John Wheelerlooks at the past year, and the highs (and lows) of the biking scene.
Looking back over a year in which 40 odd bikes of all types and sizes have been tested some stand out well above the rest. This year has been one of several pleasant surprises, bikes that were approached rather on an it's all in a day's work basis which turned out to be times better than expected.
Of course there are some, fairly often ones much vaunted in the adolescent-orientated motorcycle press, which did not impress. When it comes to arranging the machines in categories the task gets no easier. We do not always agree with the manufacturers.
The distinctions between supersports, hypersports, sports and sports tourer exist more in the mind than in reality.
It is also the tradition to declare our Bikes of the Year in various categories. This task gets no easier with the passage of time. Even less than a decade ago there were bad bikes, better bikes and great bikes. There still are, but the gaps have narrowed to such an extent that now there are hardly any bad ones around.
When it comes to that all-important reliability, again it has gone from commendable to utterly commonplace. It is when one looks at utility that we have to redefine our terms and conditions.
Those of us who have been riding for half-a-century and more still tend to regard the motorcycle as, for us, an ordinary means of transport suitable for pretty much any journey short or long this side of moving house. By contrast today the majority of owners perceive the motorcycle as almost entirely a "recreational vehicle" with, in some cases, a minor utility role.
Defining bikes into distinct categories is hazardous and rather subjective pursuit, there is no one generally accepted approach, so we have our own!
THE LIGHTWEIGHTS
We can start at the smaller bikes end of the scale, machines various defined as 125s, lightweights, commuters and / or learner legal, each definition being potentially misleading.
Two very different machines stood out head and shoulders above the rest. The first being Honda's 125cc XL 125 Varadero. It is a liquid-cooled, 4-valve, 4-stroke V-twin, very different from most people's perception of a 125. It has both the looks and feel of a much larger machine, impeccable manners, and with its motard styling makes traffic work a joy.
It is expensive at €5,488 but, if the budget is not a constraint, it shares 1st place with Yamaha's YBR125, an air-cooled, 4-stroke single with price tag of just €2,550. It would be an understatement to say how very impressed we were with this, seemingly humble, orthodox machine.
We rate any machine on the basis of "does it do what it says on the tin?" Both in tape recorded comments whilst on the move and in notes made at stops during the ride we make a note of everything; the good, the bad and the indifferent.
Our notes seem almost boring and repetitive. On a scale of 1 to 10 we get brakes / effectiveness 10, Steering 10, Vibration (lack of) 10, gear change 10, slow speed riding 10, Clutch, ease of use 10, Gear ratios 10, Road holding 10, acceleration (relative to engine size) 10, and so on. It is a long time since any machine we have test ridden has scored as well under so many headings.
THE SCOOTERS
In the scooter category we tested two top-of-the range machines, Yamaha's T-Max, the Black Max edition and the Executive model of Suzuki's AN650A Burgman. Each in its own way acclaimed as "the best".
The T-Max, much acclaimed for its motorcycle-type handling is a 499cc, liquid-cooled, parallel twin. In terms of all-round ability and performance the T-Max comes as close as we have yet seen to a kind of hybrid, part scooter, part motorcycle.
Providing the toughest competition the €10,950 Suzuki AN 650 A Burgman. This 638cc liquid-cooled four-stroke twin is the largest scooter on the market, has ABS braking and can, at the flick of a switch, change from being a full automatic machine to a clutchless 5-speed bike.
For us this unique and effective transmission system, despite it being more expensive than the T-Max, made it our personal favourite. But we have to admit that the €9,750 T-Max, in a highly competitive field, just about has the edge, in roadholding terms, but only by a narrow margin and that is the decisive actor.
SPORTS BIKES/ PERFORMANCE SECTOR
Several machines in the sports bikes / performance sector thoroughly impressed us. Suzuki's GSX-R 600 really took us by surprise. It is almost in the luxury class when it comes to rider comfort when compared with any of its competitors. In terms of every aspect of performance, acceleration, braking, roadholding it is an out and out delight even though riding it in the real world, on real roads is totally frustrating - if you value your licence.
So eager, willing and confidence inspiring is the GSX-R600 that you would need all the attributes of a plaster saint to stay within 150 per cent of any legal limits. That is, of course, part of such machines' attraction. It also explains why it comes in the top, Group 12 insurance band. Those who can have one just for track days are indeed blessed. A mere €11,600 buys you all the adrenaline rush most of us would ever want to have.
Buell's XB12X Ulysses, powered by the Harley-Davidson 1,203cc Thunderstorm engine was intended to be an alternative to BMW's R1200GS.
While BMW's 1,200cc engine is smoother than any two-cylinder has a right to be, the Buell is anything but.
At tickover speed the world enters earthquake mode. Start to accelerate and you think of the Budweiser horses breaking into a gallop. The 113.9Nm of torque is truly awesome and despite its Harley derived ancestry it is a distinctly nimble and flick-able machine.
