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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?
but it probably helped slow me down enough to make the first apex.Leaning on the wide bars, the Streetfighter 848 is eager to turn in. It's got the same rake as the 848 EVO but trail is up from 97mm to 103mm to give the Streetfighter slightly better road manners
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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
.Fresh from the session on track we headed out for a 60-mile road ride around the hills next to the town of Modena - home of Ferrari - no doubt the locals are used to the sound of a V12 howling through the countryside. I wonder whether they've heard the V20
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2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400 review
By Ben Cope on 20/01/2012 14:05:08
Does faster always mean better? We ride the new ZZR1400 to find out
the new ZZR1400 through its paces.The list of changes to this new model is as long Inspector Gadget's arm, but the main points include a new engine, with a capacity hike from 1,352cc to 1,441cc, KTRC - Kawasaki's traction control, the same as used
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Ducati Hypermotard 1100 EVO SP first ride review
By Ben Cope on 15/06/2010 10:51:14
The SP version costs £10300 and that’s before you throw the really good stuff at it. It’s expensive, but more is more
. None of these are standard on the EVO SP and they’ll cost you an extra £1500.So the model we tested is £2700 more than the standard EVO meaning it’ll cost you £11,800. That’s 1500 quid’s worth more than the stock EVO SP – a serious amount of money
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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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First ride: Triumph Daytona 675R track review
By Ben Cope on 12/04/2012 12:07:34
We ride Triumph's top of the range Daytona on Bridgestone's new S20 tyres
with Bridgestone's new S20 tyres. They're not as track focused as Pirelli's Supercorsa SP but they're still round, black and stick like a good'un.What I love about the Daytona 675 is its size and its riding position. It's small, narrow and easy to flick between
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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.
monobloc calipers, as used on the Hypermotard EVO 1100SP, 848 EVO and 1198SP are fantastic brakes, amazingly powerful and with the right master cylinder, give good feel. However, I can't forget the first time I used them: it felt like someone had shoved
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First UK Ride: 2012 Yamaha YZF-R1 review
By Ben Cope on 05/12/2011 21:04:59
We're granted exclusive first UK ride. Yamaha enters the traction control club, revising its flagship sportsbike for 2012. Does it move the game on?
more from the bike and that's a great thing.Price: from £11,999, Anniversary model tested is £12,999Colours: Anniversary White (as tested), Matt Grey, Yamaha Blue, Competition WhiteOther useful links: 2012 Yamaha YZF-R1 traction control video, 2012
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MV Agusta Brutale 1090RR first ride review
By Ben Cope on 21/06/2010 16:28:55
Introducing two new Brutales from the Italian masters of style, courtesy of Harley-Davidson
on the 910 and easier to ride thanks to better fuelling and comfier due to a revised riding position it’s not as good as the 1090RR on the road or track.
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I've ridden the future and it's 100bhp
By Ben Cope on 17/04/2012 12:08:32
Would a 100bhp limit be the end of motorcycling?
comes in and we're stuck with it, what now?The Future?Out in Portimao, on a Bridgestone S20 tyre launch, there was one bike in the pits that wasn't getting a lot of love: the 2012 R1. It was a French model, restricted to 106bhp.I had to have a go
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