Smokin’ Aces
I don’t smoke, but if I did this would be the point that I’d light up one of those big, fancy Havana cigars. Putting together any big test is never easy, but 2020 tried its hardest to smother USB 2020 on more occasions than Carl can count. We owed it to you guys to make it happen, and after a load of late nights, cold sweats and the use of every swear word known to exist (infinite times over), we pulled it off. Covid’s done the world no favours, but it feels great to have tackled it and its challenges head-on, coming out the other side with our biggest, toughest and most comprehensive sportsbike shootout. If you’re unfamiliar with USB, the principle’s quite simple; we do anything and everything we can to work out what sportsbike is most deserving of a slot in your garage. From how fast they reach 100mph, to how comfy they are down the high street; from what power they crank out on a dyno, to how usable and sophisticated their tech is. No stones are left unturned as you’ll soon see when you get stuck into the 46 pages of fine-combed analysis and ratings we’ve crafted together for you. Which bike will be crowned the best machine of 2020? That’s the question we’ve been asking ourselves since new releases like the Fireblade showed its head last year, competing against proven machines such as Suzuki’s GSX-R1000R and Yamaha’s updated R1M. It’s been an epic journey, with a few surprises along the way, and not just the impressive number of burgers Boothy can stash away in his party barrel (it’s hungry work testing bikes). Anyway, we hope you enjoy it, and we hope it clears up any confusion you might have about which bike you want to be putting your money on. In truth, all nine bikes on this test were pretty special, each offering something the others couldn’t, and making us smile for their own unique reasons. Variety is a great thing, and there’s plenty of that in USB 2020.