Excellence Exemplified
EXCELLENCE EXEMPLIFIED
CW COMPARISON
Searching once again for the World's Best Streetbike
MARK HOYER
IT'S MADNESS TO TRY TO CHOOSE THE WORLD'S Best Streetbike. Hard enough to choose a winner in a narrow-focus category, like your 1000cc superbikes or 600cc supersport machines. But to gather 13 motorcycles from as many manufacturers around the world-a sport-cruiser, standards, sportbikes, adventure-tourers and others that defy category and get called "naked"-then hit the road for three days and close to 1000 miles riding north, south, east and west, up mountains, into valleys, along the coast, on freeways and deserted two-lanes looking for that One True Bike from among the many-man, that is nuts!
It is, however, our duty (and privilege) to try. It is also incredible fun.
There is not a loser in this group. Seven have been CW Ten Best Bike winners, two more taking Honorable Mentions. Trading bikes was a study in new joy and the incredible mechanical personalities available at your local (or in some cases not so local) dealer. Some bikes were more comfortable, some were more powerful, others were more beautiful, or explosive or quick or smooth or tall or...simply different, but all were cool, competent and fun.
Which had pretty much been the case in July, 2002, when we took our first crack at trying to find the World’s Best Streetbike.
But have two years of history, newtrends and the forces of the marketplace quietly changed our priorities and desires about what qualities make the World's Best Streetbike? It was this very question, and the fact that the results had been
so close last time, that forced us to bring back the top three from the previous epic go-round. So return the Honda Interceptor, Suzuki V-Strom and Yamaha FZ 1.
But the other players changed. Two years ago. we had machines ranging from a top middleweight sportbike-the Honda CBR600F4i-to a largemotored road-bumer-the Kawasaki ZZ-R1200. Now, the smallest engine in the test displaces 749cc. We have more adventure-tourers, lots more naked bikes, and just two fully faired sportbikes. The results were surprising, decisions as difficult as ever.
Let us begin, then, by looking at the players in a way that completely disregards placings or the order of the alphabet.
The MV AGUSTA BRUTALE forced us to examine exactly how much weight the Gorgeous Quotient should carry in our special. non-existent mathematical formula for calculating the World's Best Streetbike.
No matter how insignificant we might make it. the trellisframed knockout would likely win on this quality alone. Proportions are just so. materials beautiful, finish stunning. But thank God this isn't Art World...or else we wouldn’t get to ride it!
It is quite an experience, the bike so compact (54.9-inch wheelbase), the chassis so taut and communicative. Power is quite good from the 749cc inline-Four, the smallest in our test. We thought perhaps now a 750 should be considered “middleweight” in the face of a market that demands 2000ccplus cruisers. The Brutale is nonetheless quite tractable.
APRILIA
TUONO
$11,999
“Considering its high-revving nature, I was surprised how much I rode this bike in the 5000-9000-rpm range,” said Road Test Editor Don Canet after a spirited rip up a Malibu canyon road.
It's true. This is a fine-running 750. The high-initial-effort throttle (hard to crack the butterflies from closed under high vacuum conditions) remains, but it fuel-injects cleanly, makes good torque for its displacement and breathes on top like a superbike.
It makes a magnificent sound, too. with an unparalleled intake honk (loud enough you should wear earplugs on a long ride).
BMW
R1200GS
$15,100
But as nice as this engine is, the chassis is where it's really at.
“It's amazing how light-steering and nimble the MV is. while also being so stable,” effused Canet after a particularly tight run.
The (lip side of this is that the small, hard scat isn't the best place to sit if you need to get from Jersey to Daytona by midnight, and its lovely nakedness is rather exposing should the weather turn south, too.
No such trouble on our fully faired previous winner, the Honda Interceptor, with its sweet 781cc V-Four singing its familiar, soulful song in the same comfortable and competent package, just with stealth-bomber low-sheen black paint on this ABS-equipped model (the non-anti-lock model is red and costs $1000 less).
“The Interceptor runs and handles with graceful precision,” said Managing Editor Matthew Miles. “Riding it was like renewing a friendship with an old pal. A lovely motorcycle.”
