rider, and Suzuki and Yamaha launched their first four-stroke superbikes...BEST DEBUTSuzuki’s GS750 four was in many ways a rip-off of Kawasaki’s mighty Z1000, which was still the most powerful Jap superbike in ’77. But boy, did Suzuki’s engineers get

They have plenty in common, the latest ZX-10R and the GPZ900R, its inspiration from a quarter-century ago. Potent straight-four engines, top-quality chassis, sharp looks, and an unmistakably aggressive presence. What separates them — even more than

...Warrior ClassIt would take a brilliant bike to be crowned the best in this of all years, and Kawasaki’s GPZ900R Ninja was an all-time great. The Big K’s first liquid cooled, 16-valve superbike began a new generation for the firm whose reputation for mighty fours

with the Z1000. Four years before that, they relaunched the Z1000 name with a fiery naked four whose dramatic looks and lively performance made it a well-deserved hit.So what did they do with its replacement? Made it less powerful, heavier, longer and (to

to 190mph.That's far faster than any MV Agusta streetbike before, and no wonder. Apart from its paintwork and graphics, the F4 1000S looks almost identical to the 750cc four with which MV made its dramatic return back in 1999. But beneath that fairing

, Vetter fairings and Derriboots.FOUR TOPSAmong several hot fours was Honda’s CB900FZ, featuring a powerful 16-valve engine and a sweet-steering chassis inspired by Honda’s endurance racers. It had strong opposition in Suzuki’s GS1000S, a bikini

1978The magazine article that predicted that “1978 is going to be a hell of a year for biking” was understating the case: it was indisputably one of the best ever. The fierce battle for superbike supremacy saw Japan’s Big Four each launch

1981Back in ’81 most superbikes were just as they had been for more than a decade: big, naked air-cooled fours with high bars and twin shocks. We loved them that way too, of course, despite the wobbles and the neck ache. Revolution was in the air

? Meanwhile, most bikers carried on buying Jap fours.Hinckley HeroesThe first modular Triumph to hit the road was the Trophy 1200 sports-tourer, complete with full fairing and 125bhp four-pot motor. Testing one in company with Kawasaki’s awesome ZZ-R1100

, and radial four-pot front brake calipers.But there’s more to the Mana, starting with the dummy fuel tank’s lid that hinges to provide lined storage for a full-face lid, plus a 12V charger and space for a mobile phone. The pillion seat pivots in similar