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, with fairings, liquid-cooling an...

If you have a Facebook account and have activated the timeline feature, then why not freshen up your profile using one of our cover images.To download an image, open it up in the pop-up window before right clicking to save the picture. This

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

GSX-R750T CrawleySometimes you don't have to ride a bike far to realise it's special. I still vividly remember riding away from Suzuki's Crawley HQ on the new GSX-R750T back in 1996, tipping it into the first left-hander and thinking, 'blimey, this is how a sports bike should ste...

the headquarters of Triumph Motorcycles at Hinckley. I knew the bankrupt old company had been bought some years earlier by a wealthy builder named John Bloor, but had little idea that he’d done much with it.We were shown into what looked like just another giant

MEXICOName: John CantlieBike hired: 2003 BMW GS650Miles covered: 2,048Total cost: £1,112Pros: Undiscovered country, amazing roads, perfect weather, beaches, food, beerCons: Huge distances involvedAdventure rating: Very highRight now I’m in Mexico, and 1,433 miles into this journe...

1979“This is the Golden Age of motorcycling,” proclaimed one mag in 1979, celebrating the 100bhp output of superbikes like Kawasaki’s giant Z1300 and high-barred “factory customs” such as Yamaha’s XS650. The mags carried ads for Paddy Hopkirk lids

income. When I ask why there seem to be areas of great poverty the reply is hushed and hurried. Gadaffi controls everything, but he only cares about the oil. Nothing more.Click here to see motorcycle in Libya page two

When: NowCost: £3500 (S2R) - £40k (Desmosedici)Ducatis are desirable, there's no question about it, they feature on most wish lists for dream bikes, and it's easy to understand why. Starting from a rich heritage, the bikes from Bologna are the epitome of all

2001Harley-Davidson V-Rod Pasadena, CaliforniaIn 24 years of attending launches I've only ever been on one at which the world's press gathered with no clue to what the bike looked like. And when Bill Davidson revealed the V-Rod two dozen jaws hit the floor. At Irwindale drag stri...