10 PRECIOUS SECONDS

Not everyone can afford the insurance to jump to a sportsbike from 125, but good things still come in small packages. Half the costs can mean twice the fun.

Small bikes. Shite, aren't they? Simply a stepping stone to bigger, better things, then why is it that we remember smaller capacity machines with affection? Is it simply nostalgia and rose tinted visors? Or do they really offer more bangs for fewer bucks? It certainly seems that some manufacturers still see the smaller capacity classes are worth of looking at on the new bike front.

New lunches this season from BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha augment the updates to ol' perennials like the CB600F Hornet, FZ6, Fazer family and Kawasaki's fun ER-6 models. With this mind, we put our heads together to come up with the best, used snakk capacity 'second bikes' that will give you values from money smiles all year round.


1. KAWASAKI ER-6F/N

Proof that the parallel twin doesn't have to have 'Triumph' on the tank. One of sweetest bikes out there is the ER-6 family. You can rag these things and enjoy it just stick some money aside for some 'sorted' suspension (Hagon do some great fork internals and springs) and you can really enjoy this bike. After all, a 120mph top end and 70bhp are enough for most people, while being sufficiently user-friendly for newbies. Build quality is better than on most older Kawasaki too..

Other twins worth a look include the CB500, the bike that James Toseland cut his racing teeth on. Alternative sub-700cc Kawasakis include the venerable (and softly sprung) ZZ-R600 and the first couple of generations of pre-636 ZX-6R, which if looked after offer plenty of thrills from decade old technology.

Pros : A lot of bike for the money; good fun; cheap to run.

Cons: Look are a bit different on the 'n' with the 'f' being a lot more attractive. Can run out of puff when you get used to it.


2. HONDA HORNET (1998-2005)

'Cult' is an often-over-used word in biking cirles, but within a year or so its 1998 release, the Hornet became one. Like the 250/350LC before it, the Hornet became the darling of new riders, shorties and ladies alike, spawning a host of specials and aftermarket bits. The motor is a peaky 90bhp or so, compared to the Fazer's torquey 80-85bhp, but unless you go for the half faired 'S' you'll find that anything over 80mph will be a pain anyway. The chassis is capable. if budget, although the brakes could do with a bit more. Later version went to 17-inch front wheel and from 2003, sexy upside-down forks.

Pros: Plenty around; it's a cult bike

Cons: Not as well finished as many Hondas. Not very well equiped compared to the opposition. One trip, that's it....


3. YAMAHA FAZER 600 (1995-2004)

So good to bought one. As did Big Al. We're talking the Thundercat powered Fazer here, not the later buzzy R6 powered affair. You've got a perfectly carburated motor, awesome brakes from the early R1 (clean those calipers with regular winter use, mind) and lots of features you'd find on bigger bikes (two trips, fuel gauge, clock, hazzards, center-stand, underseat storage and decent pillion.) Performance is superb and it's a chassis that handles, albeit with soft, budget suspension. Looks were questionable, even back then, but they grow on you.

Pros.: Cheap and most definitely cheerful. Performance per money.

Cons: Can get tatty quickly; engine paint flakes; exhaust downpipes rot.


4. CAGIVA RAPTOR 650

Even as a second, smaller bike, you can do with a bit of exotica, yeah? Well, how's this then-the first incarnation of the Raptor 650 and V-Raptor for around 1,500 euro? Solid Suzuki motor in styling that's just that bit different. Some tasteful extras (along with industrial-strength WD-40) should see it look nice and stay nice. The motor is solid in this, but buy a good version and you'll have something fresher than a wet cow turd, with just as many flies sticking to it in summer. Lovely. Other machunes in this class to consider include Suzuki's excellent SV650 and Ducati Monster M620

Pros: Look good; just a little bit different

Cons: Finish is shite on some and plastics/metal bits can deteriorate quickly if not looked after.


5. SUZUKI DL650 V-STORM

Yes, it looks just like its dull big brother, but hold those horses. This is BRILLIANT bike. Did I really use caps then? OK sorry. But hear me out. This really does make for an excellent second bike and winter hack. The SV650 motor is well used in this machine and pulls the bulk well only the addition of luggage and a lardy pillion sees this thing wanting. Solo, there's plenty of go, with the motor re-tuned for around 60bhp, not the 70 or so of the original SV. It's the undisputed decathleteof this top 10, albeit a quite ugly one.

Pros: Lots of bike for the money; comfy; pretty good two-up

Cons: Smashed into and uprooted the gnarly ugly tree


6. HONDA RVF400 NC45

The RVF ages well (the oldest are around 13 years young now) but it needs to be looked after well on the servicing front. Sounds wonderful and has the mid-range of bikes, happy in the knowledge that, unlike most 400cc sports machines, many NC45 owners rarely adorn it with pointless baubles or Maltese Cross rear lights. Honourable mentions must be made of following: Kawasaki's ZXr400 still look fantastic and was around for so many years there's one for every budget. Watch out for ex-rookies 400 race bikes, mind. Honda's inline four CBR Baby-Blades are nice but not as well put together as the RVFs.

Pros: Stunning to look at; goes well; sound better.

Cons: Servicing costs; shagged shocks by now; hard to find a really good one; pricey, still....


7. APRILIA RS250 / SUZUKI RGV250 (1994-2004)

We know they're two different bikes, but they both share that lovely Suzuki 90-degree two stroke motor and are a nice way to own a smaller, second 'classic' stroke.

The 'Priller' was around from 1994 to 2004, so there's still some low-ish mileage ones out there. All models used a breathed on Suzuki RGV250 lump, producing around 52 real-world bhp. On the tacho, like builders, nothing much happens before seven and the real work us done by about eleven.

If you must have a RGV, then it's best to simply find the latest and last of the old 90-degree models you can, like the RGV250S or T and ignore the hideous shell suit graphic. The 1991 SP with black number boards is sought after, while the banana swing arm M and Ns are the "classic" ones to go for.

Pros: Beautiful, even the Suzuki. Persuade the other half that it's a "classic". A real slice of biking history.

Cons: Most are old now and ratty. And have imploded. Impractical as a second bike in many ways.


8. SUZUKI BANDIT 600 (1995-2004)

We had to have the original in here, didn't we? When realised back in 1995, the Bandit was cool and looked mean. Now it's almost the pipe and slippers machine of the naked middle weight pack but this makes it bargain, as you can pick one up for as little as 800 euro. Mechanically realiable, the only thing questionable about the earlier Bandits is the finish: engine paint flakes, frame welds can rot as can exhaust welds, downpipes, fasteners and every nut and bolt attached thereon. If you can find a well looked after one, nab it. Back in the day, the performance of Bandit was more than enough, but now the 600cc machine has been left behind. Still, for bugger-all money ain't to be sniffed at.

Pros: Thousand out there; cheap

Cons: Hard to find a good one; they rot; performance isn't as hot as the rest.


9. 404 ENDURO DS

A few years ago people were claiming that this here 'Dual Sport' was the best CCM ever. And it's still worth a look as a second bike. Why? Well, you'veeffectively got two bikes in one. Thanks to the two sets of wheels. Slot in the knobblies and you too can be as happy as pig in shit on Sundays, while it can commute you to work during the week with the smart looking road wheels. Motive power thankfully road wheels. Motive power thankfully comes from Suzuki's well proven DR-Z400 lump which gives a respectable 39bhp. The only problem was a constantly weak of battery.

Pros: Two bikes in one. Look better than DR-Z...

Cons: You need to look after it, the finish isn't the best (but better than older CCMz) and make sure you keep the battery on trickle charge.


10. HYOSUNG GT650 COMET

The GT650 Comet is essentially an SV650 from somewhere else. Kinda. The motor is built in Japan, sharing a very similar design to that of the SV650, although the two are not identical. The savingsyou're making by buying one of these comes from a lack of fule injection. Finish isn't quite on a par with a Japanese bike and it's just not cool to tell the girl in the nightclub that you own a Hyosung, is it? But look at the prices. Used, you can get a used GT650 Comet with under 10k on the clocks for under two grand. There's also a sportier 'R' version with full-fairing that actually looks quite nice.

Pros: Cheap new, cheap used

Cons: It isn't Japanese, it isn't Italian, it isn't British. It's Korean...

HONDA VTR 1000 SP-2

Wanna big, WSB winning twin-but don't fancy a Ducati? If so, then you're only bet is Honda's SP2, an often overlooked slice of superbike exotica

As a bike manufacturer. Honda has a soild reputation. It supplies the market with good quality, reliable. hard to fault machinery that's very popular but also a bit dull and life-less. Occasionally, though, it makes something more niche that really stands out something more in the Pete Doheny mould. with much more attitude and character (though without the regular breakdowns), Its VTR 1000 SP-2 is one such example

It was Ducati that actually inspired Hamamatsu's men to come up with the SP. Early in the decade to win a WS8 title you had to have a V- twin. Ducati had proved that by completely dominating the class with that engine configuration, so Honda dropped its RC45 V4 750 and had a stab at glory with a new 1000cc V-twin.

The first version, the SP- 1, caused a bit stir in when it came out in 2000 because it was so different to how Hondas normally left the factor V. Built in more limited numbers it wasn't the bike for the masses with a more uncompromising design and relatively high price tag. But it actually had some real personality and appeal as well as snatchy fueIling. HRC made a better one for WSB racing and it won the championship in its very first season.

