Sports

Updated version of S1 Lightning, occasional fuel injection glitches

was at the launch of the Sprint RS in southern Spain in 1999. Some muppet in the office thought it would be a good idea to ride back from there to the Midlands, in late December.

Yamaha managed the same trick with the R6 as with the R1, caught everyone by surprise and redefined the 600 class.

Designed to put Bimota back on the map and they used many inovitive ideas never seen on a road bike. It's ultra rare. But believe it or not Bimota made an even rarer version, the SB8-RS made only to order.

Introduced in late 1994, The RS250 was a real alternative to the dwindling base of race-inspired stroker 250s. Then in 1998 it had a cosmetic revamp to look more like the RS250 from GPs.

The 996 motor has put a new heart into perhaps the best-looking bike of all time

All singing and dancing version with better suspension, Marchensini wheels and gold frame

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

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.

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

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

The first place to look for 50cc sportsbike cool

Sounds great, quirky looks, poor build quality lets it down

Obviously Kawasaki UK didn't have one, it being a deleted model and all, but as I trawled my contact book's worth of friendly dealers across the country, I found the same story everywhere.

TZR looking single cylinder race bike with Deltabox chassis and 1/2 fairing

Lovely road bike. Big range, big motor, eye-bulging brakes. Good value

Recently relegated from the cutting edge by newer, sharper sports middleweights, the Ninja 600 is a genuine allrounder with some edge

Fruity handling, peach of a motor and banana in colour