Motorbike

Considering the state of the economy, Yamaha couldn’t have picked a more appropriate year to launch these two entry-level 600s. With my favourite of the two, the XJ6, costing just four and a half grand, you get a cracking bike, but more importantly, a whole load of fun for your money.

A peach from triumph, made peachier

It’s chucking it down. I can’t really see where I’m going as yet another errant Fiat Punto rental car appears out of the low cloud halfway across my side of the road. I’m soaked to the skin, I’m on an unfamiliar road high in the mountains and I’m not too sure of the way back to the hotel.

One man’s beauty is another man’s toad, or some such proverb is often quoted when referring to a visually challenged offspring. Usually behind the proud parent’s backs.

Ducati have added another fantastic bike to their already very good range. Replacing the S2R1000 the new 1100 has made use of the trellis frame and sub-frame from the 696 and the 1078cc air cooled DS engine from the existing range.

While doodling a sketch for a potential drag race bike back in 1992, Ducati designer Miguel Angel Galuzzi unknowingly created the basic principle of a new streetbike. A year later Ducati released the Monster, so called because of an apparent dispute over its name.

If you’ve only really been into bikes for the past three years, your perception of BMW is probably exactly as the marketing types in Munich would like it.

�� Let’s cut to the chase. The DN-01 looks like nothing else on Earth. I like it. A lot. It will get you noticed and it is a vision of the future, with its organic, sweeping lines, pull back bars, single-sided swingarm, chunky rear hoop, and chilled-to-the-bone riding position.

The 2002 R1 can be ridden harder, more easily than before - it's an awesome road bike and a more predictable track performer too.

There are at least 1,843 good reasons why Yamaha have taken the trouble to develop the YZF-R125. That’s the number of CBR125Rs that Honda sold in the UK last year.

Perhaps because KTM are best known for producing some of the best off-road competition machines of recent times, when the RC8 arrived a year ago many people expected KTM’s first attempt at a pure sports bike to be filling half of every superstock race grid by the end of the 2008 season.

“Having seen both bikes in the flesh I tell you, you wouldn’t even look at the orange paint scheme once you have seen the white one. It’s stunning. But both bikes just ooze quality and style.

Although most power-hungry bike journalists would have you believe that motorcycling is all about top speed and how quickly you can get there, the rest of us know it’s more about isolated moments of pure fun when it all comes together through a given section of road.

The 2008 Fireblade CBR1000RR does everything it says on the tin, but lacks a wow factor.

When I’m asked what is the best race bike I’ve ever ridden, my answer is unquestionably the Honda RVF750. It had smooth power but was rapid, handled like a dream and was ultra stable into the bargain.

World Superbikes was simply massive in this country in 1995. While GPs were dominated by Mick Doohan and turning into a predictable procession, WSB was tough, gnarly racing and incredible to watch.

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...

John Cantlie's long term impressions of the BMW R1200GS Adventure

TWO's John Hogan reports back from the launch of Derbi's new 125s in Barcelona

A KTM 990, Honda Transalp and BMW HP2 get stuck into the muddy action at the WRC Wales Rally as we go searching for freestyle legend Travis Pastrana