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Dive into automotive excellence with 'The Best Of - Paul Johnston Reviews' from Men & Motors!

Join us on a thrilling journey through the finest moments of Paul Johnston's expert bike reviews. From powerful performances to sleek designs, witness the most captivating bikes as Paul shares his insightful commentary.

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Transcript
00:00 So you fancy a bit of muscle do you? Well don't look at me, no seriously I'm talking
00:11 about bikes, what could you suggest? Maybe a Honda CB1000, perhaps a Yamaha XJR or even
00:17 a Kawasaki ZRX or a 1200 Bandit? No no no, forget them, I'm talking about real muscle.
00:24 How about a Yamaha 1200 V-Max? Now the V-Max really seems to have that nasty boy image
00:31 and once you climb aboard you really do get the feeling that nothing's going to come even
00:34 close in the old traffic light Grand Prix. The V-Max was born way back in 1984 but it
00:42 wasn't officially available in the UK until 1991 when it arrived with its 1198cc of stonking
00:50 liquid cooled V4 performance. It does in fact come in two versions, there's one like this
00:56 which is a restricted one, 95bhp and it'll do 133mph, doesn't sound that restricted to
01:03 me. And then in 1996 the UK officially got the full power version which will produce
01:10 121bhp and that'll do 156mph. But don't even think about riding any V-Max flat out unless
01:19 you're wearing a very strong neck brace and you've got some way of securing your hands
01:23 to the bars and your arms to your shoulders. The V-Max certainly is different, doesn't
01:29 look much like any other machine. The dashboard for example is kind of split in two, you've
01:34 got the speedo up here on its own mounted on the bars and down here the rev counter,
01:39 temperature gauge and warning lamps are on a kind of little console at the front of this
01:43 tank. Tank I said, it's not really a tank, it's a dummy tank, there is a storage box
01:48 under there but it's not very big. If you want to put petrol in your V-Max you have
01:52 to do this, a couple of catches there just behind the back twin shocks, flick them and
01:57 up it pops. Petrol filler cap there and the tank is actually underneath the seat which
02:01 helps to keep the weight down and this is quite a heavy beast. The tank actually only
02:06 holds 15 litres of fuel which if you ride it fairly hard will take you just a touch
02:11 over 100 miles before you have to switch to reserve. Not very far I know but believe me,
02:16 100 miles hard riding on one of these and you'll be well glad of the rest.
02:26 It really is built to go very fast in straight lines, it's absolutely crap at going round
02:32 corners to be quite honest with you but one thing it does do very, very well is stop,
02:36 thank goodness, because at the front we've got twin 282mm discs being squeezed by twin
02:43 four piston calipers and at the back a 290mm disc with a single twin piston caliper and
02:49 they bring everything to a very, very rapid halt.
03:00 It really is incredible in a straight line, not so clever going round the corners, perhaps
03:04 the weight's got something to do that, it's a heavy beast, 262kg which is £576 in old
03:12 money, certainly takes a bit of shifting around. Anyway, by the time I get to the twisty bits
03:17 I'll be that far in front I can slow down and let you all catch up.
03:24 The full power version gets most of its performance from the V-Boost system which very cleverly
03:30 controls the fuel supply to the front and rear cylinders and it adds extra fuel to the
03:35 one that's firing and believe me when that starts to happen you will know about it.
03:55 The V-Max is a great bike, it makes you smile when you ride it, there's something good in
03:59 that and one thing that has surprised me is the price, I always thought V-Max is a kind
04:04 of luxury item, not so really, the price for this particular bike which is a 1998 import
04:10 version and it's restricted but don't let that put you off, still a lot of fun, this
04:14 on the road is less than £6,000 and if you do want to splash out and buy a UK model,
04:20 unrestricted full power version that will cost you about £9,300 on the road. So there's
04:25 the V-Max, all I need now is a new rear tyre.
04:31 This week we're once again at Tommy Robb Motorcycles in Warrington, now one thing guaranteed
04:36 to attract the interest of everybody in the motorcycling world is the label 'World's
04:40 Fastest Bike' and when it was introduced in 1990 that was certainly the case for Kawasaki's
04:46 ZZR 1100. Now often the first thing that people do when they approach a bike and you'll see
04:51 this every time you go to a bike rally is they walk up and they look at the clocks,
04:55 now why everybody looks at the clocks I don't really know but they do, now the first thing
04:59 to strike you when you look at the speedo on this machine is that it goes up to an incredible
05:02 200mph, now the ZZR well it doesn't quite reach 200mph but if you can manage to attain
05:10 the top speed of around 175mph then you're not going to be too worried about anything
05:14 coming past you. Underneath this ballistic looking fairing there's a 1,052cc inline liquid
05:21 cooled four cylinder engine with a double overhead cam and 16 valves and it's capable
05:26 of producing around 123bhp. The gearbox is 6 speed but really the gearbox well I think
05:33 it should be at a 3 speed, it should be fast, very fast and good morning judge. Braking
05:40 on this machine is absolutely outstanding, to the front there are twin discs with twin
05:44 piston calipers and they really are exceptionally powerful, to the back there's a single disc
05:49 and a single piston caliper, the brakes really are up to the job. Although on a machine with
05:54 the performance that this thing can do really nothing short of a railway sleeper through
05:57 the front wheel is going to stop you too quickly. The petrol tank, well a full tank is 21 litres
06:03 of fuel and that will give you a touring range of over 200 miles, that's if you drive it
06:08 well fairly sensibly. But with a bike like this, the performance that this thing is capable
06:12 of well you can't really drive these too sensibly, can you? Well try and keep up, I'll do my
06:19 best. You don't have to drive this machine like a complete nutcase but it's hard to resist.
06:31 The worst thing you can do with a ZZR 1100 is start throwing it around like a sports
06:36 bike because although it may have the performance to match the Fireblades and Ducatis it certainly
06:41 hasn't got the same sharp handling due to its increased weight and a softer suspension.
06:46 So if you're pushing it hard enough for the handling to let you down then you're missing
06:50 out on the best feature, that being that it's one of the most comfortable sports tourers
06:55 you're ever likely to sit on. In fact the numb bum syndrome is virtually non-existent
07:01 with the silky smooth four cylinder transmitting none of its vibrations through to the seat
07:06 or the handlebars. Indeed it's as well to keep an eye on the rev counter if you want
07:10 some idea of what's going on down below. So if you want to travel a long way with as much
07:16 excitement as you can handle then this one's well worth a try. And there's only one other
07:21 bike on the road that could possibly leave you behind. Now then, where's that blackbird?
07:28 Well we're now back in the showroom with the ZZR 1100. I've lost a few pounds in sweat
07:33 and I managed to keep my licence intact I think. Tommy this is absolutely incredible.
