It has the lungs of the proverbial Iron Horse and the legs of a thoroughbred sportbike

Considering that the ST2 conquered its competition in the sport touring class, one has to wonder if the ST4 won't do the same in the sportbike class

It's as American as apple pie and as iconic a status as any muscle car. This is one bike from the history books that never went away.

It has been designed as race bike first, and shares technology direct from Val Rossi's GP bike, the current MotoGP dominating RC211V. Take a look at the rear swinger - look familiar?

So what's changed? Everything. Baba Sans redesign philosophy was simple: Bigger displacement, sharper handling and lighter weight

From the moment you take a seat on Suzuki's 600 Supersport class bike it becomes immediately apparent that this bike has one singular purpose: To win races and dominate any asphalt skirmish.

The GSX1300R was designed to be the fastest sportbike on the market and Suzuki hopes that this Hayabusa will be able to conquer the previous top speed records set by all other production motorcycles. To that end the GSX1300R not only has a giant powerplant of 1298cc but also an aerodynamically designed profile.

This is the first year of fuel injection and forced induction, which brings it smack up to date in technology as well as looks.

So we have a newbie to the welterweight division, a new model that’s to go head to head with the current champ, Suzuki’s super-V, the SV650. The bike is the Ninja 650R

The R6 has always been a sharp tool in its class, this rendition sees a sharpness not yet seen on a street legal bike especially with its higher than average RPM range some 1500 RPM short of its initial advertised maximum of 17,500.

So, here we are, at a svelte 379lbs, it’s a bike we’ve been waiting for a couple of months now. Yamaha looked to be late in the game with the release of the “one” but with the set back in production dates for both the Honda and the Kawi, the Yamaha arrives to the 2004 release party late but leaves with the spoils, and early.

Now, traditionally we would see a motorcycle built by Honda for the man on the street. Honda's racing division, the much fabled HRC, would then step up to the plate and build the appropriate appendages to turn this relatively mild bike into a wild race winning machine fit for World or domestic competition. This time it's different, and this really is a race platform with a couple of EPA and DOT friendly parts to market the bike to the likes of you and I.

Now this bike is a very important one for the big K, and whilst here, they did throw a little curve ball at us in the shape of a certain Dunlop rear tire not seen this side of the All-Japan Superbike Series. A ringer? Definitely, the tire was exceptional in its performance, especially on a bike that offered some insane high-side abilities and some very decent claimed performance figures.

It's no secret; Suzuki hit the ball out of the proverbial park when it introduced the original SV and SV650S. The bike seemingly filled a huge void for an uncomplicated, easy going, good handling and cheap lightweight. What to do to compliment that class? How about rounding it out with a mini super-tourer? All the benefits of the easy handling 650 but with the ability to cruise long and hard, with some rider friendly sit up and beg comfort thrown in for good measure.

The spec list on this bike reads like a thoroughbred racer, Carbon Fiber, Titanium and magnesium litter the chassis. Ohlins suspension is featured front and rear, with nitrided 43mm forks up front and the piggy-back racing 3-way adjustable rear. Brembo brakes, radial fronts, top and bottom of course, and a two-piston rear, takes care of the stopping duties. The wheels, oh the wheels - OZ, very light, equally as desirable and forged magnesium in construction. This thing didn't need riding, it needed to be hung up in my living room as a testament to art for arts sake. At a little over 385lbs dry, it would only take a few of my mates to hang it there too.

The original CBR-RR was developed to win races, obviously this design sat well with Monsieur Duhamel, with a Formula Xtreme championship to further prove the point. This is Honda’s “bread and butter” street model too and the latest rendition addresses a couple of points raised by racer and street guy alike and a likely response to the other competitors within the class. .

Robert Pandya, press God from Aprilia met me with the biggest shit eating grin this morning at the Honda Hoot in Knoxville Tennessee and unveiled this - potentially the 2006 Aprilia SXV450 Supermoto. This was a full rolling chassis, which looked like a genuine production run, especially with its cast rear subframe and very tidy factory quality bracketry here and there. It’s all in the details, with some ultra slick carbon fiber and a very delicious and compact looking underseat titanium exhaust system.

This is Yamaha's latest answer to limo-style motorcycling, a vehicle that can take you places, and leave you as fresh at the destination, as you felt at the start. We were shown a bunch of natty looking grafts to show Yamaha's growth in this cruiser/tourer sector, all showing substantial northward swings. This particular bike has been labeled as that do-it-all model that offers around town cruising style and with the addition of a couple of included accessories for the perfect touring package.

The Triumph brand isn’t exactly the first name that springs to mind when thinking (or talking) about the Supersport class. It's obviously in the market for Supersport sales but it's never really been taken seriously and consequently is usually left on the substitute bench on game day. Well after a very entertaining day blowing up the skirt of one of the new super-duper-sport Daytona 650, I think this is going to change.

