J couldn’t live with the RC30 but was a step forward for the Gixxer, which was joined in Suzuki’s range by a quick and useful GSX600. Honda’s VFR750F sports-tourer was uprated with 17-inch wheels plus an adjustable screen. It worked so well that I

transformation to American tourer, but as well as being more comfortable it's still fast, fun, bursting with character and is unlike anything else around.VERDICTPricey, but extras make the Rocket III twice as versatile without losing any of its fun. Good work

Click to read: Benelli Tre-K 899 owners reviews, Benelli Tre-K 899 specs and to see the Benelli Tre-K 899 image gallery.Benelli describes its Tre-K 899 as an entry-level sports-tourer, and by the Italian firm’s standards that’s exactly what it is

sports-tourer, which gave Honda’s restyled and lightened VFR750F a run for its money. The year also saw the arrival of Yamaha’s 100bhp FZR600R, plus revamps for the FZR1000 EXUP, GSX-R750 (both with lighter chassis and six-pot front calipers) and Honda

-shock chassis. Norton quickly sold the limited run of 100 units of the Classic, and developed it into the Commander tourer as well as the rotary racebikes. Shame Norton's revival soon collapsed.V4 no more?As I'd never been to Japan, it was a real thrill to fly

handling. The XS promised to be an outstanding sports-tourer but developed a series of mechanical problems that killed sales stone dead. Meanwhile their TZ750 destroyed all on-track.ITALIAN TIGERThe year’s most interesting new Italian was Ducati’s Darmah, a

and fuelled-up weight of over 300kg. Essentially a tourer, despite having no fairing, the Zed was smooth, reasonably practical, and mighty quick to a max of 135mph. It handled improbably well and survived almost unchanged for a decade.But the Z1300

’s legendary RD350LC stroker, complete with full fairing. Kawasaki caught a cold with the GPZ1000RX, which was uglier, heavier and more expensive than the GPZ900R Ninja it was intended to replace. At least the Big K’s 1000GTR tourer was comfy as well as fat

a gamble with its iconic VFR750F, replacing the old faithful V4 sports-tourer with a sportier VFR750FL model featuring RC30-style beefy alloy frame and single-sided swinger for the first time. Ducati introduced the 851SP, a hotted-up, 888cc version

Brash BeemerBMW launched the K1200RS in 1997 by flying a bunch of hacks to Barcelona, putting us up in the stunning Arts Hotel on the harbour and giving us each a new 1171cc four-pot sports-tourer to thrash back home. The bike was worth the effort