their sportsbikes sound about 10db noisier and healthier than the competition. When you've got the clock pointing at 14,000rpm, chin flat on the tank and firing out the exit of your favourite corner, the GSX-R is a very good place to be.At Cadwell the GSX-R600

. With just five minutes of mad riding out of the way I decided to relax for the remainder of my day with the new-for-’04 ZX-12R.Weighing in at 210 kilos with a fairly lazy steering geometry means high speed motorway work is a doddle, but there was no real

the worry out of stopping this 220kg+ piece of machinery in a very civilised manner.Ohlins suspension (2003 Rosso Corsa and later) give an excellent ride whether touring back roads or taking fast bends on the A-roads.Although often categorised as a Sports

27° / 27°SUSPENSIONSuspension, front 43 mm inverted fork with rebound and compression damping,spring preload adjustability and top-out springsSuspension, rear Horizontal Back-link with gas-charged shock and top-out springCompression damping: Stepless

braking over them. Stop, turn and fire - that's what Randy Mamola says, so it must be right.Also helpful for circuit riding is increased ride height, which improves cylinder head clearance. Ever keen for a challenge I did my darnedest to deck them out

with every passing lap.Learning a circuit as complex and technical as Mugello isn’t easy in two short sessions, but the flexible motor is a massive help, once I’d worked out how to get the best from it. Rather than thrashing it everywhere, using the low

- extremely stable through every corner regardless of how knackered the road is. Quick-shifter is great fun and a bit addictive, especially when winding her out over 10 grand. Exclusivity is a definite plus as there are so few of these babies around

,000rpm Performance: Top speed: 185mph (est) deciggy: Awesome Strengths: After trying out most of the 1000 s I found the R1 (2012) was the one that gave me the biggest smile on my face. The noise and the bottom end pull from the cross plane motor

: 6289 Engine capacity: 599cc Power: 108bhp Torque: 50lb ft Weight: 170kg Seat height: 810mm Fuel capacity: 18L 0-60: 3.5 seconds Tank range: 130 miles Full Review: Yep, it's true. Back in 1996, when Triumph first mooted a middleweight sportsbike

capacity: 17L Full Review: Now don't get too excited there, the 312R doesn't really do 312kmh (194mph). The moniker is merely a celebration of the fact a modified MV F4 once did a satellite-verified 311-point-something kmh. Flat out. Possibly down a big