Richard Hammond has just taken delivery of his latest toy, a KTM 690 Duke, on which he's been zooming around London and rural Hertfordshire.

He said "It's a pretty thing, and I had expected to find it a nimble, light, steerable ride, ideal for around town. And it's all of those things. But, as I discovered, it's a whole lot more."

"For a start, it's unbelievably agile, and has helped me perform manoeuvers through busy city traffic I doubt I could have pulled off on any other machine."

“The simplicty of a single-cylinder engine and of the whole bike is utterly charming. Yes, it’s got a clever digital dash and yes, there’s actually rather a lot of very modern, very clever technology packed into it to get the most from that engine and the frame, but despite it all, it still feels rugged, simple and charming and that’s a hard trick to pull off.

"In short then, it’s taken me back to why I got into biking in the first place. And for that I shall be forever grateful to it."

Ride safe Richard - keep on the black stuff !