Motorbike

De-tuned Blackbird engine in fine-handling muscle chassis. Weird looks

Serious track tackle for the 748 aficionado. For the committed only

A bike that is simply so capable it refuses to lie down and die, even when superceded by the 1200 variant. Awesome

Updated version of S1 Lightning, occasional fuel injection glitches

Anyone remember Kawasaki's ill-fated ZR-7, which got panned from day one and never really recovered? The half faired ZR-7S, which appeared a year later in 2001 also came in for some stick.

The SV650S is a blinding little bike that packs more punch for your pound than many other more expensive tools out there

The ‘busa isn’t finished yet but it is starting to soften around the edges. Still a quality act packing an awesome punch, but refined and classy rather than one of the rat pack

Considerably more expensive than the Marauder, the Intruder remains the better machine that may just serve you beyond passing your test

Taken with tongue firmly in cheek, the Shadow could be a fun way into the whole cruiser thang

A good retro if the name doesn’t bother you

Tamburini designed slice of Italian exotica, the F4-750 radiates class.

Redesigned ZX-6R with rounded bodywork and classic induction noise.

Yamaha launched the YZF-R1 after redesigning the Genesis engine to offset the crankshaft, gearbox input and output shafts. This "compacting" of the engine yielded a huge dividend in that the total engine length was now much shorter.

A fun Africa Twin or 1150GS alternative, provided you don't want to cross the Sahara.

Suzuki's SV650 isn't the sort of bike you get really excited about - it's not raunchy and sexy enough to do that.

Triumphs attempt to take on the Japanese sportbikes. It failed to do so.

Peugeot says: