There are few motorcycles in this world that make it feel like an absolute honor to ride them. I've felt privileged upon just a few rare occasions since we started Motorcycle Thailand. The BMW S1000RR looks the part and the road handling is perfect.

The BMW S1000RR is quite fast, what is partly because the motorcycle is basically the BMW WSB championship contender in its most basic form, lacking the semi-active suspension and lots of carbon-fiber bodywork of the BMW HP4 version which is much closer to what they race in the WSB championship.

Looking at the 2014 BMW S1000RR you will discover that BMW is targeting the same market segment, 1000cc sportsbikes, in which the Japanese big four rule supreme for many years.

Starting a new chapter for any model is a difficult process. Sure, it seems simple. Just make it better. The thing is, you still want to keep the core customers happy while making improvements to entice new buyers. With so many directions to go in, there is a fine line between too much and too little, and BMW tried hard to land in the right spot with the new BMW R1200GS.

The BMW R1200GS, with the next-generation Boxer engine has been completely redesigned with liquid-cooling, and integrated gearbox with an eight-disc wet clutch, and 'vertical flow intake.' These changes improved power and torque across the whole rev range and also resulted in better shifting and fuel efficiency.

The new power on the BMW R1200GS is managed by five different riding modes – Dynamic, Rain, Road, Enduro, and Enduro Pro – and controlled by an electronic ride-by-wire throttle, which has an easy, precise twist on the handlebar. With the new electronic throttle, the engine mimics what your wrist is doing exactly. Each mode reacts as you would expect by its given name and affects the ABS, ASC (Traction Control), and Dynamic ESA (Electronic Adjusted Suspension).

For the people who seen everything in the motorcycle industry, I'm sure they missed this amazing KTM Cuckoo clock. It costs around 1,800 THB (without shipping cost) and you can get it via the Austrian firm's Powerwear catalog. Yes that is the same catalog you get your extreme KTM branded stuff from.

The KTM cuckoo clock features a motorcycle helmet and piston pendulums. On the hour, a KTM emerges and reminds you with the sound of its engine that you really wanted to be at the race track.

The cuckoo function on the KTM clock can luckily be disabled at the press of a button, which can prove useful if you hang it in the companies conference room and you in some serious meeting, I can also imagine that it would be helpful if you hang the clock in the bedroom...

When we last tested the Honda VFR1200F DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) model. We came away impressed with Honda's big V-4's overall performance, never mind all the remarkable technology packed into its semi-auto gearbox. When Honda flexes its technology-power, the result is often a motorcycle that rides as well as its spec sheet tells. That Honda chose to have the world press launch for the VFR1200F in Japan was a clear sign of confidence the company has in the success of the motorcycle.

That said, there were a few niggling grips with the Dual Clutch Transmission's (DCT) behavior in both Drive and Sport mode. For one, we disliked how the transmission in Drive mode would quickly upshift to sixth gear as soon as possible after taking off. While good for fuel economy, it was bad for any situation where you asked for a quick squirt of power at less than 65km/h. We also weren't fond of the Sport mode's penchant for staying in a particular gear until you approached redline before upshifting, no matter what throttle position you were at. And there was also the engine's lethargic response off the line, presumably to preserve the smaller dual clutches.

The Honda VFR1200F received its first software/firmware updates in 2012 to better suit real-world riding conditions. The control logic program was revised to recognize riding habits and change shift patterns to suit. Power and torque in the lower rpm regions was increased slightly, and traction control was added along with more fuel capacity. With all these changes, we thought a revisit to the Honda VFR1200F was in order.

Lifan motorcycles a manufacturer which makes nice small engine machines, the new Lifan KP150, or LF150-10B, can be seen as the next generation. Something fresh and exciting. The Lifan KP150 is a complete new product for Lifan Thailand and it looks good.

As you set eyes on it for the first time, you'd be really hard-pressed to call this motorcycle unattractive. The fuel tank and rest of body panels have an intensive treatment under a sharp scalpel and emerged completely fresh and new. The designed headlamp cowl is aggressively styled, with twin pilot lamps housed in their own chrome-ringed enclosure. The fuel tank feels large and snug, giving the impression of a much larger motorcycle, the fuel tanks capacity is 13 liters.

Side panel housing the battery and air-filter are done in silver, lending a contrasting touch to the overall package, and the Lifan KP150 sports some smooth lines.

The Ducati 1199 Panigale debut two years ago was a revolution in the superbike class but one limited by price. The real question is, how do you bring the revolution to the largest number of potential owners? Not so long ago, the Italian company revealed the Ducati 899 Panigale that expresses CEO Claudio Domenicali's underlying aim: to produce the affordable exotic. The Ducati 899 Panigale is still not officially released in Thailand so we have to hope that the Ducati 899 Panigale will hit that target.

