Motorcycle First Ride Reviews

29/03/08

First Ride: 2002 Kawasaki ZX-6R

NOW WITH 36cc EXTRA FREE! If you can't beat 'em, cheat. Works for us and there's a decent chance it'll work for Kawasaki as they wheel out their new oversquare 636cc ZX-6R. Any good or dead horse flogged?

First Ride

29/03/08

First Ride: 2002 Buell XB9R Firebolt

Look, children, here he comes. It's Tweedle Dee in the blue and silver Kushitani leathers on his dinky Fisher Price 'My First Ideal Sportsbike.'

First Ride

29/03/08

First Ride: Honda VTR1000 SP-2

By winning the World Superbike Championship in 2000 in its very first year of production, you could argue that Honda’s SP-1 doesn’t have much to prove. But race development waits for no man, and so for 2002 we’ve got the SP-2.

First Ride

29/03/08

2002 Honda CBR954RR Fireblade review

The 2002 Fireblade CBR954RR isn't just a face-lift. Beneath the fresh styling is a bigger, cleverer motor, updated suspension and brakes, new swingarm, a refined frame and lighter wheels and exhaust system.

First Ride

29/03/08

First Ride: 2002 BMW F650CS

I wasn't sure about the styling of BMW's new baby the F650CS when I first saw it, but the style loving Italians loved it. Wherever I parked the BMW in and around the launch city of Florence it drew admiring glances and comments.

First Ride

29/03/08

First Ride: 2002 Yamaha TDM900

Let me see now. Ten years ago British biking was on the verge of something big. Our bike buying trends were going to be challenged by a bug-eyed kid from Yamaha - the TDM850.

First Ride

29/03/08

First Ride: 2001 Triumph Bonneville America

Feet stretched to way-out-front highway pegs. A single, fat, white-faced chrome-edged speedo dominating a chunky ally top-yoke. Heavyweight tank-mounted console for the basics and a nacelle headlight reflecting the whole world in its seamless perimeter.

First Ride

29/03/08

First Ride: 2001 BMW R1150RS

Spring 1993 and the most cutting-edge and outrageous looking teutonic two-wheeler was launched by BMW. The BMW R1100RS was one of the first of the new generation Boxers and was a bit of a departure for BM in its (then) 70-year history.

First Ride

29/03/08

First Ride: 2001 Honda VTX1800

There's a low, mean burbling coming from somewhere near my pants as my posterior is pummeled by a searing wave of torque. God, can you believe I've just written such tosh?

First Ride

29/03/08

First Ride: 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1300 Hayabusa

With a tyre-shredding 194bhp on tap and a fully revised chassis the original Hypersports bike is refusing to grow old gracefully. Hold on tight, because the 'Busa is back and is meaner than ever...

First Ride

28/03/08

First Ride: 2007 Triumph Street Triple

With £2,000 taken out of the Daytona 675's price tag is Triumph's Street Triple the bargain sportsbike of 2007, or have the boys from Hinckley cut corners on their new middleweight triple?

First Ride

27/03/08

First Ride: 2001 Ducati 620ie Monster

Jon Urry tests out the Ducati 620ie Monster

First Ride

27/03/08

First Ride: 2001 Yamaha BT1100 Bulldog review

In some respects, Yamaha's new BT1100 Bulldog could be quite an important bike. Not, because of what it is (which we'll get to later) but for what it isn't.

First Ride

27/03/08

First Ride: 2002 Harley-Davidson VRSCA V-Rod review

Harley-Davidson unleash their most important model for 50 years. With a watercooled, 115bhp, 60¡ V-twin motor straight out of their VR1000 racebike, it marks the start of a new direction for the Milwaukee firm. This is big.

First Ride

18/03/08

First Ride: 2007 Aprilia Shiver

The spitting image of Donald Sutherland in bad light, Kev Ash reports back on Aprilia's 750cc Shiver

First Ride

17/02/08

First Ride: 2008 Suzuki GSX650F

Just a Bandit with a full fairing? Jon Bentman flies to France and discovers the new GSX650F is a bike that’s much greater than the sum of its parts

First Ride

17/02/08

First Ride: 2008 Honda CBF600S

An easy learner friendly machine, or a bike with about as much soul as a sandbag? Honda’s middleweight goes for function over style...

First Ride

17/02/08

First Ride: 2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R

Jim Bowen managed to completely spanner a ZX-10R the last time we put him on one. He has never been to the Qatar MotoGP circuit. So, who better to make a complete arse of himself...