07:38 Now you've ridden works Hondas, works Yamahas, won all sorts of championships and races and
07:43 you've been just about everywhere fast on a bike but this is serious performance this
07:47 isn't it? Without a doubt this has been probably the flagship of the Kawasaki range. It's been
07:53 a bike that does everything that you want from a sports bike but you can also add your
07:57 luggage to it to give it touring bike appeal. And the performance of this is nothing short
08:02 of absolutely sensational. In fact it's so sensational that even Hondas have now brought
08:07 out the blackbird to do battle with this particular model. Right that's right because really for
08:12 the last five years or so this has been the top of the tree hasn't it? There's been nothing
08:16 to touch it speed wise. No without a doubt the CBR 1000 Honda was the bike that was near
08:21 to it but the ZZR came in and took that all away from Honda and now they've come back
08:25 with the other machine but the ZZR is still a wonderful selling machine. Yeah a cracking
08:30 bike it looks great as well and something that I notice is you don't have to drive it
08:33 like a lunatic. Alright the performance is there and the power is there if you want to
08:37 get excited but it can be a very sensible bike. It's a bike that you can ride through
08:41 town easily. Yeah but as far as sports touring goes I mean I notice that they've actually
08:45 thought about that they've got little bungee straps on the seat and everything I mean so
08:49 they sort of and up on the fairing there there's a little cubby hole which is a lockable compartment
08:53 there so it's not an out and out sports it's probably the best sports bike performance
08:58 wise. I would say it would be and I'm not sure that these are for bungee cords I think
09:03 they may be for strapping your pillion passenger on. Right yeah that would be an idea yeah
09:07 well I suppose a big top box and all that wouldn't it? So what are these with a set
09:10 of luggage on the back? Superb. The ultimate machine. A superb sports tour there's no doubt
09:16 about it the suspension the road holding the riding position although it looks so sporty
09:21 it's actually got quite a nice upright riding position not one that goes for your wrists
09:26 and gets you behind the shoulder blades this is Kawasaki's flagship. Well the only thing
09:31 wrong with this bike is that it's not mine it actually belongs to Tommy which is very
09:35 sad and he won't let me borrow it again. Well I'll leave you with the rest of the programme
09:38 two wheels better and I'm going to go and change my pants. So what can I tell you about
09:43 this XJR 1300 that Wayne hasn't already told you? Well probably loads and loads it is indeed
09:49 1300cc's it's a Yamaha it's big and it's red. There's a bit more to it than that it's a
09:55 proper true retro machine true retro muscle bike retro right from the front to the back
10:01 so many bikes these days call themselves retro but they're not really they've got a big chrome
10:05 headlamp and that's really where the retro theme ends because they've got monoshocks
10:09 at the back whoever said a monoshock was retro I don't think so this one we're back to the
10:14 old twin shocks and even the engine looks retro look at that it's air cooled in fact
10:19 if you took a picture of that there and said name the year you'd probably say 1970 something
10:24 or 1980 something because it really really does look the part. No fancy fuel injection
10:30 four McUnie CV carburettors all works perfectly well it's not rocket science but it's perfect
10:35 for this kind of machine big oil cooler on the front there and a five-speed gearbox in
10:40 this as opposed to the more normal or should we say more conventional six-speed and I'm
10:44 led to believe it works perfectly well although talking to Wayne I would never know that so
10:50 looks like I'll have to find out for myself. The first thing you'll find out when you climb
11:00 aboard the XTR 1300 is that it has to be one of the most comfortable bikes to ride an excellent
11:06 padded seat and well-placed bars in fact the whole machine feels perfectly balanced there's
11:12 plenty enough power and if you really want to you can have a go at mixing it with the
11:16 boy racers it's nowhere near as fast as some of your more dedicated sports bikes but with
11:26 no protection on this naked machine you really don't want to be hurtling along at ridiculous
11:30 speeds it's far more suited to high-speed cruising around the country lanes it's physically
11:38 a large machine you will get noticed on this bike but having said that it's not daunting
11:44 it's very very user-friendly. You may have noticed you should have noticed that this
11:50 is a little bit different to your standard XTR 1300 this of course is the SPS version
11:57 now they all do SPS versions and fancy limited edition versions Honda do them Aprilia Ducati
12:01 do them with the 996s and all that so why not have an SPS retro machine like this nothing
12:06 wrong with that. Two main differences between this and the standard model one perhaps the
12:11 most obvious is the paint job look at that Yamaha speed blocks a proper retro paint job
12:17 if ever I've seen one straight off an RD out of the 1970s that isn't it very smart on the
12:21 tank and of course on the tail unit there as well and you probably not fail to mention
12:26 the shocks on this a difference to your standard lots of people use different types of suspension
12:31 these days you've got your white power your Piola your shower all them on this SPS we're
12:35 on Ohlins shocks which are used throughout the world on all the top super bikes of course
12:40 they're fully adjustable you can tweak them and tune them and set the bike up exactly
12:44 the way you want it to feel. Look at that for a nice seat not only is it a nice comfy
12:48 stepped seat but it's got all this nice quilting in it these nice little quilted sections here
12:53 again perfectly in keeping with this style of machine not really much to show you under
12:57 the seat but we'll pop it off and have a look little compartment there a couple of bits
13:01 in there tool kit there C spanners there so you can have a play with your rear suspension
13:06 but nothing very exciting to tell you about under there but it has got this bike two things
13:12 that I think are really important that are important to me when I'm looking at a bike
13:15 one is up there a fuel gauge I think every bike should have a fuel gauge I keep saying
13:20 it and the second thing is there can you see it a main stand perfect makes life a lot lot
13:27 easier so if you are a fan of the retro scene and you're impressed by size then this could
13:35 be right up your street if big really is beautiful then this is about as good looking as things
13:45 get so this is the SPS version therefore it's much more expensive well no it's not really
13:52 that much more expensive the standard machine XTR 1300 will cost you £5,800 to put on the
13:59 road this SPS model will cost you £6,200 so only just about £400 more and for your
14:06 £400 you get a nice paint job and fancy rear suspension I don't think that's bad because
14:10 if you bought the standard bike you had it painted yourself and you treated yourself
14:14 to some fancy new shocks I think you could be looking at the best part of £1,000 so
14:18 in today's day and age I don't think that's bad value for money now one other thing we
14:22 must do wait no wait no one sec I need you to do me a favour just there's the key take
14:29 it back apologise that you've had it for so long tell me you won't do it again I won't
14:34 put some more petrol in it.