Handling chart artist (sec page 45) and guest-tester Jim Hatch, too. was bowled over by the Interceptor: “I felt like part of'this bike-it inspired total confidence and can really be hustled through the corners or luxury-lined down the freeway forever, with the whirry pop of the VTEC to keep me company as 1 pass a diaper-truck convoy.”
Diaper-truck convoy? Too much time sniffing Magic Markers, no doubt.
“Maybe it’s because I've been riding VFRs for 20 years,” offered Editor-In-Chief David Edwards, “but I really feel at home on this bike. The seat is wide and right, the reach to the bars good, the footpegs not too high. There is good wind protection, no buffeting, no excess heat from side-mounted rads and it's got the best-appointed instruments. I kinda like the VTEC power hit, but I'd probably like an extra 200cc even more.”
That last point was the biggest rub. VTEC is interesting technology, but the transition from two valves to four at 7000 rpm often just feels like bad jetting. Plus, valve adjustments are incredibly time-consuming and expensive $500 or more!
Wouldn't it be easier just to make a lOOOcc V-Five? One can dream...
We wanted to flame the Yamaha FZ1 for having those relics from the Zinc Age (carburetors), but it is impossible to say anything bad about how this bike delivers its fuel. And what it does with that fuel is so wonderful it's hard to put into words. It's not just a monster motor, either.
“It’s amazing how well this bike works on a tight, twisty road,” said Canet. “Stay smooth, sit back in the saddle a little and watch it wheelie out of comers.”
That's 125 rear-wheel horsepower working in a comfortably competent chassis.
“I can't explain how this bike got aced out of the top spot the last time around,” Canet added. “In my checkbook, the FZ1 offers the most pcrformance/versatility value of any bike here.”
Other kind words?
“Fluid steering with easy turn-in and plush suspension that doesn’t get flustered at speed,” said the Chief.
“The classic light-speed La-Z-Boy,” said Hatch. “From track days to long hauls, all with a cockpit to accommodate a real man-size rider. And that atom-smashing motor...”
On went the praise. The R1 -based engine really does sing, offering good torque and righteous top end. There is some buzz through the bars, but the rest of the package is so inviting—a great riding position, supportive comfortable seat and good wind protection-that you just don’t care about the light hand fuzz.
Passengers dig the FZ1 too, for the grippy seat, good handholds and normal sitting posture. Did we mention it’s only $8499?
The newest entry to the Big Game is the
MZ1000S. This one’s cool because there isn't another bike in the comparison on which you can pull off an Eastern Bloc pass... Seriously, the chassis on this (former) East German export is excellent-it took top prize on the handling course, after all. You don't get things wrong during chassis R&D and beat an Aprilia Tuono around Supermoto Don’s cone-carving course.
The MZ is most like the Interceptor in terms of riding position and sporting purpose, but not in terms of refinement. The 998cc, eight-valve parallel-Twin makes good power, but vibrates in a way that some found unpleasant. Obviously, these kids today have never ridden a Norton Atlas.
“A big improvement over previous MZ models in both performance and quality, the 1000S has too much of a sportbikc focus to be in the running as a great well-rounded streetbike,” offered Canet.
BUELL
XB12S
$10,995
Added Edwards, “Love the looks, especially the front end. It puts power down nicely and is very neutral-handling. Engine feels good when spinning hard, thrums at cruise speeds. Chassis is a little thick in the middle, though.”
And he doesn’t mean hcavy-both the tank and the frame at footpeg level feel pretty wide. Otherwise, a competent and fun 103-horsepower sportbike.
“Oldie but a goody?” asked Edwards about the original Thug Bike, the Triumph Speed Triple.
“I still love this bike after all these years,” said guesttester and former motojournalist Brent Avis. “The suspension's taut, the motor’s fun, it has good brakes, a nice riding position-it’s just a well-built, unique bike that doesn’t need to make excuses. It just works. I’m always impressed with how fast you can go on the thing. It likes to skip around a bit, but never feels flighty or loose of footing. Sure, it could use some refinement, but 1 like some sediment in my ale, so I'd just leave it alone and rock on.”
Suspension action is a little on the rudimentary side, and actually quite harsh at the back. But for some reason it doesn't seem to detract much from the riding experience.
