We’ve just stepped off the latest Ducati. . . and are itching to get on again. Yes, our first impression of Ducati’s all-new flagship – the 1199 Panigale – after riding it at Abu Dhabi’s sprawling Yas Marina racing facility is a lasting impression.

Royal Enfield first launched its Thunderbird cruiser in 2002. And the latest variant of the Thunderbird 500 was first seen at this year’s Indian Auto Expo. We’ve recently ridden the latest T’bird on the Bangalore-Ooty highway to bring you this first impression.

The next generation of Bajaj’s Discover family is ready to roll in to showrooms this month. A pre-launch ride gave us a chance to get a sense of the new Discover’s potential. Lean, yet chiselled the Discover 125 ST certainly looks modern. The big headlamp, 10-spoke rims, ridged 10 litre fuel tank and stepped tail lights are very attractive.

As we saw with Honda’s CBR 250R, the “CBR” name tag does not necessarily imply an out-and-out sports bike. So then, what character does the baby CBR, the CBR 150R sport? A quick first ride gave us a fair idea.

Every square inch of the 1000cc supersport territory is crammed with precise, potent and devastatingly quick motorcycles. These cutting edge motorcycles have honed their skills to a gleaming razors edge over several generations and racing programmes. Every gram and millimetre is pared away until bare necessity and ruthless pace remain.

BMW Motorrad’s dual purpose GS series models aren’t mere motorcycles. The GS line-up is already BMW’s best selling model for over three decades. Say hello to the first GS in India, the iconic R1200GS.

Outlandish naked bikes which flaunt their massive exposed engines ooze a raw and untamed energy. They dare riders to hop on and tame them and make a popular choice to pop about town astride, or blast around on a weekend. The K1300R from BMW stretches the envelope a fair margin to make the statement bolder, faster and a lot more addictive.

Altius Automotive Technologies, a new Indian Private Limited company spearheaded by former Hyundai Motor India chief, BVR Subbu, is in partnership with California’s Hayes Diversified Technologies to manufacture engines that sip on various fuels including diesel. HDT supply motorcycles to the US armed forces.

The Pulsar 200NS is already riding a sales high. We go under its skin to dig out the finer points.

European two-wheeler makers are on a roll. They aren’t achieving the sales volumes the Japanese juggernaut manages, but leading European firms like BMW Motorrad, Ducati and KTM are certainly pulling back lost ground in terms of making outstanding new motorcycles.