14:40 You know if you open a motorcycle magazine go and buy any motorcycle mag and have a look
14:46 down the bike listings the names of the bikes the makers and the models in particular the
14:50 models every month we seem to be getting new models new names and you think oh how on earth
14:55 am I going to remember all this lot they're coming out all the time but also if you look
15:00 closely you'll see names that seem to have been there for years for donkey's years this
15:04 is one such name this name here Honda Transalp yeah been around for ages actually been around
15:10 since 1987 can you believe all that time so they must have been doing something right
15:16 but it's grown up a little bit since then back in 87 the Transalp was a 600cc V-twin
15:22 motor well it's still a V-twin but it's grown up now to a 650cc well actually 649cc I think
15:28 it is but there it is still a V-twin and it's the same engine as Honda use in the Deauville
15:33 and that's got a good reputation that's become a bit of a favourite with motorcycle couriers
15:38 and they like machines or they like engines that are good for many tens of thousands of
15:41 miles up and down the country all day long seven days a week some of them so they won't
15:45 be very much wrong with the motor but it's not just grown up engine wise it's grown up
15:49 I think in its looks because it's still essentially an off-road looking machine off-road style
15:55 of bike but I think it's becoming a little bit more road bike in its looks in its bodywork
16:00 it's a bit more sort of streamlined now shall we say the way these indicators are all flushed
16:05 into the fair and all very very smart perhaps lost that little bit of a rugged look that
16:09 it had in its early days and one other thing that you need to be careful of I'll just show
16:14 you this watch this people with short legs should beware because this is a very very
16:20 tall machine but that can be a good thing because sitting this high gives you a great
16:27 view of the road ahead the Transel isn't fast it's not meant to be it's got a nice friendly
16:34 sort of power delivery just about right for this style of bike it really is an easy bike
16:40 to ride there's no nasty twitches everything's just very predictable and very sure-footed
16:46 it's more at home on the tarmac but it won't complain too much on the odd muddy track suspension
16:53 setup as standard is a bit too soft for any serious terrain but you certainly wouldn't
16:58 get away with this on your race replica.
17:10 So while we're on the off-road theme let's have a look at the off-road bits and pieces
17:16 on the Transel well the most obvious one is down there bottom of the engine have a look
17:20 at that how's that for a sump guard eh? Massive huge big bash plate on the bottom there so
17:25 that'll protect the bottom of the engine should you choose to do any off-roading over rocks
17:29 and boulders and things like that and also it'll protect the downpipe for the exhaust
17:34 as well because the front cylinder comes right down there right behind that so that's all
17:38 protected nicely then the exhaust along up here any off-road bike any decent off-road
17:43 bike has the exhaust up there tucked up high out of the way out of harm's way where it
17:48 can't get bashed and wrecked and while we're on the back end here nice big rack there looking
17:53 at that big solid thing there you could stick a top box on there fill it up you could strap
17:58 luggage to it you could do anything you like really and somewhere nice and easy for your
18:02 pillion to hang on to and I've been riding this two up had a pillion on the back quite
18:05 a bit quite a few times and it's nice with a pillion on the back it's quite easy to ride
18:09 it doesn't upset the handling of it and it's quite comfy for the pillion because the seat
18:13 is pretty good but if you don't like the seat you can take it off wouldn't be much use if
18:18 you took it off would it but there you go it comes off like that and there's not much
18:22 to see under there big hole there you could probably get a packet of crisps and a toothbrush
18:25 in it but little else so let's put that back on out of the way up here on the dashboard
18:32 come and have a look up here there's nothing too fancy about it but it just looks nice
18:36 it's full of rain at the moment of course but it's nice and classy it's well finished
18:40 it's well done it's nicely put together and over here the left hand side my favourite
18:45 I'm always moaning about it fuel gauge we've got a fuel gauge we like bikes with fuel gauges
18:50 but going on the off road thing still on the off road theme we've got these over here on
18:54 the top of the bars one on each side of course these knuckle guards hand guards stop you
18:59 bashing your fingers as you're going down the dirt tracks stop all the branches bashing
19:02 your fingers but I suspect that most people who own a Transalp won't go on the dirt tracks
19:07 because let's face it the off road ability of this is shall we say somewhat limited but
19:12 these are actually great for keeping your hands warm because when you get cold fingers
19:16 when you're riding the bike the things that make your hand cold is the wind it's the wind
19:20 chill that makes your knuckles freeze and makes your fingers freeze up well then help
19:24 to sort of stop the wind blowing on your hands so they do keep your hands quite warm so very
19:28 useful even on a road bike doesn't have to be an off road bike which I tell you what
19:32 it hasn't got and I hate it I hate for saying this it hasn't got a centre stand and you
19:37 know what really annoys me about it is that underneath there are the holes for the spindle
19:42 for the centre stand so it's all there it just needs the stand put it on it but they
19:46 don't do it you don't get it but you can have it but you'll have to pay extra for it I don't
19:51 know that's just one of my pet hates but I'll tell you the best thing about this bike the
19:55 very very best thing and that's it's comfort the riding position because it's so so comfort
20:01 and if you've got a bad back perfect if you've got a bad back this is the style of machine
20:06 that you need because really you could sit here all day long.
20:12 You know I can't begin to tell you just how comfy this bike is cutting through busy rush
20:17 hour traffic is easy the bikes nice and light and it's all very manoeuvrable.
20:21 Now it may have been around for some time but this new Transalp or the XL650V to give
20:28 it the full title certainly doesn't feel or look dated and on the road it'll cost you
20:34 £5,400.
20:35 Kawasaki's ZX9R Ninja here it is been around for some time now and it's always been very
20:49 well respected I can't ever recall it getting any really really bad press so it must have
20:54 been about right from the start well yes it was but would you believe now it's even better
21:01 one of the things that's always appealed to me about the ZX9 is that when you climb aboard
21:05 it actually feels incredibly sensible for an out and out sports bike superbike still
21:10 got a single seat like many other sports bikes but it's a big size single seat it's not very
21:14 thick not all that comfy but it's big enough to slide around on and in fact you can actually
21:18 slide right to the front on this and it's not too much of a stretch to the bar so you
21:22 could sit almost upright if you wanted to you wouldn't look a bit of a plonker riding
21:26 around like that all day and you certainly wouldn't be able to sustain that position
21:30 for very long not if you wanted to enjoy the best feature about this bike the power.
21:37 Make no mistake this is a very very fast machine 143bhp is the same as the previous ZX9 but
21:49 this new model does feel sharper and a bit more nimble than its predecessor most of the
21:54 improvements aren't actually visible the modifications to the motor include a new all aluminium
21:59 cylinder block with electroplated cylinders to save weight it has tighter piston clearances
22:05 to give an increased compression ratio reshaped intake ports and a new more efficient ram
22:11 air system designed to scoop more fresh air into the now larger air box combine all of
22:17 that with Kawasaki's unique throttle response sensor which first appeared on the 98 model
22:22 and you have a motor with more mid-range and better efficiency so say Kawasaki and I tend
22:28 to agree the power of this latest ninja is fantastic.
