New year, new bike?

What have you got on your list for Santa? New socks? Beer tokens? Or what about a new bike? There’s something about this time of the year that gets my juices going for a new playmate (of the motorised variety), keeping me up all night as I skim through used bike ads on my phone. What do I want? That’s the big question, being up there with how much I want to spend and how on earth I’m going to get the missus to agree? The truth is there are so many brilliant options on the used market, at prices even my credit limit could afford. Right now I’m hung up between a first generation Aprilia RSV Mille, an ‘04 Fireblade and a 2005 GSX-R1000. With choices like those I guess you could say I’m something of a cliché, but all of these sub-£5k superstars float my boat. On the opposite side of the price spectrum are some brilliantly fancy new bikes. If you went to Motorcycle Live you’d have probably seen the wealth of 2020 talent on show, along with the alluring finance deals that can help you fund your next bit of fun. I had to hold myself back from signing up to a garage worth of fresh metal, with plenty of variety in the mix. Which bike won you over the most? More to the point, have you got a new bike on order for next year, or is there a used machine that’s caught your eye? Either way, let us know what it is and why you’ve bought it. Carl’s had a solid taste of Ducati’s new V2 a week ago, and it looks like his bank account is set to take a kicking. The last time I saw him so excited was after he’d eaten a bag of Jelly Babies (his mum warned us he’s not good with E-numbers). Anyway, he’s smitten, as you’ll grasp if you read his review a few pages on from here. For me, it doesn’t matter what bike we ride, what colour it is, or how much power it makes, it’s all about the enjoyment it offers. All three of us had the best of times battering our bodies on off-road bikes at Skeggy beach race this month, and the same can be said for the supermotard test you’ll also see in this issue. Neither option was the norm for us, but sometimes it pays to open your horizons and taste something a little different. Enjoy the mag and have a great Christmas.