Rounding off

So there we have it, four very different bikes, offering four lots of differing virtues and harbouring more hang-ups than you’ll find in a picture framing shop. Being honest, there was no perfect performer in this gaggle but each seemed able to trump the others in their own unique way. For me, no bike can match the MT’s motor. It wasn’t the most powerful in the mix, but the torque it offered shamed the rest and made wheelies so easy even Frodo could have pulled one. But all that grunt came at a price; namely to your retinas with this particular model’s colourways.

There’s no denying this second iteration Yammy has upped its game, and its pricing, but it still looked and felt a bit cheap in places, especially when compared to the Kwacker and the Honda. Being honest, I had higher hopes for the CB. Back in the day (late Nineties) the Hornet could just about keep up with a similar vintage CBR600F, but there’d be no chance of that with this latest version. The styling is nice though, featuring all the quality hallmarks you’d expect from a Honda, and there’s no denying that once you’ve got the inline-four motor singing, its 90bhp is certainly noticeable. It’s probably the sensible option in the mix, but it’s also the priciest. The Kawasaki is the middle-man, slotting in somewhere between the MT and CB; it packs a punch, it looks good and it even handles pretty damn well.

It’s not particularly exceptional in any given area, but I reckon it delivers the best value/ entertainment/quality for your money. Of course, the Suzuki’s pricing was also pretty tasty, even if its retro guise was a little more select. The thing is, the base model SV is a good chunk cheaper (costing under £6k) than the X we tested, and would probably appeal to us more than this option. On the whole, it was a fun bike to ride, especially through tight and twisty bends, being as easy as a Sunday morning to abuse in any which way you liked. It was a grower, not a glower, but if price is your main priority, you’d daft to overlook it.