Two years on and the S P- 2 was introduced, and that's the bike we're testing here. There's no doubt the SP-2 is a looker. Sturdy, functional and compact. it's every inch an excIusive race inspired sportsbike. With its pair of world titles (Mr. Edwards won another on the SP-2 in 2002) the SP has a classy, desirable reputation. And because it didn't actual sell that well at all, it has the kind of rarity value so untypical of a Honda.

Get on it and you're reminded of its sporty intent. Seat pegs and bar positions, though not set to give an extreme riding position, are much more focused than they are on something like a Fireblade.

It"s not bad enough to rule out a long run, but its no tourer in the way a lot of current sports bikes can still be. The unhindered gas flow they allow gives a fair impression of an old WWII bomber, nicely offset by the more up to date whining from the gear driven cams, within the engine cases, And the way the volurne of that ear-bashing booming can be raised and lowered so quickly indicates the lightness of the Honda's engine internals and precision of its fuelling.

Head off to your favourite backroad and that special feeling increases. Both fork and shock are there to deal with the business of going fast and supporting each end of the bike under the strains of speed, power and braking though their duties don't really include making the ride plush. Quality damping means they're not harsh as such, but you shouldn't really expect to stay in the seat too often if you're giving it some over less than millpond-smooth routes.

The Honda's not a light bike and the chassis and steering geometry aren't exactly GSX-R-like sharp. Even so. the SP-2 can still carve an accurate and unmovable line through the countryside and has a reassuringly positive and planted feel. Steering it to do the same thing in another direction takes a bit more of a heave that it does on the latest tackle, but he turning process is hardly chopper like in us weight and speed Braking though. Is bloody brilliant. Suppressing the pace the V-twin generates is an easy job, done with plenty of power, progression and poise, no doubt aided by those stiff forks,

Of course, the engine is the main attraction to this Ducati-rival, and that's worth speaking highly of too. Being what it is. there's instant drive that only V-twins can deliver. But the tune of this one means revs are needed for its full potential to be released. It's hardly a problem given how freely the motor spins up just don't think you can get away with being as lazy as you can on some engines of this sort. And though the fuelling at small throttle openings is far better than it is on the SP-1 don't expect perfection in town.

There's no doubt that the SP-2 is more of a trackday tool or Sunday afternoon bike than an everyday one. It s not hell-bent on gang fast at the cost of anything else. but its focus is still clear. And with an appallingly poor tank range and a criminally insecure pillion perch that point is not open to debate. But as a Honda with style and purpose. that's inspiring and thrilling to both ride and own, it's a hell of a bike. Think of it as more of a Ducati without any of the Latin aggro that always comes with it and you're there, Well almost anyway.


VTR1000 SP-2 HISTORY

Honda decided to take the Italians on at their own game in 2000. The SP-2 was their second effort

Bidding in 2000 to lift a WSB title. Honda review it's engine design, habits and built a hard-core big capacity sporting V-twin the VTR1000 SP-1. It had produced one three years earlier in the shape of the Firestorm, but that was never designed for racing. The SP-1 served its
purpose well and in the hands of Colin Edwards, duly won the superbike championship. Never a brilliant seller, the SP was more of a homologation special. Two years later Edwards won again on the new version of the bike the SP-2.

The road bike it was based on, featured many subtle improvements. Chassis and suspension mods gave better handling and helped to reduce weight by four kilos. Improvements to fuelling cleaned up throttle response, and allied to minor engine changes increased power very slightly to give a claimed 135bhp.


WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR (sidebar)
Big dollops of torque comes as standard With the SP-2, as do big dollops of class

A fine choice, sir. But once you've made the decision to not follow the heard there are a few things that you must first consider. Follow these rules, however and you'll be a very happy chappy indeed

Your average SP-2 owner is far from common. He's generally an older, discerning fan, has a few quid in his pocket and buys the Honda more for its history and racing reputation than its actual performance. He rides it for pleasure only. It's a purist's bike

Few of the niche bikes were solid, you may need to scour the land for one. The vast rnajority have been owned by enthusiasts who cherish their bikes. Do not buy anything in less than mint condition unless asking price reflects this. They're no longer made but a very small number are still available in dealers for euro 9,449

Honda produced a limited run of Colin Edwards' stars and stripes replica bikes to celebrate his 2002 world championship win. Other UK dealers sold unofficial versions with race replica paint jobs. Many of these are considered tasteless, reduce the value of the bike, and hamper its chances of being so on

A softer set of fork and shock springs give a more comfortable and controlled ride

A set of good aftermarket pipes will improve power and delivery, Slimmer versions also improve the foot space for the pillion

A Power Commander smooths out the abrupt fuelling and makes the bike more rideable in town

Looked after, the Honda will return very reliable service and remain in good condition as the finish is strong and robust. Even with as many as 30,000 miles on the clock the bike can still look and run really well. Problems are-virtually non-existent and there were no recalls

Few owners service their bikes at horne. The job can be done but a access to some areas is tight and the work fiddly

A rear hugger protects the rear shock from dirt and stone chipping

Depreciation is significantly slower than the majority of modern Japanese bikes.

Official Honda accessories include a tank pad, battery charger, paintwork protectors, cargo net and heated grips!

APRILIA RS125

Everyone has to start somewhere and for the lucky few, it doesn't get much better than starting on one of these little gems.

RS125 HISTORY
Racing improves the breed. Aprilia cut its teeth in the world's two stroke championships, so the public had the race team's R&D department behind them.

The Italians have always been good at making small capacity bikes. As far back as 1949, Mondial, Morini and MV Agusta dominated the championships. By 1998, new boys Aprilia had made their mark, first with the elbow-scraping Loris Reggiani in the 250cc class, then a year later with Fausto Gresini in 125cc class. It was at around this time the Noale, based factory launched the road legal AF-1 Sintesi, abike that most seventeen year old boys would have given their right arm to own. And for most lads of that age, that 's a huge sacrifice...

The AF- 1 was leagues ahead of anything of its time. It had a single-sided swinging arm for chrissakes, it was beautiful. The bike went through a fairly gentle evolution with first the AF- 1 Replica, then the AF-1 Futura before the RS was born in the guise of the RS125 Sportpro in 1993. followed by the RS125 Extrema. Along the way, many top GP riders made their names with the factory, giving birth to some stunning RS replicas: The likes of Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirossi, Max Biaggi, Marco Melandri and Harada all, having had bikes built in their honour,

Just seven years ago Casey Stoner took the 2000 Aprilia RS125 Superteens Championship, a series that still runs today in the UK. So, not only is the RS125 a dreams. We got our hands on a 2004 Manuel Poggiali Rep (2003-250GP Champion) and a brand spanking Jorge Lorenzo Rep (2006, 2007, 250GP Champion) to find out for ourselves just how good the kids have got it these days.

The simple fact that both of these bikes are in replica colour instantly knocks year off you. You see, I couldn't afford to own one of these little beauties in my teens so I had to make the occasional ten-minute blast on my wealthier mate's Futura. Despite the fact that these days I get paid to ride just about every modern sports bike (lucky bastard, I know). I've to come clean and tell you that I'm really very, very excited about having not one, but two 'full power' RS125s to myself for more than 10 minutes.

Jorge v/s Manuel
The ride up from DK's Newcastle under Lyme showroom up into the Peak District National Park is hilarious. Absolutely wringing the life out of old Manuel (the '04 Poggiali replica) in a bid to keep up with young Jorge harder than he's ever been ridden before, is the most fun I've had on two wheels in months. The fast, winding roads up towards Buxton provide the perfect playground for these two bikes as we race towards as imaginary finish line, motor screaming, slipstreaming on the straights and double daring each other stay off the brakes through the turns.

Power to weight ratio
For a while I'm convinced that the new RS125 has a lighter weight and smaller frame is aiding both horsepower and aerodynamics as Jorge clears off from the lights and steals yards out of the corners on Manuel.

An RS125 in bits isn't going to get you into a girl pants, so do your research before blowing your young life's savings. Fools rush in, so tread carefully in this highly populated minefield

In a world increasingly concerned about greenhouse gases. fuel economy and other such nonsense, the thought of owning and running a two-stroke is to many people, about as appealing as stripping off, covering themselves in jam and taking a baseball bat to the nearest wasp's nest. Some might even say that the noise wouldn't be too dissimilar and that there's every bit as much chance of getting badly stung.

But, if you were born in a time before the ice caps started to melt, and started riding before all the rainforests were chopped down, then you'll know just how satisfying a two-stroke is to ride and more importantly, how simple it is to work on. There's a lot less to go wrong with a two stroke and despite a reputation for fragility and unreliability owning and running a stroker can often be one of the most rewarding times in a biker's life.

