FEATURES...

46 RACER ERA-SWAP
Michael Rutter and Stuart Graham swap works Hondas: Rutter on Graham's RC174 (the six!), Graham on Rutter's Fireblade.

50 DUCATI'S DEMONS
Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali explains how Ducati will step free of their sales slump.

56 WIELECKI
George, the type of dealer you used to hate but now love again!

64 GEARING UP THE KIDS
Protecting the wee prodigy

TESTED...

16 2006 YAMAHA MT 03
Yamaha reinvent the simple single - would you buy one?

22 2006 HONDA FIREBLADE
Alan Cathcart gets to play Chris Vermuelen for a day.

26 SUZUKI V-STROM 650
A most versatile most underrated machine

36 MIDDLE-MARKET MIDDLEWEIGHTS
We meet Kawasaki's new ER-6N for the first time, and introduce it to some friends - Honda's CBF600 and Yamaha's FZ6.

RETRO...

98 HONDA CB350K4
The bike that changed the face of classic racing. We debate its validity, and Melling gets on and rides the thing (and wins - it's good!)

104 LOOK BACK
A new, regular item, where we look back at a feature from MSLs (and Motorcycle Sports) of the past. This month: TV scrambles.

105 40/30/20/10
Motorcycle Sport as we knew it then.

106 YESTERYEAR
When petrol was red and white, not premium and super.

OPENROAD

76 AN A-Z OF 2006 TOURERS
What's new in touring tackle for the new season: a complete guide.

84 USA AMERICAN-STYLE
MSL's Malc Wheeler goes West Coast with an Electra Glide.

90 NORWAY BY CLASSIC
As far north as you can ride, on 40-yearold Triumphs.

REGULARS...

3 EDITORIAL

6 NEWS
The ups and downs of the bike industry

30 LETTERS
The mailbox was bulging this month!

34 CATHCART
The latest on Ducati's position

57 CAMERON
The comings and goings of automatic gearboxes

70 HERSHON
Motorcycles and cool - is there a real link?