A bore and stroke of 100 x 57.2mm equals 898.49cc; this is a very oversquare engine, the bore to stroke ratio is 1.75, hence the engine's descriptor: 'Superquadro.' For comparison, the Ducati 1199 Panigale is 112 x 60.8mm. This 90-degree liquid-cooled V-twin is claimed to make 148 horsepower at 10,740rpm, with peak torque of 99Nm (10.1kgm) at 9,000rpm.

Four valves per cylinder are driven by Ducati's traditional desmodromic system. Remember the short service intervals of some earlier Ducati motorcycles? Ducati engineered a 24,000 kilometer service interval for the Ducati 899 Panigal.

KTM is about to release a 1300cc V-twin streetfighter that packs 180 horsepower, and 144Nm torque in a 189kg in a motorcycle without fairing, and the beast will run from 0 to 100km/h in just seven seconds. Sounds crazy, yes? Perhaps not, while it looks all angry and angular, like other KTM Dukes, torque of 100Nm is developed by 2,500rpm so expect decent flexibility and good fuel economy, as well as top-end theatrics. A rain mode dulls output for slipper conditions, and there are Street and Sport modes too.

As a foil to all the forward momentum, KTM has fitted Brembo M50 Monobloc calipers, acting on a set of 320mm front rotors. The Combined ABS brake system has a supermoto mode, allowing antilock action up front, and freedom to lock up and drift the rear end.

The BMW R nineT, which has been created to mark “90 years of BMW Motorrad”, radiates purism and power in undisguised form. It skilfully blends the boxer engine’s rugged character and the design traits of various motorcycle eras with cutting-edge technology and a modular concept that offers the rider maximum scope for personalisation. Strictly reduced to the essentials, the BMW R nineT – or just nineT for short – is made all the more alluring by its hand-built feel and strong emotional appeal.

The classic roadster bike is built to cater to the many motorcycle enthusiasts who yearn for unadulterated, stress-free riding pleasure. When it came to developing the design of the BMW R nineT in particular, terms such as “puristic simplicity”, “emotion” and “authentic, traditional materials” were also high on the list of priorities. Styling cues from old-school motorcycle manufacture are thus united with the very latest drive and chassis components on the BMW R nineT to produce a sensational motorcycle that is just as adept at cruising along serenely as it is at powering down country roads.

Powered by a classic boxer engine. Like the first ever BMW motorcycle from 1923 – the legendary BMW R 32 – the new BMW R nineT is driven by the classic flat twin boxer engine with its punchy response from standstill. This construction principle has been synonymous with unmistakable design, abundant torque delivery and inimitable acoustics for 90 years now. The BMW R nineT employs the 1,170 cc air/oil-cooled boxer unit. It produces 81 kW (110 hp) at 7,750 rpm and musters up a maximum torque of 119 Nm (88 lb-ft) at 6,000 rpm.

In size and shape, the KTM 390 Duke looks very much like its 200cc sibling, and it'd be tough to tell them apart if not for the 390 Duke's loud orange alloy wheels, powder-coated trellis frame and new graphics. A closer inspection reveals more differences. Apart from a bigger engine, there's a host of small details that set them apart – the KTM 390 Duke has a larger fuel tank, wider handlebars and different tires.

Although both the KTM 200 Duke and 390 Duke have the same chassis, the engine in the KTM 390 Duke is not merely an upgrade on the 200. It's an all-new single-cylinder unit with a Nikasil-coated cylinder, forged piston and new head crankcase, among other bits and pieces. This single-cylinder 375cc liquid-cooled engine produces a breathtaking 44 horsepower at 9,500rpm and 35Nm of torque at 7,500rpm.

The KTM 390 Duke's engine isn't as refined as the 200's, with vibrations prevalent at idle and a low speed. But this is all well and good given the power coming out of that single-cylinder. The juicy bit is at mid- and top-end. There are times when this engine behaves more like something of a higher cubic capacity engine – knocking and lugging at low revs – and smoothens out once past 3,500rpm.

As discussed on many bulletin boards around the globe. Now Ducati is about to showcase the Ducati 899 Panigale to the world. It didn't take a genius to work out that a smaller superbike would break cover, because this is simply what Ducati does – it's like night follows day. Given the massive investment in the Superquadro engine and monocoque frame, having two models in the Ducati showroom with different prizes makes a lot of sense and broadens the appeal to the potential buyers.

The current middleweight superbike, the Ducati 848, has been with us since 2008, and in a variety of guises it's done decent business as a stepping stone to the big league.

The thought of a 150 horsepower Ducati 1199 Panigale is mouth-watering. The 848 banished Ducati from meaningful motorsport in the supersport paddock. The Ducati 899 tag is likely to be a legacy of its bigger brother's name, although capacity is expected to increase from the current volume of 849.4cc to 899cc.