Yamaha XVS950A Midnight Star

You’d never guess this was an entry level custom cruiser, at only £6500 it’s a hell of a lot of bike for the money. It questions whether you need a larger bike, as it does everything a larger customs does and is considerably cheaper. It feels large, like a proper custom bike, comfortable, strong engine, more than enough for two up touring, yet is still easy to ride and rider friendly.

Quality and Reliability
Some of the plastic chrome does let the bike down in places, for me it’s a little too much. It doesn’t pass the quality tap test, however you have to remember the very low price tag. On the whole the finish is high, the exhaust looks quality. Reliability wise the low revving motor should be bullet proof and the belt drive reduces running costs.

Harley-Davidson VRSCD Night Rod

The Harley-Davidson Night Rod is the third derivative of the controversial (but undeniably modern) Harley-Davidson VRSC V-Rod family is for those who like their bikes hot-rod style – and black. In practical terms it’s halfway between the laid back Harley-Davidson V-Rod and semi-sporty roadster Harley-Davidson Street Rod. And that’s no bad thing: a modern Harley with style and ability.

Quality and Reliability
Like before with earlier V-Rod’s, the Harley-Davidson Night Rod is a modern Harley so you can’t really go wrong. Build quality includes the thickest paint and chrome in motorcycling, engineering is by Porsche but on the conservative side. The Harley-Davidson Night Rod is definitely reliable.

Buell 1125CR

Based on the sports Buell 1125R, the 1125CR is essentially a naked version of the same bike. As it comes it has one-piece handlebars to mimic clip-ons, but the pay-extra upright bars make more sense to ride with – far more comfortable, fits the naked bill. It has the Buell 1125R’s full-fat 146bhp engine and, despite its unusual looks, the whole shebang works.

Quality and Reliability
Issues with electronics, engine heat removal and other niggles have been resolved on the sports 1125R and Buell claims the 1125CR is now the finished item it wanted in the first place. The initial launch test showed no problems as such, although hard boot heels can scuff the swingarm if ridden with balls of feet on the pegs.

Triumph Daytona 955i

The Triumph Daytona 955i is an extremely rapid, sweet handling superbike. Unfortunately it was about four years too late in a fiercely competitive class. The R1, GSX-R1000 and FireBlade are lighter and faster. The Triumph Daytona 955i’s saving grace is its character from its gruff three-cylinder engine, distinctive understated looks and the fact few riders can use anything like all the performance any of these motorcycles offer.

Quality and Reliability
Problems with the Triumph Daytona T595 and early T955s had been ironed out by the time the Daytona 955i was released. Triumph finish seems to be more durable than on Japanese motorcycles although when the crinkly black surfaces start to go, they deteriorate fast. Owners tend to be more mature than other big sports motorcycles too which is a plus.

Triumph Sprint ST 1050

The Triumph Sprint ST is the best sports-touring motorcycle of its generation by some margin. It’s smooth, long-legged, comfortable and handsome, with a effortless power to shrinks distances with delightful ease. What's more, the Triumph Sprint ST's more sporty bent means it handles better than any motorcycle in its class.

Quality and Reliability
Like with all Triumph's, there are still a few quality niggles with the Triumph Sprint ST, ranging from corrosion to faulty parts. However, the Triumph dealer network and factory support is excellent and the finish on the motorcycles is generally excellent. Owners tend to cosset their Triumph Sprint STs, which makes them a good secondhand buy.

BMW K1300S

It may look largely the same as the outgoing model but the latest version of BMW’s rocketship K1300S has had a host of small changes that add up to a much better bike all round. With a claimed 175bhp and some seriously clever electronically-adjustable suspension, traction control and a long list of options to choose from, BMW has built a bike that can handle almost everything. And don’t forget the new K-series range now has proper indicators rather than the confusing triple switches of old.

Quality and Reliability
Few bikes shrug off winter better than a BMW motorcycle but it will still need regular attention to keep it looking shiny. The uprated shaft drive means less maintenance and expense than a chain. A few owners of the BMW K1200S previous model seemed to have suffered from vibration and quite high oil consumption but the new engine should stop that happening.

BMW K1300R

It may look largely the same as the outgoing model but the latest version of BMW’s naked K1300R has had a host of small changes that add up to a much better bike all-round. With a claimed 173bhp and some seriously clever optional electronically-adjustable suspension, traction control and a long list of options to choose from, BMW has built a bike that almost defies naked bike logic. And don’t forget the new K-series range now has proper indicators rather than the confusing triple switches of old.