In fact, the soulful sounds from the 955cc Triple are worth a lot, especially because there’s 110 bhp on tap, making this Triumph more powerful than the 108-bhp Tuono.
But somebody had to ask: “Why no styling update?” queried Edwards “The bug-eye headlights look dated, the tumsignals arc still tacked onto the radiator with flatiron, and there’s too much stuff hanging about here and there, especially on the ‘plumbing’ side of the engine. The single-sided swinger is the dog's bollocks (a little Britbike lingo), though.”
If we were looking for the World’s Best Rocker bike...
Taking the place of the ST4S we used for the last World's Best contest was the fresh and funky Ducati Multistrada.
“1 really like the Multistrada not so much for how well it works, but for what it represents and how well I know it can be made to work," said noted Italobike nutbag and Executive Editor Brian Catterson while clutching the extensive Ducati Performance hop-up catalog. “As David said during one of our roadside critiques, the Ducati strikes the perfect compromise between an adventure-tourer and a sportbike, with a little standard/naked-bike attitude thrown in for good measure.”
DUCATI
MULTISTRADA
$11,995
You sit high on the Ducati, and have longer-than-average suspension travel, like an adventure bike. But you get a pair of sticky 17-inch tires and a torquey, quick-revving Dual Spark 1000 two-valve mill. It seems like a fabulous setup. And yet we were left puzzled.
“This should be the perfect combo of adventure-tourer and sportbike, but somehow isn’t,” said Edwards.
Part of this may be because of the heat creeping up our backsides.
“Talk about being in the hot scat!” exclaimed Miles. “Somebody get me a pair of asbestos undies, on the double. Is it solar energy stored in the seat's gel top? At least the Sargent saddle on our long-term Multistrada cured all our discomfort issues. I've always liked the Multistrada, especially the concept behind it. Wonderful engine, smooth enough and powerful enough. Stable chassis, though the light steering is a little wonky at deeper lean angles, and it's got brick-wall brakes. I find it interesting that Ducati outfitted our testbike with the optional Comfort seat. Why didn't they throw on the center stand while they were at it? Cheaters..."
H-D
FXDX DYNA SPORT
$13,995
Hey, at least you can get one!
Is the kawas~tiZ1OOO the poor-man's MV? A four-cylinder Tuono? In many ways, yes. It has a short, compact feel, a spirited inline-Four (with 122 rear-wheel bhp, the second most powerful behind the FZ I `s), and styling that definitely sets it apart. "Another sporty standard that's easy to get worked up over, the green Kawi blends style, performance and sensible ergos to a very high degree," offered Canet. "But the thought of long-distance sport-touring aboard this naked bike with its Speedo size fairing leaves you realizing that greener grass can be found among this herd."
Avis echoed Canet's comments: "Generally a good, fun naked bike," he said. "A typical Kawasaki: good motor, decent brakes, good shifting, but buzzy, not very refined. Works well as an all-around package. Comfortable ergos, clever styling and the paint job is cool. It's a little too nar row-focus to be your one and only do-everything streetbike, though." -
We've been waiting for the *iiiiiki V4IPOBI's face (and name) to grow on us. It hasn't. We do love the new chrome gauge surrounds, though, and are, as ever, in love with the way this bike works.
HONDA
INTERCEPTOR ABS
$10,999
“The Suzuki’s a machine that makes me feel like a Shallow Hal for considering what my friends might think if they see me with it,” Canet said sheepishly. “But once I got used to the bike’s plump figure and focused on its ride, I soon saw in the V-Strom an ideal dance partner for just about any street beat. Sure, your mount may be sleek and sexy, but mine is affordable, cooks through comers and actually can be used to haul the mail.”
There is definitely a lot of cushion when you’re pushin’ the pace, but even with its skinny 19-inch Bridgestone Trail Wing front tire, you can lean it down on the footpegs in no time as long as you keep your inputs smooth. And the 996cc V-Twin? It makes great power (90 horses/65 ft.lbs.), is smooth and can torque the front end up at your will. The only running complaints we had regarded fuel-injection, with an occasional pop back through the intakes and one or two random acts of sputtering.
