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.

The motor is the same hardy 90 degree V-Twin with its double overhead cam, 8-valve with a revised cam profile to take advantage of its intended usage. The changes center on providing a stronger low-to-mid torque shove. The Electronic fuel injection features Suzuki's Dual Throttle Valve System (SDTV) a system that maintains optimum air velocity in the intake tract for a smoothed out low-to-mid rpm throttle response too.

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).

First sight of the bike gives way to a warm fuzzy familiar feeling, and it certainly looks a lot like the smaller sibling, the 6R/RR. The biggest difference, apart from motor size is that new slim-line frame, it's a little unusual. It has a very slim profile that's not obtrusive in anyway. That bigger motor is bolted into an aloo-min-ee-yum twin-tube backbone that arches over the engine, rather than around it.

The new motor is excellent. Ducati, which has a history of dialing in fuel injection very well (due, to some extent, to their extensive experience with fuel injection in racing) has done an excellent job with the new motor. For the class, there is plenty of power, and the spread of power is quite large.

The 620 i.e. pulls cleanly and strongly from a stop, and has decent peak horsepower despite the broad, smooth spread of torque and horsepower across the rev range. Frankly, the [motorcycle] pulls much harder than expected for an air-cooled, two-valve per cylinder 620 twin.

Considering the fact that Triumph does not refer to the 955 as a "race replica," its surprising how good a track tool it is. And for the same reason it looks like it should be an even better road [motorcycle]. That doesn't mean that Triumph created the perfect Fireblade or R1 carbon copy - quite the opposite. The 955i Daytona still has its very own, big Brit character. Its actually so good and unique as to make the little odds and ends that have an unfinished look forgivable. In fact, in Europe, the new Triumph even undercuts the competition price wise.

A lot of this new Blast is about ease of use: The valvetrain utilizes self-adjusting hydraulic lifters that eliminate any need for mechanical tuning and the carb is equipped with an automatic fuel enricher that eliminates both cold-starting woes and the need for a choke knob. The [motorcycle] also comes with a choice of either a 27.5-inch or 25.5-inch seat height to tailor [it] for short riders who may be intimidated by "big" [motorcycles]. Buell has even gone so far with this "easy " philosophy that the Blast has a "stream-lined PDI (pre-delivery inspection) procedure" that enables the dealer and customer to get the [motorcycle] "from the crate to the street" in less than one hour.

Big changes came again in 2004 with a new cylinder head, radial mounted calipers and new styling along with the normal reduction in weight and increase in power. The GSX-R750 was now 13kg lighter than the original 1985 model and had 48 more ponies to propel that lighter weight.

2005 marks the 20th anniversary of that original mould breaking GSX-R750. It was always on the cards that Suzuki would do something with the GSX-R750 to mark the occasion and details of exactly that were released late last year when Suzuki officially announced that a special anniversary edition of the GSX-R750 was on the way for 2005.