Motorhispania RX125R (2010 onwards)

This very tasty Motorhispania RX125R is a quality European sports bike at an affordable price. The bike is stunning in real life; it's easily a match for its competitor in the class, the Yamaha YZF-R 125, both in looks and performance. Not surprising really when you consider the fact that the Motorhispania shares the exact same engine - albeit carburettor-fed, as opposed to the Yamaha's fuel injected unit.

Oh and did I mention that the Motorhispania costs a whole £1,000 less than the Yamaha? Have a look around the RX125R and you'll soon realise that the Spanish built bike isn't just a pretty face, it also boasts Paoli 41mm inverted front forks, a Paoli rear monoshock, Galfer wavy discs at both ends, a saucy front monoblock calliper, sleek mirror-mounted front indicators and of course those superbike looks that will guarantee you'll get a wave from approaching sports bike riders.

Equipment wise, the RX125R has a manual choke and electric start, its well-laid-out clocks feature a large tachometer (with the usual array of warning lights around it) and to the right sits a neat digital screen with all the info you'll ever need. It includes temperature, fuel, time, max speed, lap counter, trip and distance ... plenty of toys for the 'boy' in you.

I've ridden the Yamaha YZF-R 125 in the past so knew pretty much what to expect from the donor engine and I must admit I wasn't disappointed with this Spanish package. The four-stroke motor is quite tractable, it pulls cleanly from the word go and keeps spinning through to the 10,000rpm redline. The six-speed gearbox is Yamaha smooth, with just enough of a positive clunk to let you know that the next ratio has been selected. Keep the engine singing and you'll soon see 70mph on the clock, it also has enough mid range to keep you entertained in traffic and it sounds fairly tasty through the stubby side exit exhaust.

Wet conditions put a dampener on any MotoGP style heroics I may have had in mind, but I felt confident on the bike in the slippery conditions. The Bridgestone tyres take a bit of warming up but they had enough feel in the wet to let me know if I was starting to push my luck a bit too far. The chassis, brakes, suspension and all round feel of the bike were every bit as good as the Yamaha too. It certainly doesn't feel like a £1,000 less has been spent, this is a serious bit of kit - perfect for a learner to hone his (or her) developing riding skills.

One slight grumble was that the view from the mirrors isn't very good, no matter how far you tuck your elbows in you can hardly see anything behind you. Not a big criticism, but worth noting. As for the rest of the bike and its styling, I was very impressed and would quite happily park one in my garage.

Looks count for a lot when buying a bike, as does price, after sales service and reputation. With a Motorhispania you should be able to tick all the right boxes. It shouldn't matter if you're 17 years old (16 for the 50cc RX50) or middle aged and wanting something sporty without the need for a full licence. This bike is worth every one of those £3,099 pounds and with a nationwide dealer network steadily spreading across the country you shouldn't need to travel far to see one.

So who is Motorhispania?
If there's one country in the world (apart from Italy) where bikes are a passion and racing is in the blood it has to be Spain. Motorhispania are 100 per cent Spanish and have been building motorcycles at their factory in Seville since the 1970s although the firm was actually founded as far back as 1948.

It spent a few years dabbling in cars in the early days before realising that there was more money to be made from two wheels. So the factory started producing bicycles and then acquired the licence to build Moto Guzzi mopeds. Eventually it started producing small capacity machines under its own name. Today, all manufacturing and bike building is done in house, with only a few top name components sourced elsewhere.