We didn't know Edwards was a “headlight” guy, but the words “killer highbeams” issued forth from his spacious building-center think-tank.
It’s true, too. Those big and funky super-robot eyes are way brighter than average. (The Elonda’s dual beams are in there with a scaring flicker of a chance for best beams, too.)
MV AGUSTA
BRUTALE S
$13,995
Amenities also abound, especially considering the VStrom’s nice price (fourth lowest). There are handguards. The windscreen is adjustable over a 2-inch range (just bring tools). Rear spring-preload adjustment is conveniently accomplished with remote hydraulic adjuster knob.
Add the optional saddlebags and top trunk, centerstand and tall windscreen, and go conquer the world.
Leading to our next question: Is it morally wrong to fit a top trunk and saddlebags to the Aprilia Tuono? This idea haunted us all. At the mere thought, the word “sacrilege” issued forth from Catterson's lips.
The terrible question of outfitting the Tuono with touring gear came up because this was nearly everyone’s favorite motorcycle-especially when lean angle was in the picture—but its sporty edge made it difficult for people to justify choosing it as number one.
“No-compromise suspension performance makes this one sweet-handling ride. However, that tight suspension and a lack of convenience features such as a helmet lock, centerstand and more-than-modest wind protection probably rule the Tuono out of the running as the greatest streetbike,” reasoned Canet.
Assistant Editor Mark Cernicky countered almost manically: “My face still hurts from smiling so much-yes, it’s that much fun to ride! The harder I pushed the Tuono the better it worked. Bitchin’ power, brakes, suspension, looks...and the symphony of sound is sweet music to my ears. Admittedly a bit hard-edged for tootely-pipping around town, but if you want to get down while sitting up straight, go straight to the Tuono.”
Strangely, he summarized our thoughts perfectly, although the jury’s still out on “tootely-pipping.”
The KTM 950 Adventure represents the dirtiest end of the biking spectrum here. You sit tall, proud of traffic, in command of this narrow, light-feeling adventure-tourer. A bit of a wild card, though, for despite it being the lower-seatheight, more street-friendly version of the 950, it still is quite the dirtbike in what is really a streetbike comparison.
KAWASAKI
Z1000
$8499
KTM
950 ADVENTURE
$11,998
A perfect choice for needling through the swervy, gravel-strewn roads around the Santa Rosa Plateau in search of photogra pher Jeff A1len,~' declared Miles. "Orjust about anywhere else in the world-onor off-road. Were the 950 mine to keep, I would immedi ately send the rockhard dirtbike seat back to Austria, then order up the wider suedecovered RDSS saddle fitted to our long-term testbike. Otherwise, lots to like here, as long as you're a 6footer like myself. Man, this bike is tall!"
And with a seat height of 34.8 inches, this is the low' version.
It didn't matter to Avis. But he’s pushing 6-foot-3, and apparently has no feeling in his cheeks, either, as he was ready to ride cross-country.
“The KTM surprises everybody who gets on it,” he offered from altitude. “Ride it like a streetbike? Okay. Ride it like a dirtbike? Now we’re talking. Get on top of it and lay it into the comers, slide it around, whack open the throttle, brake too late, hack it in. That’s just fine. Okay, now get on the freeway-we’re gonna visit Grandma in Tulsa. No problem. The factory offers hard bags, exhausts, everything you need. The only downside? The Í3MW R1200GS makes more sense for anybody who doesn’t plan to make use of the KTM’s excellent off-road prowess more than once a year.”
Many of us expected the BMW R12006S to be the overdog favorite for topping this comparison, especially after taking Open-Class Streetbike honors in this year’s Ten Best balloting. Doesn't that automatically make it tops here? Not necessarily.
“Like all Beemers, the R1200GS takes some getting used to,” stated Edwards, based on the 30,000 miles he’s put on this and past versions of the GS. “It can feel big and cumbersome at first. But it makes nasty, bumpy, curvy roads seem about one-third wider, and it’s king of the trail-brakers, thanks to Telelever and its minimal front-end dive.” This is not to suggest that you're looking at a German Tuono (a Donner?). But neither is a Tuono a GS. For example, it’s sacrilege to not put luggage on a GS. Bonus points for handguards, heated grips, power outlets and the best “comfort” adjustability in the group-rear spring preload, windscreen height and scat height, all accomplished without need for tools. You also get ABS brakes, which can be disabled for serious dirt work.
