Used Test: Mille vs 748 vs Fireblade vs GSX-R750

The sportsbike market is a battleground between manufacturers all trying to prise the cash from your hands. Every year the one-upmanship takes on new heights as every new model tries to better the current market leader by grabbing the headlines with a huge power figure, new piece of techno wizardry or some mad styling cue.

So where does this leave the previous years' models? Can last year's cutting edge machine really turn that bad overnight when its successor is unveiled? Of course not.

The problem is that the Japanese manufacturers are stuck in a four-year cycle when it comes to bikes. A new bike is launched, the next year it gets a new paint scheme, the year after a slight tweak, usually consisting of an engine mod and some chassis refinement, the fourth year is another paint change then in the fifth year a whole new model is launched.

Don't believe me? Look at the current headline grabber, Suzuki's GSX-R1000. In 2001 it was launched and wasn't changed in 2002 bar some graphics. In 2003 it got a new pointy fairing, radial brakes and an adjusted chassis with the engine slightly tuned. Last year nothing happened and this year? Well, look at it. In the space of just four years there are now two models that are out of date.

And these soon end up in dealers as second-hand bikes, with price tags that are far more accessible to most of us than when they were new. Good news for the second-hand customers, not such good news for the fashion-conscious buyer who takes the hit.

Setting a £5000 budget for the bikes in this test I was amazed at the gems we uncovered. A call to D&K Motorcycles, one of the largest second-hand dealers in the UK, soon provided an absolutely mint 2002-model Aprilia RSV, a very tidy 2001 Honda FireBlade with a few miles on the clock, an excellent 2001 Suzuki GSX-R750 and, the biggest surprise for me, a 2000 Ducati 748 (although to be fair it was a bit tatty).

A fine selection of bikes, all of which have fallen foul of simply growing old and being updated. In 2002 the Blade saw its engine capacity upped, then the completely new bike with the underseat pipe hit the shops in 2004. Aprilia unveiled the new-style RSV-R in 2003, Suzuki re-launched their GSX-R750 in 2004 and Ducati's 749, with its controversial re-styling, replaced the beautiful 748 in 2002.

So with the UK covered in snow Daryll was dispatched through the drifts of northern Europe in the TWO van to Montpellier in the sunny south of France, while Niall, James and myself took the easy route of a cheap flight. Worth the £80 just to avoid listening to Daryll's music and karaoke singing.

Unloading the bikes at the hotel in Beziers there are three topics of conversation. The first is the rudeness of the French hotel staff, the second the temperature, which is just above two degrees, and the third the bikes.

"That Blade looks like its been owned by some bloke with a sticker fetish," reckons James, "although he hasn't worked out how to put them on. He's stood down wind, let go of them and left them where they landed."

Niall is equally bemused by the GSX-R: "Check it out. Why do people put blue screens on blue and white GSX-Rs? And look at the FireBlade's wheels. What the hell is that? It looks like the kind of tape we used to put on Mark III Cortinas."

Daryll has discovered some of the RSV's more subtle delights. "We've got pink anodised bolts on this one!" he says as he unloads if from the van. And we all reckon it's been owned by either a bird or a very fat bloke as it says 'Big Jugs' on the bottom of the number plate. Daryll also notices that none of the Ducati's fairing panels appear to be the same colour.

So here we have the first problem with second-hand bikes: owners often 'customise' them, and generally for the worse in the eyes of everyone but them. Anodised bolts are easily changed, stickers peel off and crap logoed plates replaced at little cost, but the GSX-R's tinted screen and rearsets would involve sourcing original ones, and that would add up to a few quid. On top of that, the Ducati has obviously been crashed. There's a lot of things to look out for when buying a second-hand bike.

With the bikes unloaded James looks them over. "Well that's it then," he says. "The GSX-R750 wins this easily, it's mint. Let's go home." Which is a sweeping statement to say the least, seeing as we haven't ridden any of the bikes.

