BIG WHEELS: If you're an experienced rider and the wallet can stand an outlay of just under €11,000 to €27,000, there are plenty of tempting choices of machines: high-performance sports bikes, sports-tourers, rugged motards and serious, comfortable long-distance machines. Except for the Triumph Bonneville America, none of the machines featured would be recommended as "first bikes".
Yamaha R1
Yamaha's R1 is a 998 cc, 4-cylinder, fuel-injected sports-tourer with an alloy frame. Producing 152 bhp (111.8 kw), it combines superb performance with reasonable daily riding practicability.
PRICE: €15,100
Aprilia Mille SV
If your tastes run to some Italian verve, and a machine that looks - and really is - more at home on a track than the drudgery of a daily commute, Aprilia's Mille SV is as much pocket rocket as you could wish for. Available in a standard form or with lots of "performance extras", steering damper and lots of carbon fibre, this is a machine guaranteed to tempt the most jaded pallet. Great for blowing away the cobwebs on a Sunday morning.
PRICE: €12,123 standard, or €15,439 with extras
Triumph Bonneville America
With traditional looks reminiscent of the 1960s, a British bike sound, lots of chrome. In today's terms the power output (61 bhp) from a 790 cc engine is modest. This is a machine for those for whom traditional looks and image count for more than outright performance.
PRICE: About €10,650
Kawasaki ZX 636
Rather more sporty, in looks and deed is Kawasaki's Ninja ZX 636. It's another bike to blow the cobwebs away.
PRICE: About €10,000
Aprilia V 1000 CapoNord
Aprilia's V 1000 CapoNord is a serious and powerful big motard.
It's the sort of machine that is as happy in city traffic as it is on the open road but it feels like it has globe-trotting ambitions.
PRICE: About €10,650
BMW R 1150 RT
Somewhat more refined, more comfortable, ideally suited to everything from the daily commute to long distance Continental touring is BMW's R 1150 RT.
PRICE: €18,550
Honda STX 1300
Honda's highly acclaimed ST 1100 Pan European, one of the top professionals choices and used by the Garda traffic riders has just been superseded by the STX 1300, the first of which have arrived in Ireland only in the last few weeks.
Such was the reputation of the previous model that a significant number have already been bought sight unseen.
PRICE: €20,599
BMW K 1200 LT
Whilst respective (and prospective) owners will engage in lengthy, almost theological, debate as to which bike is best, in terms of creature comforts, like a heated seat, and a host of add on extras, BMW's K 1200 LT is big in terms of sheer size.
PRICE: € 23,030 - plus €3,445 for extras