Aprilia introduce the RVX and SVX 450 and 550 V-TwinsI can't even begin to explain how good these look in the flesh. Aprilia have stepped up to the plate for the enduro and supermoto enthusiast. Power and weight are to be revealed in a couple of days - pricing should be around 5% above its competitors. The first USA bound bikes will probably be competition models and both will be CA green sticker friendly.From the factory...The Aprilia SXV and RXV have racing in their blood!

I’ll start with the obvious focal point the motor, I mean let’s face it, you’re either a fan of the Harley V or you’re not, it’s a big lump, true, but it’s not your typical Milwaukee motor. The fact is, the Buell motor is surprisingly effective after the massaging received by Mr. Buell. We know it’s not a 14,000RPM screamer, never will be, but it’s got grunt. Ignoring factory claimed, I suspect this thing probably makes mid 80's in ponies (although it felt like 65 in the high country) torque is suitably beefy though and if past experience of the breed counts, I think it’ll be surprisingly high for its class

The bikes certainly looked to be in the road race business with their GMD optimized frame and suspension set-ups’ replete with Öhlins dual piggy-back shocks out back and Race Tech massage forks up front - all courtesy of the factory’s next door neighbor, Kent Soignier, of GMD Computrack, Atlanta. The front cowl is a Sharkskinz piece with a stock seat and cowl sourced from Triumph’s own parts catalog.

This Yamaha WR450F started life as a leftover 03' - Pilfered (I kid you not) from Champions Yamaha in Florida. Champions CEO and former founder of 2Dub, Robert Mealey, was looking the other way when I wheeled away a perfectly sellable bike from his inventory. Me mumbling about an IOU on the back of a Wong Wednesday restaurant napkin probably didn't help, but hey... shit happens when you hang with journo's.

Tadao Baba is that beginning. I've always wanted to meet the man that was responsible for the original 900RR. I wanted to look into his eyes to see if his rabid enthusiasm for creating mad-hatter motorcycles could defeat the obvious language barrier. Baba San knows few English words, but confirmed a unison of that universal language when he zipped up his leathers and joined us out on the track.

This 2002 bike has seen a total revamp, it retains the typical R1 features, but looks as good today as it did back in 1998, its first year release. This bike looked particularly impressive in its liquid silver livery and it's got an unforgettable, stance and style that could be compared to a Japanese equivalent of the 916/998 range.

So what about the Buell? It has the lungs of the proverbial Iron Horse and the legs of a thoroughbred sportbike. Can it mingle with the unwashed (only joking) and hang in the canyons with the uncomfortable? Let's go find out.

The department of defense states that the Tomahawk® cruise missile is designed to fly at extremely low altitudes at high subsonic speeds. Having spent a very thrilling day blitzing the Malibu canyons on the new Valkyrie Rune I feel well qualified in labeling this thing a missile. However, instead of the $600K you'll need for the Tomahawk (even if it was commercially available) this particular version will only cost you around $26K.

Many years ago, in a land far, far away, a sportbike got into a fight with a street. The street quite rightly won, especially after damaging the sportbikes nice shiny clothing. The owner of that said vehicle neglected to replace the bodywork, added a set of comfortable upright bars and a new genre was born. The streetfighter... or something like that. Now across the pond (and then some) Mr Honda was watching this spectacle with great amusement, especially as many times the donor bike (mostly unwittingly) was his very own Honda CBR-F1234i. His answer? Give them what they want - a naked 600. The subsequent bike, named the Hornet, went on to win many sales from those same spotty 'yoofs' looking to skip that aforementioned crashing part.

Being a goofy ßrit, this thing did wonders for my first experience of a motorcycle from the Bayerische Motoren Werke. I particularly liked the stripped down (for a Beemer) look, especially with its neato front headlamp set-üp and the nice wide handlebar arrangement. The seating is quite high and lends itself to a favorable elbows-up motocross style angle of attack with those corresponding (read:quick) handling traits that only naked's can offer.

The current crop of Supersport 600cc class represents a set of sport bikes that have been involved in a perpetual conflict for the last 15 or so years. Luckily for us, this prolonged battle has seen some evolutionary changes that for some companies have meant race championships under their belt and for others, sales domination.

My own personal venture into the US naked bike field was through a brand new 1996 ZX7R. I loved this bike - it made a nice honest 110+bhp to the rear and with 40-odd pounds of black plastic removed from the frontal area and with my favorite set of Renthal jet ski bars installed, a nice bike (in my eyes), was created. Twas' about this time that Suzuki joined the fray with the venerable Bandit. However, there was a certain something missing. Sure, by using the old tried and trusted GSX-R1100 motor and a revised (and lighter) frame, it had the potential to be the king, but it lacked the arse-kick that the original Gixxer 11 had. It had also been neutered for an enhanced midrange rush and it lacked the top end that made the Streetfighter class exciting.

Honda's 2004 CBR1000RR ushers in a whole new era of inline-four Superbike performance. Taking its technical cues from the MotoGP-winning RC211V, the CBR1000RR redefines Superbike domination.

