If you could own just one bike, what would it be? If money were no object, if the better half wasn’t hogging the space in the garage for the tumble dryer, and it didn’t matter that you already had five other motorcycles in hiding. What bike would you go for? This is a tough game to play, right, made tougher by the reality there are so many epic models on the market… and the scene’s about to get a whole lot spicier! 2020 might be a year worth forgetting, but the new metal for 2021 is shining through and giving us plenty to get excited about. It would appear Euro5 has maybe done us a few favours and encouraged some box-fresh thinking from manufacturers, but on the flipside it’s also meant the death knell for one of our favourite (and last remaining) Supersport machines; Yamaha’s R6. That is unless you plan to ride it purely on track, as you’ll learn when checking out this issue’s Upfront section. Another bike that you’ll no longer see produced is Ducati’s iconic Superleggera V4. Admittedly, the 500 unit limited edition run sold out pretty much the moment the model came to light, so legislation never got a chance to stifle it, but that’s beside the point; it’s Euro4 and it’s now outlawed. Luckily for me, my mate let me test his a few months back and the experience lived up to the hype, so much so that it’d be tussling for the honours of being my pick of any bike in the world – flick on through a few pages and you’ll soon see why. Truth is, you’ve not got to spend an absolute fortune to have a belter of a time on a bike, which is good news for most of us. One of the most affordable, and popular, sectors is the naked scene, which we got a thorough taste of when putting together this issue’s four-bike shootout. Skids, wheelies and scratching; there was nothing this quartet couldn’t do, pumping out plenty of smiles along the way. That’s what biking’s all about, in my opinion; making you smile. It probably sounds a bit wet, but the biggest pick-me-up often comes when reflecting on the laughs I’ve had on two wheels, with my mates, all over the place. Probably like you, I’m gagging to get out there for more, but first we’ve got Christmas and new year to tick off. I’d like to say thank you, as ever, for your support with the mag, and wish you, your friends and family all the very best for the new year. I’m a firm believer in looking for the positives, and I dare say after 2020’s challenges, 2021 will be a comparative corker.
Enjoy the mag.