YAMAHA MT-10SP

In truth I’ve ridden some absolute corkers of bikes in 2017, but it’s the MT-10SP that stands out as being my favourite road bike of the year. I first got acquainted with it on its launch back in February and was quickly smitten with its easily adjusted electronic suspension and fancy paintwork. It looked every bit the desirable super-naked, and later transpired to back up the looks with the goods when pushing the bike to its limits (and mine) around some mountainous kamikaze roads in South Africa. In reality, the motor and frame are near enough identical to the stock MT-10 package, but that didn’t stop me falling head over heels once more for the crossplane motor which allowed unadulterated fun with every sniff of throttle.

Smart tech, great handling and a raucous exhaust note are what ultimately sealed the deal for me way back then, and I’ve found myself more and more intoxicated by the model since riding it on numerous occasions on track and road in Blighty. This bike allows you to pick and choose what you want it to be at any given time, which is a strong trait to have in today’s world where folk want the most from their hard earned readies. Admittedly, it’s not perfect; I really wished they’d put a bigger tank on the thing, and the brakes do a feel a little wooden when you go for a big handful. But hey, nobody’s perfect. Besides, those small issues are soon forgotten when you get cracking on your favourite B-road and find yourself so consumed with joy that you don’t even remember what a fuel tank is, let alone how far the bike you’re riding’s is set to last. A great mid-life crisis machine, that’s assured not to cripple your back and wrists.