The RS125 is actually a pretty reliable bike but it doesn't take a genius to work out that most will have been preowned by seventeen year olds, so you can expect neglect and bodged repairs. Here's what to took out for,

Engine and gearbox
The simple fact is that two-stroke motors need to be cared for. The longevity of the RS125 engine is heavily dependant on using the right grade of oil. Fully synthetic is the only choice, with Motul 800 Factory Line being a popular choice amongst Aprilla dealers. Most of the problems associated with the RS can be avoided by following the correct service schedules, though unsurprisingly, this isn't something that most teenage owners are any good at. The piston and rings will need to be inspected at 5,000 miles and pistons should be considered a disposable service item Genuine Aprilia pistons can be pricey, but aftermarket ones are readily available and don't give any known problems. Engine seizures are rare with the RS, thanks to a reliable oil pump and qood carburation as standard. The biggest known fault with the RS motor is weak main bearings - any hint of bottom end noise should mean you walk away. The latest model is very expensive to upgrade to full power from learner legal. Our advice is to not bother - just trade it in for a full power version.

The RS125 Came with 2 types of engine from 1996 to 1998 Aprilia fitted the Rotax 123 type engine, and from 1998 to present day they fit the Rotax 122 type engine. Please note both the 122 and the 123 type engines are 124cc the 122 and 123 is reference to the type.

Now the confusion is around 1998 (the swop over year) you can not always rely on the date of registration as the bike may have been made in 1996 but not registered until 1998 and thus has the 123 type engine fitted.

2004 RS125

Engine
Type: l/c, single cylinder 2 stroke
Displacement : 124.8cc Bore x Stroke: 40.3x39mm
Compression : 12.5:1
Carburation : Dell Orto PHBH 28BD
Carburettor Gearbox: 6 Speed chain
Power: 27bhp@11,250rpm
Torque: 14.8ft/lbs@10,000rpm

Cycle Parts
Chassis: Aluminium twin spar

Suspension:
(Front) 40mm USD forks
(Rear) monoshock with adjustable preload

Brakes:
(Front) Single 320mm disc, 4 piston caliper
(Rear) 220mm disc, twin piston caliper

Wheel/Tyres:
Cast aluminium
Dunlop GPR70 (Front) 110/70 17
(Rear) 150/60 17
Wheelbase: 1345mm
Fuel capacity: 14 liters (3.7gal)
Dry Weight: 114kg (251.31lb)

Rating:
Engine: 7/10
Chassis : 8/10
Usability : 7/10
OVERALL : 7/10

Picture: Just keep that tacho needle near the red stuff and you'll have fun that will last a lifetime

Good: Great chassis, good looking

Bad : A few niggles, not as grunty

2007 RS125

Engine
Type: l/c, single cylinder 2 stroke
Displacement : 124.8cc Bore x Stroke: 39.86x40mm
Compression : 11.5:1
Carburation : Dell Orto PHVA 175
Carburettor Gearbox: 6 Speed chain
Power: 29.5bhp@11,300rpm
Torque: 15.7ft/lbs@10,000rpm

Cycle Parts
Chassis: Aluminium twin spar

Suspension:
(Front) 40mm USD forks
(Rear) monoshock with adjustable preload
Brakes:

(Front) Single 300mm disc, 4 piston caliper
(Rear) 180mm disc, twin piston caliper

Wheel/Tyres:
Cast aluminium
Dunlop GPR70 (Front) 110/70 17
(Rear) 150/60 17
Wheelbase: 1345mm
Fuel capacity: 13 liters (3.5gal)
Dry Weight: 110kg (242.5lb)

Rating:
Engine: 8/10
Chassis : 9/10
Usability : 8/10
OVERALL : 9/10

Picture: Flash LCD display includes Tetris for da kidz. Beautifully finished parts, so long as they're looked

Good: Pin-sharp looks, great pull

Bad : You'll be too busy riding to pull chicks

Chassis
All the usual rules apply to the RS. such as wheel bearings and head bearings (you'd be surprised at how well an RS will wheelie in first with a bit of practice) and it's definitely worth looking closely for any signs of crash damage. Loose or misaligned handlebars provide an easy clue, as do scratched fork bottoms and any marks on the swinging arm.

Cycle parts can be prone to premature corrosion through poor maintenance and the shock is renowned for leaking oil and losing its darnping at anything between 2,000 and 6.000 miles, so be sure to have a bounce on the bike's rear end and check for signs of oil on the swinging arm and linkages.

So long as you use your noodle, finding a decent RS125 shouldn't be too hard and a well cared for machine will stand out like a shiny penny. Look at the setter as a guide to the state of the machine, If he's an oink who wouldn't know two-stroke oil from chip fat , forget it that the newer bike is much faster than the old one. The acceleration is crisper and there's a ton more torque or at least relatively speaking there is, anyway.

Corner Kings
In the corners the handling is similar, though unsurprisingly the almost brand new, Aprilia UK-maintained press bike is in better condition than the three-year-old, teenager-abused bike. Jorge's radial front disc brake offers stopping power bordering on overkill and the kind of steering sharpness that I last felt on my mate's BMX. The earlier bike isn't exactly hard work through the corners (would be a bloody sight better with new tyres, mind) and the comer speed on both bikes is mind-boggling. Having chosen a corner for photography that we'd been merrily grazing our kneesliders on bigger bikes a few weeks previously. Needless to say after a couple of close calls with cold tarmac, a tucky front end and the Armco, we decide not to bother

We were expecting the novelty of these bikes to wear of after just a couple of hours but it doesn't - instead it makes you reevaluate your riding skiIls and how you need to adapt to less power, how to get the best from the bike and how every little mistake and loss of momentum counts. There's no wonder the Aprilia Superteen race series remains such a strong breeding ground for so many of the UK's top young riders.

The Final Analysis
Of course it would be very easy for me to say that the newer bike is the one to go for, for a variety of reasons not to mention the reassurance of a warranty. The newer bike looks sharper with its Mille-a ping fairing and has all the neat touches like the radial front brake and trick OZ-style wheels.

Either of these two bikes should make any seventeen year old -first-timer happy beyond their wildest and wettest dreams and even for those a little older but still keen to learn the art of riding a sports motorbike from scratch. I've no doubt that there's not a finer bike available to do it on.

Yes, the newer bike is better, but you'd have to be a racer or an overpaid paperboy to justify the extra cost.

BMW HP2 SPORT

With a liqht-weight chassis covered in trick parts, the HP2 Sport is the third model in BMWs'high performance range and has the most powerful boxer motor produced

Unlike some bikes. where you can almost taste their eagerness to embarrass and hurt you for the smallest riding indiscretion, BMW's new HP2 Sport wants to help and guide you despite being the lightest most powerful race-orientated boxer twin ever produced. Of course. I suppose it had no option, it is after all still a BMW.

It begins the second you turn the ignition on. Where most machines simply display engine temperature [or lack of it), the HP2 Sport advises you what to do about it through the new 2D dash. Being totally digital means the dash can adapt to things in real-time. So when the bike is cold. the solid black bar indicating the rev limit moves right down the rev- range to about 3,000rpm before slowly moving upwards as the engine gets warmer.

The programmable shift lights also count down as the engine oil warms up. Of course you can ride off before this process completes, as we did for our first laps of the day around the 26 turns that make up the 3.4 mile Ascari circuit, and the bike won't stop you.

The help doesn't stop there It's been a while since I last rode on track but it didn't matter much on this bike. While I may be out of practice at thriming a bike around the HP2 Sport wants to throw itself around. At first I thought it was me over compensating but the sensation remained throughout the day. It's ultra-fIickable. Showing the Sport a corner is like saying 'walkies' to a dog. It getsatmost annoyingly excited.

How the engineers have achieved this I'm not sure it's so contradictory. It's not likeyou have to put much effort into the bars or even think about it too much. The bike just seems to fall over realty quickly, implying it's. unstable and yet, seems completely stable the rest of the time. Some of this might be down to the new forged aluminium wheels that are lighter than normal allowing the bike to move more freely. And of course there's the crankshaft. which is more sympathetic to flicking than conventionally mounted crankshafts although the HP2 Sport holds a significantly better line when the engine is at higher revs and feels more planted mid-corner.

One thing you can't get away from when cornering though is the fear of decking-out those cylinder heads and I was conscious of It all day although never actually did (you should be able to lean 54 degree before they touch). A couple of people scraped them without any problem thanks to the built in engine sliders which looked very neat.

Slimline (teu)tonic
Wheels and engine aside, the biggest influence on how the HP2 Sport behaves is perhaps its lack of weight and how that weight is distributed. By cutting everything in half and making it out of sponge cake, the engineers got the claimed dry weight down to 178kg [amazing really. as even a pencil drawing of a shaft drive bike weight more than 50kg). Wet and ready to go, the bike still weighs less than 199kg and most of that looks concentrated around the engine and BMW claims a 'favourable' centre of gravity.

There's hardly any frame to speak of thanks to the Telelever front end that passes most of the braking forces directly to the engine-meaning the suspension doesn't reatty dive into corners, leaving it free to suspend, which it did very well. Although the faster you go the more underdamped it seemed.

The rear frame is tubular steel (modified from the R1200S and is really just something to bolt the self-supporting carbon fibre seat unit too- By itself this saves 2 kilos compared to a conventional subframe and seat unit, The front fairing is also self-supporting carbon but you don't think about or notice these when you're riding of course, but they 'll be great to boast about.

