Rounding off

So, what have we learned? Well, firstly that there are a shed load of decent middleweight nekkids out there on the market; bikes for one and all, ranging in capacity, specs, competence and cost. As we pointed out at the start of this test, we could’ve put twice the number of bikes we tested through their paces in this little soiree (if only we’d had more friends to muck-in with the riding).

But the seven bikes tested reflect the core of this sector, which is a bloody exciting and buoyant one to be a part of. Naturally, one bike was deemed the best of the bunch and it probably won’t surprise a single one of you lovely readers to hear that the accolade for sheer brilliance went to Triumph’s Street Triple RS. It wasn’t quite a case of shooting fish in barrels, but the Trumpet far outclassed any bike here, and outpriced them while it was at it.

Sometimes there is a price you have to pay for perfection, and £10,100 seems to be the going rate. At the complete opposite end of the monetary scale was the WK. That was a refreshing addition to this group, as we’d initially poo-pooed it owing to the fact it wasn’t mainstream enough. Thankfully, wisdom prevailed and we all thoroughly enjoyed giving it a good and thorough spanking.

The same goes for most of the bikes in this mix. There wasn’t a muppet among them, though they all had their own idiosyncrasies which helped us to bracket what bikes did what best. The smooth operators out there would love Kawasaki’s Z900, while the racier of you would be drawn to the GSX-S. The Monster’s a looker (and sounder), while the MT’s a class-one headcase of the very best sort. There is no wrong ’un to highlight, so rest assured that if you’re tempted by any of the above mentioned motorsickles, you’ll not find yourself deflated post-purchase. And if for some bizarre reason you are, please feel free to keep it to yourself as our complaints department is currently undergoing a refurbishment. On that endearing note, shop away, peeps. And enjoy!