Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
DUCATI 999
Some love it, some hate it, but all have to admit the new Ducati 999 deserves an Honorable Mention. It was never going to be easy to replace the iconesque 916 and its successors, the 996 and 998, but Ducati designer Pierre Terblanche deserves credit for creating an entirely new look-one that is sure to be imitated in the future. The fact that the 999 ushers in a number of technical innovations while being a functionally better and easier-to-maintain motorcycle only makes its inclusion here that much more deserved.
HONDA Interceptor
Last year’s Best Open-Classer and winner of last July’s “World’s Best Streetbike” shootout, the ultra-refined Honda Interceptor wowed us with power, poise and-finally!-available hard luggage. This year, Big Red made no changes to this capable all-rounder, save for spraying the anti-lock-brake version a stunning shade of silver. Though consigned this year to Honorable Mention status, the VTEC-equipped V-Four continues to blur the line between sport and touring with an ease not duplicated by any other motorcycle.
KAWASAKI Z1000
Quad stainless-steel pipes jutting skyward like mortars, a throaty growl therefrom that’s been heard and relished for decades: the high-performance wail of a Kawasaki inline-Four. But that sound is about the only traditional thing on the new Z1000. From it edgy naked styling, compact stance and big-bang motor, the big Zed is an impressive ride. Not quite up to the standards of a certain Aprilia, mind you, but neither does it drain your bank account as badly. Think of it as furious fun at a fabulous price.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON Screamin' Eagle Road King
Around here, it’s known simply as “that engine.” As in, “That engine ought to be in every Harley-Davidson,” or “Put that engine in an Electra Glide, and Honda’s Gold Wing might have something to worry about.” Said powerplant is a fuel-injected Twin Cam 88 that’s been treated by H-D’s Custom Vehicle Operations to a big-bore kit and stroker crank, bumping displacement to a very healthy 103 cubes. Fifty-state legal for sound and emissions, and carrying a full warranty, it’s only available in one model for 2003, the $28,000 limited-edition Screamin’ Eagle Road King. That is just wrong...
HONDA CRF 150F
Based on the shear number of vehicles sold and the multitude of people these bikes are bringing to our sport, there really ought to be a category for the Best Playbike. Out of the bunch of players in the market, Honda’s new CRF150F is about as well-rounded and multi-tasking as a playbike can be. It’s powerful enough, tough enough, suspended enough and fits plenty of folks, large or small, skilled or not. You can’t help but have fun on one!