22:36 So most of the mods you can't see and there are more that you can't see it's got a larger
22:40 curved radiator than before it's got a lighter clutch there are modifications to the gear
22:45 box smoother gear changes and it's got a bigger more powerful alternator so there you go one
22:51 of the most distinctive changes of course is to the styling especially the front end
22:55 here this big pointy headlamp here underneath which sits this what my colleague Jeff Stone
23:01 referred to as a pooper scooper when he looked at this at last year's bike show which is
23:05 of course this huge air intake for the ram air system and I have to say there's nothing
23:10 better in motorcycling no better sound than a big Kawasaki sucking air in get your head
23:15 down over the tank big fistful and just listen to the noise it's terrific and let me just
23:19 show you this watch this when I put the key in turn the ignition on watch the dials look
23:23 at that wee fantastic you might remember you've seen that before the first time I saw that
23:28 was on a Suzuki Hayabusa when we were in Spain testing out there and what it is it's a way
23:33 of recalibrating themselves the dials they start at zero and they go to the full extent
23:37 of the travel recalibration every time you switch on so you get a good accurate reading
23:41 every time good isn't it do you want to see it again watch here we go whoa look at that
23:46 the brakes well they're not any different to before really as far as the calipers go
23:50 Takiko six spots the old model had them a little bit more to grab hold of now though
23:55 because the discs are up from 296 to 310 millimeters and superb they are as well more mods down
24:02 towards the back end swing arm that's completely different well sort of completely different
24:07 it's full of muck at the moment because of the British weather but it's now a pentagonal
24:11 section swing arm instead of the normal sort of box square section it's got this internal
24:16 bracing in it it's stiffer more rigid than before but would you believe it's actually
24:20 lighter than before suspension not much to talk about they're more or less the same they've
24:26 revised the damping in the front forks but the back now it has a ride height adjustment
24:31 as standard so you can adjust the ride height not a great deal but a little bit and they've
24:36 also revised the rear suspension linkage a little bit as well to give a more rigid a
24:40 firmer and a much more sporty ride there's a whole load of other technical modifications
24:48 mainly to the front end the fork offset has been reduced by five millimeters and the steering
24:54 head bearing actually moved forward they've even replaced the tapered steering head bearings
24:59 with ball bearings in an effort to give the ZX9R a lighter feel through the bars it's
25:05 certainly better although it does somehow just lack the cutting edge of Yamaha's R1
25:12 now I doubt that many people would be brave enough to take a brand new ZX9R onto a racetrack
25:17 but that's the only place to really enjoy the power and ability of this machine
25:26 so here we are a racetrack you know I got these directions off Wayne I said to him the
25:32 other day I said I want to set 143 horses loose on a racetrack and he sent me here what's
25:38 it like if you want something doing do it yourself
25:45 well it wasn't quite the type of racetrack I had in mind although I wasn't exactly a
25:50 million miles away from the real thing I probably saved myself a few bob by leaving early anyway
25:57 now this is more like it a nice short and fairly twisty circuit to try out this new
26:02 ZX9R okay then onto the track and starting grid position number one of course but hang
26:11 on there's a car on grid number two and it's my friend Wayne in his super duper V6 powered
26:18 Ford Mondeo well that's the last RC of him for the rest of the day now the new Ninja
26:25 behaved itself superbly well on the circuit throttle response is absolutely instantaneous
26:32 the amount of power on tap really is quite awesome the steering is certainly lighter
26:37 than on previous models but there is still plenty of feedback through the bars even when
26:41 powering hard out of a corner price wise it's in the same ballpark as Yamaha's R1 and Honda's
26:48 new Fireblade at just over £8,000 performance wise it's as fast as you'll ever need well
26:55 there's absolutely no doubt about it this is the only place to enjoy a bike like this
27:00 racetrack superbike the perfect combination it really is a superbike the new ZX9R tons
27:06 and tons of mid-range much better than the old ZX9 sharper steering than the old one
27:11 but I have to say perhaps still not quite as flicky as like your R1 and maybe your GSX-R
27:16 so superb bike excellent brakes slam the brakes and at the end of the straight lap after lap
27:21 after lap no fading very very positive great great fun in fact I think I could probably
27:26 just squeeze another dozen laps in it excuse me.
27:41 Well winter's starting to draw in very fast now it's getting very cold and damp especially
27:44 in the morning so maybe it's about time to put the superbike away for a couple of months
27:48 keep it nice and clean and shiny and if you do that what's your alternative you could
27:53 use a car of course but then you'll be stuck in a traffic jam on a motorway all day not
27:57 a lot of fun you could of course use a little scooter well the trouble with little scooters
28:01 is well they're little aren't they and if you do use a motorway you'll struggle to keep
28:05 up with the rest of the traffic so we need a big scooter well here is a very big scooter
28:11 Suzuki's Bergman all 400cc's of it.
28:17 Well if you want to split hairs it's actually only 385cc's but it was the first of the new
28:23 breed of larger capacity scooters aimed at eliminating the problems of the smaller machines
28:28 which can often feel underpowered with their little two stroke motors.
28:33 Having ridden the Bergman around for a few days I've noticed that more people ask the
28:37 question what's it really like than they've ever done when I've turned up on some fancy
28:42 sports bike.
28:44 It seems to me that bikers are genuinely intrigued and interested to learn more about this machine.
28:50 They want to borrow it and try it out.
28:52 Those that do use the return with a smile on their face and then agree if somewhat reluctantly
28:58 that it's actually rather good.
29:00 Just about the ultimate rev and go.
29:04 Well there's not a great deal to look at mechanically on a Bergman because it's just one huge,
29:07 huge lump of plastic and it is huge as well.
29:10 It's physically quite a big machine but despite that the height of the seat is definitely
29:14 worth a mention.
29:15 Look at that.
29:16 Look how low to the ground it is.
29:17 Now that can be a problem on even the smallest of scooters.
29:20 Little 50cc scooters just because they've got a small engine doesn't mean they've got
29:23 a low seat height.
29:24 Some of them are actually quite tall but on this despite its large capacity and big physical
29:29 size no such problem.
29:31 So short riders no trouble at all.
29:33 If I just pop it onto its main stand we can just have a closer look at the actual brakes
29:38 on it because they're definitely worth a mention.
29:41 At the front here you'll see there's two hoses there going to this caliper for the front
29:45 disc and it's disc brakes front and rear on this one.
29:48 And the reason there's two hoses is because it's got a linked brake system which means
29:52 when you pull this left hand lever on the handlebars here it brakes the back as normal
29:57 but it also brakes the front.
29:59 So that brakes back and front and this one over here just brakes the front.
30:03 Linked brakes.
30:04 Very very clever.
30:05 As I say you can't see anything mechanically on this but under there is the engine.
30:09 400cc single cylinder water cooled engine and it actually lies flat sort of along the
30:15 chassis really.
30:16 The cylinder goes that way.
30:17 If I were to take the bodywork off you'd see what I was talking about but it goes that
30:20 way which means the piston's going up and down along the length of the bike.
30:24 That helps to keep the weight down and it also means that you've got more space under
30:28 your seat because you've not got a cylinder stuck up there taking all the room up.
