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First Ride: 2007 Suzuki Bandit 650
By Jon Urry on 02/04/2008 14:49:15
Old faithful returns with a new jacket, starched braces and a spanking new motor
I remember the first time I saw my dad wearing jeans. He just looked wrong. Dad's from a generation of slack-wearers, not denim, and him in Levi's finest looked as out of place as a Casio watch in a Ben-Hur film.But progress and the passing of time
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First Ride: 2002 Kawasaki ZX-9R
By John Cantlie on 29/03/2008 16:54:04
And so to the 2002 ZX-9R, also tweaked for this year and feeling distinctly healthier for it. The motor feels the same, but the handling (once adjusted) is definitely better...
wanted something less mental and more useable on the road.Not to say it ain't fast. The Nine has always topped-out north of 170, and the latest model will be knocking on the door of 180mph in the right conditions. We only got to ride the bike on the track
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First Ride: Buell XB9S
By Bertie Simmonds on 13/09/2010 11:49:56
Buell's naked, promises big kicks from its punchy motor but with a wheelbase smaller than a gnat's wheelbarrow, sharp handling too
mm shorter than Aprilia's road-scalpel stroker 250. As with the XB9R, its street sibling doesn't suffer any sudden cold turkey twitches, even though those figures suggest it should be dancing on the twilight of stability. What you do get, thanks
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First Ride: 2006 CCM FT35s
By James Whitham on 22/09/2010 12:10:00
Back from the brink, CCM return to the fray with a Suzuki motor wrapped up in one hell of a limited-edition piece of leftfield lunacy.
with more danger and pain.The motor's a 400cc Suzuki single (same as in the DR-Z400) and with fairly low gearing this gives it the same aggressive point'n'squirt feel of a supermoto bike. But because it has way less suspension travel than your average
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Road Test: MV Agusta Brutale 910
By Roland Brown on 29/04/2008 21:57:58
MV's bonkers Brutale gets a big bore motor, a midrange boost and bags of added usefulness to boot. Roland Brown blags a ride and spills the beans.
's personality was clear the moment I rode out through the MV factory gates. The bigger motor's extra midrange meant that tweaking the throttle with five grand showing on the white-faced tacho sent the MV leaping forwards - and, when I was in first gear
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Road Test: Ducati 999R
By Niall Mackenzie on 27/04/2008 21:56:57
The new 999R gets the trickest motor Ducati has ever made. It's also just like Neil's (Hodgson, that is) they say, so we sent our own Niall to ride it.
When I first heard that Neil Hodgson was off to the States to take on Duhamel, Bostrom and co in the AMA Superbike series I never doubted he had the talent and commitment to succeed.However, one concern I did have was that the machinery available
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First Ride: 2005 Ducati S2R
By Tim Dickson on 30/03/2008 22:24:27
Ducati's latest take on the Monster theme is a refreshing mix of old and new, with up-to-the-minute styling married to a simple, effective air-cooled motor. And it's bang on the money
is an altogether more user-friendly Monster. Not to mention cheaper.The heart of the package is an air-cooled 803cc motor. Monster-loving traditionalists' ears will prick up at this point, as many have never been comfortable with the appearance of liquid
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2010 BMW R1200RT launch test review
By Richard Hallett on 02/08/2010 09:36:46
BMW’s already excellent big tourer gets a new motor with more grunt and a host of comfort improving gadgets for 2010, not to mention a fruity exhaust note
, it is a notably agile and rewarding ride. The sweet handling associated with the GS is just as evident in the RT, which shares its Telelever front-end and Paralever swingarm. Steering through the 17-inch front wheel is naturally more road oriented, feeling
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First Ride: 2002 Harley-Davidson VRSCA V-Rod review
By Bertie Simmonds on 27/03/2008 21:03:21
Harley-Davidson unleash their most important model for 50 years. With a watercooled, 115bhp, 60¡ V-twin motor straight out of their VR1000 racebike, it marks the start of a new direction for the Milwaukee firm. This is big.
, nothing could prepare me for the bike I saw. This is the boldest move for Harley-Davidson in recent history and this is the VRSCA V-Rod.V is for V-twin, R is for racing, S is for street, C is for custom and A means this is the first of a new breed
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First Ride: KTM 690 Enduro & SMC
By James Whitham on 10/04/2008 11:23:23
These two bikes have a lot more in common than just the motor and are a much nearer to being able to live up to their name than any other street-moto or street-enduro machines currently on the market
and bodywork are the same as fitted to it’s off-road brother, although it feels lower to sit on because of the smaller diameter wheels.After I’d got round the first couple of roundabouts heading for some twisty mountain roads I felt at home on this bike. There
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