Motorcycle reviews
New riders
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HONDA XL1000V VARADERO (2001-2010)
New price: N/AUsed price: £3,700 - £5,500- 996cc
- 93 bhp
- 35 mpg
- Tall seat height
Hasn't matched the success of the BMW R1150GS
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DUCATI MONSTER 695 (2006-2008)
New price: N/A- 695cc
- 73 bhp
- 42 mpg
- Low seat height
Cheeky handling, verve and novice-friendliness are unchanged
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KAWASAKI GPZ500 (1987-2004)
New price: N/AUsed price: £1,200 - £2,400- 498cc
- 47 bhp
- 44 mpg
- Low seat height
"Long in the tooth but a prime candidate for a first big bike"
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MOTO-GUZZI NEVADA 750 (1991-2012)
New price: N/AUsed price: £2,600- 744cc
- 48 bhp
- 58 mpg
- Low seat height
"A modest cruiser which is a surprisingly competent all-round bike"
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SUZUKI GS500 (1989-2008)
New price: N/AUsed price: £1,600- 487cc
- 47 bhp
- 50 mpg
- Medium seat height
"Looks ok and they're dirt cheap but you can do a lot better"
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DUCATI 900SS (1990-2002)
New price: N/AUsed price: £3,500 - £5,500- 904cc
- 80 bhp
- 39 mpg
- Medium seat height
Old school charm, stunning looks and handling to surprise
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HONDA VFR800 VTEC (2001-2012)
New price: N/AUsed price: £2,700 - £3,300- 781cc
- 107 bhp
- 38 mpg
- Medium seat height
Rides, goes and handles superbly but the V-Tec's variable valve timing has caused some controversy
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MOTO-GUZZI MGS-01 (2004-2006)
New price: N/A- 1225cc
- 121 bhp
- 37 mpg
- Medium seat height
"A high-tech 21st century chassis with an intelligently updated version of the V-twin engine"
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SUZUKI GSF650 BANDIT (2005-2006)
New price: N/AUsed price: £2,200 - £2,700- 656cc
- 77 bhp
- 42 mpg
- Low seat height
"Well-mannered middleweight that's simple to use, cheap to buy and cheap to run"
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KAWASAKI GPZ1100 (1995-1998)
New price: N/AUsed price: £2,000- 1052cc
- 123 bhp
- 38 mpg
- Medium seat height
"An overweight dinosaur but on the road it's actually a great machine. Just don't go chasing the latest GSX-Rs"
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DUCATI 750SS (1991-2002)
New price: N/AUsed price: £3,000 - £3,500- 748cc
- 64 bhp
- 45 mpg
- Medium seat height
Not a bad motorcycle, but hard work for not quite enough reward
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MOTO-GUZZI DAYTONA (1992-1999)
New price: N/A- 1064cc
- 102 bhp
- 44 mpg
- Medium seat height
"Fuelling problems spoil the performance a bit, but there's a brutal elegance about the Daytona"
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SUZUKI GSR600 (2006-2010)
New price: N/AUsed price: £2,200 - £2,900- 599cc
- 88 bhp
- 44 mpg
- Medium seat height
"Perfectly acceptable, but adds almost nothing to the biking world"
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KAWASAKI GTR1000 (1986-1999)
New price: N/A- 997cc
- 110 bhp
- 41 mpg
- Medium seat height
"80s touring dinosaur has its good points"
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HONDA GL1800 GOLDWING (2001-on)
New price: £24,999Used price: £6,500 - £25,000- 1832cc
- 116 bhp
- 38 mpg
- Low seat height
"The kitchen sink, bells and whistles touring motorcycle"
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DUCATI MONSTER 800 (1996-2005)
New price: N/A- 749cc
- 62 bhp
- 43 mpg
- Low seat height
A beautiful, painfully cool machine
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HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADE (2006-2007)
New price: N/AUsed price: £4,000 - £4,900- 998cc
- 170 bhp
- 44 mpg
- Medium seat height
"Every once in a while a sportster comes along that is just right"
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KAWASAKI KE100 (1974-1998)
New price: N/A- 99cc
- 10 bhp
- 75 mpg
- Medium seat height
"Arguably the template for the entire class"
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DUCATI 620 SPORT (2002-2003)
New price: N/A- 618cc
- 60 bhp
- 43 mpg
- Medium seat height
A cheap way into Ducati motorcycle ownership
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SUZUKI GSX-R600 (2006-2007)
New price: N/AUsed price: £3,700 - £4,400- 599cc
- 111 bhp
- 40 mpg
- Medium seat height
The best value of 2006's 600 class