Quality and Reliability
Few bikes shrug off winter better than a BMW motorcycle but it will still need regular attention to keep it looking shiny. The uprated shaft drive means less maintenance and expense than a chain. A few owners of the BMW K1200S previous model seemed to have suffered from vibration and quite high oil consumption but the new engine should stop that happening.

KTM RC8

September 21, 2007 With less than two months to go before its debut at the Milan Motorcycle Expo, KTM’s highly anticipated 1150cc RC8 superbike contender is undergoing intensive pre-release road and track testing. Has KTM’s early promise of the world’s most powerful V-twin engine been scuttled by the tyre-shredding Ducati 1098, or do the Austrians have something special up their sleeve?
Several years into development, the RC8 is now agonizingly close to production. Originally shown as a concept bike in 2003, the 75-degree V-twin is now looking like a genuine contender for national superbike racing in 2008, and an entry to World Superbikes in 2009, thanks to new regulations pushed by Ducati allowing maximum 1200cc twins to compete against the 1000cc inline-four superbikes of the Japanese companies.
KTM have put together a teaser website for the RC8, and several sources have captured spy shots and the odd video of the angular bike in road and track tests.
The 1150cc RC8 engine will also appear in a semi-naked version called the Venom for 2009, according to a shareholder report uncovered by Motorcycle News – as if the wild 990 Superduke wasn’t an aggressive enough streetfighter. Details on the Venom are sketchy but KTM’s all-thrills no-prisoners approach to its small but growing stable of roadbikes would suggest it won’t be toned down and neutered like most of the Japanese naked bikes, and we can perhaps expect a high-spec racebike with flat bars ready to brawl with the class-butchering Aprilia Tuono for naked bike supremacy.
The RC8, meanwhile, taunts and tantalizes from behind the curtain of pre-release secrecy. From what we can see, the underslung exhaust as been retained, the very chunky aluminum swingarm is perhaps even larger than anticipated, and the looks are pure KTM. Whether or not it lives up to its promise of being the most powerful production V2 on the planet, this will be an animal of a bike, and we can’t wait to get one on the road.

2006 MV Agusta - F4-1000 S

This is the ultimate evolution of MV Agusta’s famous F4 model, which has been with us in one form or another since 1999. The in-line-four-cylinder MV Agusta 1078cc F4 1078 RR 312 replaces last year’s 998cc F4 R 312. The ‘312’ bit of the name refers to the top speed achieved by the bike on MV’s test track: 312km/h (193mph). The beautiful RR 312 comes with a fearsome reputation for hyper acceleration, which only relents when it hits the rev-limiter in top gear. Thanks to its killer engine the MV Agusta is blisteringly fast wherever you ride it; it’s as happy to demolish track tarmac as it is Autobahn concrete, but its age is starting to show now and is relatively clumsy and heavy to muscle around compared to more modern stuff like a Blade. But thanks to a new slipper clutch, Brembo Mononbloc brakes and top-level Marzocchi suspension it’s still able to hold its own. Stick this engine in a modern day chassis and it would be phenomenal. Reliability can be iffy, though.

The New Ducati 999

It's the first all-new Ducati for a decade, and given that the last one has won six of the eight World Superbike titles since it's release (and is certain to make it seven of nine this year), it has a lot to live up to.
Ducati has always been a forward thinking company. It has used the internet to release special models and has allowed customers to order their bikes over the net. Now it has extensively used 3D CAD and computer simulation to develop the new 999. Not just that, but computers have been used in developing all components and systems on the new bike, for rapid prototyping and rapid production tooling development. The bike appears to be a triumph of rationalisation and has approximately 30% fewer individual parts compared to its predecessor and requires less routine maintenance time. The priority of the design of the 999 Testastretta privileged function over form. The company's stated goal was to "improve rider ergonomics, make maintenance easier, reduce machine complexity, and of course, offer performance second to none." The aerodynamics, mechanical and electronic components, chassis and running gear were developed first and styling followed. Interestingly, the new bike combines a lower frontal area and more aerodynamic shape with what is apparently a more comfortable and fully adjustable riding position - the footrests, controls and levers and even the position of the seat/tank unit are all adjustable.

Ducati 1198S

Nobody else has a 168bhp V-twin on its books, complete with traction control, Ohlins suspension, data-recording etc, and if they did it’d probably cost more than the £14,750 Ducati 1198S. And there’s a good chance it wouldn’t have the same devastating performance all wrapped up in a chassis that has more character than Lord Of the Rings’ Gandalf. This is truly one of those motorcycles that everybody should be allowed to ride once in their life for the experience of riding the best V-twin ever made.
"Ducati have altered the way the traction control works: on the 1098R the bike had to run open race pipes with no catalytic converter because the traction control system retarded the ignition before finally cutting the sparks completely. This meant the fuel injection continued to pump fuel through the engine which would have damaged the catalytic converter in the standard road pipes.