Instead, all your attention is focused on getting in and out of corners as quickly as possible. This is after all what the HP2 Sport is designed to do As far as getting into corners goes. the brakes are one of the Sport 's best features. Being of the radial bolted four piston Brembo mono-block variety, they're of course immensely powerful. There isn't much heavy braking at Ascari, but they didn't fade in what they were asked to do.

More importantly, the braided steel brake lines and clean looking Magura master cylinder gives you bags of feel so you can confidently trail the brake deep into corners with out worrying about what the Telelever front is doing. Of course ABS is an option on this bike. although wasn't fitted to the bikes we rode. If it is fitted the press blurb says it can be disabled-but more interestingly it has an anti-hoppy function.


Under control

Where normal ABS stops the wheels locking, the HP2 Sport's system also prevents the rear wheel lifting (presumably by controlling the amount of front brake force). While undoubtedly increasing rider control in emergencies, it'll be interesting to see what it does to the overall stopping distance As it was. without ASB fitted the HP2 Sport remains quite controlled under hard braking anyway.

I've a already mentioned how quickly and easily the bike goes from upright to leant over (allowing you to hit almost any mark you want to) and the suspension works very well at soaking everything up, which begs questions about how good the new engine is out of turns? The answer is very good, but don't expect to out-drag any of the litre bikes.

The new valve train, lighter piston and con rods allow the engine rev a little higher to 9,750rpm while a new cylinder head gets the required air in and out to make it worthwhile. But it's still a boxer twin and it's still only got 130bhp. So other bikes can afford to corner 30-40bhp slower, and make simply up for it on the straights.

When you do pin the Sport's throttle the power delivery is unmistakable. You get the same thrumming and 'phutting' sound from the stainless exhaust, from all boxer engines and at low revs you're aware of the lateral vibrations. It'll pull though. It quite happily completed fourth gear laps, and although sluggish out of turns it didn't bog down.

As the rpm bar on the 2D dash rose the engine became keener. There's a valve fitted just in front of the end can to increase the spread of torque and this operates around 6,000rpm. Something you can see quite clearly on the dyno graphs. You can feel it too.

Up to 6,000rpm the motor feels strong and delivers what you'd expect Then at 6.000rpm it gets excited, smooths out and really takes off towards the rev limiter where you feed it another gear. Interestingly, the chassis geometry feels flat so the bike translates thrust into forward (rather than vertical) motion very well. You just keep pushing on.

This is of course a lot easier to do thanks to the DE quick-shifter (a first for a production movorcycle). It operates just the same as all other quick shifters, don' t shut the throttle, just simply lift the gear level and the engine backs off enough to angage the next gear.

The system is slightly smarter than conventional shifters though. Normally Trick shifters cut the fuel injection or ignition for a set amount of time then turn it back on. This is known as a hard cut.

"It'll give a lot of bikes a hard time on the road simply because it's easy to use and not too much of a handful."

First of all it looks at throttle position and engine rpm. It then picks a different delay time depending on what these are and backs off both the injection and ignition enough to allow the shift and feathers them back in for the smoothest possible shift. There is of course an unavoidable jerk as the next gear slots home but otherwise it works well and should be very good for town riding.

The worst thing about the engine is actually getting on the throttle. There's a translation period on every bike between slowing down and speeding up-but it's not only to do with throttle position on the HP2 Sport. There's a period as you initially open the throttle before the engine actually starts to pull It's like taking up the slack in a tug of war, and it seemed to take a relatively, long time on the Sport and was a little unsettling.


Wind it on

After some experimentation, it turned out the best way to ride was at the point where you wanted accelerate, simply wind on about 8% of throttle instantly and wait for the engine to respond. You could then feather the throttle to suit as the engine chimed in. While it sound odd, it wasn't I hard to do once you remembered, and actually made the bike a whole lot more predictable.

Instead the detonation and lambda sensord are used to keep the engine safe if a lower grade fuel is used (it really needs super unleaded) however, other people have told me there is some closed-looping going on in BMW's ECU causing them to sometimes surge when cruising.

So it works and does everything you'd expect it to well. But will it sell? Here's the catch. There's no doubt in my mind that it's a quick and competent motorcycle. It'll give a lot of bikes a hard time on the road simply because it s easy to use and not too much of a handful. Styling wise it's no more ugly than everything else seems to be the this year and it's got plenty of unique features for people who like that sort of thing.

Then you get to the price 14,500 Euro is proper expensive, and I'd question the price v/s performance ratio compared to the Japanese litre bikes. Despite this 60% of the UK's allocation is either already sold or has deposits taken for. As it is, no wonder HP4 Sport would be exciting.

RIDING POSITION
Bars and footpegs are both adjustable. The footpegs have an eccentric adjustment (a little like the chain adjuster on the 916) while the drop angle on the bars can be adjusted to 6 degree or 9 degree. The seat is quite narrow and a bit square but this works great for track use and it seems comfortable.

SUBFRAME
Built of pre-prog carbon fiber the seat unit is self-supporting and weight 0.5kg. So there's no need for a conventional subframe assembly (weight 2.5kg). meaning they've reduced 2kg of weight from a high-up far back position. Apparently BMW are very proud of the bolts you can see on top of the seat unit. They hold the exhaust and carbon fiber together but allow the exhaust to expand without breaking the carbon.

SUSPENSION
Telelever front and Paralever rear arrangement works extraordinarily well. This may of course be thanks to the Ohlins damper units fitted as standard to the front and rear. Both units are adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping although if anything they're a little under-damped at speed.

DASH
There are two main modes, race and road to choose from. The difference being how and where Information is displayed. In race mode gear position is displayed bigger than speed for instance and vice versa. They're completely configurable (or should that be muck-up-able?). but luckly there's a restore to default button.

TYRES
K3 compound Metzeler Racetecs fitted as OE, don't make the mistake of replacing the 190/55 rear tyre with 190/50. It would drop the rear nearly 10mm and reduce the contact patch area when leaning.

ENGINE
New pistons and con rods allow it to rev higher (9,750rpm) while new cylinder heads with machined inlet port and bigger inlet and exhaust valve let it breathe. Most in now active is the camshaft orientation. Each cam operates one inlet and one exhaust valve. Because the valve are angled, the cams have to be ground at an angle to compensate for this.

BRAKES
ABS is of course an option on this bike but you can turn it off if fitted. Interestingly as well as preventing a wheel lock, the HP2 Sports's ABS system avtively prevents the rear wheel coming off the floor too.


SPECIFICATIONS

Engine
Type: Oil Cooled DOHC 8v opposed twin
Displacement : 1,170cc
Bore & Stroke : 101x75mm
Compression : 12.5:1
Carburator: F1,52mm throttle bodies
Gearbox: 6 speed shaft
Power: 130bhp@8,750rpm
Torque: 84.8lb-ft@6,000rpm

Cycle Parts
Chassis: Steel tube trellis and self-supporting carbon fiber seat unit.

Suspension:
(Front) BMW Telelever (Ohlins damper fully adjustable
(Rear) BMW Paralever (Ohlins damper fully adjustable)

Brakes:
(Front) Dual 320mm discs 4 piston radial mount Brembo calipers
(Rear) 265mm disc two piston caliper

Wheels/Tyres:
Forged aluminium
Metzeler Racetec
Rake/Trail: 24 degree/86mm
Wheelbase: 1,487mm
Wet weight: 178kg

HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADE

It's an all new bike, so you've guessed there are some things that need explaining

ENGINE
Heavily revised motor returns to a separate cylinder block with new linerless bores and a clever electro-deposited coating inside the cylinders Inlet valves are titanium an the bore is up 1mm (stroke is down 1.5mm) while the new pistons are lighter than before yet stronger too. Total engine mass is down by 2.5kg.

FRAME
Cast frame is 30mm narrower and 2.5kg lighter while being much more rigid. Swingarm is also longer length and higher pivot point.

EXHAUST
All-new underslung system reeplaces the underseat pipe and resonance chambers together with no loss than two ECU controlled flapper valves optimise the performance all the way through the rev range.

WHEELS
Lighter and stiffer than before - 240g lighter at the front 310g less at the rear. Tyres are Bridgestone BT-015s Dunlop Qualifiers.

CLUTCH
Honda's new Assisted Slipper Clutch uses a system of ramps and undercut dogs to both release the clutch pack together under acceleration. This allows lighter clutch springs and a lighter lever feel. It also means a cable can replace the old hydraulic setup saving weight

BRAKES
New Tokico calipers are 430g lighter in total than before and are now proper monoblock, one piece castings. Pistons are aluminium with chrome plating and there are four pistons using two pads. Discs use six point mounts instead of ten-point and have variable-sized drillings further saving weight and boosting feel.

Honda launched its 2008 Fireblade in the middle of the Arabian desert.

Before the oil boom, them wasn't much to see in Qatar. Diving for pearls and fishing for, er, fishwas about it, and the population was mostly nomadic tribal folks, who didn't stay in one place for too long. Indeed, with summer temperatures hitting fifty degrees celsius and no fresh water, you can see why no one bothered to live there in the days before air conditioning, desalination plants and Haagen Dazs shops.

