There was a bit of blood, a good chunk of sweat and I believe someone (Carl…) might have even shed a few tears in the making of Ultimate Sports Bike 2019. I’ll be honest, at one point, after months of planning, graft and countless cups of tea, it looked as if our biggest ever sportsbike test was about to fall flat on its backside, but thanks to the brilliant industry that we’re in, and too many key individuals to mention by name, we pulled off a test quite like no other, being the first in the country to gather the full plethora of 2019’s best sportsbikes and to give them a good spanking on road, track and on proving ground. It was an epic undertaking, but also a real privilege to experience, systematically analysing and rating what each bike had on offer, on a broader platform than we’ve ever known before. I should probably point out that this test, USB, is the evolution of SBOTY, taking all that was good with the proven platform of old, and expanding its criteria to judge bikes on road as well as track, to work out not just which is quickest round a lap, but which is best at 0-60mph and which one will haul you up the quickest if a pheasant jumps out at you. It was a very telling exercise, crammed with laughs, wheelies and the shredding of Bridgestone’s brilliant S22 rubber that fuelled our high-octane antics. We’re really proud of it and I hope it’ll help you if you’re poised to unleash a few moths from your wallet and purchase a new sportsbike this season.
While we’re on the topic of proud, I also want to make reference to our Road Test Editor Mike Booth. He’s a normal guy like you and I, only a bit smellier and with a penchant for dangerous activities. He’s just one of the lads, who grafts hard, plays hard and in 2019 cracked the top 14 in the I.O.M. TT Senior race on his stocker-spec ZX-10R. We could not be prouder of his efforts, which is why Fast Bikes has decided to give him his weekends off for the next four weeks (I know, we’re too generous!). I should probably point out that it was Boothy who did the road evaluations for the bikes on USB, so have faith in knowing that the guy clocking the miles and making the calls is actually someone who knows what it is to ride hard and fast. Were you over there? I was lucky enough to make it, and to actually see some racing. The weather was pants, but the boys and girls put on one hell of a show when the sun came out. It still blows my mind and I hope everyone gets the chance to experience the spectacle at least once in their life. On a final note, I just want to say thanks for your continued support and for keeping us in the loop with what you’ve been up to. Enjoy the mag.