Second Summer - used test

Right now is the time for enjoying the sun on two wheels. Whether it’s maximum speed or maximum cool you’re after, we rounded up the four best second-hand bikes we could find for £4,000 that provide the biggest bang for your summer buck...

Summer and bikes is when it all makes sense. It’s what motorcycles were invented for. The nights are long, anything above 15 degrees is considered acceptable and suddenly you can’t wait to get out there. You’ve waited six long, dark months for this and now it’s time for your two-wheeled payback. The ride to work is something to be enjoyed, the tyres are warm, the roads grippy. Ride to the pub in jeans and a jacket and love every minute of it.

If you’re looking for a decently-priced bike to ride this summer, we’ve picked four of the best. The second-hand market is a glut of top quality, just-used bikes at the moment perfect for riding hard after a tough day in the office or cruising round to see your mates for a barbeque on a weekend. For the sportsbike nut, we’ve picked the original GSX-R1000. Light, basic and thrilling to ride, this 180mph lunatic was the King of Wheelies when it was released in 2000 and instantly disposed of the Yamaha R1. In the same vein is KTM’s 690SM, only a year old and perhaps the ultimate city and backroad blaster. And for those who prefer their summer’s riding without having to look behind them all the time for pursuing police officers, Yamaha’s timeless XJR1300 and Triumph’s brilliant Thruxton offer warm-weather thrills of a totally different nature.