30:32 And under the seat there's actually quite a bit of room.
30:35 Opens up that way, supported on this strut here and as you can see a full face helmet
30:39 in there.
30:40 No problem.
30:41 It has to go that way.
30:42 You can't put it that way because it won't shut but if you put it that way it'll shut
30:46 quite easily.
30:47 Plenty of room in there.
30:50 Also helping to keep the weight down and keep the weight low should I say, not so much down
30:54 but low is the petrol tank which is there.
30:57 Fill the caps there and the petrol tank is beneath there so again lots and lots of weight
31:01 low down.
31:02 Moving up here, look at this here.
31:05 This is a brake lock because you've got a problem on a scooter because it's automatic.
31:08 You can't leave it in gear.
31:10 So if you park on an incline it will roll away.
31:12 On a normal motorbike you just leave it in gear.
31:14 So this has a brake lock.
31:16 Pull that down there and it puts a little lock cable operated on the back wheel.
31:21 Stops it rolling away.
31:22 So quite a good idea.
31:24 Next to that a funny, strange little arrangement here for the ignition.
31:28 Take your key out, pop that down and it covers the ignition hole there so you can't put a
31:32 key in, you can't put a screwdriver in.
31:34 So to release that you use the back of the key which is shaped there to match that little
31:39 socket there.
31:40 Give that a flick, that pops up and there you go.
31:43 You stick your key back in and you're away.
31:46 And onto the dashboard up here.
31:47 A nice dashboard on this with everything you'll need.
31:49 Not a lot of warning lights.
31:50 There's a warning light for the brake lock and there's one for the high beam and that's
31:53 it.
31:54 But you've got a clock, you've got a digital trip there, two different trips on this, analogue
31:59 speedo, fuel gauge which I always keep saying every bike should have a fuel gauge and a
32:03 temperature gauge.
32:04 And that dashboard at night looks really nice actually.
32:07 You won't see this now during the day.
32:08 But at night when you've got your lights on it's got a lovely kind of icy blue backlight
32:12 to it.
32:13 It looks really, really smart.
32:14 Very nice.
32:15 Up here then a big screen.
32:18 Not the biggest of screens I've ever seen but it does actually do a reasonable job.
32:21 It keeps the worst of the wind blast off your chest and your neck area.
32:25 So it's quite useful.
32:26 And that's quite important because this, remember, might only be a scooter but it's 400cc's and
32:31 it's capable of cruising at 85mph plus all day long.
32:35 And that may sound amazing but it's true.
32:40 The top speed is quoted as 97mph.
32:42 But I have to say that anything above 80 should really be reserved for only the very straightest
32:48 of roads because the Bergman does have a tendency to start weaving around at high speed when
32:53 things get a little twisty.
32:55 I think due to a combination of 13 inch wheels and a very long wheelbase.
32:59 But of course you shouldn't be doing those kind of speeds.
33:03 That said it's very difficult to find fault with this machine.
33:07 Perhaps it's big problem lies with it's image or lack of it.
33:12 It's often seen as rather uncool to ride around on a scooter.
33:16 But more and more bikers are waking up to the idea that these machines are more than
33:20 capable of doing the job.
33:22 I'd say swallow your pride.
33:24 Try one out.
33:25 You might just like it.
33:30 You know I really, really do like this Bergman.
33:32 I don't mind admitting it.
33:34 And I think it's the only scooter really at the moment that's got any real respect from
33:37 the bike world if you like.
33:39 But it is very, very comfy.
33:41 You could sit on this all day long.
33:43 You can put your feet up there, the old feet forward riding position.
33:45 You can have your feet down there.
33:48 Big comfy seat.
33:49 There's even a backrest there for the rider so you're not going to get a sore back.
33:53 And even the pillion gets little foot boards like that.
33:55 Look at them.
33:56 Nonny little foot pegs on this.
33:58 And how about that for the pillion seat.
34:00 That is the height of luxury if ever I've seen it there.
34:03 Fantastic.
34:04 See that.
34:05 That's bigger than the whole seat on some of the sports bikes that I've been on.
34:08 I mean that is superb.
34:09 And a nice little backrest there for the pillion so the pillion isn't going to fall off the
34:13 back.
34:14 You could notice on this one that it's had a little rack fitted.
34:17 That's a little aftermarket accessory because of course this is a second hand machine.
34:20 This is done just over 3,000 miles from you.
34:23 And if you wanted to buy this one you could save 1,000 pounds on the new price.
34:27 This is on offer at just 3 and a half grand.
34:29 A brand new Bergman now on the road will cost you 4 and a half thousand pounds.
34:35 And you know I'd go anywhere on this.
34:36 I think you could go touring on this dead easily because it's comfortable, it's got
34:39 the performance, it'll keep up with everything else on the road, well apart from your top
34:43 super bikes.
34:44 It's got the comfort, it's got luggage carrying capacity.
34:46 You could put a top box on there and if you were on your own you could strap loads and
34:50 loads of stuff on this pillion seat there.
34:52 Take anything you needed with you.
34:54 I think my next touring holiday could be on a Suzuki Bergman because really this is all
34:58 you'll ever need.
34:59 Unless of course you've got a mate like mine who happens to own one of these.
35:05 Alan, have you, are we ready?
35:08 Think of performance twins and you'll instantly think of Ducati.
35:12 In fact it's true to say that it's only in the last few years that the Japanese have
35:16 started to get a decent foothold in this particular market.
35:20 Honda of course are now enjoying some racing success with their SP1.
35:25 But more common on the road is their VTR Firestorm.
35:28 And for 2001 they've made a few changes to the big twin.
35:36 And here it is, this is the new 2001 model Honda VTR, the Firestorm.
35:41 A few subtle changes, a few slight cosmetic changes but not really very much.
35:46 But quite a few engineering changes on this 2001 model.
35:49 Still very very distinctive, still got this frame that we're all used to seeing now on
35:52 a Firestorm.
35:53 What would you call it?
35:54 It's kind of a bit trellis, sort of a bit beam type frame.
35:58 It's a bit of a mixture of styles really but still very very distinctive, still very very
36:02 Honda Firestorm.
36:03 V-twin motor in there of course, 90 degree V-twin.
36:07 Still got the side mounted radiators here, one either side.
36:10 Normally you'd look up the front of the bike there behind the wheel, you'd see a radiator.
36:13 You don't on this one, you just see a whacking big cylinder sticking out forwards there.
36:18 But the engine really just hangs from this frame.
36:20 If you just, if you look at the bike and think well how's this been put together?
36:24 The engine just hangs from the frame.
36:25 It's mounted here, here, here and a couple of other places as well and it just literally
36:29 just hangs off the bottom of the frame.
36:31 Swinging arm is bolted to the back of the engine, straight onto the engine.
36:34 So I think if you took the engine out of this, the whole thing would just fall to pieces.
36:37 It would just fall apart because really that's holding everything in place.
