Best of the Rest

If you’re looking for a performance bike, but are on a budget, then a 600cc or 750cc machine may make sense. Running costs are lower – consumable items like tires, chains and brakes are worn out less quickly – and insurance can be much cheaper. Smaller capacity bikes can offer almost as much performance as a 1,000cc bike, with power outputs approaching 130bhp. And because they are even lighter than the 1,000cc bikes, 600s have even more sure-footed handling, and are particularly exhilarating on a racetrack.

As in the 1,000cc class, most 600cc machines are inline-fours, with the big four Japanese manufacturers offering incredibly well-developed machines, some of which have almost as much high-tech design as the larger capacity 1,000cc bikes.

If you simply must have a litre bike, then you can still find a bargain. Aprilia’s RSV Mille offers similar performance and technology to Ducati’s 1098, at a lower price.