...imagine there's a Yamaha blue-suited pixie who changes gear for you at your every command. He's a clever little guy too, perfect shifts every time. I (he) never lost the plot all the time I rode the thing, no such thing as a lazy toe here. By the way, if you want, you can override the system any time you like by just using your foot (still no clutch lever needed, or supplied). It's a true manual transmission, with you making the decision when to shift.

Somewhere between a Hayabusa and a Honda Rebel exists a class of motorcycles that cuts one of the largest swaths among streetbike riders, they are what we like to call "reality bikes."

A reality bike, by our definition, is an elemental yet widely capable machine that is friendly to both its owner's wallet and its insurance provider, perfectly willing to pound out commuter miles during the week followed some out-of-town fun on the weekend.

The 781cc V-Four has a pair of Siamesed cylinders set 90 degrees apart, its 16 valves are actuated by a pedestrian cam chain. It's fueled by 12-hole fuel injectors and is wrapped by a pair of slim-line radiators that peek through the fairing's side vents. Finally, the engine boasts iridium-tipped spark plugs, an air-injection system and a three-way catalyst—technology that helped earn the motor a seven-year federal smog certificate—good until the 2008 model year.

With nigh-on 80ftlb of torque delivered to the rear wheel at 3700rpm, the Bandit’s new six-speed gearbox needs little provocation. It’ll cheerfully pull from 3500rpm in top gear and run on to 140+mph. That gearbox is typical Suzuki: precise, perfectly spaced ratios. And, hoorah, no sign of any fuel-injection stutters or flatspots in its performance delivery.

While the engine is new, it does retain the same 67 x 42.5 bore and stroke dimensions as before. Interestingly this is identical to Honda's CBR600RR and Yamaha’s latest YZF-R6. Yamaha did have a different bore and stroke previously but have gone with the consensus for their all new 2006 model. Kawasaki's ZX-6RR also utilises those exact dimensions which means that all four Japanese middleweights produce their 599.4cc in exactly the same way. Spooky huh?

There's so much to enjoy about the Z1000 – like its excellent riding position, mondo motor, reasonable $8500 price tag and the way it makes its rider feel – that we're almost willing to overlook its nits. The Z provides a raw, elemental experience that we love. With its snarling motor and accompanying vibration and the full windblast crashing around your face...

What Kawasaki was after with the ER-6n was the essence of riding ("ER"). A bike that would offer both pleasure and function to virtually every skill level of motorcyclist. In other words, a bike that the experienced rider could appreciate and enjoy, but which could also bring a new rider into the Kawasaki family of high performance motorcycles. It should be noted that this goal has been proven achievable by a similarly-sized machine offered by Suzuki (the SV650).

The motor on the GSX-R750 has a very smooth seamless delivery with an electric feel to it. There are no big hits in the powerband, just a steady heightening of power. The motor is a little lacking in the mid-range forcing you to keep the revs up on corner exit. You have to ride it more like a 600 than a 1000 to get the true potential out of GSX-R. Keep the motor close to its rev ceiling at 15,000 rpm and you'll have the GSX-R singing nicely.