Fast Bikes – Out Now!

It’s not all fancy launches, spanking new bikes and sunshine at Fast Bikes. In fact, there’s nothing we like more than getting some cracking used bikes and heading out to our favourite local roads. That’s what we did this month, choosing four classic machines – that have surprisingly un-classic price tags. Whether it was a seminal Ducati machine, an up to date Italian, a 180mph missile or a seriously sorted superbike, it’s amazing what you can pick up for around £3,000.

The launches didn’t feel that fancy this month, mainly because they were in perishing conditions – which meant they were perfect for testing new do-it-all rubber. If you need a new set of road hoops don’t do a thing until you’ve read our reports on the new Dunlop RoadSmart III and the Pirelli Rosso III.

We also had a shot on the most successful superbike ever made – the SERT Suzuki GSX-R1000. The French SERT team are the masters of endurance, and man alive, can they put together a seriously quick machine – that will then lap at record-breaking pace for 24-hours straight. Amazing stuff.

Then we had an invite to go pitbike racing. Not knowing what to expect, we ended up in the middle of carnage. There were bikes being crashed left, right and centre, but somehow a steady course was plotted between the wreckage and we managed to have one of the best days we’ve ever had in the saddle – albeit a minuscule one.

What else? Well, we took a superbike off road – if that’s what you can call the new Ducati Multistrada Enduro – and found that BMW has a fight on its hands. We chart another best road in Britain, we test ride the new traction control as found on the 2016 Yamaha MT-09, we see how hard it is to do a runner from a Yamaha FJR1300 mounted copper, there’s a stunning BMW S 1000 RR in our Addiction pages, we check out all there is to know about buying a used Kawasaki Z750, we see what goes into making a race-spec Suzuki SV650, speak to all our racer chums and then sit down with Ronald Ten Kate to discover what makes his aged Honda Fireblades so fast. Phew, it’s a packed one alright!