Having made the decision to go ahead with American-V at the back end of 2000, we got our heads together and did some blagging to give a quick indication of what American-V is going to be all about. Not a full season's tests by any means, but with the nature of the year-on-year changes within this market, a lot of this holds relevance for 2001: there is also some stuff from earlier years, and this is the only time it'll happen - there's no point having a 1999 section for a single test, but we think the information is worth having.

Harley Davidson's 2000 range of motorcycles sees the introduction of the all-new Twin Cam 88B power unit to give the Softail range the added performance of the engine that replaced the Evo. The Softail was left out last year because while the new engine has less vibration than its predecessors, it is a less pleasant vibration when not damped - and also because the frame needed modification to accept it. Now that has changed: a balanced form of the engine smoothes out the most intrusive of the vibes without sanitising the experience, and the frame changes - while subtle - have finished off the picture. As is the norm, there is a new model to herald the change, and this year it is the Deuce: the cleanest factory custom yet from the factory that invented the concept. Leaner and cleaner than those which have gone before, most of the Deuce's special treatments can be reduced to a new, sleeker fueltank, a deep dish headlamp shell atop the prettiest custom forks yet, and a wider than normal, seventeen-inch billet rear wheel and low profile tyre underneath a new mudguard. You could be forgiven for thinking that it doesn't add up to a lot, but the execution guarantees a fresh image that is up to date with the general state of the customiser's art.

Buell keeps on keeping on, developing and refining the two models available on these shores: the X1 lightning and the M2 Cyclone. S3 Thunderbolts are still available in the US, where the touring derivative, the S3T is available on special order.

A new kid on the block, Victory, presented their credentials in 2000 with a pair of motorcycles: the V92C Cruiser came first, followed shortly after by the sportier V92SC SportCruiser. Based around a 92-cube OHC engine of their own design, Victorys represent the first real alternative to Harley-Davidson as a mainstream product.

After early initial promise in the US, Excelsior-Henderson went into bankruptcy, before going into administration but is now suggesting a return to production in 2002: if we can find the pictures, expect to see a quickspin up here as soon as we can sort it.

The Indian Motorcycle Corporation Of American, IMCOA, brought out a new 2000 Chief with trademark full skirted mudguards, which will presumably lay to rest the ghost of the built-from-scratch Indian that was shown around the States a few years ago. The Chief is powered by an S&S Superstock engine which is visually identical to the outgoing Harley V2 Evolution engine – as are a massive array of independent manufacturers Stateside – and it will be fun to watch the goings-on from this side of the Atlantic, but I don't expect we'll see a mass-production model out of it. We will probably never see IMCOA Indians officially imported into the UK as they do not own the rights to the Indian name in the UK, but if we can swing a leg across one in the States, we will do so.