Having spent the last 25 years racing bikes and the last five years writing about them for mags and websites, I?ve been fortunate enough to have a go on most contemporary sportsbikes (probably all of them, when I come to think of it). And plenty more besides sportsbikes; custom bikes, retro bikes, naked bikes, adventure bikes and off-road bikes. As you can imagine, it?s been an absolute blast. With that in mind, it?s a fair assumption that someone like me might be able to identify the best bike in the world. But it?s not as easy as that, and just last weekend, when I was asked this question for the millionth time, I finally realised why.

It?s because it?s not really a fair question. What does ?best? really mean" Surely the term ?best? is subjective; it?s based on personal opinions and feelings, not facts. Or does it simply mean the fastest" Does it mean the most popular" The most exciting" The quickest round a track" Who knows" The question needs to be narrowed down a little bit more if you stand any chance of answering it.
Usually when someone asks me what the best bike I?ve ever ridden is, my brain instantly harks back to the time I rode a mates original 1998 Yamaha YZF-R1, only a few years ago. I took it on track at Silverstone and then some cracking roads local to me, and loved every second of it. I think that was the most I?ve ever smiled on a bike, so since then, the ?98 R1 is at the top of my list of ?favourite? bikes. But it?s...