"Those GSX-R's are great bikes," agrees Niall. "I don't remember that Blade being a good one, I don't really get on with 748s and while the new model RSV-R is good, I don't remember that model being as good."

I've got to admit I'm thinking along the same lines. Like Niall and James I've ridden all of these bikes when they first came out, and you can't help but form an impression about which will be the best. But there's a problem with this. We've ridden all these bikes when they were brand new. Now they are a few years old, and most of them have at least 10,000 miles and an owner or two under their belts, will they still feel the same? The Ducati does.

"That is probably the most uncomfortable bike I have ever ridden," reckons James after a blast on the 748. "They must have some kind of diamond-tipped cutting device to form the seat foam because it's as hard as stone. All your weight is shoved forwards on your wrists and it's a right ball-ache turning it in the road. But having said that I'm impressed. It handles really good and the engine is strong, but have you seen the finish? It's falling apart. Everything that can rust has and you'd never get it back to original. It rides like a good one and feels like a new bike, but it looks like a knacker."

Meanwhile, Niall has been won over by the FireBlade. "It feels and looks like a new bike," he reckons. "How old is it? Three years? I wouldn't have though it. Quality of stickers aside, it feels great. The front end is excellent, it's really balanced in corners and, although it turns quick, it never feels unsettled. The suspension still works perfectly and it's comfortable but the engine is mega. It's got so much bottom end, I had forgotten how good this motor is. It's smooth and delivers instant and really strong power."

Having bagged the Suzuki from outside the hotel something is worrying me. I love GSX-Rs because I'm a bit of a 600cc fan, and the GSX-R750 always offered everything I wanted in a 600 - light weight and great handling, with an added boost of power - but this one doesn't feel very strong, especially low down. The problem is I had ridden the latest generation of 600s just a few weeks earlier and they now match this 750 in engine performance. The 750 always used to have the advantage when it came to mid-range but now, with the high state of tune of 600s and the GSX-R600's lightweight engine internals (not to mention the Kawasaki and Triumph's over-sized engines), the middleweights have caught up with the older 750s. The latest GSX-R750 keeps ahead of the game, but this four-year-old model now feels a bit weak.

And this isn't a very good GSX-R. While at first glance it looks good, it has obviously lived a hard life. For a start the rearsets are too high, the brakes - never a real strong point on this model - are lacking in power and the engine feels rough, but not in a GSX-R way. While even new GSX-Rs have a certain harshness to them, this one feels thrashed and not at all well looked after.

"That's the problem with Suzukis," says Daryll. "When they're new they feel great, but this doesn't last long. You don't have to do many miles for them to feel second-hand and tip them over the edge."

After his first ride on it James comes to the same conclusion. As well as a rough motor, he notes that the clutch cable needs lubing and the chain is slack: "If only the previous owner had spent his money looking after it, not on a blue screen and rear sets."

There is nothing wrong with the bike itself. It steers really well and it could take on any 600, "but the new ZX-6R's engine is definitely stronger," reckons Niall.

Meanwhile, praise for the Blade is piling up. "The Honda's motor has dated really well," says James, "unlike the GSX-R's. I thought this model of FireBlade were shit. It's not, it's ace. Lovely engine, really sweet off the bottom and a light front end that steers good. I thought it would be too light but its solid through fast bends and has a good balance. Even the brakes are like new."

Its looks have stood the test of time too. Niall reckons the swingarm looks really trick; only the stickers and pinstripes let it down. "But have you ridden the Aprilia? he asks. "There's something not right. If we hadn't checked the tyre pressures I'd swear they were low. It understeers terribly."

James agrees, and thinks its problems may stem from the rear shock: "The Aprilia has a Sachs shock, which are crap. They lose their damping in about ten seconds and are notoriously weak."

"The rest of the bike feels like new. A two-year-old bike for over three grand off new price is a bargain. The engine still feels good, not much different to the new model, and the condition is superb but the handling takes the shine off it. It just feels top heavy to me and a bit agricultural. I don't really like them. The new model is better."