"On the 1198S the traction control system works by firstly retarding the ignition and then, if the system detects major wheel spin, it now stops the fuel injection from working and therefore no fuel can enter the exhaust pipe and the catalytic converter remains safe.

“The other major changes to the engine are new lighter crank cases which save in the region of 3kgs over the old. The cases are the same as the 848 enabled by a new casting process which removes any air bubbles or gases in the aluminium castings. There is also a reduction in the amount of aluminium material used to make up the cases.

Ducati Desmosedici RR

There’s no other way to describe the Ducati Desmosedici RR than as a MotoGP bike with lights; it really is that close to the real thing. The 200bhp motorcycle is a replica of Ducati’s Desmosedici GP6 MotoGP machine, which Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau rode in the 2006 World Championship and features the same chassis layout, bodywork and ‘long bang’ 989cc V4 engine architecture. There has never been a road motorcycle like the Ducati Desmosedici RR and it’s so stiff, fast and focussed that it makes R1s seem soft and cuddly by comparison.

Watch the Ducati Desmosedici RR

2007 Yamaha FZ1

Stripped to the essentials, the FZ1 eats up the urban sprawl with its awesome R1-based motor and super-agile chassis. This is a no-nonsense motorcycle that owns the streets, day and night.

Key Features:
Our ultimate street brawler brings 998cc of fuel-injected R1 power to the fray, in a light and strong aluminum frame.Sculpted fuel tank and a real-live handlebar move the rider forward for aggressive naked-bike excitement.Adjustable suspension at both ends lets the FZ1 be dialed in for a wide range of uses—everything from track days to urban assault to sport touring.

2007 Yamaha FJR 1300 AE

2007 FJR 1300AE Highlights

Bodystyle Sport-Touring
Warranty 2 months
Manufacturer Country Japan
Introduction Year 2006
Displacement (cc) 1298
Engine Type Horizontal In-line

2007 Suzuki SV 650 S

Suzuki's profilation of this bike

Welcome to a bike that combines middleweight agility with V-twin power - and tops it all off with aggressive and sporty styling. The 2007 Suzuki SV650S.

Suzuki Boost King

Suzuki’s new concept bike B-King looks like it could leave every other bike way behind at the traffic lights. And I’m pretty sure it could do that, too. Imagine Suzuki GSX1300 Hayabusa with a super charger - that’s exactly what B-King engine is. There’s no exact engine data available but we know that Hayabusa gives 175 bhp and a super charger could easily add 50% more power. 240 bhp has mentioned. Holy cow!!! That’s about twice as much as what the GSX1400 engine delivers

GSX1400 has the same tire dimensions as Hayabusa. 120 at the front, 190 at the rear. B-King uses 150 and 240 tires! They must have created a new tire model just for B-King...

Materials like carbon fiber, stainless steel, aluminum and leather were used building this awesome superbike. An advanced computer system is integrated to the bike. There are self-diagnosis systems, advanced telemetry, which can use a mobile phone for remote maintenance, setup options, and even a GPS-based weather warning system, in case you are heading for a rained out area, and much more. The engineers at Suzuki are supposed to design a helmet with a GPS navigation system using the visor as a display.

The bike is started using a fingerprint recognition system.

There’s also a advanced thief alarm system. If an unauthorized person tries to start or move the bike the owner gets notified of it immediately by his/her mobile phone. There’s a microphone and a speaker built in the bike so the owner can speak with the thief by the phone. If a speaking motorcycle doesn’t scare off the thief, you can activate light and sound alarm and the GPS system helps locating the bike if it actually gets stolen.

Suzuki Bandit 1250 ABS 2008

Suzuki's profilation of this bike

The new Bandit 1250´s balance of power, style and technology is a combination developed by a team of dedicated Suzuki engineers, working together to produce a street machine of unmatched quality.

Kawasaki 1400 GTR 2009

Kawasaki's profilation of this bike

Until now sports tourers have been about compromise. Kawasaki doesn´t compromise. We´ve taken the engine from the ZZR1400, the world´s most powerful hyper-sportsbike, and retuned it to make the 1400GTR deliver the performance hardcore riders demand.