It lets itself down because of a badly designed rear mudguard which ensures that on any less than perfectly clean, dry road the rider will be literally plastered from helmet to saddle.
KTM is no slouch when it comes to producing interesting performance machines. The 640cc Duke II is a thoroughly macho machine. It tries hard to be a bit of an animal. It has lashings of torque, especially from mid-range upwards. Open the throttle and there is nothing gentle about it, power comes in with a thump.
In terms of noise, a concerto of induction and exhaust, it impressed boys large and small. It is a machine that makes a statement, the ultimate fun machine that will not be ignored at the local biker's café.
Different but unmistakably KTM is their 950 Supermoto, a machine that counts as its rivals BMW's R1200GS, Honda's mXL1000 Varadero and Suzuki's DL1000 V-Strom.
Whilst described as a "supermoto" it certainly is the pick of the litter as far as KTM goes. Especially well-suited to Irish conditions, the long travel suspension copes with the most atrocious back roads to the best of motorways with equal ease. It absolutely delights in the challenge of twisty, switchback roads and proved to be as good a canyon carver as anyone could wish for. On the back roads it is as near to flying as you can get, which earns it the acollade in the sports / performance category.
THE RETRO CATEGORY
Two bikes entered the Retro category, Royal Enfield's limited edition 'MCN' Electra Café racer at an expensive €7,959 and Triumph's '68' Bonneville. Much as we have a half-century old affection for things Royal Enfield this, albeit delightful retro machine, it is simply not worth its price tag, even though it now comes with the new Austrian-designed engine.
By contrast there is Triumph's '68' Bonneville. Riding it you will soon realise just how much we have lost over the years and that much of what we take for progress is largely an illusion.
This is a thoroughly pleasant machine. It is as happy and enjoyable to ride simply burbling along country lanes in a "smelling-the-rose" mode, as it is being shoved along con brio through the twisty bits, enjoying the open road and even asking no favours on the motorway.
By modern standards the rather softly-tuned 790cc engine (for 2007 the engine size goes up to 865cc) might, at first, seem a trifle genteel. Yet when the occasion demands it can be as sprightly as one could wish for without starting to feel uncivilised or precarious.
It may have classic looks but its performance is thoroughly modern. At about €9,000 it is more expensive than the Royal Enfield but, in value terms it is certainly worth it.
THE TOURERS
Last in our line-up are the tourers, rather a mixed bag reflecting the different styles of touring.
In the short list are the Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, Honda's Deauville, BMW's K1200GT and BMW's R1200GS Adventure. The Harley Electra Glide can be all yours for around €20,450. As a luxury touring machine this is as laid back as you can find. Although it can cover the ground with deceptive speed, the experience begins to border on the soporific if one is used to more aggressive machines.
The thing is the Glide no more needs to be aggressive than an elephant. It knows it is an icon, it knows it is glitteringly impressive and, in the realms of road locomotives, it just doesn't come any better.
Honda's Deauville, is perceived as the little brother to the Pan European. It is a worthy machine which, at a modest enough cost, €11,299 is capable of meeting 90 per cent of 90 per cent of motorcyclists' real needs. With its NTV ancestry, NTV 600,s and 650's are the serious high-mileage couriers favourite machines, it is so well-proven as to virtually guarantee years of honest service.
The shaft-drive does away with all the tedium and mess of chain adjustment and again is about as bomb-proof as you can get. With the neat fairing, side panels and integral panniers it is amongst the simplest of bikes to clean in minutes.
BMW's K1200GT is, in essence, a touring version of their awesome K1200S.
It is a big, powerful tourer, ideally suited to today's version of the Grand Tour. The GT is more Aston Martin than Rolls Royce. It is a genuine attempt to provide the elusive combination of comfort and sport-style riding, and it does this superbly.
It will appeal strongly to the somewhat younger, say under 40, riders. Older riders might find it just a bit Spartan and over-powerful for sedate two-up touring.
It is said to be good practice to keep the best to the last. BMW's R1200GS Adventure is the beefed-up version of the 1200GS designed to take you to the ends of the earth and back without the need for tarmac. If ever there was a machine with serious go anywhere capabilities this surely is it.
Better still it is very comfortable, its road holding would put the vast majority of motorcycles to shame and it has the assuring feel that no matter what you ask of it, it can cope with it without a murmur. On everything from replica third-world tracks to motorways it takes everything in its stride. It is as pleasant to ride at 40km/h on an unsurfaced track as it is at 200km/h on a motorway.
Our postillion gave it very high marks for pillion comfort and commented how it just seemed to simply glide over the most atrocious surfaces. When the all-new R1200GS, which is the basis for the Adventure, was launched in January 2004 we were hugely impressed by it and it became our Bike of the Year.
It still is an outstanding machine by any standard. This new Adventure is even better. Indeed no machine we have ridden in the past quarter century has impressed us as much with its faultless performance, impeccable manners and all-round versatility.
In this disparate line up of the bikes that have most impressed us in 2006, the BMW R1200GS Adventure simply has to take pride of place.