If there was ever a motorcycle that needs to be ridden with a crown instead of a helmet, or perhaps paint a crown on your helmet to comply with modern day rules, it’s the Royal Enfield. This famous name in motorcycling is riddled with history, possibly more so than any other form of two-wheeled transport.

Cast your mind back to the 1920s and 30s during the age of the Great Depression in the USA. To be more specific I’m talking about the era of the infamous and notorious gangster or gangsters. Instantly names appear in your head, or should, of the evil Al Capone and the gruesome bank robber, John Dillinger, to name a couple. Both have received the Hollywood treatment in one form or another and therefore they’ve been immortalised in celluloid films for all to remember in the typical glitzy nature of the American film industry.

There’re quite a few bikes around in the race replica and fully faired ‘300cc’ department, right? If you’re scratching your chin at the moment let me help you with the best of what’s out there. There’s the Kawasaki Ninja 300, Honda CBR300R, KTM RC390 and, of course, this very pretty Yamaha YZF-R3. If you lined up all three, er sorry, all four, and had to choose one on looks alone, which one would you go for? Myself, no competition, it’d be this YZF-R3, so there, and mass apologies if I’ve offended dudes who have the others.