Honda VFR800

The Honda VFR800/Interceptor is a motorcycle introduced by the Honda Motor Company in 1998. It is a successor to the VFR750F (1986-1997), which was preceded by the VF750.
From its first sales in 1986, the VFR750F scored highly on many press reviews. While it was originally intending to be a sports bike, the introduction of lighter competitors (including the nearly 30 kg lighter GSX-R750) prompted Honda in 1990 to transition the VFR into a mid-sized sports-touring bike, a category of which the VFR became the de-facto benchmark. However, by 1997, Triumph and Ducati presented Honda with significant sports-touring competition, so Honda responded with a redesigned VFR800 in 1998.

Aprilia RSV4 superbike

After numerous spy shots and leaked details, Aprilia has finally pulled the wraps off its upcoming RSV4 superbike. This is the machine that the Italian company will use to contest the Superbike World Championship in 2009 against the Ducati 1098 and the Japanese literbikes. To properly do battle, the RSV4 will make some 210-horsepower -- fully competitive with the best the series currently has to offer. While the race-going RSV4 is an amazing piece of kit, it's the street-bred RSV4, which will come in both normal and factory guises, that's of the most interest... since you'll actually be able to purchase one sometime next year. Powered by a 999cc V-Four engine mated to a six-speed gearbox with slipper clutch, we expect the Factory to be on par power-wise with the Ducati 1098R, meaning about 180 horses or more. Coupled to a wet weight of 418 pounds the RSV4 will be one seriously fast machine. A ride-by-wire system will likely allow Aprilia to offer more than one engine map to adjust power for specific conditions. One of the more interesting bits of kit that will be standard across the line are the numerous chassis adjustments, including the ability to alter the swingarm position and the headstock angle. Styling-wise, the new RSV4 tips its hat to the RSV 1000 R that we tested earlier this year with its third eye headlight that mimics the shape of the old ram-air duct from the twin. The rest of the bike looks thoroughly new and appropriately awesome. We're not sure how much it'll cost, but we know we want one regardless.

Ducati 1098 R

180 horsepower, 364 pounds, traction control... il più bello

click above for a full gallery of Ducati 1098 R imagesThis is truly the best Ducati bike that you are likely to get your hands on, considering that the Desmosedici RR MotoGP replica is probably out of reach and certainly sold out. Don't feel bad, though, 'cause the 1098 R is a most excellent consolation prize. We never did hate on the 999 like many Ducati loyalists seemed to, but we still recognize the 1098 R as a vast improvement. The details read as you might expect, such as the bigger bore, bigger stroke, bigger valves, and bigger throttle bodies housed inside the sand-cast engine cases that ought to adequately hurtle the Öhlins TTXR single rear shock and fully adjustable 43 mm Öhlins fork with low friction Titanium Nitride towards the next apex. Keeping up appearances is the carbon fiber bodywork, tri-colored color scheme (plus natural carbon fiber finish) and gold Marchesini Y-shaped forged wheels. Bello indeed.

Bmw S 1000 RR

BMW reveals race-ready S 1000 RR

BMW took the wraps off its upcoming S 1000 RR World Superbike contender as the Motorrad division showed the new bike in its official race colors at the Intermot show in Cologne, Germany. Taking a good look at the photos, we can see that the bike is indeed very compact. Look through the numerous cutouts and vents in the fairing and you'll see how neat and tidy the new literbike is. Next year, new BMW factory riders Ruben Xaus and past Superbike champion Troy Corser will ride the 190-horsepower S 1000 RR in competition against the Big Four Japanese superbikes, the Ducati 1098 R and the new RSV4 from Aprilia. It should all be very exciting to watch.Expect a street-going version shortly, with 1,000 units of the new model due for 2009. Unlike past Beamers, the S 1000 RR uses an inline four-cylinder engine mounted transversely in the frame with a standard chain drive. Suspension bits also follow the normal telescopic formula up front with a traditional coil-over out back, eschewing BMW's past Telelever, Duolever and Paralever designs.

Kawasaki 636

2005 KAWASAKI 636, Gorgeous 2005 636 with Yoshimura exhaust system, K&N air filter, after market pegs, carbon fiber tire hugger, 520 chain kit, quick running machine.

2005 BMW K1200S

Overall Concept and Model Features.

All that speculation is now coming to an end: BMW's long-awaited new model featuring a brand-new high-performance four-cylinder power unit and revolutionary suspension technology is celebrating its world debut at INTERMOT 2004: The new K 1200 S, BMW's sports machine in the K-Series. With engine output of 123 kW (167 bhp) and overall weight of 248 kg (547 lb) including fuel, this motorcycle offers the highest standard of dynamic performance. Introducing the K 1200 S, Europe's largest and most successful manufacturer of motorcycles is enlarging its model range and is entering the supreme class of sporting high-performance motorcycles so far dominated by Japanese manufacturers.

