I was trying to think of a time when I felt less at ease on a motorcycle. But there weren't any. Normally not particularly good bikes strike you as just that, a little bit bland, a tad dull, uninspiring, unremarkable. But rarely do they feel like they're going to turn round and actually strike you.

But to be brutally honest, the only thing I can liken my first apex aboard the Suzuki GSX-R1400 to is trying to row with a pair of floorboards. It just resisted from every angle.

I had only been aboard a mere ten minutes longer when I met up with the appointed photographer, and I must admit, I couldn't belief the bend they'd been using for the test photography. Not just because it was a fairly fast second gear cornering, but because the surface looked more like a mogul field than a road and I could only cringe at the prospect of having to live up to the fast bikes reputation on a bike with a scaffold pole welded diagonally through the wheels and suspension that had thus far made a bouncy castle feel stable.

It looks like a Triumph. No, I don't mean like a Speed Triple or a Daytona. I mean like the Triumphs of the 60's. Those bright shiny machines with the tear-drop tanks and big, throbbing, air-cooled motors, spoked wheels, long black vinyl seats with the ripples along the tops, and paint to die for.

Yeah those Triumphs. The Triumph Thunderbird, 2002 model, is the modern equivalent to the traditional Triumph with a few twists tossed in. The style of the 60's meets the technology of the 90's, and being sold in 2002. This liquid cooled, DOHC, 885cc in-line three-cylinder engine motorcycle will serious produce some head-turning looks.

First impression: blinded by the chrome. The styling of the Triumph Tunderbird is totally retro. Smooth sexy lines; lot's of pretty chrome; full, round tear-drop fuel tank and the Triumph moniker emblazoned on everything. Very classy, throw a leg over the, seat and you immediately feel very comfortable and in control.

BMW R1200S, the powerful boxer powered superbike worthy of the name, is finally coming to a dealer near you. Billed as the strongest boxer-twin yet, the 1170cc machine allegedly makes 122 horsepower at 8250rpm, along with an impressive torque. Most everything from the crankcases outward looks to be newly designed.

Inhaling through enlarged 52mm intake manifolds, combustion chambers set compression at 12.5:1. Warmed-up cams spin in three bearing rather than two, and new 50mm exhaust manifolds are 5mm larger then the BMW R1100S.

Perhaps more importantly, BMW says the new uber-boxer weighs in at 195 kilo dry, that is about 13 kess than an R1100S, and 213 kilo with a full 17 liter of fuel. Not exactly GSX-R territory, but light enough, according to BMW, to sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 3.15 seconds.

The KTM Duke II, it shakes hard enough to break up kidney stones, you can't put more than about 200 kilometer on it between fuel stops, and squirming around on the skinny little thong of a seat for that long is an exercise in pain management.

So? This is KTM's Duke II we've talking about, spiritual successor to the '70 Schwinn Sting-Ray and more fun than a case of bottle rockets. Above all else, the most competent sporting street single of the last decade is deliriously fun to ride.

The wide handlebar and upright riding position are familiar to anyone whose youth was misspent on dirtbikes. So will the minimal amount of motorcycle between your knees. Agile? The twistiest road you can find won't feel all that twisty anymore. WP suspension inhales rough pavement. The Brembo braking hardware is magnificent, 17-inch BBS alloy wheels accept all manner of gummy sporting rubber, and cornering clearance is essentially limitless.

I like the Yamaha FZR400RRSP, it is like a racer in more ways than one. It is so balanced and purposeful, so neutral and true, yet without being unridable or too focused that, like the Yamaha YZF, this bike is surely not a waste of money. Like the Yamaha YZF750, the secret of the Yamaha FZR400, except more so, is its exquisite balance, and the fact that it's got such exact weigh distribution, means that every separate component feels like its reciprocating with every other dynamic component rather than working against each other and having to be neutralized by expensive accessories.

The Yamaha FZR400RRSP to give its full moniker, has a glorious semi-cast box-section frame, but nack all else in the chassis department to be honest.

Ok, the brakes are fairly fit twin-pot calipers, but the suspension is comparatively weedy and very un-adjustable despite the RR acronym.

