#BMWHP4

Okay, I admit it. I’m a wheelie-holic. I’d practice wheelies on my bicycle, but I’ve been absolutely addicted to them since discovering an engine’s anti-gravity effects on a dirt bike’s front tire when I was 12 and abusing my amazingly durable Suzuki DS80 on the Canadian prairie.

It has been done many times before, but I’m going to continue pouring the accolades for BMW’s HP4. This beastly, high performance version of BMW’s already impressive S1000RR takes that platform to another level with its sophisticated traction control, ABS, ride modes, forged wheels, striking graphics and, most notably, Dynamic Damping Control (DDC). It’s a system I can’t harp about enough because it truly represents a turning point when motorcycle suspension systems transition from analog to digital.

When you take the winner of this category last year, the BMW S1000RR, and make it even better by putting it on a diet, enhancing the software for better lap times, and add an electronic suspension that adjusts itself automatically, then it’s no wonder the HP4 is our 2013 Sportbike of the Year.

Built for the track, ridden on the street. The bikes here represent the bleeding edge of superbike technology and performance from their respective OEMs. No matter the circuit, each model is capable of setting a blazingly fast lap time. Gauging superiority among these three on the street is a much more difficult result to quantify.