It is, but this one is definitely fixable. It would still be a great bike on track and for the road the fairing is huge, but the new model's updates have fixed all the little problems this bike has. It's a real bargain for someone who wants a good looking, virtually new Italian bike. Just check the shock out.

And this really is the problem with Italian bikes. Where the Japanese update bikes on a regular basis the Italians aren't quite so formulaic. Aprilia updated the RSV when it was in the financial position to do so, and sorted out all the niggles with the new model of RSV-R. Up until this point it was really the only update the RSV has had in its five-year life, bar a few fuel-maps here and there. And it's the same with Ducati. The 748 didn't really have any huge changes until it was phased out with the arrival of the 749. The 916-style of Ducati was uncomfortable and poorly finished, something Ducati has now improved on, and the price has always been higher. Which is why you don't get a minter for your five grand.

So, after riding all four machines for two days around the south of France was the GSX-R750 the winner we all predicted it would be at the start? No.

Time has taken its toll on all these bikes to one degree or another. As I have already said, for £5000 you'll struggle to get a real beauty of a 748; you'll get a workhorse. If you're only after a bike that will give you stunning feedback on a track, look good from a distance and start you off into the world of Ducati then this perhaps isn't bad. But remember it also comes with a crippling riding position and very high service costs.

"To own a bike as beautiful as the 748 you have to be proud of it," says Niall. "And that means spending the extra to get a good one. I just couldn't justify spending £5000 on a bike that looks as tatty as this, especially when you will see others that are just perfect parked up everywhere."

"The Aprilia was the best condition bike of the lot, but it's also the newest," says James, "but my money would be on the Honda. It's nearly the oldest bike here but has stood up to time so well it doesn't feel used, even though it has been. The only thing to watch is the gearbox, which is a bit weak. Apart from that I'm really impressed, which is strange as I don't remember them being that good. The Suzuki felt tired. It wasn't as fresh as the Honda and had too many faults, although many were owner-inflicted. A mint one would be a good buy but the Blade's motor would be better, it'd be more comfortable and would still handle. I'd have the Blade."

Niall's money would also go the way of the FireBlade. "Brand new the Aprilia would be tempting," he admits, "but the Suzuki was too rough and was only going to get worse. It's the old Honda build quality thing. They seem to make the bikes strong where they need to be. Because it has been updated so many times the price is right, the quality is right and you could use it every day."

And I'm with them both. For the money the Honda offers fantastic value. They are so solidly built that finding a good one isn't hard, and for £5000 it's a hell of a machine. The Suzuki is great, but just hasn't handled the years, and while I'd love to own a 748, it would have to be much better quality for the price. The RSV just didn't really excite.

Ironically, in updating their bikes in such an incremental and formulated way, the Japanese have ensured that even older machines are fairly close to newer models in terms of performance and handling. Which means that a clever second-hand buyer can land a stunning machine at a fraction of the cost of a new one. The bargains are out there. It's up to you to hunt them down.

SECOND-HAND OPINION

Buying a new bike is a simple process. Decide which model then choose the colour. Buying a used bike, however, is a whole different kettle of fish. Even a low mileage bike could have had a seriously hard life, so it's important to spot the tell-tale signs. You can get a really good idea what type of person previously owned a bike, and what sort of life the bike has had, by looking at the 'extras' fitted. The Blade was a clean enough example, with the exception of the poorly-placed stickers that were obviously put on after a night spent down the boozer before returning home with a kebab in one hand an HRC sticker kit in the other. However, in his drunken stupor the owner had neglected to place the stickers carefully, electing instead to take ten paces back and throw them at the bodywork. If he couldn't be bothered to line a couple of stickers up what hope was there of him ever checking the oil? The Suzuki did look as though its owner was a reasonably caring type, if not a little colour blind. Why do people fit blue screens? It doesn't match the bike and just looks shit. Unless you're going to race this bike the rear sets are a waste of money, and damn un-comfortable. The cash may have been better spent sorting the overly stiff clutch. Priorities you see. A look at the 748 revealed a tougher past. Yellow paint under the fuel cap, number boards have been added and the belly pan doesn't match anything. It may have been down the road at least once. And so to the RSV. The fact the number plate has 'Big Jugs' across the bottom and the screen bolts have been replaced with pink ones can only indicate one thing. But don't let the fact that it was once owned by a bird put you off. After all, it has probably never been thrashed or even leant over, although I would be wary of the clutch.*
*Daryll is joking. In reality he loves lady bikers and thinks they're great. They're all better riders than him, too

