Adrenaline levels will rise faster than the current bike sales boom at the International Motor Cycle and Scooter Show at Birmingham's NEC, opening on Friday. Sleek sports machines and a new breed of super performance scooter will be shown in the UK for the first time, writes Simon Nix.

An Interactive Arena dedicated to live entertainment is new for this year.

The latest video game releases, riders' fitness challenge, free test ride facilities and world-class sports stars racing around an extreme circuit all feature at Europe's most popular bikeshow.

Stars of the show include new class leading machines from Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Ducati, Aprilia and Piaggio. The 600cc motorcycle category the most popular in the UK is the target for Honda's new CBR 600F, also available in a sportier FS version.

Suzuki has also chosen the NEC to unveil their GSX-R 1000 to a UK audience. The latest addition to their sports minded GSXR range bristles with racetrack technology derived from the company's World Championship winning Grand Prix bikes. Fans of World Superbike hero Carl Fogarty can live their dreams with the new 996R a factory racer minus the numbers.

Aprilia also display the latest version of their RSV1000 Mille destined for track glory.

With 40 per cent of total UK sales, scooters are now the fastest-expanding sector and are set to become among the quickest things on two wheels with the unveiling at the NEC of a new generation of super performance scooter. Yamaha's T-Max 500, Honda's Silverwing and Piaggio's X9-500 are new models offering a combination of in-town manoeuvrability and motorway busting performance.

Mobile phone sockets, intercoms allowing riders to talk to their passenger whilst on the move and enough storage room for a file filled briefcase are among the features to check out at the NEC.

Learner riders can see a variety of 50cc congestion busting scooters which car drivers may ride without taking additional specialist training. You can also test ride scooters at the Try a Bike feature.

Yamaha's FZS 1000 Fazer, Cagiva's Raptor 650, Kawasaki's ZRX1200 and BMW's R1150 R all offer a combination of value-for-money performance and attention grabbing styling.

With head-turning looks and upright riding position these bikes offer an alternative to the sports styled machines that dominate the UK market.

On the show for the first time in the UK, Harley Davidson's all new Dyna Super Glide T-Sport is the Milwaukee factory's latest customized cruiser featuring adjustable windscreen and suspension.

Step back to the future with Triumph's new Bonneville a millennium makeover for their 1960s classic. Enthusiasts will be hard pushed to spot the differences between this modern remake and the original.

A display of vintage race bikes will feature in the show's Classics Village. An eye-catching display based upon the infamous Isle of Man TT circuit will include many priceless and forgotten machines unearthed from private collections around the world.

Live entertainment for the 200,000 visitors expected, includes world championship riders dicing over an extreme circuit in the Supercross Arena and a video games zone offering the first opportunity to play two new titles from software giant THQSmackdown 2 and Supercross 2001.