Published: April 1st, 2012
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Triumph's Street Triple R is a fantastically versatile sporting package with one of our favorite engines of all time. It's an elemental motorcycle but with major-league performance built in, and its fun-to-ride quotient is sky high, earning our MoBo Motorcycle of the Year for 2009.
The ZX-6R's class-leading motor underpins its track prowess and its usability on the street, combining to deliver the best 600cc sportbike experience of 2009.
In the literbike class, the CBR1000RR marries the lightest weight, sharpest steering and most potent midrange punch to create our favorite 1000cc sportbike.
The new M1100 is the best-ever example of Ducati's popular Monster series, combining sexy Italian design with an excellent chassis and lusty, torquey V-Twin grunt that helped make Ducati famous the world over.
The XR1200 will rearrange your perception of Harley-Davidson performance. Here Pete imagines himself taking the checkered flag at the Springfield Mile.
Triumph's Thunderbird twists the cruiser mold by eschewing a V-Twin powerplant in favor of a character-rich parallel-Twin that retains a link with Triumphs of yore. Clean lines penned by an American designer are attractive without being too derivative, and a stout chassis encourages riding on twisty roads instead of avoiding them.
Suzuki's M90 Boulevard combines unique styling, excellent handling and strong braking to create an unbeatable value in the power-cruiser segment.
BMW understands the touring/sport-touring market better than any other manufacturer, and the supremely balanced R1200RT is perhaps its best example of the qualities that go into creating a comfortable and capable long-distance touring motorcycle.
The Gold Wing is simply an icon in touring motorcycles.
If you're gonna go far and you need to do it fast, BMW's K1300GT is the best choice on the market. A cornucopia of options unavailable on its competitors further expand its allure.
Lightweight sport-touring doesn't get any better than BMW's F800ST, a desirable amalgam of sporting prowess and long-distance capability.
BMW's GS line has been synonymous with adventure-touring, and the F800GS expands the appeal by providing an ease of use far beyond its more ponderous 1200cc brethren.
Forget Prozac. The thrilling SXV 5.5 is our prescription for depression!
Fonzie describes the tilting three-wheeler MP3 500 as the Darth Vader of scooters. It's amazing what it can do on a curvy road.
Vespa continues to be the leader in sensual scooter design, and the new GTS 300 adds the kind of strong performance we can get behind.
Although not technically a motorcycle, the well-engineered Can-Am Spyder has expanded open-air motoring to a new audience.
Built by the people who turned out the turbine-powered bike made famous by Jay Leno, the futuristic Travertson V-REX garners more attention than any motorcycle we've ever ridden.
The attractive and capable Ninja 250 forgoes the embarrassment that is accompanied by most budget bikes.
Perhaps no other streetbike is as versatile as the well-rounded Kawasaki KLR650, and especially not at its bargain retail price.
If you'd like a street-legal MotoGP bike, you're looking at the only game in town.
The V-Max isn't a cruiser and it's not a sportbike - it's both, and there's nothing else quite like it. It's an accessible exotic.
Honda's new C-ABS has allayed our concerns about anti-lock brakes on a sportbike. You might not even notice it's there until it saves your bacon when you least expect it.
Traction control is available on the 1198S and Streetfighter. It will one day become ubiquitous among all manufacturers.
A small, simple and affordable way to capture your two-wheel exploits.
An excellent combo of comfort, versatility and value.
The USGP at Laguna Seca has an unbeatable atmosphere of the finest motorcycles and riders, top-quality vendors and exciting race action - all surrounded by some of the best roads in America.
Vintage Motorcycle Days reminds us where our sport and hobby came from. It's a motorcycle dream world seen through a rear-view mirror.
More by Kevin Duke/Motorcycle.com Staff
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