| |
 |
First Ride: Moto Morini Corsaro
By Roland Brown on 29/04/2008 22:54:13
Shiver my timbers, it's a new Moto Morini. But will this pirate sail the high seas or walk the plank to Davey Jones' locker?
, high-level conical silencers. During the launch on the roads around Bologna there was never any chance of mistaking the Corsaro for a laid-back roadster. This is a mean naked machine that kicks out 90.7lb.ft of torque - well up on rivals such as MV
|
|
 |
First Ride: 2007 Aprilia Mana
By Roland Brown on 10/04/2008 21:51:31
Aprilia’s Mana puts a fully-automatic transmission into a conventional motorbike, creating the last word in practical biking. So is the Mana a fantastic scooter for grown-ups, or the worst of both worlds..?
. The radial four-pot calipers and Dunlop’s Qualifiers seemed well up to the job.The Mana’s practicality was handy out of town, too. When we stopped for a coffee at the top of one twisty hillside road, it was handy to be able to leave my helmet in the dummy
|
|
 |
First Ride: 2007 Honda CB600F Hornet
By Roland Brown on 02/04/2008 12:56:43
Honda's top-selling naked middleweight gets a top-to-toe revamp, sharp new looks and the world's ugliest exhaust collector box
-speed manoeuvring as we left the launch-base hotel, near Faro on Portugal's Algarve coast, out onto winding roads that headed up into the hills.The motor felt sharp and responsive, and also emitted a fruity rasp from the stubby, MotoGP-style silencer near my right
|
|
 |
First Ride: Yamaha YZF-R1 (2005-6)
By Roland Brown on 07/05/2008 20:18:31
Yamaha jumps the gun and launches the 2006 R1 before the competition. Over-confidence, or are the small changes enough to make a big difference?
It was my best lap of the day, no question. I came flying into the Catalunya circuit's stadium section, sliced through the final four right handers with Yamaha's exotic new YZF-R1 feeling as sharp as a Barcelona's butcher's knife, and held
|
|
 |
First Ride: 2005 Yamaha YZF-R6
By Roland Brown on 31/03/2008 21:51:49
A number of performance-enhancing tweaks make this year's R6 a faster and more exciting proposition. Riding tips from Valentino Rossi not included...
"Brake at the point where the kerb ends, keep the bike a little bit away from the edge of the track because it's slippery there, and turn into the corner when you get to about... here."Valentino Rossi's words of advice are echoing through my mind
|
|
 |
First Ride: 2007 Yamaha Midnight Star 1300
By Roland Brown on 02/04/2008 12:12:15
Yamaha's latest Star is an exercise in big-small.
Carolina, heading for the famously twisty and spectacular Blue Ridge Parkway. The Yam's kicked-out steering geometry and almost 300 kilos (fuelled-up) meant it needed a fair bit of effort in tight turns. But once onto the main road, the Star was very stable
|
|
 |
Road Test: Bimota DB5
By Roland Brown on 29/04/2008 22:02:45
Back once more into the fray, Bimota splash their cash on the launch of the DB5. Are you ready with yours?
short strength-sapping sessions on track.A bike like the Bimota DB5. Sparkling with eye-catching details, it passes the drink-in-hand test with flying colours. At a claimed 165kg dry, it's the lightest open-class bike on the market. And with an output
|
|
 |
First Ride: 2004 Moto Guzzi Nevada Classic 750
By Roland Brown on 30/03/2008 20:03:31
The Nevada name has been part of the Moto Guzzi catalogue for more than a decade now, but this year it's a 90% new bike.
-up version of last year's Nevada 750.A couple of hours into my ride on the new Nevada and I'm feeling much less cynical. This middleweight cruiser might not be the most exciting bike to come out of Italy, but it's much more entertaining than expected. Several
|
|
 |
2008 Yamaha YZF-R125 first ride review
By Roland Brown on 07/05/2010 11:57:01
After an ASBO and a concealed weapon could Yamaha’s new learner-legal 125 be the new must-have teenage accessory?
for preload. Up front are non-adjustable 33mm forks.After I’d thrown a leg over its fairly high seat on the launch in Valencia, the R125 felt reasonably roomy even for my 6ft 4in. The white-faced analogue tacho and digital speedo enhanced the big-bike feel
|
|
 |
First Ride: Mondial Piega
By Roland Brown on 03/04/2008 19:09:16
It's hard not to be sceptical about the rebirth of another once great Italian manufacturer.
to have gained almost 10bhp with a new airbox, injection system and exhaust, bringing peak output to 140bhp. The Piega is very light for a twin, too, at 179kg dry, and on paper is a match for just about any sports bike you care to name. Sadly my attempts
|
|
