ONCE, IN A TIME before this one, when motorcycle-ridin’ men gathered in wild-eyed groups to cheat death and measure the respective sizes of their manhoods, owners of mid-sized upright twins would sit with the women over in the corner.
They would sip Fluffy Ducks and try not to catch the eye of the puissant males standing on the other side of the pool table, necking beer, and loudly declaiming how their 1000cc superbikes were the Alpha and Omega of two-wheeled devilry.
Halcyon days.
We live in a gentler time now. Such overt displays of masculinity are now deemed toxic, cancelled via electronic means, and suffer widespread condemnation and tut-tutting.
Add to this the insane levels of policing on our roads, and it’s easy to see why few people are buying 1000cc sportsbikes these days.
The manufacturers,
