That's a bloody good question. After all, considering that most of them are around the 600cc capacity there isn't one single factory 'motard that's much faster than a derestricted 125. Every full-on supermoto bike that's currently available tops out at around the 105mph mark - not exactly fast enough to set the world alight, is it? Or, is it?

In a straight line, on a big A road or on a motorway any medium sized bike upwards will leave a 'motard for dead, but where's the fun in going fast in a straight line? On the drag strip it makes sense as you're competing against another rider, against the clock and against someone else's technical ability, but on the road you're just turning the throttle assembly - no more, no less. There's no challenge, no talent required, absolutely anyone who can afford a bike can do it while the only people who actually care that you did 140mph on a certain road are sad twats, safety nazis and coppers.

The real fun of two-wheels, and supermotards in particular, is when you start riding on twisty roads. This is where the challenge really starts, where talent is required. And this is where supermotards come into their own. On a tight, twisty road a 'motard rider can either happily follow his or her mates on their GSXYZFCBR-RRSP without having to really try or they can dive up the inside or around the outside of their mates reasonably easily and bugger off into the distance - at least until the next long straight comes along anyway.

But, if these single cylinder bikes are barely faster than a full-power 125 how the hell can they beat a bike with three times the power? Simple; the four-stroke single makes, when compared to inline fours and even twins, huge amounts of low down torque that allow them the launch out of corners in a way no-one who's never ridden one of these bikes could ever understand. But there's more to it than just that. Even the cheapest 'motard comes with suspension that even riders of ultra-exotic machines can only dream of because, quite simply, supermoto manufacturers don't build road bikes, they build race bikes with lights. There are a couple of exceptions to this (KTM's Duke II for example), but even these machines can have the extraneous crap removed very quickly leaving the rider with a competition motorcycle.

And then there's the weight advantage of a 'motard - even one that's considered a lardy-arsed bus by 'motard racers is still half the weight of a comparable inline four. Add top of the range brake systems and it becomes even more obvious why there's nothing on two wheels that can compete against a 'motard in a corner.

It's not just true on the road, either. Race tracks, like Three Sisters in Wigan, which are very tight, very twisty, where outright speed is irrelevant as the quickest anyone on any bike could ever achieve on the few straights that they have is less than 100mph, you'll find supermotos overtaking GP250 bikes, like Honda's RS, around the outside of corners with relative ease. Bigger, over-weight wallowing lumps like R6s, GSX-R600s etc. are despatched with even greater ease, so much so that road racers who practise at Three Sisters have started to complain about the 'motard riders. Jealousy? How could you think such a thing..?

Back on the road 'motards make even more sense. In traffic, because of the high seating position, you can see over cars easily; the incredible torque produced by the single cylinder engine makes filtering an absolute doddle while the lack of weight makes riding in inclement weather not only easy, but actually fun - plus, if you do crash, you can just jump straight back on and ride away as, quite simply, that's what they're designed to do. Drop something like a Triumph T595 and you'll do close to three grand's worth of damage - drop a 'motard and you'd have to be pretty unlucky to do any damage at all…

Which leads us to the best bit of all - just how easy a 'motard is to throw around. Want to learn to wheelie? Pull huge stoppies? A supermoto is the bike to do it on. Fancy pretending you're Garry McCoy or Valentino Rossi by sliding a bike utterly sideways into a corner? Then a 'motard is, again, the bike you need. In fact, sliding 'motards around is almost obligatory as they're so damn easy to get sideways safely - and it's this incredible ability that makes them so good on wet roads.

If you want a bike that makes your smile a mile wide; if you want a bike that allows you to ride spectacularly, easily; if you want a bike that will out corner any other two-wheeled road machine in the world (below 100mph, anyway); if you enjoy riding because you enjoy riding and if you're not some pathetic needle-dicked twat who must have the biggest, fastest bike on the planet to compensate for their complete lack of riding talent, then a supermotard may just be the bike for you.

There is one fly in this otherwise perfect ointment, however - supermoto machines are not mile-munchers. Although their MPG figures are pretty impressive, which is just as well considering the size of their tanks, they'll never replace Goldwings, Pan Europeans or any other touring or sports touring bike. If you do lots of miles, want to carry camping equipment, offer pillions a big, comfy armchair riding experience and you can only afford one bike, then a 'motard should be avoided at all costs.

Anyway, most 'motard dealers offer test rides - try one.

Related Links:

www.supermotech.co.uk

www.veggie-dave.co.uk

www.supermoto.freeserve.co.uk