Jim Moore

5 days ago | bennetts.co.uk | Michael Mann |Martin Fitz-Gibbons |Jim Moore |Ben Purvis

BikeSocial Managing EditorOverall BikeSocial rating4/5You what? A brand-new, 1-litre V-twin adventure bike with adjustable suspension, riding modes, heated grips and seats, and Pirelli rubber for under eight-grand? Tell me more, I hear you say. Well let’s start at the start. Morbidelli is one of those boutique Italian manufacturers that you’ve probably heard of but don’t know much about, right? That was certainly accurate for this scribe as of a fortnight ago.

1 week ago | bennetts.co.uk | Jim Moore |Ben Purvis |Michael Mann |Martin Fitz-Gibbons

Overall BikeSocial rating4/5When launched in 1996 Suzuki’s GSF1200 Bandit made thumping performance available at an irresistible price – £5999 for the naked N model and £6399 for the half-faired S. To put that into context, Suzuki’s own GSX-R600 cost £6999 at the time, so the Bandit 1200 represented litre-plus performance for less than the price of a sporty middleweight. No surprise, then, that the GSF12 proved an instant hit. Suzuki had pulled the same trick a year earlier with the GSF600 Bandit.

3 weeks ago | bennetts.co.uk | Ben Purvis |Steve Rose |Michael Mann |Jim Moore

Motorcycle Journalist Overall BikeSocial ratingTBA“Made in China” used to be a label synonymous with “cheap and cheerful” – emblazoned on short-lived products that might just do the job but with none of the quality of longevity of Japanese, European or American equipment. But that’s an outdated viewpoint today and China is increasingly showing it can turn out high quality gear at price points rivals can’t hope to match.

1 month ago | bennetts.co.uk | Jim Moore |Martin Fitz-Gibbons |Jon Urry |Ben Purvis

Bike journo for a quarter of a centuryOverall BikeSocial rating4/5Yamaha ramped up the supersport 600 market in 1999 with the launch of its original YZF-R6, a smaller sibling to the then all-conquering R1. The R6 boasted more power, a more sophisticated chassis, and a level of finish not seen in the class up to that point, taking supersport 600s from being built-to-a-price disposable middleweights into genuine sub-750cc superbikes.

1 month ago | bennetts.co.uk | Luke Brackenbury |Jim Moore |Martin Fitz-Gibbons |Jon Urry

Price: £5699 / £6,049 SE model | Power: 45bhp | Weight: 168kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: 3.5/5There’s nothing sleepy about catching these particular Zeds. Kawasaki has awakened its A2 offering with the new 451cc Z500 and Z500 SE (Special Edition). BikeSocial reviews the naked bike in the twisties and urban conditions. Tiresome? The complete opposite. For 2024 Kawasaki has made a huge revision to the Z400 and Ninja 400, and they’re now both called 500s (after rounding up the ccs).