36:42 One of the changes they've made on this is at the rear shock there.
36:45 They've not actually changed the shock but they've now added rebound damping.
36:48 It's been added to the array of adjustments on the rear end there so a little bit of a
36:51 modification there.
36:53 Also the ignition and the carburation settings have been modified slightly to give, so they
36:57 say, a smoother power delivery.
36:59 Still got carburettors on this, look, manual choke there on the side there which is a bit
37:04 awkward to find with a glove hand until you actually get used to where it is but there
37:08 it is.
37:09 We've not gone fuel injected yet.
37:10 You'd have thought they might have done that on the latest model but no carburettors we've
37:13 got.
37:14 Up here the handlebars, believe it or not, are different.
37:17 Well they're not different, they're just higher, slightly higher up so they say it gives a
37:21 more comfortable riding position now on this new version of it.
37:24 And it is quite comfy actually.
37:25 The seat's not bad.
37:26 A couple of hours, two or three hours in the saddle, no problem at all.
37:30 Also the fuel tank has grown up.
37:32 This is now a 19 litre fuel tank on this version and I know Firestorms have never been famous
37:38 for their touring range you might say.
37:40 They've never been famous for their economy and let me tell you that I filled this up
37:44 a few days ago right to the top and then I did fairly sustained high speed travelling
37:50 on the motorways at quite high speeds and I got 120 miles before the low fuel light
37:56 started to flash.
37:57 Well that's not good if you ask me.
37:59 I don't think that's great.
38:00 OK I didn't run out of fuel but the light was flashing so after 120 miles I was starting
38:04 to look around for fuel so probably not quite addressed that problem just yet.
38:10 But it is a comfy bike as I say.
38:11 You can sit on it a long time and enjoy the big throbbing V-Twin motor because it does
38:16 throb because that's what V-Twins do.
38:18 They have character.
38:20 People say twins have character.
38:21 Well character to me is just another word for vibration.
38:24 They do vibrate by their very nature.
38:26 They shake a lot.
38:27 And I have to say that when I first climbed aboard this for the first 40 or 50 miles or
38:32 so I hated every minute of it.
38:35 Perhaps I was judging things a little bit too quickly.
38:43 Yes I did hate it at first but after what three or four hundred miles or so I started
38:47 to slip into the groove as they say.
38:50 I really think it's a case of what you've been used to.
38:53 If you've served your time on four cylinder machines then you'll probably hate the twins.
38:57 There again if you've been brought up with twins you'll probably love the new Firestorm.
39:02 It is slightly lumpy at low revs and it likes to be spent at somewhere around 3,500 revs
39:07 before things start to smooth out.
39:10 And it doesn't go completely smooth until you hit 4,000 revs by which time in top gear
39:14 you're doing 75 miles an hour.
39:17 And although it might be great fun you can't travel everywhere at that kind of speed.
39:24 And that's the problem you see.
39:25 This is a bike that likes to be worked hard.
39:27 It likes to go fast.
39:28 I think it would be brilliant on a racetrack.
39:29 I haven't actually had a chance to get it on a track this week but I think it would
39:32 be a fantastic track bike.
39:34 But it doesn't like cities.
39:35 It doesn't like traffic.
39:37 It tends to chug a bit when it's revving very low or when it's in a low gear which is I
39:42 don't like it to be honest with you.
39:44 But I'll show you something else that they've changed.
39:45 The dashboard up here, this is all different.
39:47 Got a little digital display over there which gives you all the usual.
39:50 We're all used to that now.
39:51 Sort of temperature, there's a couple of trips, mileometer, fuel there as well.
39:55 But this, let me show you this.
39:56 I don't like this.
39:57 They've got a big rev counter in the middle, fine.
40:00 But then the speedo here, just look at the size of those numbers.
40:03 Very very difficult to read.
40:05 And also the sort of strange thing is if you look where zero miles an hour is, if you imagine
40:09 that's a clock face, it's at kind of 20 past isn't it?
40:13 So which means that when the needle is at half past if you like, you're doing 55 miles
40:18 an hour.
40:19 When you glance down and you see the needle pointing straight down, it just looks weird.
40:22 You expect it to be sort of starting to rise at 50 miles an hour.
40:25 I just think it's odd.
40:27 And especially when you think of other Honda bikes like the CBR600.
40:30 That's got a big speedo on it which is digital and you look down at a glance, it's dead easy
40:35 to read.
40:36 So Honda obviously think it's important to be able to read the speed.
40:39 Then they go and stick this on the Firestorm.
40:41 I mean why that speedo isn't in the middle, I don't know.
40:43 It should be if you ask me because it's the speedo that's going to save your license,
40:47 save the points at the end of the day.
40:49 But there you go.
40:50 So I don't like that.
40:51 Very sorry about that.
40:52 You may have noticed this is a single seat version there.
40:55 It's not actually a single seat because behind that little seat cover at the back, that seat
40:59 cowl, the seat does actually continue.
41:01 It's a one piece seat.
41:03 So you can take that off and you can have a pillion on the back.
41:05 Where on earth are you going to hold onto?
41:06 I don't know but you can do that.
41:08 And I would show you if I could get it off.
41:10 Well I can get it off actually but it's awkward.
41:12 It's the usual thing, key in at the back, unlatch it.
41:15 It says in the handbook, simply pull the center of the seat, slide back and unlatch it and
41:20 it comes off.
41:21 Well it doesn't actually.
41:22 Well not on this one it doesn't.
41:23 Anyway I just had all sorts of problems getting the seat.
41:26 One of the most awkward seats I've ever had to deal with.
41:28 So I'm not even going to attempt it on this occasion.
41:31 So there's a few negative things.
41:32 Sounds like I've got a bit of a downer on this doesn't it?
41:35 Well it's about time we said something positive isn't it eh?
41:38 I think so.
41:40 OK, here goes then.
41:42 It handles superbly.
41:44 Steering is sharp but it's not twitchy.
41:46 It's also deceptively fast and because it's a twin it doesn't howl like a four cylinder machine.
41:52 And the engine never sounds like it's being worked hard.
41:55 In fact it's easy to find yourself doing 80 or 90 miles an hour before you know it.
42:00 If you're a bit of a speed merchant then you'll have great fun on the new Firestorm.
42:05 I did have a little play with the suspension settings but I can honestly say that for most situations during everyday riding
42:13 the standard factory settings seem to work the best.
42:16 Over the two weeks that I had the new model I found myself wanting to ride it more and more.
42:21 The combination of a torquey motor and sharp handling quickly becomes very addictive.
42:27 So it's really a case of horses for courses.
42:30 It is with any new bike these days.
42:32 And if you're buying a new machine you need to have a good look at it, have a ride on it, have a good read about it,
42:36 find out what it's good at and think does that fit my particular usage.
42:40 If you're into performance and handling then you won't go far wrong with this.
42:44 The new Firestorm comes in three colours now.
