Buying Guide

Think of six cylinders and you think Honda CBX – but Benelli got there first with its 750. Later came the 900 version but Neil Murray reckons the first was the real classic

The smaller cousins of BMW’s big flat twins, the 450 and 650 differed from the rest of the range in many ways. Forget the slow 450, says Neil Murray and look for a Brembo-braked R65

A parts-bin stop-gap measure it might have been, but Yamaha’s FZ600 turned out to be an absolute sensation

Honda’s six cylinder 24-valve CBX was ground breaking when launched. And even now, its tech spec is rarely bettered

Long wheelbase and lazy steering made cornering with the Ducati slow, but on twisty A-roads a Duke will still give a modern bike a run for its money

Space for a week’s luggage and 200 miles between fuel stops. BMW got it right when they created the RT for long-distance bikers

MZs were rarely treated with derision. Amusement, yes, but scorn, never. MZs were simple, robust, characterful, and actually performed pretty well

Reader Andy Jones had been after a Suzuki GT750 for ages to restore. Then, like buses, two came along at once

Don’t knock them. Honda’s C50 step-thru was on every street corner not long ago. Economical, reliable and cheap – they still have a lot to offer