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First Ride: 2011 Honda CBR250R
By Ben Cope on 23/04/2011 07:37:37
Honda enters the 250 arena with the CBR250R. Should the Ninja 250R be scared?
motorcycle engine this year. It produces 26bhp at fairly high revs, 8,500rpm infact. Max torque of 17.5lbft is produced at 7,000rpm, so while the CBR250R is powered by a single and not a parallel twin like the Ninja 250R, the natural low-down grunt of a
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Ducati Streetfighter 848 road test review
By Ben Cope on 10/10/2011 10:29:06
Ducati's baby Streetfighter. Smiles like your Nan, punches like a pub doorman
the looks with a brutal 1098 engine but perhaps that engine was just too brutal? The fact is, the Streetfighter 1098 never sold too well for Ducati in the UK and an educated guess would say the price-tag didn't help: £12,000 is a lot of money, even
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Piaggio MP3 LT 400cc review
By Ben Cope on 19/06/2009 14:54:24
The scooter that can be ridden with no motorcycle licence? Does that make sense? No, but it's true.
type of commuter. The extra wheel makes riding it safer, the fact it does 80mph means long commutes are possible and, best of all, you don’t need to take the hugely complicated new bike test to rid it. The asking price of £6,499 plus OTR fees is a touch
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First Ride: Kawasaki Versys 1000 review
By Ben Cope on 01/12/2011 13:15:40
A four-cylinder big brother to the popular Versys 650. It's not aimed at the GS, so who is it aimed at?
and also features adjustable power modes and Kawasaki’s KTRC traction control system. Compression has been lowered from 11.8:1 to 10.3:1 and the cam profile has been altered to reduce lift and duration. Although the Versys 1000’s outright peak power
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First Ride: Ducati 1199 Panigale S review
By Ben Cope on 11/02/2012 13:49:36
Take a successful formula that's worked for over two decades then throw it in the bin and start again, from scratch. Welcome to the Italian way of thinking.
I'M SURE you won't have any sympathy when I tell you I could have done with more time on Ducati's new 1199 Panigale S at the Yas Marina F1 circuit in Abu Dhabi.That's not to say I didn't have enough time to review the Panigale in the four sessions
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First Ride: Buell 1125R
By Ben Cope on 19/11/2008 17:26:20
When you think about racing, you don't think about Buell. So can a manufacturer who's used to building bikes around Harley engines build a decent sportsbike?
introduced what I believe is their most radical step in years, the new powerplant; a 1125cc 72degree v-twin developed by Rotax. The bike has been dynoed at 130bhp, so on power at least, the Ducati is within grasp. On the road, the motor feels strong, it
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Ducati Streetfighter 848: Track review
By Ben Cope on 30/09/2011 13:41:17
Ducati's smaller-engined Streetfighter. What's it like on track?
hate this but it’s Honda-like in terms of smoothness and delivery.Bar the engine, two of the Streetfighter’s best assets when it comes to cornering are its wide bars and new 180/60 section rear Pirelli. This new profile, only a slight change from a 180/55
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Ducati Hypermotard 1100 EVO first ride review
By Ben Cope on 15/06/2010 10:00:19
There are two simple, almost foolproof ways to make your bike more fun: make it lighter and give it more power. That’s exactly what Ducati has done with its update to the original Hypermotard 1100, the Hypermotard 1100 EVO.
compact engine is 5.2kg lighter and the chassis loses 1.2kg. Ducati has also upped the compression ratio from 10.5:1 to 11.3:1. The result? A net gain of 5bhp from the same 1078cc capacity as the previous model. Torque remains the same.Styling wise, Ducati
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Triumph Speed Triple R review
By Ben Cope on 26/01/2012 02:05:38
Triumph call it the ultimate Speed Triple. We'll be the judge of that
haven't skimped on their vision of creating the ultimate Speed Triple.If exclusivity is what you're after, then look no further than the wheels. The forged aluminium 5-spoke wheels have been made especially for Triumph by PVM and are 1.7kg lighter than
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First Ride: Ducati Diavel Carbon review
By Ben Cope on 07/02/2011 12:11:18
The Diavel is in the details. So is it any good?
cruiser, it smashes the cruiser mould due to it using a 160bhp engine from the 1198 superbike, with a few changes. It has fully adjustable suspension, front and rear, meaning it’s as well sprung as the sportiest nakeds and the brakes from the 1198SP mean
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