Bike Trader

This will be first time the production version of the Desmosedici RR has been seen in the UK. Based on the GP6, the last of the 990cc MotoGP tool, this limited edition £40,000 production machine is one of the most extreme road bikes ever built and has proven to be true to its description as a real race replica. The first of more than 125 bikes are expected to begin arriving in the UK by the end of the year.

With a 1200cc downdraft fuel injected engine producing bags of torque and plenty of useable horsepower, the XR 1200 is the most powerful air-cooled Euro-spec Harley ever built. With a generous lean angle, tuned sports suspension including 43mm inverted forks, high performance brakes and specially developed Dunlop Qualifier tyres, the XR 1200 will handle the most winding of roads.

Buell’s range will be headed up by its amazing new 1125R. The watercooled 146bhp supersports boasts a completely new 72-degree V-twin engine developed with Austrian firm Rotax. That’s a massive power increase on bikes with the Harley-derived mill.

Is this the ultimate single-cylinder street bike? Slim, light and agile the KTM 690 Duke is driven by the most powerful street legal single of all time, with a stonking 65bhp at the end of the twistgrip. A stiff, tubular space frame, fully adjustable suspension and huge Brembo brakes make the Duke a scratcher’s dream. (MUST CREDIT: H. Mitterbauer pic somewhere small...)

The launch of the HP2 Sport sees the sportiest, most powerful and lightest BMW Boxer of all time hit the roads. Based on the R 1200 S Sports Boxer, the HP2 Sport bristles with high-end, top-quality racing parts tested in Endurance race events through 2007.

Triumph’s Speed Triple, the definitive factory streetfighter, gets a sharper, leaner look with new wheels and headlights. On top of that there are new Magura tapered aluminium handlebars, Brembo 4 piston/4-pad radial front brake calipers and a Nissin radial master cylinder. A redesigned rear subframe, seat and body panels, black anodised forks and new radiator shrouds complete the sleek look. 

Sharper looks, stronger performance and astoundingly responsive control. From its compact new proportions to its response to rider input, everything about the 2008 CBR1000RR FireBlade stakes out a new standard in motorcycle performance and design. The wheels are new, the chassis and swingarm have been redesigned, and indicators integrated into the mirrors. Oh, and the Blade finally gets a slipper clutch.

Suzuki will be showcasing the GSX-R600, with radically updated looks including triple-stacked halogen lights and three-way adjustable power settings. The GSX-R750 follows the developments of its 600cc cousin with the addition of a new digital engine management system, sporting a 32-bit processor combining the very latest technology with 20 years of pure racebred heritage.
 
The Hayabusa is bigger, badder and better than ever before. The latest incarnation of the GSX1300R pushes the limits of outright acceleration and power with a huge 194bhp that will confirm this machine’s reputation as the production bike which breaks the 200mph barrier. An adjustable three-way power altering system can tame the Busa if you are just nipping down to Tesco.

The ZX-10R has some radical changes for 2008, with aggressive new MotoGP styling and a single, sculpted exhaust for a unique look. The engine delivers even more high-rpm power and a performance potential close to Kawasaki’s factory superbike racers, making it essentially a race-ready engine. The chassis has been tuned for better feedback while being highly responsive to rider input.

If you want to go all the way, this is where to start. A replica of the famous Paris-Dakar bikes of the 1980s the brand new Yamaha XT660Z Tenere is an impressive looking dual-purpose machine with a massive fuel tank, long-stroke suspension and dual lights. Designed with versatility in mind, the Tenere is just as good at commuting as it is taking you on a round-the-world adventure.
 

This YZF-R6 is packed with technology based on Yamaha’s MotoGP world championship race program. You get track-developed electronics like the YCC-T chip-controlled throttle for ultimate acceleration and YCC-I electronically controlled variable intake funnels for bigger power and torque. A race-developed chassis for razor-sharp handling makes this the most advanced production 600 Yamaha ever made.

Honda’s perennial XL700V Transalp has been on the receiving end of a significant redesign with a new fuel-injected 680 V-Twin engine. A new ABS system and a smaller 19-inch front tire with a wider 140mm rear improve stability while the new chassis and slick bodywork gives the Transalp a more aggressive look.

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