specifications

With a race track that's neither fully wet, nor fully dry all we can test in the first of the three sessions on the 900R is tooth grinding and breath holding. 

A definite contender for a commuter

The new R1200 RT improves on the old bike’s talents with a sharper motor and better handling. It should be a winner

Dungeness is a funny old place, imagine a wasteland dreamt up by Playstation's best game developers, always windy and overcast littered with derelict huts and a host of makeshift sheds, all sitting on miles upon miles of rust ridden shingle.

Having an adventure with the new Moto Guzzi Stelvios

A grand turismo intended to have all the fun of a naked sportsbike but with all the protection of a tourer.

Steals the accolade of 'Thinking Man's Sportsbike' from the GSX-R750

It often takes a completely clean sheet to come up with something different. Surprise, surprise that's exactly what the radical orange people at KTM have done with the 125 Duke.

Now in its 90th anniversary year, Moto Guzzi has replaced its premium Norge 1200 with the new Norge GT8V. The similar looks don't mean they are similar bikes though, almost 80% of the bike has been redesigned but as Moto Guzzi Brand Manager Gianluca Di Oto stated at the press launch, this bike is "an evolution, not  revolution".

New(ish)-and-improved Stelvio with longer range and better manners

For three years, Kawasaki's Ninja 250R has been the class leader of the 250s. That's because it only had the Hyosung GT250R to compete against. It surprises me that the big four Japanese manufacturers haven't pounced on this sector like they did with 125s.

Quarter of a million Monsters and eighteen years later, Ducati’s sub-brand is still going strong. They've just launched their new 1100 Evo and we've ridden the new £8995 model around the roads of Mount Etna in Sicily.

The return of the renowned CBR600F or just a full-faired Hornet?

It's raining and the man with the Kymco Downtown 300i has arrived outside. I stick on a jacket, grab my lid and run downstairs to grab the scoot and take it to our lock-up around the corner. Can't leave it outside for more than five minutes before Islington's eagle-eyed traffic Gestapo slap a ticket on it.

Honda's reworked VFR800 in a new 'Adventure' guise

You probably know someone that has, at one stage in their biking life, owned a Honda CBR600F. First launched in 1987, it has been the bedrock of middleweight Honda sales, but, unlike the VFR or NC models, it never really got cult status. It’s never been ‘a must own’ and yet tens of thousands of us have owned one.

The Ducati Diavel Carbon promises to be a superbike in all but looks. After taking it for a ride in Spain, here's our verdict.

Top Gear's James May and Autocar Magazine's Colin Goodwin team up with Yamaha and Harley-Davidson in a quest for the alternative to scary sports bikes.

Going touring? You need a big bike, panniers and a top box. Or do you? From full-on sports tool to fully laden mile eater, via adventure tourer and slick all-rounder, the choice is yours. Team Visordown packs its bags and heads south.

I know the R6 well not only 'cos I raced one for three seasons in World Supersport but also because we used 'em as marshals' bikes on our track days.

The bold, brash and huge 1200 GS Adventure takes on its dad - the tough, slugging film star 1150 GS Adventure in the wilds of Wales.