Quick Spins

Not every bike can be a winner, Kawasaki’s mid-Eighties GPz-750 was one such near-miss. Though well worthy of compliment, rivals’ superiority relegated it to runner-up status. That silver medal placing is something I remember well back then. I’d overlooked it to own its bigger, more glamorous headlining brother, the GPz1100. Once more commendable tackle like…

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When the arrival of this ground-breaking Benelli was causing a sensation in UK showrooms, I was still a couple of years from starting my own riding career. Even so, as a keen biking apprentice wanting to learn the trade, I bought all the key glossy bike mags to swot up on what was what. Clapping…

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Yet again I had to admit my negative judgement wasn’t just premature, but inappropriate too. After assessing bikes for not far short of a couple of decades now, you’d think I should know better. Being patient and seeing the whole picture is so important in this testing game, and is certainly the message I took…

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All was set and sorted. But then, after some overnight contemplation, Speed Triple owner Stuart Wallace developed cold feet and things went disappointingly Pete Tong. ‘Sorry, I’ve changed my mind. I can’t let you ride it. It’s just too special to me, I can’t take the risk,’ was the general sentiment of his decline. Having…

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