BIKE is packed with road tests of new bikes and inspirational riding stories, with fantastic places, amazing races and extraordinary people. Created by a passionate and expert team of motorcycle riders, Bike makes you feel part of the amazing motorcycling world. Our three main areas of content are... Road tests: We ride and test all the latest bikes, from tourers to retros. Riding: We take motorcycles to the four corners of the UK, and the four corners of the world Extraordinary travel stories: amazing races, extraordinary events and astonishing bike people.
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Team Bike • This magazine is made by the most talented team of bike journalists, writers and photographers in the universe. Here’s what they’ve been doing this month.
BIKE
Superteen superbike • Superteens racing is back next year, with the teenagers all riding the class’s hottest ever machine: the Kawasaki ZX-4RR
Like a scoot, but faster • …much, much faster. But then, what do you expect from a scooter designed by a bike-mad ex-F1 engineer?
50 years of crackers • This YZ450FM is the result of 50 years of Yamaha motocross development. And in many ways it’s a far purer racer than any MotoGP bike
Wicked, innit? • BMW say they’re aiming for yoofs with the new CE-02, but it could be a demon city commuter for the rest of us
Sixy beast • Benelli’s six-cylinder Sei gets transformed into a super-slick urban missile
The Road • A celebration of UK tarmac
'Six lap sprint to the finish'
Being cool ain't easy
GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES • Here in 2023 the sportsbike is no longer all about clip-ons and fairings. Light, sharp, fast, purposeful, these are the way to get excited…
SHARPEST STREET EVER • Triumph supply engines for Moto2 so a special version of the Street Triple was surely a no-brainer. We ride the Moto2 Edition at the British GP…
50 YEARS OF PERFORMANCE • Motorcycle potential has changed dramatically in the 52 years since Bike’s inception. The world’s most experienced speed tester and our go-to data man Bruce Dunn reveals the highlights of the performance era…
Changing times
That was close…
'Working with Schwantz was a wild ride and an unbelievable privilege' • Thirty years ago Kevin Schwantz won the 500cc world title, guided to the top by Garry Taylor, team manager of the British-based factory Suzuki team. Now Taylor tells the backstory for the first time…
Britain's new sporting icon • The first new model from the revived firm, the Norton V4CR is hugely important for the iconic British performance brand. Bike noses behind the scenes – and gets the exclusive first ride…
Let off its leash… • Mat Oxley gets the first taste of track tarmac on a Norton V4CR at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Why Norton are no longer a bit… rubbish • Garner-era Nortons were not good. Current test and development engineer Ben Stevenson gives a taste of what’s gone into getting the V4CR up to scratch
PEOPLE POWER • Improving performance is complicated. And there’s loads more to it than you might think: there’s psychology, information and engineering lunacy. But at the heart of it all is innovation…
Spa 24 hour endurance • 24 hour racing is a very different and special animal. Stephen Dobie heads to Spa to experience the full 1440 minutes from his vantage point in the BMW pits…
DOWN TO THE WIRE • Collapsed suspension, wild trails, freezing conditions and failed romances. Ed Gold strides across America on an £800 Kawasaki ZZ-R1100 and heads deep into Alaska in search of adventure and Welsh people
Tool of the month
EXPERTS IN THIS ISSUE
Suzuki Hayabusa • For connoisseurs of going really, really fast
2009-2014 Yamaha YZF-R1 •...