Yamaha SZR660
[April 01 1996]

Big single road bikes used to be a British speciality; ploddy BSAs, Panthers and Ariels thumped their way around Britain back when it was still Great.

But the British motorbike industry went squelch and its Japanese inheritors only occasionally toy with the idea (Yamaha SRX600, Honda XBR500, Suzuki GN400), usually in either a retro-Brit homage style or a kind of bizarre futuristic Blake's Seven look.

And here's the latest big Jap single, the SZR660. It falls into category two - wacky, curvy and highly designed, with a great back light and a slightly odd strawberry-coloured seat.

In concept, it's very like the MuZ Skorpion we rode in issue eight - even to the same 660cc trail-bred engine. If you were cynical, you could think Yamaha had let MuZ do their product development for them; the Yam's motor packs more oomph than the MuZ's, and its gearshift is slicker.

The SZR is small, though - if you're over five foot eight you'll find it uncomfortable. But its flickability (despite thumb-squeezingly tight handlebar/tank gaps) is superb and its brakes excellent.

It's big fun on a twisty road, less so in town (it gets breathless at low revs) and no fun at all on a motorway. An acquired taste, but an addictive one; a bit like roast lamb flavoured crisps

Chris Maillard