SECOND-HAND OPINION - MACKENZIE & WHITHAM CHEW THE FAT

NM The thing that struck me about the RSV was its understeer. If we hadn't checked the tyre pressures I'd have blamed them.

JW The rest of the bike is mint, so my guess is the rear shock. I know that there were problems with Sachs shocks not keeping their damping before.

NM It still feels special. It's a very fresh bike and would be good on track. I used to be a fan of this model, but the new one's better.

JW I always find Aprilias a bit top-heavy and agricultural, but the huge fairing is handy. The Ducati was strange. This one looks a nail but it rides well.

NM That's always a worry. But my neck is killing me from riding it. It could scrub up but it'd take work.

JW I liked it more than I thought I would. Get one in good nick and you'd be happy as long as you only took it on short blasts.

NM At a good price it would be a great buy, if you just want to ride the wheels off it. Looks like a piece of shit but rides great.

JW The Suzuki felt tired, as though someone who could ride a bit had owned it.

NM But it still looks mint. It feels like a modern 600. It could take them all on and probably stay close, but the ZX-6R is faster. Still a good buy at the price, if you could find one with a slightly more restrained previous owner.

JW True. But the Blade is the pick of the bunch. The owner is a one-eyed, sticker-mad idiot but what a cracking bike. It felt like new.

NM Lovely engine, sweet everywhere with a huge mid-range and willing to rev. And it's got a great riding position.

JW I remember seeing these thinking they were crap. But if you wanted a bike to just jump on and ride it'd be the Blade.

NM Yup. Just dump the stickers.

SPECS - APRILIA

TYPE - SUPERSPORTS

PRODUCTION DATE - 2002

PRICE NEW - £5000

ENGINE CAPACITY - 998cc

POWER - 119.4bhp@9500rpm

TORQUE - 73lb.ft@7000rpm

WEIGHT - 183kg

SEAT HEIGHT - 820mm

FUEL CAPACITY - 18L

TOP SPEED - 165.7mph

0-60 - n/a

TANK RANGE - 135MILES

SPECS - DUCATI

TYPE - SUPERSPORTS

PRODUCTION DATE - 2000

PRICE NEW - £5000

ENGINE CAPACITY - 748cc

POWER - 89.9bhp@10,600rpm

TORQUE - 49.1lb.ft@8800rpm

WEIGHT - 194kg

SEAT HEIGHT - 780mm

FUEL CAPACITY - 15.5L

TOP SPEED - 151.7mph

0-60 - n/a

TANK RANGE - 120MILES

SPECS - HONDA

TYPE - SUPERSPORTS

PRODUCTION DATE - 2001

PRICE NEW - £5000

ENGINE CAPACITY - 929cc

POWER - 120bhp@10,300rpm

TORQUE - 67.9lb.ft@7900rpm

WEIGHT - 170kg

SEAT HEIGHT - 815mm

FUEL CAPACITY - 18L

TOP SPEED - 159.9mph

0-60 - n/a

TANK RANGE - 125MILES

SPECS - SUZUKI

TYPE - SUPERSPORTS

PRODUCTION DATE - 2001

PRICE NEW - £5000

ENGINE CAPACITY - 749cc

POWER - 124.9bhp@11,500rpm

TORQUE - 63.6lb.ft@9300rpm

WEIGHT - 166kg

SEAT HEIGHT - 829mm

FUEL CAPACITY - 18L

TOP SPEED - 163.3mph

0-60 - n/a

TANK RANGE - 140MILES