BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREA WILSON
L
ittle bikes are back—big
time! There's never been
a better time to get into
riding. New bikes are coming
thick and fast and categories
that were once considered on a
one-way trip to the wrecking yard
(like the sportbike) are now mak-
ing a mighty return. Yamaha's
YZF-R1 and BMW's S 1000 RR
are doing it for the big boys, but
on the other side of the scale the
choice of steed for new riders
is getting better all the time, our
two bikes on test today being
testament to that.
KTM and Yamaha are the lat-
est manufacturers to have a full
tilt at the entry-level class with
all-new machines. Kawasaki has
long been the top of the pops
with its Ninja 250/300s, bikes
that across the world have sold
faster than Usain Bolt with a
firecracker up his bum. This is,
and will continue to be for some
time, the category bike manu-
facturers will be putting the lion's
share of their focus on in the
coming years. New riders are
the lifeblood of future motorcy-
cling. It's not enough to build
cool bikes that in some markets
take years to ride thanks to
tiered licensing laws, riders want
cool bikes immediately, they
want to feel part of a movement,
and the junior category is where
most of them start.
The café racer scene has
championed this philosophy bet-
ter than anyone. But what if your
heart lies just south of redline
and one day you know there will
be an RC8R or YZF-R1 in your
VOL. 52 ISSUE 22 JUNE 2, 2015 P55
MICE
