When word got out about the RS 660, we were all pretty gosh darn excited. We rode the RS last year and, despite not being able to firmly place it in a particular motorcycle genre, were pretty impressed with its peachy little engine, the way it handled and its space-age tech. That said, the...
When you’ve sold as many Monsters as Ducati have – more than 350,000 – you know you’re onto a winner. But whilst the Monster 1200 always seemed to be exactly what it said on the tin (a Monster), its smaller sibling, the Monster 900 never seemed quite as monstrous as I’d have liked….
BMW has finally given the S 1000 R a long-overdue update; it’s 5.1kg lighter, it’s got a new chassis and yes, before you ask, it does include the newer spec S 1000 RR based engine… sort of. Ok, it’s not in the same 200bhp+ state of tune and you don’t get shifting cams, but essentially, it’s…
What happens when Yamaha assembles 150 R1Ms into the garage at Silverstone? You have yourselves a £2,500,000 garage. That’s exactly what happened last August (yes, we know, apologies for the late upload) when the Yamaha Racing Experience rolled into the UK for what should have been the ultimate trackday.... Read more
You’ve probably heard murmurings from last weekend’s Ducati Panigale V4 world press launch in Valencia, although you probably haven’t heard about a few of us taking some rental bikes (Valencia’s equivalent of Boris Bikes) and riding them down steps and swapping brake cables and basically imitating Mat Hoffman. Anyway,... Read more
Just when we thought the influx of 2018 machinery had dried up, KTM has – this morning – unveiled a naughty little number in the shape of an RC 390 R. This limited-edition homologation special has been released to compete at the sharp end of the booming SSP300 class... Read more
While the SRAD lays dormant at JHS Racing awaiting further surgery, and I plan the next haemorrhaging of spondoolies, Chris has been, erm, busy doing nothing with the ZX-7R. Okay, that isn’t strictly accurate, but he’s adopted a far more frugal/lazy approach to the Budget Bike Battle and even... Read more
Head down, bum up, gut caressing the tank, the dash is reading nearly 300kmh before braking into Valencia’s bonkers first turn. Every lap I tell myself to brake later, as the Ducati Panigale V4 has so much more talent in reserve to gobble corners, but my brain says no.... Read more
My brain is still functioning at 180mph, a jumbled mess infected by an astonishing V4 Desmo that does naughty things. I’ve just completed two sessions aboard the Panigale V4 at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit and I’m struggling not to be embroiled by launch fever, or use the phrase ‘game-changer.’... Read more
This weekend sees the world press launch of Ducati’s Panigale V4 at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit, and I won a game of soggy Ryvita to claim the 44T ticket – much to Chris’s dismay. Without even riding it, the latest techno queen to exit Bologna has to be the... Read more
With the usual Ducati cinematic soundtrack resonating in the background, Claudio Domenicali hosted Ducati’s 2018 MotoGP presentation at the firm’s auditorium in Bologna along with a lovely brunette lady in a fresh black number. Gigi Dall’Igna and his marvellous monobrow then took to the stage to talk briefly about... Read more
Nothing shouts success quite like riding your rolling rustbucket to Africa, which exactly what we’re doing for the ultimate Budget Bike Battle finale. Perhaps we’ll even make it back to Blighty with some TLC to the SRAD and ZX-7R. A roadtrip to Africa (well, Morocco to be precise) means... Read more
What better way to start a week than gazing at 2018 MotoGP porn? And Jorge Lorenzo? Yep, it’s that time of year when teams are busy unveiling their (usually unchanged from the previous season) colours, appeasing sponsors and hosting swanky launch parties, and first up is Ducati. Live from... Read more
Happy New Year to all 44Teefers. We hope you drank plenty, the turkey comedown wasn’t too horrendous, and Santa bought a big sack of kickass. Apologies for the lack of fresh content recently on this splendiferous site; it’s a new year and, while the videos have been flowing, we’ve... Read more