It's all different now, There's plenty going on here. And there's plenty going on here Honda's Fireblade too. We're here in Doha to ride the new 2008 version of the firm's litre sportsbike, and from initial glimpses at the NEC, Milan and Paris shows, it looks to be a pretty special machine An all new engine in a revised chassis, with more power. less weight. and a dash of novel[ technology including some sort of traction control system

Like Qatar, though, the new Fireblade is not uncontrovesial. In the case of the Honda, that's down to a, frankly ugly new top fairing which combines a low-browed Neanderthal forehead with a stumpy, snub-nosed side profile

In the case of Qatar it's down to some frankly ugly labour laws four-fifths of the population are immigrants, who do all the dirty work, and if they don't toe the line pretty damned carefully, they're kicked out of the country toot bloody sweet It's getting better and in terms of broader human rights, Qatar is much better than some of its neighbours, but we 'd like more progress please

Featureless
Back at the track though. we've had line obligatory technical presentation, and I'm heading out for my first session at this track.

And it 's me that's heeding to make a bit more progress here I'm afraid. The fast time I was on Track was the Suzuki Hayabusa launch nearly three months ago, and white I've been riding constantly since, tiptoeing my Speed Triple through a freezing South London commute every day, this hasn't been much preparation for what's going on now and what's going on now is that I 'm piloting a 175bhp superbike around a new track, and it's one of the fastest, least forgiving, most featureless circuits I've been to

Losail is, obviously, built in the desert. and so there's little in the way of Landmarks around the track It's pretty flat too, and there are one or two sections which took very similar on the way in, but which differ vastly in the speed you can carry through them. Consequently, the new Blade is taking up a little less of my attention than managing to work my way around the track without ending up in the sand But after the first couple of laps following Hannspree Honda world supersport racer Johnny Rea around at a steady pace, l'm starting to get an early picture of the bike.

HRC KIT BIKE
Honda was showing off a race bike fitted with HRC's own race kit, which will apparently be available from Honda dealers. It looked utterly mean in black and was dripping in top kit: Brembo calipers, Showa race suspension, quickshifter and race rubber.

Honda has sent us out for the first session on bog-stock road suspension settings and standard ST-015 tyres, so things are a little bit squidgy and vague, with a fair bit of pitching fore and aft when getting on and off the gas. But for an initial session at a new circuit. the Blade is actually pretty friendly and easy to get on with. There's a good spread of power from 6,000rpm up towards 12,000rpm, with a linear, progressive delivery and smooth fuel injection, The brakes are incredibly strong too, and they dig me out of one or two little holes with ease.

For our second session on track, we're treated to some preselected suspension tweakages. Ex-BSB race winner Rea has been here all week, and he's prescribed a general firming up front and rear (see box) that has really transformed the bike There's an instant improvement in the composure of the bike on the brakes, and there's also a lot more feedback through the now-taut suspension. I've also had the angle of the brake lever on the bars adjusted downwards to better suit my spacked right wrist These changes, together with the basic map of the track I've started to build in my head, is letting me push on a bit quicker now, and the Blade is inducing a bit of a grin inside my lid.

Chastened
But halfway through the 20 minute session, I drift off line a little bit just after turn two, and as I hammer the gas on, the bike passes over the top off a small rise, and the back wheel steps out. In an instant. I'm out of the seat as the Honda snaps away, then back into line under me. A couple off big wobbles pass in a terrifying instant, and I'm breathing huge sighs off relief as the bike calms down and I back off, suitably chastened for the rest of the session.

We're stopping for an early lunch now, so I get a chance to sit down with a cup of tea to settle my jangling nerves before my next ride The excellent Honda techs have replaced the stock BT-015 road tyres with full-on BT-002 track rubber for the rest of the day now, and so I'm feeling a little more confident as I ride down the pit lane and out onto the now-hot track. I get a couple of decent laps in before Grand Prix legend Mr Ron Haslam pulls in front of me. When he still in sight after fifty yards or so I work out that he 's telling me stick on his tail so I can pick up the way around a bit quicker. It's a massive help both (a my confidence and the accuracy of my lines round here. I soon pick up loads of hints about where to position The bike for some of the more tricky corners and start to exploit the grippier tyres and track suspension settings a bit more

The brakes are impressing me more and more each lap, with seemingly limitless power and even more feel now the tyres and suspension are sorted. It's easy to hold a tight line through the longer hairpin bends essential on this flowing circuit if you're to keep in position for the next corner - while the bike feels composed and nimble through fast direction changes. The slipper is great too, giving seamless control over hard downshifts with no juddering. grabbing or anything disconcerting at all. And that new engine is still just fine on track, putting in a strong yet friendly manner through the midrange and top end. There's not much call to dip below about 5k here. but when I do manage it once with a dense outbraking manoeuvre, the bike pulls cleanly enough from 3,000 revs. Back in the pits, and I'm pondering on how the new Blade will cope on the road. It's notoriously difficult to draw road performance from a track launch-especially a track as serious and fast as this one. And we'll really have to wait for a proper road ride back here in Europe to see how Honda's done with that. Having said all that, there are some encouraging signs the riding position was comfortable and relaxed for my 5' 8" 13 stone frame the dash looks good (but only has basic info, no gear indicator or fuel gauge), the mirrors work well. The fuel consumption meter on my bike seggested it was getting around 20mpg - not so bad for the riding conditions on this super-fast track.

And finally
For the job Honda act it in Qatar, the Fireblade excelled. Getting round a serious WSB-class race track in quick older, while making it seem very easy is no easy task and the new bike managed it a treat. And the positive smiles of Honda guests Leon Haslam and Cal Crutchlow (who'll all be racing this bike in BSB next year underlined that success.

But of course. 90percent of the riding time spent on 2008 CBRI000RRs will be on the road, And from what a day on a desert race track can tell you the new bike will be pretty good at that job too - scant dashboard aside.

But then the old one did both of these things very well too, and there are three competing Japanese machines from Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki which are far from poor performance in any sphere. The new Blade is sharper than before, but it's also uglier. And whether it has sufficient ability elswhere to take on the cosmetic handicap remain to be seen.

"There's nothing really standing out about the CBR's performance though - just lots of good stuff going on."

STYLING
The main concern about the new Fireblade from visitors to the www.superbike.co.uk web forum was styling. And while it's true to say that the bike looks abit better once you get used to it, the stumpy front nose cone gives the bike a face only a mother could love. The parent involved design chief Toshiaki Kishi apparently developed the new look after a visit to the Japanese temples of Kyoto, taking further inspiration from the design of samurai sword. The stubby nose was also designed to underline the centralised mass of the new bike, and the reduction in side area also aimed to improve the way the bike moves sideways through the air.

HESD
New generation Honda Electronic Steering Damper is much smaller and lighter than before. It's now located under the fuel tank cover, out of sight. An ECU-controlled solenoid alters the damping level according to road speed and throttle opening, giving light steering at slow speeds with heavier, stability-boosting damping when required.

BATTERY
A frankly tiny 7AH battery replaces the previous 10AH part. Honda claims a revised starter setup allows the change, which saves 3kg. But if you fit an alarm or heated grips or leave your headlights on without the engine running, you now have even loss margin for error before needing a bump start.

SUSPENSION
Largely unchanged from before but the forks have a wider span and more offset. Rear shock is essentially identical

SUSPENSION SETTINGS
Recommended base settings from BSB Supremo Mr Jhonny Rea If they're good enough for that ten stone star

STD TRACK
Front
Rebound Max minus 2.25 turns Max minus 0.75 turns
Compression Max minus 2 turns Max minus 1.75 turns
Preload Min plus 6 turns Min plus 3 turns

Rear
Rebound Max minus 2 turns Max minus 1 turns
Compression Max minus 2 turns Max minus 2 turns
Preload 4 ring 8th ring



SPECIFICATION

Engine
Type I.C 16v DOHC inline four
Displacement : 999.8cc
Bore & Stroke : 76x55.1mm
Compression: 12.3:1
Carburation: PGM-DSFI fuel injection 46mm
Throttle bodies dual injectors
Gearbox: 6 Speed chain
Power: 175.3bhp@12,000rpm
Torque: 84lb ft@8,500rpm

Cycle Parts
Chassis: Gravity cast aluminium twin spar

Suspension:
(Front) 43mm fully adjustable USD forks
(Rear) Monoshock fully adjustable

Brakes:
(Front) Dual 320mm discs four piston one piece calipers
(Rear) 220mm disc single piston caliper

Wheels:

Cast aluminium

Tyres:

Bridgestone BT015
(Front) 120/70 17
(Rear) 190/50 17
Seat Height: 820mm
Wheelbase: 1,405mm
Capacity: 17.7 liters (3.9gal)
Wet Weight : 199kg (438lb)

TORQUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Honda's take on the 'traction control' system actually came from a typically Honda concern with civilised road manners, rather than a desire to keep wheelspinning track jockeys happy

According to Dave Hancock, Honda's development rider the system was originally aimed at reducing slow-speed jerkiness from transmission lag. The ECU analyses the throttle position and its speed of opening as well as engine speed and retards the ignition for a tiny spell to give a softer ramping up of power rather than a straight hit. This original plan worked well but Honda realised that this could also provide a anti-wheelspin function.

