''Performance Bikes'', often known by the shortened form of "''PB''", was a monthly British

motorcycling Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small-engine displacement, displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in ...

magazine which evolved during the 1980s from the long-running ''Motorcycle Mechanics''. The first issue dated April 1985 and entitled ''Performance Bikes & Mechanics'' published by

EMAP Ascential (formerly EMAP) was a British-headquartered global company, specialising in events, intelligence and advisory services for the marketing and financial technology industries. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was ac ...

also incorporated the previous version of the title ''Mechanics and The Biker''.Performance Bikes, April 1985, p.3 Index page with Internal Masthead ''Performance Bikes & Mechanics. Incorporating Motorcycle Mechanics and The Biker'' Accessed 2014-02-26 The magazine featured a mix of motorcycle and product tests, with technical articles and design innovation, presented with a unique combination of humour and high standards. Many of the journalists raced competitively, for example, applying this experience and perspective in the magazine's tests and reviews; one racer's preferred road bike, a VFR, being derided by others as "an old man's machine", the next cover featured as his riposte him riding it at extreme speed through a countryside sweeper, knee-down, dressed in dressing-gown, pipe and slippers. In 2007, ''PB'' under publisher Bauer moved testing of many of the motorcycles to the

Nürburgring The () is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long configuration, built in the 1920s ...

, in the

Eifel The Eifel (; , ) is a low mountain range in western Germany, eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Com ...

Mountains of Germany. Where the Nordschleife fastest lap times are captured and collated into a table. This feature is called the PBTT, which stands for Performance Bikes Test Track. ''PB'' is notable for its long association with the late journalist John Robinson ("Robbo", who had been with the magazine since its ''Motorcycle Mechanics'' days until his death in 2001, and was noted for communicating complex technical issues simply, understandably, and memorably). Robinson was key to ''PB'' pioneering the use of a

dynamometer A dynamometer or "dyno" is a device for simultaneously measuring the torque and rotational speed ( RPM) of an engine, motor or other rotating prime mover so that its instantaneous power may be calculated, and usually displayed by the dyna ...

in the performance testing of motorcycles by a magazine. Performance Bike was amalgamated with another Bauer magazine and continues under the name Practical Sportsbikes.Ways to read Practical Sportsbikes magazine
''Practical Sportsbikes'', 28 April 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021

References

External links

Archived Performance Bikes website
Bauer Group (UK) Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom Motorcycle magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines established in 1985 Mass media in Peterborough 1985 establishments in the United Kingdom {{UK-mag-stub