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Niall Mackenzie Column - Nov 2008
By Niall Mackenzie on 12/11/2008 17:23:56
Ex-Grand Prix legend turned super-fast roadtester Niall Mackenzie ponders the worth of the motorway smurf
.What reminded me of two off-duty burly nightclub bouncers informed me we would have to wait 20 minutes as labourers filled in a few potholes with tar. Some of the car drivers were going mental, but as it was a pleasant evening and I was in no hurry I decided
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Ducati 1198 and 1198S review
By Niall Mackenzie on 29/03/2010 11:29:09
Niall brushes elbows with Troy Bayliss at the launch of Ducati’s new big-bore superbike. It’s a monster machine that will put hairs on the inside of your eyelids, let alone your chest...
Click to read: Ducati 1198 owners reviews, Ducati 1198 specs and to see the Ducati 1198 image gallery.Ducati did a good job keeping this one quiet. Even when launch invitations are sent out without stating the model to be launched you can normally
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Niall's Spin: BMW F800ST
By Niall Mackenzie on 30/09/2010 14:23:08
Fight off any reluctance and intimidation and unleash your wild side with BMW'S F800ST
Click to read: BMW F800ST owners reviews, BMW F800ST specs and to see the BMW F800ST image gallery.The F800ST IS a bike that was built to encourage bikers back on to the road without being intimidated or scared in any way. But it also serves another
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Niall's Spin - Honda CBR900RR Fireblade (1992-93)
By Niall Mackenzie on 08/10/2010 15:35:43
The creator of modern sportsbikes is now a reserved classic in the world of it's offspring, Niall Mackenzie takes a look at the orginal Honda Fireblade
Click to read: Honda CBR900RR Fireblade owners reviews, Honda CBR900RR Fireblade specs and to see the Honda CBR900RR Fireblade image gallery.We could bat on here about how the Blade changed the face of modern sportsbiking, how it gave us 1000cc
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Niall's Spin: Honda XL1000V Varadero (2001-02)
By Niall Mackenzie on 08/10/2010 15:48:57
A touring bike disguised as an off-roader if ever there was one, the Varadero's dirt pretensions are just that
Click to read: Honda XL1000V Varadero owners reviews, Honda XL1000V Varadero specs and to see the Honda XL1000V Varadero image gallery.Take one of these onto anything other than the smoothest, most hard-packed of trails and you'll soon be wishing
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Niall's Spin: Yamaha YZF-R6 (2000-01)
By Niall Mackenzie on 11/10/2010 11:47:52
Contender for the greatest 600 of all time and still a class act on the track and road, the bike that set the modern day standard in the supersport class is still a cracker
, but shared the same razor-sharp chassis and screaming motor. Steering can get twitchy if ridden hard on bumpy roads but that's true of all early-Noughties sports bikes. Powerful (dynos show around 100bhp - 120 is a claimed crank figure) with a decent spread
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Niall's Spin: Yamaha YZF-R6
By Niall Mackenzie on 30/09/2010 14:09:35
The Yamaha YZF-R6 may be pleasing but be a bit more cautious when it comes to the suspension..
caught Yamaha on the hop - they were erring to the slightly more user-friendly end of the supersport 600 spectrum, but the heavily revised R6 managed to combine both elements better than any other. Trouble was, it was always about 0.01% slower round race
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Niall's Spin: Suzuki SV1000
By Niall Mackenzie on 20/09/2010 15:50:43
Suzuki comes back with the SV1000 but will it outshine the TL1000 with a rewarding experience or live up to its predecessor's reputation?
that humpy seat and lumpy engine. Now, my TL125 Honda from the scorching summer of 1976 - that was a different story, Bay City Rollers, hot pants, Breaker malt liquor... but I digress.The SV1000 is a much more refined riding experience, with its light
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Niall Mackenzie Column - Oct 2008
By Niall Mackenzie on 12/10/2008 20:11:52
Ex-Grandprix legend turned super-fast roadtester Niall Mackenziecalls in a very expensive favour while hoping there’s no poetic justice
the bottomless financial pit that is racing, and that maybe he wasn’t spending enough time looking after his business, he hung up his team owner’s shirt. Personally I was gutted when he stopped as Robbie was the Scottish equivalent of Darrell Healy, Paul Bird
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Niall's Spin: Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird
By Niall Mackenzie on 21/09/2010 12:19:16
Honda's trusty supersports tourer, loved by thousands, but what does Mackenzie make of it?
to overhaul but at least they work well.Low depreciation is a bonus but most are well cared-for machines which justify high used prices. Pay £3500 or so for an '02-'03 machine with a loving previous owner and FSH and you'll be riding away on a super fast
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