So the ECU analyses the rate of acceleration of the crankshaft as well as the throttle opening and if it sees a set of conditions which are outside its pre-mapped figures, it will retard the ignition slighty, softening the power and-hopefully-preventing a less of control. But if you're wanting to spin the back end up, it won't stop you the proper racers on the launch were having no trouble smoking the back tyres on opposite lock all the way out of Losail's long exotic corners.

Having said all that, Honda isn't too keen on publicising the feature (which may be down to fears of litigation from crashed owners more than anything else). It's not mentioned in the extensive press kit and doesn't even seem to have one of those acronyms so beloved of the Japanese (Recommended HAT-JOK Honda Anti Throttle Jockey OverKill)

DUCATI 1098S v/s MV Agusta F4-1000R

Ducati is back with the beautiful 1098S. MV has never been away, but the F4-1000R is the latest in along line of achingly attractive, ferociously fast sportsbikes. So which is best when you’ve got £14,000 to invest?

There are a lot of ways to scrape £14,000 together. Kidneys go for decent money nowdays, the volatile Chinese stock market could multiply your money in an instant, internet poker can reap rich rewards and we’ve not even touched upon the more illicit ways to garner the cash. For the risk averse and law abiding, you can always go down a conventional route and get on the phone to bank for loan and so long as they’ve got your house to repossess when it all goes belly up the money will be burning a hole in your pocket by weekend.

What I’m trying to say is that £14,000 isn’t a lot of money. Yes, it’s significant, especially when we’re used to paying nine grand for Japanese litre machine, but it’s an attainable amount of money if you really, really want something. Of course you could just work hard at school become an accountant or a city banker and buy one with the change from a 1982 Chateau Lafite that you downed at lunchtime, but think of all the shit you have to do to get into this position.

It just so happens that MV Agustas and Ducatis are the sort of machines that people really, really want. And when it comes to the Ducati 1098S and the F4-1000R all rationale goes out of the window. Because they’re objects of sheer beauty, with vicious intent. Enthusiasts, nay devotees will convince themselves that they can afford the crippling interest repayments, or at least they can live life with just the sole kidney and almost any sacrifice is worth it, just to own one of these machines. But which one?


Which bike to buy is a hard enough choice when confronted with the current crop of sportsbikes on offer for under 10 grand. These two prove that having more money doesn’t make that choice any easier.

First out of the traps is MV’s F4-1000R. Released during the summer of 2006, the R is a serious upgrade of the S model, itself emerging butterfly-like from the already beautiful cocoon of the 750 version launched way back in 1999. The F4-1000R boasts more power an up rated suspension but at no extra costs. Now that’s magic.

A speaking of trickery, Ducati has made the ignominious 999 an illusion, a figment of our collective imaginations, with the birth of the 1098, the true successor to the feted 998. Blessed with catwalk looks and disguising a killer punch, the 1098 resurrects everything that Ducati has been built on. Compromising not one job for performance nor style, the 1098 promises to deliver in every department, and in S form with its posh Ohlins suspension and fancy-dan wheels it really threatens not just the MV’s territory but makes the £5,000 leap from the Japanese competition as inconsequential as £5,000 can be.


Engines & Performance

You join us in the middle of a lightning-fast debate. Which configuration is definitively best? The Ducati’s s gutsy twin or the MV’s screaming inline tour? It's an argument that is rallying back and forth as the track sessions progress.

We’re used to the massive pull from Ducatis, but the MV's flavour is refreshingly different. Were not talking about any old inline four cylinder machine, no sireee ALL it takes is a steady out- lap to determine that MVs take on the inline four is a very different to how the Japanese approach the task.

There's no denying that the MV is fast but it's also furious. Furious as in snarling, angry, wild - something that needs taming- It couldn’t be any more opposed to, say, a Honda Fireblade whose 150bhp manners make you believe that it's part of the landed gentry. Hit the starter, and the gruff noise from the wonderfully creative bazooka pipes is all very encouraging, but you need to grab the F4-R by the scruff of the neck from this moment forward to get any enjoyment from it.

Aside from the uber-stiff chassis and suspension, the motor of the MV’s seems rock hard too, just like Begbie in Trainspotting. Much like hit mate's description of him, the MV is “a total fucking psycho, but he's a mate you know, so what can you do”. You're resigned to throttling the MV, so now it's down to the serious business of getting this bike to scream. Wind it up to five figures and that's exactly what it does, wailing in the sick pleasure of been thrashed to within an inch of its life (another version Super-Bike Italia had ranked out blew up on the dyno). Lamborghini has been involved with the development of the MV’s motor and you can sure as hell bet that it’s not been the forklift division giving the advice.

The rev counter winds its way all the way to 17,000rpm and there’s no doubt that without electronic regulation it would happily get to that level before it self destructed. But the fun stops at 13,000rpm only for the excitement to pile on again in another cog.

But life isn’t about full throttle, even on track. And that’s when the MV has shortcomings, the sort of shortcomings that you’d expect on a £4,000 bike, not £14,000 one.

Two problems dominate. The first is that there's just not enough drive from low down in the revs. Even on track where this phenomenon is likely to be masked, the kick that you’d expect from an inline four doesn't materialise until too far up the rev range. Its one thing boasting 8bhp extra and GSX- R- levels of power, but at times these claims seem distant.

The second problem is its behaviour at low revs. It there was purely a lack of power then que sera, but the new Magneti Marelli engine management system seems to be on standby unlit 6,000rpm. Hold the MV on a neutral throttle though a turn at 5,500rpm and the machine just surges back and forth as massages to the aging throttle bodies get cross wired. Mireval’s three- corner tight section highlighted these woes: with the bike seriously leant over the motor almost had a mind of its own.

The chassis lapped up the troubles, but it's off –putting to say the least to have a bike not wholly under your stewardship at 45-degrees of lean.

So that's the MV, fabulous but flawed. Some my say that the whole V-twin concept is flawed itself, especially in these days of absolute power of Japanese machinery, but there’s no denying that this new Ducati is completely fabulous.

It may take a little while for those two Ducati pistons to arise from their slumber, but once it’s awake it makes you glad to be alive. The bike pulls from as low as 4,000rpm in top about 70mph. This then transforms into an impressive tug to 7,000rpm when it then turns into pure, unadulterated joy until the soft limiter (cutting only one cylinder) comes in just above 10,000rpm. The characteristics of the 1098 are similar to the 999, but the next league up. Some free play in the throttle and the tiniest of snatches from the Magneti Marelli fuel injection are the mildest of complaints, and in the light of the F4- R they’re like nitpicking Telly Savalas.

Let’s take the downhill exit of Mireval’s turn one through to turn two as an example, The MV felt like a coal miner rushing at the Nottinghamshire constabulary during the miner’s strike. It was exciting, but fuelled by incensed emotion meaning that you truly has to hang on the bike. The rear would start skipping on the brakes as the bike was leant over on the brakes and changing down a gear was almost an act of faith. The Ducati, by comparison, could be gassed hard as the first corner opened up before it blitzed through a gear then hard on the brake ready to go down into second gear for the next turn all in complete control. Efficient, but so evocative. Every now and again I’d be in the mood for tackling this on the MV, but the effortlessness of the Ducati meant consistency speed and control.

Whether the 1098S has quite the puff to rival its 1,000cc Japanese rival is another thing. Quick shifting into fourth for the back straight showed it had the pull from low down but with a low rev ceiling you often wished for just another 500 revs or so. Still, I guess we can wait for the 1098R soon.

EXHAUST
The 2-1-2 system is all new with thinner lighter walls and beautiful underseat silencers.

SUSPENSION
The front 43mm FG511 Ohlins suspension are an upgrade of the Showa kit on the base model. Titanium Nitrade is applied on the legs to reduce stiction. An Ohlins steering damper is used to calm any steering flap. At rear the S model also uses a 46PRC Ohlins unit with top-out spring that compliments the new linkage. The rear ride height adjustment is independent of preload.

INSTRUMENTS
Inspired by the MotoGP instrument panel, the 1098 gets a high tech look and also is used in the data acquisition system that can record how quickly you go down the shops. The Analyser itself is standard on the S model and can record 3.5 hours of data.

BRAKES
The 1098 is the first production machine to use Brembo Monobloc M4 brakes which use four 34mm pistons. The monobloc design rather than a bolted together construction method achieves higher rigidity. Disc size is now 330mm, although their weight has remained constant.

WHEELS
Nearly two kilos has been shaved from the forged Marchesini wheels to reduce unsprung weight and improve cornering. The rear now sports a 55-section rear tyre. If the Ohlins doesn't give the S away, then the red pin stripe on the wheels should it doesn't feature on the base model.

ENGINE
Ducati terms the 1098's engine, the Testastretta Evoluzione. This means, "That it's an evolution of the firm's Testastretta ('narrow head') motor. But more importantly, it means it's the most powerful production twin in history. The cylinders and head are new, the bore and stroke are now 104mm x 64.7mm (were 100mmx63.5mm) and the bike uses elliptical throttle bodies to increase air flow by 30%. The cylinder head now with a magnesium cover is a massive 3kg lighter. As a whole, the motor is 5kg lighter.

CHASSIS
Supposedly developed in conjunction with the race team, the 1098 uses the traditional steel trellis frame with wider diameter tubes, but with thinner walls increasing rigidity by 14% and losing 1.5kg. At the rear, the single-sided swingarm is back. Using aluminium castings around the connecting points with the bike (pivot point hub) and fabricate aluminium sections elsewhere it really is a thing of beauty.