MZ
1000S
$11,900
Ups A The only one on your block (or in your state) A Great parallel-Twin A Cool styling Downs ▼ Plenty of engine heat ▼ Non-vintage-bike owners complain about engine vibration ▼ Could use a little more polish
With its redone motor and newfound horsepower (84 bhp), we hoped for better at the dragstrip, but upshifts were difficult under such loads, and often were rejected, leading Canet to abort many runs. It also popped out of gear several times. We didn't have shifting trouble in street-rid ing conditions, but the time when you need great perform ance most is under extreme duress.
Still, no other bike in this comparison suggests Going Somewhere more than the GS.
`Nearing midnight while exhausted and delirious from an 18-hour day of testing, the GS became my best friend, gen tly taking me home in utter comfort, handgrips sizzling and torque-dragon motor pulling faithful duty amid all that German space-station styling," said Hatch.
I second that. As the sun set over the mountains above Wrightwood on the final day's ride, I was a happy soul in the saddle of the BMW as it thrummed its way down the highway. I was comfortable, the ride was smooth and con trolled, the pace swift, and I knew that if! had to, riding 200 more miles would have been no problem.
Not so for the Buell XB1ZS. While some wanted to be able to tour on the Tuono. nobody had such thoughts in the case of this American sportbike.
“The short, squat XB-S is certainly fun to squirt around town on or tear up most any technical backroad,” said Canet. “But this is where the bike’s appeal stops for me; I wouldn't want to find myself facing a 500-mile day in this small saddle, particularly if I had to share the tight space with a passenger.”
Others had trouble accepting the Buell's peculiarities.
“Like the BMW, this is a bike I want to love, but 1 can't get past the heavy steering (even with the wide handlebar) and propensity to stand up while trail-braking,” said Miles. “The engine and gearbox work better than they should, and the fuel-in-frame/oil-inswingarm tricks are genuine packaging innovations. Everyone at Buell should be commended for their considerable efforts, but I'm not yet ready to plunk down my own money on one.”
Nonetheless, the bike always feels planted and remarkably stable considering the radical chassis geometry. Assistant Art Director Keith May said he felt fastest on the Buell and loved the torquey powerplant. But this is a small, narrow-focus machine, even with the more upright ergonomics than its faired R-model brother, making it too myopic in this crowd. An interesting and fun naked bike, but riding to distant horizons must be on the can-do list if you’re going to conquer the streetbike world.
Of course, your inner hooligan probably doesn’t want to go touring, anyway. “This thing docs great stoppies,” offered Cemicky.
It’s easy to imagine a cross-country jaunt on the Hanley* Davidson FXDX Dyna Sport. Just ask May, who used the windscreen-and-bag-equipped version of this bike, the discontinued T-Sport, when he took his “Cheating Death” tour (CW, May) across our great nation. He cited comfort and a low center of gravity as plusses. But the capper? “Chicks dig Harleys.”
You know it, brother. In fact, if you w ant to start a conversation with almost anybody, roll up on a Big Twin.
And, as Online Editor Calvin Kim pointed out, “Hey, it’s got the most suspension adjustments. Two shocks at the back mean double what the other bikes have!”
Seriously, the FXDX's sporty nature is one of the qualities that elicited this comment from our Chief: “A good Harley for the hard rider, handlebar streamers be damned. Fun to ride at its own pace-which is too fast for most cruisers, but way too slow for real cut-and-thrust stuff.”
Most complained about the spongy front brake and, frankly, many were puzzled by its inclusion in this test. But it is, perhaps, the most “normalized” big-inch cruiser you can buy, a standard with a distinctly American heartbeat, in the same w^ay the Tuono is a standard born of the Italian sporting tradition.
SUZUKI
V-STORM
$8999
Ups A Plush and comfy A Superb engine A Budge! Beemer Downs ▼ Budget Beemers don’t get heated grips ▼ Looks better in silver, but still no beauty ▼ What does "Strom" mean again?