42:46 This one, a nice racy red colour, comes in a bright yellow and it comes in a rather classy looking metallic blue.
42:52 And if you'd like to put one on the road it'll cost you £7,449.
42:56 And if you like V-Twins, I'm not a great fan myself, but if you like V-Twins and all the little idiosyncrasies that go with them
43:03 then to be quite honest you won't go far wrong with this.
43:06 We've been looking at second hand bikes recently.
43:08 We've seen a second hand sports Tourer, a VFR 750 and we've looked at a second hand sports bike, a Fireblade.
43:13 They were both priced at £4,500.
43:16 So what about something in between performance wise and a little bit cheaper as well.
43:21 Here's a couple of examples.
43:23 This is what you might call the middleweight class, the street bike people seem to be calling them now.
43:27 Two machines here, even cheaper this time, £3,500.
43:31 This first one is Yamaha's Phaser.
43:34 It came out in 1998.
43:36 People used to say this was a parts bin special, but a bit unfair really.
43:40 It does use bits off other Yamahas, there's a few recognisable bits.
43:43 The calipers you'll recognise with the blue centres there, off the Thundercat and off the Thunderace.
43:48 Of course the engine is also from the Thundercat, although they've gone to the trouble this time because it's a naked bike.
43:54 They're actually making it look like an air cooled motor with these fins on the side which is nice to see.
43:59 I say naked bike, not quite naked, you've got this half fairing here which protects you a little bit.
44:04 But essentially it's what you might call a street bike.
44:07 6,000 miles on the clock are registered and it's £3,500.
44:12 Let's go and have a look at the Honda.
44:15 This is the Honda Hornet.
44:18 Again, 600cc, middle weight, same as the Phaser.
44:21 And a similar kind of story really with this.
44:23 The engine from this is one that Honda have used previously in their CBR600, which they've used for many years.
44:29 But basically a CBR600 engine, but it uses, or should I say it makes its power quite differently.
44:35 It's tuned differently, it's more mid-range, it's not as buzzy, not quite as revvy as a CBR.
44:40 Not as fast, but there's more usable power where you want it, especially around town.
44:45 More of a retro theme with this one, especially at the front end here.
44:48 Completely naked, no protection at all.
44:51 Chrome ring on the headlamp there, chrome back clocks, well plastic chrome back clocks.
44:56 Chrome mirrors, very, very retro, but that's really where the retro theme ends.
45:01 Because as you come down to the back of the bike, it's not retro at all.
45:04 Big high lift exhaust here, no twin shocks in the back.
45:08 No twin shocks as you would find on a true retro machine.
45:12 And the engine has not even been made to look air-cooled at all.
45:16 It's really just a CBR600 lump stuck straight in the middle.
45:20 This is a T registered, and this has done less mileage, 3,000 on this, and again, 3,500 pounds.
45:29 And 3,500 pounds isn't exactly a lot of money to pay for a machine that's as closely related to the brilliant CBR600 as this.
45:38 The Hornet is definitely what people might call a well-sorted bike.
45:43 It feels completely together, the handling is very sharp and positive,
45:48 and the 600cc motor is strong and willing, and it's almost completely vibration-free.
45:54 The riding position is just about spot-on, with the footpegs tipping you slightly forward towards the nice wide and fairly high bars.
46:03 It's not quite the same story with the Fazer, however.
46:07 It certainly doesn't feel anywhere near as sharp as the Hornet,
46:11 and it's only really when riding two machines back-to-back that you start to realise just how vague the handling is on this Yamaha.
46:19 The motor has all the mid-range you'll ever need from a 600.
46:23 Even if it does start to feel a little buzzy after a while.
46:27 The riding position is fine, the seat is comfortable, and the half-fairing does offer a certain amount of wind protection.
46:34 The Fazer's seat is higher than the Hornet's, and perhaps it's this which gives it a slightly top-heavy feel.
46:40 It's good for long-legged riders, but I have to confess that I personally felt much more comfortable and part of the bike on the Hornet.
46:50 So they're not out-and-out sports bikes, but they've still got plenty of performance, both 600cc's, both keep up with most things, you won't get left too far behind.
47:04 The Fazer's good for about 140mph, Hornet's a little bit slower, 130 odd mph.
47:10 But I have to say, 130 odd on one of these? Forget it, you haven't got a chance.
47:15 80mph for about an hour is just about as much as you can stand, and even then you'll be completely knackered because there is nothing here.
47:22 There's no protection, wind straight in your face, on your shoulders, on your arms, you're aching, it really is a nuisance.
47:28 You could put a screen on it, most of the aftermarket accessory manufacturers will make a screen that would fit this, costs you around about £60.
47:36 But as standard, nothing there.
47:39 Also, you may have noticed on this, it's got a side stand. That's it, it's only got a side stand.
47:45 So tell me this then, Mr Honda, why can you make a CBR600 an out-and-out performance sports machine that's got a main stand, but you can't put one on the Hornet, which is a middleweight, user-friendly, easy-to-ride bike?
47:58 I don't know the answer to that.
48:00 Dashboard on this, very, very basic, no fuel gauge, I hate bikes that don't have a fuel gauge.
48:05 This hasn't even got a fuel warning lamp, which means when you're riding along and your engine starts to die and you think, "Oh, hang on, I need to be in reserve,"
48:14 you start fumbling down here because the reserve tap is just there.
48:18 And if you've got gloves on and you're riding along, it's awkward, it's fiddly, it's a nuisance, it shouldn't be like that.
48:24 So that's a couple of problems there with the Hornet, but it's a nice little machine.
48:28 Yamaha, on the other hand, seem to have got things slightly better, a little bit more correct.
48:32 We've got a main stand on this one, which is great. It's great for maintenance.
48:36 You can adjust your chain, you can check your back wheel, you can even take the back wheel off.
48:40 It's easy for cleaning the bike, and it means when you park it in the garage, it's harder for the kids to knock it over.
48:45 So, 10 out of 10 there, main stand.
48:48 Dashboard on this is better. We haven't got a temperature gauge, but we don't need a temperature gauge, really.
48:54 I would much rather have a fuel gauge, which we've got on this.
48:57 So, if they can do it on the Fazer, why can't everybody do it?
49:01 We've also got a screen on this one, as standard. Only a little half-fairing, but it is quite good.
49:05 It does protect you and sit down in the comfy seat, which is actually higher than the Hornet.
49:10 Much higher riding position, so people with longer legs may prefer the Fazer.
49:15 We often talk about pillions, and we often say, "Look at the pillion pegs. Not too high, not too low, whatever.
49:21 Look at the grab rail, look at the seat." But we very rarely actually show you a pillion on the bike.
49:27 So, let's change all that. I need a passenger. Come this way.
49:32 Wayne, have you got a minute?
49:35 You know, sometimes a manufacturer brings out a new model of motorcycle that somehow disappoints everybody.
