specifications

For the price it is hard to knock the V-Strom. A lot of kit for minimal layout. A good touring bike

For a Sunday morning or commuter bike it looks great but lacks a bit of the charm of the old bikes whose style it apes. However, what it loses in character it makes up for in the absence of oil leaks

If practicality is more important than keeping up with the Jones’ then get one

I occasionally wonder if I shouldn't be more critical of new bikes at their press launches. The thing is, though there are very few perfect bikes, there are also very few complete duffers.

Have the latest sports 600s taken track focus to a level where it has limited their viability as road bikes? It certainly looks that way, but then looks can be deceiving...

Yamaha's latest Star is an exercise in big-small

Best engine in a basic, cut-price package - ripe for modification!

A vibe-free Sportster capable of travelling further than Box Hill

2006 sees Kawasaki design a bike to win 600cc supersport production classes.

After the hype comes the reality. And for lucky Niall that reality is served on the silver platter that is Kyalami circuit in South Africa. And the verdict? Oh my word, are you ready for this?

Achingly beautiful, plain aching to ride. Another classic stunner from Italy

Expensive, exclusive and a (steadily) moving work of art.

25 years in the making and Erik Buell finally makes the bike he always dreamed of: a liquid-cooled V-twin with plenty of poke and handling to die for. So has junking the Harley engines given Buell a new edge?

New model in 2007 with lighter weight and more mid-range punch.

The 2007 GSX-R600 K7 becomes the 'soft' 600 option, in the best possible way.

SUZUKI GSX-R1000

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

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.

A resurgent Moto Guzzi unveils another new model, and at a race track ferchrissakes. Mackenzie rides the new 1200 Sport

Great fun, and looks the business. Should still be top of the class

For the selfish among us this is the perfect weekend toy

Old faithful returns with a new jacket, starched braces and a spanking new motor. Still, the same old trusty, reliable bulletproof Bandit

In the six years since we first saw the B-King it has been the subject of heated discussion in Japan. Should it be dumbed down for mass market or a full-blown radical bike? Find out who won the argument…