Of course, what every 998 owner really wants to know is whether they have to sell their bike immediately and get another loan for a new 999. Or are they - infact - better off with their undoubted modern classic?
It might be called progress by some. But in a world where more and more motorcycles are becoming increasingly refined and civilised, others might feel the traditional character of bikes is being lost.
Once the preserve of the mega rich, these first-generation Italian superbikes can now be snapped up for less than the cost of a new sports 600. Here’s the deal.
What would get you out of bed an hour early in winter just to play on deserted roads? try the new KTM 990SM or Ducati’s Hypermotard. It certainly worked for us...
If you can’t beat them, get the rules changed so you can then build a bike with all the bits you need to dominate the racetrack out of the box. Ducati’s 1098R is pure WSB homologation magic...
Like the original but on steroids, the Monster S4 grasped bare-biking from Bologna by the bars and took it into the new millennium. But are there any bugs? Used-bike fact hound Bertie Simmonds finds out.
An aesthetic and performance revolution in its day, the 916 series has guaranteed iconic status for Bologna's blood-red bullets for time immemorial. But are those stories of Desmodromic histrionics all true?
After the hype comes the reality. And for lucky Niall that reality is served on the silver platter that is Kyalami circuit in South Africa. And the verdict? Oh my word, are you ready for this?
