph the huge 1670cc V-twin motor is virtually ticking over with the rev-counter just nudging above 2000rpm. But even at such low revs the motor is right

, ever. Just a nicely-powered ride.H-D quote a peak of 68lb.ft of torque at 3300rpm. They shy away from a horsepower figure as it usually looks rather embarrassing by today's stratospheric standards but for a bike that revs out probably around 6000rpm

themselves as the manufacturer with the best supersports bike for the road and the racetrack. The lack of mid-range punch was always evident when comparing the current CBR with the competition, but saving weight and increasing torque have gone hand

figures from a dyno that isn’t connected to the marketing department.So it’s no surprise MV claim they were looking for better power delivery, not power gains - a claim that only stacks up if the bike is genuinely better to ride. The 1078RR was single

The NoviceName: Michaela IrwinAge: 29 Height: 5’2”Riding experience: 3 yearsOne in five new motorcyclists taking their test last year were female. That’s an astounding figure, all the more so because I’m not seeing them on the roads. Is there perhaps some

. This would later be demonstrated by Triumph’s stunt maestro Kevin Carmichael at Bruntingthorpe, as he effortlessly completes impossibly tight figure of eights at no more than walking pace.Out on the roads around Hinckley and the Rocket is a surprise. While

running more conservative figures than that. On the roads – particularly twisting, grippy, bumpy Sardinian ones – the Versys flicks from side to side with nothing more than a gentle counter-steer and a quick flick of the hips.And with 150mm of front wheel