Conclusions

CONCLUSIONS

THE OPEN CLASS

The worst is good, the best is spectacular

THESE SEVEN OPEN-CLASS MOtorcycles both reward and frustrate. The reward is their general excellence. The frustration is that the focus of the class has so narrowed in recent years. Missing from this comparison, even though we’ve cast our net wide, is anything approaching a “standard” Open-class motorcycle. Five or six years ago, slightly sporty standards like Suzuki’s GS1100E,

Honda’s CB1 100F and even Kawasaki’s first GPzl 100 helped fill that niche. But now, even the sporting generalists in this comparison are less-versatile than their predecessors, with riding positions tailored more for Germany’s autobahns than for America’s freeways. We wish there were at least one large-displacement Four with a flat, comfortable seat, reasonably low footpegs and a conventional handlebar; a bike that an owner could tailor precisely to his needs; a bike without the extensive plastic bodywork that, while sexylooking, is vulnerable to the slightest tip-over, and expensive to repair and insure.

We’re not talking about replacements for any of the motorcycles tested here; we’re talking about additions to them. Because despite any limitations they might have, every machine in this test is too good, too much fun to ride, to be considered for termination.

The two repli-racers, for example, the FZR and the GSX-R, are simply thrilling to ride on a deserted, twisty road. No other vehicle you can buy could cover that ground faster while providing more excitement. What they sacrifice for these thrills are the abilities to travel long miles comfortably and to carry a passenger in reasonable style. Those are trade-offs each rider must judge for himself; but no one on this staff, at least, would want either of these street racers for his only motorcycle.

A different compromise is made by the sport-tourers. They trade away some performance and gain some weight in exchange for increased comfort and utility. That’s the theory, at least, one best followed by Kawasaki’s Concours. It seems to have been the best-conceived, with a comfortable riding position, good weather protection and usable luggage—and that’s while also maintaining strong acceleration and sporty handling. Unfortunately, the Concours carries its weight-gain too far, and suffers in the details of finish and execution. It’s a motorcycle we agree with in concept and love while riding, but our admiration for it dims every time we examine it closely.

The opposite might be said for the K100RS. It reeks of quality and thought, but is burdened by a heavy feel (created almost entirely by unreasonably narrow handlebars) and a slightly ponderous engine, along with excessive engine vibration and a few suspension idiosyncrasies. For its high price, the bike really needs to be more competitive. Nevertheless, we still understand how someone could lust for a K100RS.

The sporting generalists come closer to offering something for all tastes. The slowest of them, the Suzuki Katana, is one of the fastest and quickest motorcycles made. It also has an excellent seat and a suspension made plush at the expense of sporty handling. But it seems somewhat schizophrenic; if Suzuki wanted it to be a sport-tourer, why doesn't it have a better fairing, more legroom and better vibration control? And if it’s supposed to be a performance bike, why is it fitted with 16-inch wheels and a soft, underdamped suspension? For these and other reasons, the Katana needs to have its mission more clearly defined.

The ZX-10 and the Hurricane, however, both know exactly what they want to be. The ZX is the bike than can run with the street racers while still maintaining most of its street suitability; as we said before, it’s the rational sportbike. And it could easily be tailored even more closely for American conditions. With slightly higher handlebars (the Concours bars will fit), a better seat (the aftermarket should soon offer one) and a marginally better ride

(which might he provided by Michelin or Pirelli radiais), the ZX could be, barring luggage, nearly as good a sport-tourer as its sister Concours, with far higher performance.

But right now', we believe that the best-rounded performer among all current streetbikes is the Hurricane 1000. It offers all but the last few percent of the performance of the street racers, handles better than something its size really should, and still manages to do a fair job of coddling its rider. It's an amazing motorcycle that does almost everything well.

But in truth, every one of these bikes is outstanding in its way. For their respective missions, our favorites are the FZR, the Concours and the Hurricane. But we also suspect any one of these magnificent seven would make its owner a very happy person. Ê9

BMW K100RS

$9743

HONDA HURRICANE 1000

$5998

KAWASAKI CONCOURS

$6599

THE OPEN CLASS

KAWASAKI ZX-10 NINJA

$5999

SUZUKI GSX-R1100

$6379

SUZUKI KATANA 1100

$6149

YAMAHA FZR1000

$5899