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., (KMC) unveiled the future of its sportbike DNA in the form of the all-new 2004 NINJA® ZX-10R motorcycle, serving notice to Superbike racers and sportbike enthusiasts that Kawasaki is committed to its heritage of building uncompromising, high-performance motorcycles. The NINJA ZX-10R puts Kawasaki at the front of sportbike design and performance. From the overall shape to the smallest detail, the ZX-10R combines high technology with the latest innovations, including a new, high-output engine, ultra-narrow aluminum frame, ergonomic design and compact bodywork with a frontal area smaller than those of most 600cc sportbikes.

The Harley clan look down at me, barely giving me a wave, "it's not a real Harley" Said one wag, "my wife wants one of those so bad" Said the other. "Your Momma wears combat boots" I hear, as I scurry away - The Japanese sportbike crowd won't even look at me...

Press intro's - Here's what I've learnt. If it's a crappy bike, you get to stay in the posh-est hotel in the land, fed like kings and generally treated like royalty. The bike? Who cares? The swag was good, I slept well and I got to hang with some cool peeps… This time was different. I was sitting in a warehouse, in a golf cart of all things, being given a lap top presentation by Yamaha's own PR guru, Brad Banister. Sure, I was fairly comfortable but the surroundings were hardly salubrious and I didn't even get a stinking cup of coffee for my moanin

I got to test the new FZ600 t'other day - a combination of whining and being in that right State at the right time. Tagging along with ex-2Dub editor, now editor/publisher of Motorcycle Street and Strip magazine, Peter Jones, I got to ride the European model FZ6 in the quiet backwaters of Long Beach (I know, it's not a Jetski). The motor is a cammed R6, totally understressed so you know that it'll last forever. Unfortunately you won't be squeezing that full power R6 motor in there as the mounting points are a little different - maybe a cam could be squeezed in though? The compression has been bumped down to 12:2.1 from the R6's 12:4.1. Claimed power is around 98BHP at 12,000RPM and a torque value of 46.5 FT/LB at 10,000.

So, the open class is in. With Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha debuting some serious big CC' machinery for 04', I figured it was time for us to go revisit the benchmark and see what to expect for 04'. The benchmark? Obviously the big Suzuki mopped up in AMA superbike last year and somewhat in the sales championship too, especially with that cheeky "Own the Racetrack" campaign. Saying that it's a big, fast powerful bike is a bit like saying Ron Jeremy's shagged a woman or two. Understated, to say the least. However, it's currently in the crosshairs from next years open class supermodels. Let's see why this is the bike today...

Kawasaki has a long-standing tradition of making the most powerful sport bikes on the planet. This legend spans from way back in 1980 with the 11.17 second Z1R to the first ever 10 second production bike in the 1984 GPZ Turbo. In 1990 Kawasaki introduced the first ever ram air device on the awesome 176mph ZX11. So it was of little surprise that when the ZX6-R was first introduced, it had the power advantage over its classmates. Having owned and raced a '95 6R, I can attest to the bikes power

The all new Suzuki TL1000R was originally introduced to the motorcycling press at the Eastern Creek racing facility in Australia back in March of this year. The preliminary impressions of the bike were promising but, due to a few problems encountered in manufacturing the motorcycle, it took until Mid-June for it to reach our shores ready for the show room.

Does Erik Buell Look Happy? Here's Why...

I got to take a quick ride on Kawasaki's new Mean Streak today. My first impression was that it was not as mean as I was hoping for. It made good smooth power throughout the rev range, pulling cleanly from idle to redline, but unfortunately without the big surges in the power or torque curves that give the impression of urgent acceleration. Maybe if the VTX 1800 had never existed this would be different, unfortunately for Kawasaki, that isn't the case. Still, this is the best running Vulcan to date.

It's here, price to be announced... Completely new, ultra-sleek bodywork features a sharper front profile and headlight; more compact fuel tank; engine-revealing side cowlings; and restyled seat and ultra-sleek tailsection. All-new, competition-bred suction-piston type fuel injection - the first ever such system used on a production motorcycle - features shorter intake ports and a special vacuum-controlled intake system to ensure optimum low-rpm air volume and thus smoother, stronger, more linear power across the rpm range.

Piles of power, tons of torque, bags of brakes, gallons of ground clearance...the Triumph T 509 Speed Triple has it all. But that isn't good enough. The word is, these things haven't been selling very well in the States. And not only does the T 509 have what it takes to be a serious contender in the upper level of the sportbike class but most motorcycle magazines have lauded those abilities, too. Its abilities are not a secret. You all know it's a good bike. So, why doesn't anybody care? What's up? It's that annoying Charles guy, isn't it?!

Three cylinders. Is there anything good about that? Some guys love the thundering sound and smooth power that twins produce, while others are enamored of the screaming rush of peaky four cylinder bikes. But triples? Who lusts for 3 pops every two rotations? For whom does a triple bang? But of course! It bangs for thee.