49:44 It's not quite what we expected. It doesn't quite look the way we thought it would.
49:48 Well, that was my opinion when Honda brought out their last CBR600.
49:52 Remember that one, the one with the big vacuum cleaner pipes on the front?
49:55 It didn't quite look right to me. It looked a bit bland, a bit boring, wasn't aggressive enough, wasn't quite sporty enough.
50:01 Although, there's no question that it all worked perfectly well.
50:04 Well, imagine my delight when I first clapped eyes on this, the brand new 2001 CBR600.
50:11 Honda haven't just improved the looks of the new CBR, they've actually now made it available in two versions.
50:20 This is the CBR600F and there's also a sportier looking version called the CBR600FS.
50:28 It's certainly every bit as comfortable as previous models, but like all other middleweight sports bikes, it is slightly lacking in bottom end grunt.
50:38 But hey, hit 6,500 revs and it really comes alive.
50:44 [engine noise]
50:50 You know, I've always said that the single most important thing when you're choosing a new bike is do you like what it looks like?
50:57 It doesn't matter how good it's supposed to be, you can read all the test reports, it can be the best bike in the world.
51:01 If you think it looks ugly, you ain't going to buy it, simple as that.
51:04 Well, I think the new CBR600 scores about 10 out of 10 in the looks department.
51:09 It just looks fantastic to me, it's sleek, it's streamlined, it's aggressive now, it looks sporty, it definitely looks like a flying machine.
51:18 [engine noise]
51:28 The first thing you'll notice about the new CBR is the shape of it, different shape.
51:32 The front end for example, the most obvious part of any bike, it's different isn't it?
51:36 It's pointy now, look, we've got a big V-shape there, twin headlamps, very, very aggressive styling.
51:41 Certainly a bit of Kawasaki in there and there's a bit of Yamaha.
51:44 In fact, there's a bit of lots of different sports bikes in there.
51:47 And it all works very well, looks really nice and aggressive.
51:50 Look at this now, we've got big air intakes here, no hoover pipes, big vacuum pipes we had sticking out there on the other model which looked awful.
51:57 But we've got these now, big super-duper air intakes, front mudguard, that's different.
52:01 It's bigger than before, it's more streamlined, it covers more of the bottom of the forks, more of the wheel itself, all to do with aerodynamics.
52:08 And there's lots of subtle little changes in this that you'd never know, not unless you took the damn thing apart anyway.
52:13 In here, the fork internals, they're different, they're now aluminium, they were steel before, so they're a bit lighter.
52:19 And even details such as the calipers, the little Nissan calipers there, the pistons in them, they're now aluminium instead of steel.
52:26 Again, all to do with saving weight and making the whole thing lighter.
52:30 But going back to these, these big air intakes, what they'll do, they'll pull the air in through the tubes up here into the air box, which you can't see, underneath the tank.
52:38 It's a bigger air box before, sucks more air in, because when you snap the throttle open on this, you need a big chunk of air to make it all work very well.
52:45 Because it's fuel injected and you've got instant power on tap with this, it really is very, very, well, immediate, that's the only word to describe it.
52:53 The frame is different, well it's not different, it's the same frame, but it's differently done.
52:57 A lot beefier up at the headstock, a lot of strengthening up there, and again, down at the bottom end, the rear mountings there, all beefed up a bit and all a lot stronger to cope with the extra power.
53:08 The dashboard is very nice though, I want to show you this.
53:11 Look at this, a nice little dashboard, just move that choke cable out of the way, the clutch cable out of the way.
53:15 When I switch it on, look at that.
53:17 Hey, that's funky isn't it?
53:20 Analogue rev counter, digital speedo, which is brilliant.
53:24 Every bike should have a digital speedo, you can see it at a glance.
53:27 Can you imagine trying to glance down at these numbers here and read them accurately when you're travelling at speed?
53:31 It's very difficult.
53:33 This, dead easy, you can read it accurately to the exact mile an hour.
53:37 And of course you've got all your warning lamps and things, a couple of little trip meters on it, a clock, low fuel warning, really everything you need.
53:44 What it hasn't got this, because it's packed with technology and it's fuel injected, is it hasn't got a manual choke.
53:51 The choke normally would live here on the left hand grip there.
53:54 You pull it on a cold morning, fire it up and then usually you'd back it off wouldn't you?
53:58 So it's just about running, it's not racing away so it doesn't upset the neighbours.
54:02 Well what happens on this when you turn it on, automatic choke, cold morning, fires up perfectly.
54:09 It's quite warm now so we're only running at just almost 1500 revs.
54:14 A tick over would be about 1000 but on a cold morning that would be up just over 2000 revs and you can't slow it down.
54:21 Well that's no problem you might say.
54:23 But if you, like I think a lot of people, will put a race can on this, probably the first thing people will buy for the new CBR will be a race can, makes lots of noise.
54:30 You fire this up on a cold morning, over 2000 revs, a lot of noise, you're not going to be very popular with the neighbours.
54:37 In the past the CBR600 has always been praised for its all round ability and this new model is no exception.
54:45 It's lighter than before, it's very flickable, it's quick to change direction but it's equally at home chugging along at 30mph in busy traffic.
54:54 You don't have to thrash the pants off it to appreciate its quality.
54:58 And being a new model it's fitted with HISS, that's Honda's ignition security system, in which the key has a unique coding to help prevent theft.
55:08 It does mean however that should you lose both of the supplied keys you'll need to replace the whole ignition unit. Ouch.
55:15 It's also got a smart water security system which should help deter the odd dodgy character.
55:21 On the road the CBR600F is £6,800 and a further £400 or so will buy you the sport version.
55:30 So two new models now of CBR600 to choose from, the CBR600F and the CBR600F Sport, which is it to be.
55:39 Well as I say £400 and odd will get you the sport version so how much extra do you get for your money?
55:44 Well on the sport model for the extra cash you will actually get an extra tooth on the rear sprocket, fantastic that'll come in really useful.
55:52 You'll also get stronger valve springs so it allows the engine to rev slightly higher. Why you need that I really don't know.
55:59 You'll also get a racing style seat unit on the sport model, a step seat with a little pillion pad up here, actually looks quite nice.
56:06 And you get a nice fancy red and black SP1 style paint job.
56:11 What you don't get on the sport model for your extra cash is you don't get a centre stand.
56:16 This has got a centre stand, dead useful for adjusting your chain, lubing your chain and doing your routine maintenance.
56:21 Why you don't get one on the sport I really don't know, I can't answer that.
56:25 If it was my money I was spending I would stick with this, with it's nice dual seat, nice comfy seat, it's even got a grab rail on the back, the sport doesn't even have a grab rail.
56:33 And I'd save myself a few quid and I'd spend that on a rear hugger because it needs one to keep all the muck off the road.
56:40 That is the only thing this bike is short of, the rest of the machine is absolutely spot on.
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56:53 (upbeat music)
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