FOR 2012 Yamaha has had a huge throw at the stumps to regain some of the market share for what was once its leading off-road model.
There's been a raft of major changes to the WR450F and after two solid days of riding the new model I can tell you this, it is, as expected, the best WR I have ever ridden, by far...
Big bores have the power but it's at a price. Going the middle road can be the smarter option.
It might be a cliche but Husaberg's FE 390 really does show that less is often more. The surprising thing is there are no real modifications needed to spec the bike up or dumb it down.
BETA might be pushing the line that its new 350cc enduro model is simply 'the play bike' but the 350RR is far from just a machine capable of going out to have a play in the dirt.
Kawasaki's KLX450R is a great trail bike, and with the race kit makes a great enduro competitor too. To be competitive in the 450cc off-road market, you have to tick all the boxes.
Smarty gave us the rundown on the two-strokes last month. Now it's Todd's turn to give an insight into the fire-breathing four bangers.
THE 2012 KTM EXC range is proof that if you couple the feedback given from factory riders with modern technology, engineering and materials you can dramatically improve from a previous model's overall performance.
The KTM 990 Adventure R is the most hard-core Adventure bike you can buy. If you're coming to adventure riding from a dirt bike background and want to move away from single-cylinder machines, the 990R offers the best package of suspension, performance and off-road handling available today.
KTM has produced two-strokes since forever, but its sister company Husaberg is treading new ground after introducing the TE300 and TE250. Both the bikes tested are essentially the same in specification but with different bodywork.
GAS GAS' EC300 is not for the faint hearted. Crack the throttle whip and it will respond in kind, but if you are more of a trail rider than an enduro racer the EC300 won't bite you, well not too hard anyway. To get the best out of this bike though, you'll need to be a bit on the aggressive side. And by that I don't mean throwing punches at the pub on a Friday night.




