![RATING RUBBER...](https://cdn.magzter.com/1387350424/1711949664/articles/8kNXDPLuy1711956782783/RATING-RUBBER.jpg)
EIsewhere in this issue, and in many other issues of Fast Bikes, you'll read I about the fantastic new and used bikes we celebrate and enjoy. We marvel at their engineering and performance, and how, with the relentless march of time, they just keep getting better and better.
However, ask anyone in the know, and they'll tell you that the absolute single most important part of any motorbike is the humble tyre. Tyres can be the difference between a peach of a bike or a dog of a bike, regardless of how much trick suspension, engine, or chassis tech it's got, so when we get an invite to try out not one but three new tyres from one of the world's largest tyre manufacturers, you can be sure we'd be there with a notepad and pen and some fresh new knee sliders.
Of course, there is a caveat when it comes to trying out tyres: much like when a new bike comes out, the best way to really understand their place in the world is to try them alongside their competitors. In isolation, all you can do is say what you feel beneath you, which, in the case of tyres, comes down to how much confidence they give.
Tyres are also big business. According to Michelin, the size of the sportsbike tyre market in Europe alone was 1.5million tyres in 2023 which, by any measure, is a lot of tyres. It's also a heartwarming fact to know that there are enough sportsbikes in Europe to chew up and spit out approximately 29,000 tyres every week. At a time when in the UK we are constantly being told by doom-mongers that sportsbikes are dead and no longer relevant, this fact provides reassurance. While it is true that new sportsbike sales are lower than in the past, there are obviously still plenty of people out there riding plenty of sportsbikes; giant steps in development may have stalled in the sportsbike class, but this is very much not the case when it comes to tyres, because they're relevant to all sportsbikes regardless of age.
Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Fast Bikes UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Fast Bikes UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![CLUTCHING AT FLAWS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5202/1748301/F0WvBU8bs1720782969505/CLUTCHING-AT-FLAWS.jpg)
CLUTCHING AT FLAWS
While the majority of bike launches take place somewhere sunny and warm, with a prerequisite of exciting roads with minimum traffic, Honda chose the south of France for the e-clutch versions of its CB650 and CB650R.
![THE COST OF INSURANCE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5202/1748301/Azucwzj6D1720782601426/THE-COST-OF-INSURANCE.jpg)
THE COST OF INSURANCE
Are you wondering why bikes are getting harder and dearer to insure? Read this...
![TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 765 RS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5202/1748301/QttE1bQiN1720782110636/TRIUMPH-STREET-TRIPLE-765-RS.jpg)
TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 765 RS
To many of you, it won't come as a surprise that the Trumpet came out on top.
![KTM 990 DUKE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5202/1748301/nhKLCDAZF1720781828797/KTM-990-DUKE.jpg)
KTM 990 DUKE
Where do I start with the KTM? I need to talk about the looks. KTM has been very open that it knows the styling of the 990 is not for everyone, and if you don't like the look of it, then buy something else.
![MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 800RR](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5202/1748301/1B2PPlX351720781416632/MV-AGUSTA-BRUTALE-800RR.jpg)
MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 800RR
The heritage and racing history of MV is rivalled by so few, and seeing how this particular test was at a race track, I couldn't wait to see what the Brutale had in store.
![STREETFIGHTER V2](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5202/1748301/nn0Glx7QI1720780591284/STREETFIGHTER-V2.jpg)
STREETFIGHTER V2
Last year we did the Homologation Special test on the Isle of Man, where we pitched the Ducati Panegale V4R, BMW M1000RR and Honda Fireblade SP against each other to see which came out on top, and it was a resounding victory for the Duke.
![A2 ASSASSIN ADRILIA RS 457](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5202/1748301/ZicdHJ3my1720779486298/A2-ASSASSIN-ADRILIA-RS-457.jpg)
A2 ASSASSIN ADRILIA RS 457
Good things do come in small packages, as Aprilia's A2 eligible RS 457 goes to prove
![ROADTEC™™ 02](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5202/1748301/v7QJJtpGy1720779110355/ROADTEC-02.jpg)
ROADTEC™™ 02
Metzeler's new Roadtec 02 proved the perfect sparring partner in the wet, the dry, and while pinned around the TT course.
![PROJECT 37 A TEST OF TIME](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5202/1748301/pdfwey6y31720778683278/PROJECT-37-A-TEST-OF-TIME.jpg)
PROJECT 37 A TEST OF TIME
In search of fame, fans, and a circuit lap record, Timmy's undertaken the task of seeing just how fast Suzuki's new GSX-8R will lap around the iconic Cadwell Park circuit.
![BMW M1000XR: BALLISTIC Bliss](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5202/1748301/2tz3tRSQ61720773254383/BMW-M1000XR-BALLISTIC-BLISS.jpg)
BMW M1000XR: BALLISTIC Bliss
In a world where we constantly want and expect more than what's come before, the M1000XR delivers in ways few others could ever dream of... on road and track.