Fast Bikes Magazine

Sparky sliders... who thinks it's time to bring them back? 😂

As throwbacks go, these are right up there 👌. Does anyone still use them? Does anyone have a memorable times with them? Let's hear it... ⬇️

In its day, the Suzuki GSX-R1000 K5 was unbeatable. Twenty years on, it’s lost none of its shine. 🙌

Some bikes become more than just motorcycles. They develop an aura, earn a reputation and somehow become more desirable as the years roll by. The K5 is firmly in that camp. Launched in 2005, it was a huge leap forward from the K3, bringing an all-new chassis, 999cc engine, titanium valves, slipper clutch and a whopping 155bhp. More importantly, Suzuki somehow managed to make all that performance genuinely usable. The K5 had muscle, but it also had manners. Its mass-centralised chassis, improved suspension and powerful brakes gave it an ability to work with the rider rather than simply scare the living daylights out of them.
And then there’s that engine. Crisp, eager and gloriously free of the electronic restrictions that increasingly define modern superbikes. No mountains of rider aids to hide behind – just you, the throttle and a whole heap of go. It might not match a modern litre bike for outright speed, but that misses the point.
The K5 is a rider’s bike. And perhaps that’s exactly why, two decades later, we still can’t get enough of it.

Where's that heatwave gone? 😂💦

Does wet weather ruin riding for you, or do you embrace the damp stuff? Throw your top tips our way if you've got some to share. ⬇️

DUCATI GOES SUPERMOTO! 🔥

Ducati has just pulled the covers off something seriously tasty… the new Desmo450 SM, its first proper racing supermoto.
Based on the already rapid Desmo450 MX, this isn’t simply a dirt bike with slicks slapped on and a massive front brake. Ducati has developed the whole package specifically for supermoto, from the suspension and chassis setup to the wheels, brakes, gearing, slipper clutch and electronics.
And the numbers are very impressive. The 449.6cc Desmo single pumps out 63.5bhp and 53.5Nm, with an 11,900rpm rev limit. That’s a serious amount of poke from a 450, while the desmodromic valve gear helps give it a broad spread of torque and lets you hang onto each gear for longer.
There’s some decent hardware underneath it, too. Fully adjustable 49mm Showa suspension, a Brembo Stylema radial caliper and 310mm Galfer disc up front, plus 16.5-inch front and 17-inch rear Excel rims wearing Metzeler Racetec Slick SMs – the same rubber used in the World Championship.
The Bartubeless system also saves 1.2kg of rotating and unsprung mass, while Ducati’s latest traction-control system has been specifically developed to let riders exploit rear-wheel slip rather than simply panic when the back end steps out.
Throw in Launch Control, engine-brake adjustment, quickshifter and a Suter slipper clutch, and this thing looks like one hell of a weapon.
Selected European dealers get them from December 2026.

BMW shows off Nürburgring specials...

Fancy a bit of Nürburgring history in your garage? BMW Motorrad certainly hopes so, with three seriously tasty M bikes being produced to celebrate the circuit’s 100th anniversary in 2027.
The BMW M 1000 RR, M 1000 R and M 1000 XR will all be offered as part of the limited-run “100 Jahre Nürburgring” edition, each finished in a rather fetching historical Nürburgring Green paint scheme and limited to just 100 examples globally.
All three get the M Track Package, carbon wheels, black rear frames and swingarms, plus Alcantara-look seats with “100” embroidery. There’s also Nürburgring-themed tank graphics, anniversary decals, an “one of 100” airbox marking, paddock stand and various M accessories.
Prices, however, could make your eyes water. In the UK, the M 1000 R costs £28,700, the M 1000 XR £31,200, while the M 1000 RR commands a hefty £43,000. And with just nine Rs, eight XRs and six RRs coming to the UK, getting your hands on one could be harder than finding an empty Nordschleife.
Still, they’re pretty special-looking things.
But here’s the question: if you had the cash, would you actually buy one? Or would you rather spend the money on a standard M bike and a shedload of trackdays?

Wheelie Wednesday to the power of FIVE! 🤘

A throwback to this year’s Ultimate Sports Bike test at Cadwell Park, where five of the hottest litre sports bikes around were let loose on the Lincolnshire rollercoaster.
The question is… which one lofts the front wheel best? 👀
If you’ve not checked them out yet, head over to our YouTube channel and see how we rated these weapons on both road and track.
Both videos are live, ready and waiting to help you waste an evening in the best possible way. 🏁

V-twins versus V4s... Did Ducati get it right? 🤔

Ducati’s move from V-twin to V4 power was always going to divide opinion.
For decades, that 90-degree twin was the soundtrack of Ducati’s superbike dominance – characterful, brutal and gloriously Italian.
So, was swapping it for four cylinders really progress, or did Ducati leave something behind in the pursuit of lap times? To find out, I recently put the ultimate expression of the old guard against one of the finest iterations of the new. In one corner, the carbon-framed 1299 Superleggera. In the other, the ruthlessly honed Panigale V4 SP2.
Same bloodline. Same claimed power (215hp). Very different philosophies, and very different tech arsenals. Throwing both around Cadwell Park, my eyes were well and truly opened to the realities of a big V-twin versus a GP-derived V4.
From top speeds to lap times, the results spoke for themselves.
Looking forward to writing this one up. 👀🏁