A smooth, swift pace in sweepers is the most satisfying place to experience wdiat the Dyna has to offer, which is a pleasant mechanical interaction. There is stimulation from the machinery, a lot of visible parts, and...chicks do dig Harleys. And if you arc a woman rider, well, guys dig ’em, too.
And so? Discussions at the end of the road about what is the World's Best Streetbike 2004 w'ere interesting, and always inconclusive. We got down to six with some ease: V-Strom, R1200GS, Tuono, Multistrada, Interceptor and FZl. But then we wondered if we should have included the KTM in the final discussion. And so it went. Spirited arguments were made about each, devil’s advocates popped up everywhere to argue every angle. Ultimately, we were forced to adjourn to our private thoughts and keyboards before somebody got hurt.
Even then, consensus was a foreign word, and surprises did arise.
First, the V-Strom’s drop in the standings. A close second last time, tallied votes put it fifth this year, narrowly behind the Tuono, and there wasn’t one hanging chad. But consider the players in 2002: Most were sport-tourers with narrow bars and torso-forward riding positions. Suddenly seated in Dirt Bike Command mode with wide bars and head upright was a nice taste of comfort for many. Plus, you really can ride crazy fast on this bigwheeled, knobby-tired monster. But in the face of the much betterequipped (albeit more expensive) GS, not to mention all the naked bikes, that advantage was nullified. Still one of the great bargains, but in this group on these roads...
The second surprise was that the top three was divided among the disciplines: We have a sportbike-the Interceptor; a naked bike-the FZ1; and an adventure-tourer-the R1200GS. Democracy works!
TRIUMPH
SPEED TRIPLE
$8890
iiips A Ruler of the wrong side of the street A Wheelie you will A A character-rich bargain Downs T A little odd... ▼ Please give us a better shock T Time for a restyle? ▼ Seat a bit planklike.
Except that trying to get folks to actually commit to a top three was a project on its own. Ultimately, results were, like last time around, incredibly close.
The reigning-champ Interceptor surprisingly dropped to third. While a smooth, tractable and soulful-sounding engine is at the core of this excellent-handling, comfortable, super-refined motorcycle, its sub-800cc displacement may finally be a disadvantage in what has become a lOOOcc world. The 96 bhp it makes is nothing to sniff at, but the only bike it out-torqued was the MV Agusta, VTEC or no.
The top two? The BMW R1200GS and Yamaha FZ 1. These were separated by a single point when we tallied first-, secondand third-place votes, but more people picked the GS in first. Which one wins? The math says FZ1 (15 to 14 points > over the GS), the first-place votes say GS (three to two over the FZ).
YAMAHA
FZ1
$8499
Alps A Horsepower King A Supple suspension A Centerstand Downs ▼ No optional hard luggage ▼ No drink-caddy ▼ Where’s our alloy-frame version?
Argues Edwards about the Yamaha: “It’s affordable, two-up ready, about as comfortable as anything without a drink-caddy can be, a set of soft luggage away from being a great sport-tourer-and has a raging sportbike motor that thank goodness wasn't given the dreaded ‘retuned for torque' treatment.”
This motorcycle is way too polished and fast to be the lowest-priced bike (tied with the Z1000) in the test.
To be honest, the GS doing as well as it did was also a bit of a surprise. It may be lighter, better handling and more powerful than ever, but it remains a BMW, which is not an instantly accessible thing for most people, and outright raves after riding it weren’t common.
The GS doesn’t incite passion for the machinery itself, but rather for travel. It’s got a kind of quiet, quirky goodness, the virtues of which you often don't clearly see until you’ve rolled through your 500th mile in a riding day that started before dawn-and with a cold rain just starting to fall. That’s when the gentle thrum of the engine, and the thoughtful inclusion of handguards, power outlets, heated grips, good wind protection and comfortably adjustable ergonomics suddenly seem to make this the finest traveling tool you’ve ever ridden. It’s a bike that makes you want to go somewhere, and almost no matter where that is (see that fireroad winding off into the distance?), you know it can carry you there.
World’s Best Streetbike? Yamaha’s FZl. World’s Best Streetbike you can also ride in the dirt? BMW’s R1200GS.
Either way, the World’s Best have become better than ever. We can't wait’til next time. □
