ISSUE 308 DECEMBER 2015
IT’S THE NEWS
Upfront . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
New bikes that we might not see in the
UK. Plus a detailed look at the ZX-10R

GEARED UP
Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Top levers plus new and used gear...

GET IT FIRST
Subscribe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Winners get it on their doorstep early!

THE KNOWLEDGE
Used Buyer’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . 80
How can you go wrong with a K8/9 GSX-
R750, one of the best bikes ever made?

MASTERCLASSES
Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Riding guru Keith Code on your eyes...
Technical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
How many times – service your suzzies!
Legal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
In the brown stuff? Help is at hand...

YOUR LIFE ON BIKES
Chatter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Your world, your world, party on!
Travel and Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . 100
The best places to go – and to go fast!

OUR LIFE IN BIKES
Staff Bikes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Another busy month of riding Europe’s
best roads on some of the world’s best
bikes. Well, that and a few meetings...

Yamaha YZF-R1
Suzuki GSX-S1000F
Kawasaki ZX-10R
MV Agusta F3 800
Triumph 675
Ducati Scrambler

RACE SECTION
Pit Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
What a month it has been. WSB and BSB
reach their conclusions. As for MotoGP...
Race Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Wayne Rainey is one of the sport’s greats;
it’s a privilege to speak to him...

COLUMNISTS
Clive Padgett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Another ace season comes to a close...
Gary Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Gaz gets his eye in before Macau
Chaz Davies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Second place in the WSB series!
Steve Parrish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
More Parrish notes from the vicar...

B I K E S

LEFTFIELD
Aprilia Caponord Rally . . . . . . . . . . 14
Want an adventure, but not BmW-based?

LAUNCH
Ducati Monster 1200 R . . . . . . . . . 26
Ducati finishes off its massive monster
series in some serious style...

CORE TEST
The Tourer Führer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
a slew of brilliant sports tourers has
reignited this class meaning touring need no
longer be boring...
BMW R 1200 RS
Kawasaki Z1000sX
Suzuki GSX-s1000f

RACER TEST
SIX OF THE BEST

44 BMW RACERS
BMW Racers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
six race spec’ BmWs. one happy man...

TEST
Size Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Just what is the perfectly sized Panigale?
26 Ducati monster 1200 r: scary monster or cuddle monster?
52 Ducati 899 vs 1299 s: Picking your Perfect Panigale Playmate...
60 Eskil Suter: racer, engineer, maker of two stroke sex machines!