SPECIFICATION: DUCATI 1098s

Engine
Type: I/c 8v, desmodromic V-twin
Displacement: 1098cc
Bore x Stroke: 104.0 x 64.7mm
Compression: 12.5:1
Carburation: Marelli EFI, elliptical throttle bodies
Gearbox: 6 speed
Power: 142.68bhp@9,168rpm
Torque: 85.52 lb ft@7,527rpm

Cycle Parts
Chassis: Tubular steel trellis
Suspension:
(Front) 43mm Ohlins USD forks with TiN, fully adjustable
(Rear) Fully adjustable with top-out spring Ohlins monoshock.

Brakes:
(Front) 2x330mm discs, four piston 2 pad radial Brembo Monobloc calipers
(Rear) 245mm disc two piston caliper

Wheel/Tyres:
Dunlop GP Racer
(Front) 120/70 ZR17
(Rear) 190/55 ZR17
Rake/Trail: 24 degree 30' - 24 degree 50'/97mm
Wheelbase: 1,430mm
Capacity: 15.5 liters (3.4 gal)
Dry Weight: 171kg (377lb)




Chassis and Handling

"The Ducati is a machine you keep on falling in love with. Playful yet serious, it's accurate but allows indiscretions, efficient yet full of soul"

If you get the feeling that the MV and Ducati are like chalk and cheese in the way they're powered then the way they handle really exacerbates this impression.

The limestone base of this equation comes in the form of MV’s steel trellis linked to the massive aluminum swingarm support plates and the huge single-sided swingarm itself. The seven-year-old technology may have worked in the era when stiffness was king but as the new millennium has progressed riders want more suppleness, more feeling and more composure from a machine.

The overriding impression of the F4-R is that it’s so ridiculously stiff that only circuits offering baize-like smoothness can benefit it. The F4-R's suspension hardly pitches in to help either. The chunky 50mm Marzocchi forks offer decent feeling, but I can’t help but feel that the Dunlop GP Racers are doing most of the work. The Sachs monoshock at the rear doesn’t have the sophistication of either the front forks or its rivals, meaning that delivering everything the massively powerful engine has to offer can be a dicey game.

Consequently, it takes a long time to get comfortable lapping quickly on the MV. Persist and the rewards come, but this is no machine for either the faint or the half- hearted. Grit your teeth and commit to going quicker and the MV comes along for the ride. And what a ride. Pitch the bike into a corner and it arcs into the turn well, holding a good line before aiming for the exit and firing out like a rocket propelled grenade, through a Baghdad suburb. This doesn't happen at every turn however, and the motor tends to upset the bike in slower corners, although you make lots of time up through the last stuff. The Brembo brakes don't offer massive feel but slow the F4-R down effectively and boy does it need slowing down times.

Despite massive concentration and two days worth of track time, at no point did I feel wholly comfortable with this vision in black. A tired session at the end of the second day was a sheer waste of petrol as I really couldn't muster the energy and near meditation levels of concentration to go at anything like a decent lick. MV returns to the TT this year with Martin Finnegan riding the F4-R in the superstock race and I really can't think of a worse bike to do it on. The time and place envelope for appreciating the F4-R is tiny. and it certainly doesn't encompass the TT. Martin good luck!

The Ducati, on the other hand, is a machine that you keep an falling in love with after every Lap. It's playful yet serious, accurate but allows indiscretions efficient but full of soul

The love affair begins at the first corner and continues tong into the day. The ergonomics work with yourr natural instincts, putting the right amount of weight through your wrists and over the front tyre to allow you to hunt corner after corner after corner. The lithe body allows your limbs to envelop it, you use your legs to level the 1098 this way and that apply pressure through the pegs to stand the Ducati up and then lay it down.

In conjunction with the sublime Ohlins suspension, the Ducati is an absolute breeze to ride right up to your previously perceived limits and beyond. The feel from the front is incredible, you feet as if you could notice whether the O'Sheas or Fitzgeralds laid the Tarmac. Where the MV felt clumsy at slower speeds, the Ducati excels, allowing the bike to be adjusted easily.

The old 999 found this trick difficult, once you were on a line, that’s where you stayed, but the 1098 allows you to experiment and roam across a track at will. The rear shock has been honed well to easily apply the 1098S’s muscular power with the Dunlop GP Race tyres. Fantastically stable at speed and hard on the Monobloc Brembo brakes, the Ducati really does tick all the boxes at the track.

Where the MV required complete concentration you think that you can do the crossword on Ducati all while achieving personal lap records. It’s the sort of bike that you’ll go to a track day on and bemoan the fact that sessions are only 20 minutes long because the 1098S is a bike that you’re not going to want to get off.

Styling & Ergonomics

Ducati dealerships around the world have all built little shrines in the corner of their showrooms to pay homage to Giandrea Fabbro, the 1098's designer (while consigning their pictures of Pierre Terblanche to the gentsl. Fabbro has not only designed a masterpiece, but has also designed a way for Ducati to get out of the shit. After years in the doldrums, dealerships are buzzing again, order books are full, and Ducati has refound its mojo.

Aesthetically and ergonomically the 1098S works perfectly. It suits the body (well. my 5'10- body) and fits the confines of a track like a glove. From the return of the single-sided swingarm (industrially pretty) to the wonderfully informative MotoGP style display. the Ducati evokes the legend of the 916, but for this modern era.

The MV Agusta F4-1000R retains much of the appeal it had at the F4-750 launch nearly eight years ago, but in many ways the lustre has faded. Ergonomically the bike is a nightmare, even on the track. Wrists hurt, muscles ache, brains fry after just a few laps, and although the screen is one of the best in the business, it doesn't allow you to hide from the machine's shortcomings. The wide fuel tank splays legs, making it feet like a tall machine and the thought of riding this bike through town is enough for me to apply for a monthly travel pass for the bus.

It's still a pretty machine, menacingly so in these dark hues, but it's easy to start picking out little flaws. The tacho needn't be marked all the way to 17,000rpm because the revs don't go anywhere near there, the mirrors are poor (as are the Ducati's), the pillion pegs took cheap and out of place and the faux carbon fibre just cheapens the overall look. Do not get me wrong, I still think it’s a pretty bike and would love to lift my garage door to reveal it to me each day, but the F4-R is like an nineties supermodel, past its prime. Still astonishingly beautiful, but aging all the same.

"It takes a long time to get comfortable lapping quickly on the MV. Persist, and the rewards come, but this is no machine for either the faint or the half-hearted"


DUCATI 1098

Sex. The seduction begins immediately. A long voluptuous figure wrapped in red, flashes a cheeky smile. The voice is deep and blue. Sliding an expectant, quivering thigh over its midriff, I reach for the giggle button. The earth moves.

Anyone who doesn’t fall in love with this bike before even throwing a leg over, has obviously had a stylectomy, or at best is suffering some sort of chronic shriveling of the funk glands. And has my sincere sympathies.

There really isn’t a single uncomplimentary angle from which to view the 1098. Which makes it all the more impressive that the single best angle from which to view it, is from above. The ride is most definitely the Parmesan on the Bolognese Essential.

Riding the 1098, I felt a real tactile connection to it. It was a reminder of why big twins of all persuasions have such a cult like following. Only there has never been a road going big twin like this one.

Ducati hasn’t take any chances with the 1098 with styling nor specification. This chassis package hasn’t just been thrown together using the boutique spec theory. That if you use Ohlins and Brembo kit, people will think that it works and buy it. This chassis has been thoroughly thought out and ‘set up’. The firm factory settings are race ready. Braking stability is phenomenal, as is the amount of feel and grip at the back, leaving your right fist free to do virtually whatever it pleases.

The best attempt I can make at being critical is wanting an extra 500rpm to save a gear change here an there, and that there isn’t one sitting in my garage right now.

“It’s a fairly rare occasion when something that looks this good has the performance to back it up.”

And all those lucky people who got their order in early know exactly what I’m talking about. Enjoy.


MV AGUSTA F4-1000R
Sex and violence. A dark mysterious figure stares me out from across showroom, one eye on my bravado one eye on my wallet. Menacingly confident. Dangerously sexy. Immaculately dressed, sharp enough to slit your throat. I’m left wondering if I’m in for the ride or the fight of my life. It turns out to be both.

There is no pussying about with the MV. Anything less than full commitment simply won’t get you any satisfaction, or understanding for the nature of the beast. It would be easy ti dismiss this bike as just being an instrument of torture wrapped in designer clothes. And it wasn't till I got angry at it and started to fight back that I started to appreciate its true purpose. What we have here is a no compromise track bike. It responds to aggression and feeds off your fear. At full chat the noise is deliciously distracting. You'll probably need to double up on earplugs to concentrate fully on where the road is going next. And concentrate you must.

It's not comfortable. It's not sensible. It's not normal. It's probably not even affordable. But when used as intended, it's a complete sensory overload. And that's just the point. We need bikes like this to remind what motorcycles are for. They are our daily fix of fear, our escape, a statement of defiance and our desire materialized or is that just me?

