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SUZUKI GSX-R1000

A race winner from the crate. Bettered only by its 550cc brother

You hear stories about soldiers who, in the heat of battle, commit acts of either unbelievable bravery, or just plain insanity, depending on your point of view. Going above and beyond the call of duty, they often get a medal to honour their bravado.

The Rocket III is a fairly scary bike, face it. Trying to unleash 143bhp while sitting in a position similair to the one that labouring women use isn’t exactly the most relaxing way to begin a mid-life crisis. Sales have been strong but not as strong as expected in the US.

The long-term significance of the HP side of the HP2 (High Performance 2-Cylinder) may take some time to emerge, equally its merit as part of the Motorrad model line-up will need time to clarify.

DUCATI 1098s

Suzuki's V-Strom really does have something to offer riders with a wide range of requirements. On top of its versatility, it's great fun

Easy going and ticks all the boxes for Commuters and inexperienced riders, but if you've been around bikes for a bit it's charms pall quickly.

IT’S TAKEN A while to get round to it but Honda has finally come up with a solution to the issues affecting the VFR800’s variable valve VTEC.

Here's the first installment from Harley-Davidson's 2006 line-up: the retro Street Bob

A stripped to the bones Vegas with a solo seat

Claudio Castiglioni, big boss of MV Agusta, would like to put everyone’s minds at rest regarding the future of MV Agusta. During the Misano launch of the MV F4 1000R he gave a personal

I KNOW I’M NOT as young as I was. I run a ‘sensible’ car, my hair is starting to recede, and the passage of time seems to have been compressed somehow. But it really isn’t so long ago since the best sportsbikes were of 750cc capacity.

No two ways about it, Ducati’s Sport 1000 isn’t a comfy bike. It stretches you out like a rack and breaks both your wrists at anything less than 70mph with harsh suspension and aggressive clip-ons.

For 2005 Kawasaki turned it down from 11, and in the process produced an almost perfect package.