By some believed to replace the aging Honda CBR-150R, the Honda CBF-250, or CBX-250 as the model is named in the American market, is powered by a single cylinder, air-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC 4-valve 249cc engine, with a 73mm bore and 59.5mm stroke, producing a 9.3:1 compression ratio.

The new Honda CBF-250 takes up where the venerable Honda CB-250 left off. For over a decade, the Honda CB-250 enjoyed excellent sales owing to its low purchase and running costs, stable performance and almost bullet-proof reliability. But, due to new Euro emissions regulations, the much-loved model had to be discontinued in 2003. The new Honda CBF-250 has been given an all-new sporty look and an all-new engine to assure that this model's success continues. The first major development is the new air-cooled engine. This is the first new air-cooled 250cc engine Honda has developed for over a decade and features six speeds and electric start for easy use around town.

Tree years ago, Honda drew from its experience with the then-dominant RC211V MotoGP bike to give us the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, its most serious superbike to date. That same year, Kawasaki awakened after dreaming up sensible streetbikes such as the Kawasaki ZX-9R and dropped the with explosive power equipped Kawasaki ZX-10R on the market, which made the Honda seem a bit tame.

Results of most racetrack-biased comparisons were understandable lopsided, and few backhanded compliments the Honda RR Fireblade was paid for being best on the street only fueled Honda's fire. There's nothing like a literbike when it comes to awesome performance.

As we slight back to the current time, it's interesting to note those two Japanese manufacturers are, if not exactly trading places, at least taking strides in opposite directions. As said in the past, Kawasaki has taken some of the Mean out of Mean Green, making the all-new Kawasaki 10R more user-friendly than before.

Yamaha started a hugely popular revolution with the Yamaha TMAX Superscooter many years ago. Yamaha has now performed another transformation on the idea of what scooter launches can be. Not only were European-based journalists flown in to test ride the 2008 Yamaha TMAX in the country of its origin, but track action at the Shuzenji was also included on the menu. Thus the media got the chance to see how impressively the Yamaha TMAX handles the twisty stuff, before heading of to the Tokyo Motor Show the next day to see all the new '08 models up close, including the blistering and beautiful Yamaha YZF-R6.

The new Yamaha TMAX is a pure expression of power and beauty, perfectly balanced. Every new feature speaks the language of performance and comfort, to give you an unique riding experience.

Make the Kawasaki ER-6n your first big bike, the Kawasaki that says you've arrived as a rider. Take on the urban sprawl for weekday riding and commutes then take to the back lanes for weekend blasts.

The Kawasaki ER-6n has something for everyone. Ladies, new riders and returning riders will love the low seat height, lightweight and low-effort controls. Commuters will appreciate the nimble handling and incredible fuel economy. And riders looking for a second bike will be surprised at the Kawasaki ER-6n's impressive all-around performance.

The Kawasaki ER-6n's parallel twin power, delivers power on demand from the Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, 8 valves, 650cc (649cc actual) engine, breathing with two 38mm Keihin Fuel injection throttle bodies, while the serpent header pipes add to the performance and looks.

Mass centralization, by mounting the exhaust tight and close, Kawasaki concentrates the Kawasaki ER-6n's mass for class-leading changes of direction and handling.

Add a windshield, saddlebags and a passenger backrest to the Yamaha Star Roadliner and you've got the Yamaha Star Stratoliner one of the latest entry in Yamaha's cruiser lineup.

Spend an hour on a Roadliner and you've sure to start thinking about traveling. The air-cooled 1854cc pushrod V-twin pounds out a relaxed cadence on the highway where it's running in the meaty part of its powerband, so shiftless passes happen quickly. With 171.45cm between its axles, the big Star is the roomiest bike on the road, and Yamaha has shaped the saddle to allow even tall riders some wiggle room.

This ergonomic flexibility extends to the floorboards, which are long enough to give my larger sized a choice of positions. Thoroughly muted vibration, civilized suspension, stiffer on the Liner, and respectable fuel kilometer-covering all ratify the idea this bike was build to go places.