Yamaha YZF-R1

This is like no in-line-four cylinder sportsbike ever produced. It’s simply sensational. The Yamaha R1’s ultra-short-stroke engine has a cross-plane crankshaft, with its crank pins set at 90° and has irregular firing intervals, which is technology lifted directly from Valentino Rossi’s factory YZR-M1. At a standstill the motor spins up like a two-stroke and on the move the R1’s ability to accelerate, no matter where you are in the revs is astonishing. Thanks to the clever engine design it grunts off corners like a V-twin, while giving superb feel through the rear tyre, and howls along straights like the mad, bad in-line-four it really is. Best of all it sounds just like Rossi’s M1 at full chat. Watch the Yamaha R1 video test.

Honda CBR250RR

cbr250rr.com.au is a rapidly growing one-stop guide, marketplace and community for owners and enthusiasts of the Honda CBR250RR. Through our shared knowledge this site is quickly becoming the best Honda CBR250RR resource online, and that can only be a good thing for Babyblade enthusiasts worldwide.
The Honda CBR250RR is a world reknowned 250cc sports bike manufactured in Japan between 1990 and 1996, widely regarded as one of the fastest, most powerful and agile learner bikes available. The MC22 can be found all over the world, and is particularly popular in Australia and New Zealand as the most powerful learner license bike available. It distinctively screams out to about 18,500 RPM yet enjoys a long engine life of 100,000+km.

Honda VTR1000F Super Hawk

American Honda recently threw a coming out party for the all-new VTR1000F Super Hawk, inviting the U.S. moto-press to the bash. The event's backdrop was the picturesque wine country of Temecula, California, and its maze of gnarly, tight and twisting back roads proved the perfect venue to show off, as one Honda engineer put it, the Super Hawk's "lively personality." And lively it is, too. With the VTR, Honda feels they've "grabbed the essence of what Americans want in a big, sporting V-twin. The distinctive sound and feel that makes a V-twin seem alive." A spokesman for Honda's R&D department said their target for the Super Hawk was light weight, light steering, and strong low- to mid-range power and torque. Sound like a certain lusty Italian bike we know?

Suzuki GSX-R1000

Boasting an all-new compact engine, shorter wheelbase and new styling, the new GSX-R1000 raises the bar once more in the hotly-contested Supersport class. With significant changes in the engine department, the new GSX-R boasts a more over-square bore and stroke, larger, titanium valves, a higher compression ratio, and 12 hole fuel injectors, to deliver a finer fuel mist for more complete combustion. All this with a power-plant that is 59mm shorter from front to rear.And it's not just the engine that's seen the significant changes either, as the all-new chassis makes the GSX-R1000 more agile than ever before.With a unique engine and chassis package, the aggressive aesthetics and rider controls top-off the flagship GSX-R. With the unique Suzuki Advanced Exhaust System, featuring low-slung MotoGP inspired titanium exhausts, a lighter, sculptured fuel tank, on-board lap timer and revised Suzuki Drive Mode Selector controls, the new bike offers the complete sports package.

Suzuki GSX-R750

Despite being easier to ride, the latest Suzuki GSX-R750 will still captivate its many hardcore fans, says Kevin Ash.

Two years ago, we argued that Suzuki's GSX-R750 was as close as you could get to the perfect motorcycle. It's certainly easy to argue its case as the best sports bike because, around many circuits in the hands of most riders, it's as fast as, or quicker than, the one-litre superbikes simply because its lower power is more manageable. It's quicker, too, than bikes from the other main sector, the supersport 600s, due to its greater torque, which is even more of an asset on the road. At the same time the GSX-R has maintained an image as a hardcore nutter's bike, and it's that as much as anything which has kept it alive as Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha dropped their respective 750s.

2008 BMW HP2 Sport

The third model of the HP model range was designed for the ambitious sports rider and enthrals with numerous exclusive details that were previously restricted to racing, some making their first appearance in series vehicle production.Examples of these include the self-supporting and aerodynamically optimized fairings made completely of CFK, the gear shift assistant, a dashboard like that used in the MotoGP, the forged aluminum wheels and the racing brakes with radially bolted calipers. Wherever the eye of the spectator wanders, it sees pure racing technology that delights every enthusiast. It is unmistakably athletic, a vehicle that inspires on country roads as well as on the racing circuit.