SUSPENSION
Massively wide 50mm Marzocchi forks are fitted for the first time and have a wide array of adjustment. The Scahs ahock at the rear has high and medium speed sompression as well as hydrulic preload adjustment. An Ohlins steering damper is also included.

ENGINE
The 998cc version of the F4 has been around for three years, but the F4-R got a significant overhaul last year. The combustion chamber saw the most radical work with valve angles changing. Pistons are all new and the Magneti Marelli electronic management system was completely overhauled. The system incorporates an engine brake system (EBS) to control torque under breaking where a bypass valve on the second cylinder lets some air flow under breaking to moderate the engine braking effect. The results make 8bhp stronger than S model and also make it the world's fasters production motorcycle after averaging 185.882mph at 2006's Bonneville Speedweek.

INSTRUMENTS
A bit dated by now, and made to look like a ZX-81 compared with the Sony Vaio-level of clockage on the 1098. Pointless tacho revs to 17k and the fact the clocks are the same shape as the master cylinders is a bit old now.

BRAKES
The Brembo Monobloc P4/34 radial brake calipers fly in the face of Ducati's claims to be the first bike to use such calipers. Still they're strong and are effective from the first millimeter of travel to the last dying squeeze, although there's not as much feel from them through the stiff suspension.

WHEELS
Forged aluminium wheels are branded Brembo despite Marchesini being owned by Brembo

CHASSIS
The chrome-molybdenum steel tube chassis is the source of the F4-R's stiffness, and is built within an MV owned facility. The trellis is connected to the rear via the big swingarm pivot plates, themselves linking up with the massive swingarm.

SPECIFICATIONS: MV AGUSTA F4-1000R

Engine
Type: I/c 16v, Inline 4, DOHC radial valve
Displacement: 998cc
Bore x Stroke: 76.0 x 55.0mm
Compression: 13.0:1
Carburation: Weber Marelli 5SM EFI
Gearbox: 6 speed
Power: 154.04bhp@11,621rpm
Torque: na

Cycle Parts
Chassis: CrMo Steel tubular trellis

Suspension:
(Front) 50mm Marzocchi USD forks, fully adjustable
(Rear) Fully adjustable (inc high/low speed adjust) Sachs monoshock.

Brakes:
(Front) 2x320mm discs, four piston Brembo radial calipers
(Rear) 210mm disc four piston caliper

Wheel/Tyres:
Dunlop GP Racer
(Front) 120/70 ZR17
(Rear) 190/55 ZR17
Rake/Trail: Na/103.8mm
Wheelbase: 1,408mm
Capacity: 21 liters (4.6 gal)
Dry Weight: 192kg (423lb)

DUCATI HYPERMOTARD 1100

To see what all the Hype's about, geddit? The "Hype", as in Hyper motard. It's obviously a tough crowd tonight. But then, I guess you've every right to be as sceptical about my jokes as you'd be about the most famous Italian motorcycle manufacturer stretching a limb out down the already well- beaten supermoto path. The supermoto idea has been around a white. and the concept of a more usable, road-biased version has caught on. Now Ducati has leapt on the bandwagon by bending the Multistrada concept into something altogether more exciting and agile. But won't supermotos impractical bikes for loons unlikely ever to tempt real-world bikers who need comfortable seats and a decent tank range?

My first impressions were a little uncertain too as we trundled up and away along damp Sardinian roads. dipping into towns and villages clogged with Sunday worshippers. I felt nervous sitting high and flat on the bike with what seems like five-foot-wide handlebars. The gearbox is clunky through the lower gears, while tow-speed throttle response isn't the smoothest.

As we left the towns behind, the roads got damper, emptier and twistier, I began to feel as if the bike was steering itself into the turns. Enter a corner at an average speed and you can feel the weight of the front wheel twin discs and all, pulling the bars in, and practically steering for you. Add to that a hard initial stroke of the forks, which hits bumps a tad more than it absorbs them, and you'd be excused for lacking cornering confidence. The extra weight of the twin discs and Brembo radial brakes are strong and consistent. With the extra braking forces and the higher corner entry speeds the steering and fork action becomes far more precise, positive and effective. The track is probably not where you'll spend most of your time riding the Hypermotard, but it's still proof enough that Ducati has made the right choice, erring on the side of performance more than practicality.

The rest of the chassis feels good once you get used to the bike's shape, and I wouldn't want to mislead you into thinking this was anything like a proper hard and impractical supermoto tool. For a start high-speed stability is far better than any true supermoto. The Multistrada derived steel trellis frame design makes the general ebb and flow of road riding smooth and easy especially with the torquey Desmodromic 1100 twin thumping away under you.

As for the engine, it’s stronger and faster than you'd expect. It's largely the same 1,078cc lump used in the 1100 Multistrada but with a determined effort to reduce its weight. A dry clutch and lighter gearbox help Save 1.6kg over the Multistrada. Of course it'd be nice for the bike to have the best possible engine the manufacturer can slot in. In this case you'd took to the water-cooled motor from the 1098, or even the 999. But Claudio Domenicali- Ducati's general product director claims this motor gives the bike more possibilities: "We could have used a water-cooled engine and given it 140 horse power easily, and we considered this for a while. But that much power would make the bike too specialized” This is a hard idea to swallow - I mean, imagine a supermoto- style bike this light delivering 140bhp! It would be amazing. But I can see how it could easily become unrideable. As it is, you don't really feel the Hypermotard needs more power most of the time. It pulls easy wheelies out of a second-gear hair pin at the track, and pushes 130mph down some of Sardinia's long straight roads. Fitting of the Termignoni exhaust system further livens up the bike to a claimed 95bhp (it puts out 90bhp, as standard), makes it sound better (although it still keeps it pretty quite. and reduces weight.


ENGINE
The two valve air-cooled 1.078cc motor is an “evolution” of that Desmodromic dual spark motor found in Multistrada 1100, with 1.6kg shaved off. A new dry clutch has 30% lighter lever pressure thanks to different friction materials and one more disc a direct development from 1098

CHASSIS
The steel trellis frame is similar to that used on the Multistrada, but with a 1,455mm wheelbase and 845mm seat height (most supermoto-style bike are usually more like 900mm or more). The standard model gets Marzocchi forks and Sachs shock. The S model gets up-rated Marzocchi forks and Ohlins shock.

WHEELS
Both standard and S models get Marchesini forged wheel, but the S model’s are 2kg lighter. The standard bike runs Bridgestone BT-014 tyres while the S upgrades to Pirelli Diablo D3s, thereby keeping both Ducati world championship race teams tyre supplies happy.

BRAKES
Brembos are as Brembos do. Four-pad-per-piston front caliper on 305mm discs are radial mounted, with a radial master cylinder at the lever. So they work, well Single-piston rear caliper sits on a 245mm disc S model gets Brembo monoblock caliper as used on the 1098.

S IS BEST
Aside from lighter wheels, better suspension, stronger brake and grippier tyres, there’s little difference between the standard and S models apart from a sprinkling of carbon fiber here and there. Fit the optional extra Termignoni exhaust system though and you save weight while boosting power by 5bhp.

INSTRUMENTS
The simple but effective digital dashboard looks like a traditional off- road piece of kit, but carries ten times more functions including a lap timer, The Ducati Data Analyser stick (the same USB stick found on the 1098) is an optional extra here too, give you the software to do your own data logging.


SPECIFICATION

Engine
Type : 4 valve V-twin
Displacement : 1078cc
Bore x Stroke : 98x71.5mm
Compression : 10.5:1
Carburation: Marelli EFI, 45mm throttle bodies
Gearbox: 6-speed chain
Power: 90bhp@7,750rpm (claimed)
Torque: 75.9lbs ft@4.750rpm (claimed)


Cycle Parts
Chassis: Tubular steel trellis
Suspension:
(Front) 50mm USD Marzocchi forks, fully adjustable
(Rear) Fully adjustable Sachs monoshock (Ohlins S model)

Brakes
(Front) Twin 300mm Brembo 4-piston calipers
(Rear) 245mm disc, Brembo single piston caliper

Wheel/Tyre:
(Front) Forged aluminium 120/70Z R17
(Rear) Forged aluminium 180/55-ZR17

Rake/Trail: 24 degree/na
Wheelbase: 1,455mm
Capacity: 12.4 litres (2.7 gals)
Dry weight: 179kg (394.7lbs)


THE VERDICT
In the words of Ducati bigwig Claudio Domenicali the Hypermotard is. "For sure, better on the race-track but it’s also very good on the street and in the city it’s also very surely a Ducati. He went on to say it is a "repackaged Multistrada with one clear mission excitement.” In a nutshell, if you think about what this means. you’ve pretty much got the gist of the Hypermotard. The Hypermotard started life two years ago as a design exercise for the Milan bike show, evolving into a bike that oozes Italian loveliness in its design and detail. The strong V-twin motor is housed in a sharp-handling nimble chassis. Not everyone will get on with the slightly heavy, stiff front brakes and the V-twin low-speed lumpiness on the road.

But if you’re tempted by this kind of fruit either interesting Italian naked bikes or big-capacity street supermoto bikes then you’ll soon live with for the sake of having a fast, unique a good looking motorcycle.

The Hypermotard behaves like a supermoto on track; but in the real world, it’s a lot more sophisticated and useful than a pure supermoto.