Ten Rest 2003

Ten Rest 2003

UP FRONT

David Edwards

AROUND HERE, IT’S ONE OF THE RITES of Spring. First comes Daytona, always in the June issue, then the Ten Best Bikes voting in time for the July issue, which thanks to the vagaries of modern magazine publishing is put together the third week of April.

Rules are pretty simple: To be eligible, a bike must be a 2003 model or-as is increasingly the case with certain manufac-

turers-early-release 2004s that the staff has had considerable experience with. Not quite making that latter requirement this year, but bound to be a player in the ’04 vote is this month’s coverbike, the Ducati Multistrada. Likewise, last year’s Best Sport-Touring Bike, the Yamaha FJR1300, arrived in 2004 form one day before this magazine shipped to the printers.

Not that we didn’t already have more than enough good bikes to choose from. As you’ll read in the Ten Best intro, this really was a year of years. Fiad you garage space large enough and a bank account deep enough for the 10 motorcycles we’ve chosen (plus five honorable mentions), you’d be in moto-ecstasy for the rest of your days.

Of course, there’s always room for a little more love, so what follows is another springtime Rite-like the swallows returning to Capistrano or Teddy Kennedy laying off the sauce and hitting the treadmill-namely the Editorin-Chief’s “Ten Rest” of 2003:

Best Bargain/Beginner Bike You Can’t Buy: Suzuki GS500E

It’s inexpensive, good-looking, greathandling, not to mention a unanimous winner of last year’s “Cheap Thrills” shootout. It’s also, somewhat inexplicably, unavailable as a 2003 model in the U.S. Something about leftover models in showrooms. Note to Suzuki: Clear the pipeline, fire up an effective advertising campaign and bring the GS back for ’04. It’s too good to be discontinued.

Best Ring-Ding:

Yamaha YZ250

Thumpers rule, right? Well, maybe in the magazine shootouts, but had a look at the Supercross results lately? Two-Stroke City, baby! The best of the production pre-mixers is Yamaha’s YZ250, just some suspension tweaks short of winning our big 17-bike MX shootout. Also, give another shout-out to Crew Blue: Of the six bikes in the comparo’s final cut, four were from Yamaha.

Best Foot-Forward:

Gurney Alligator

In an ideal world, this is the kind of machine that a major manufacturer would initiate, develop and bring to market, but a radical recumbent Single is just too much of a tooth-sucker for the suits in the comer offices, so it’s up to car-racing legend (and longtime bike nut) Dan Gurney to bring us 2003 ’s most entertaining design. Much more than a whack-job recumbent, the ’Gator is really a sitdown sportbike...or maybe a formula car that leans.

Best No-Show Standard (Again):

MV Agusta Brutale

Calling all motorcycling multimillionaires! The stock market sucks, so why not bail out stmggling MV Agusta and get this sexy, side-piped machine built? Better make it a full 1000, though, the nakedbike class has turned up the burners in the three years since the 750cc Bmtale was fan-danced before an adoring press and public. But, please, no more teasing, we can’t take it much longer.

Best Not-Ready-For-Primetime Sportbike: Benelli Tornado Tre

Love the killer looks, the Buck Rogers “extractor” fans and the 900 Triple’s wailsome engine note. But even after three years’ R&D, hate the fuel-injection’s bucking, popping (non)response below 5000 rpm. And where, exactly, are the U.S. models? C’mon Benelli, get it together.

Best Real-World Rocket:

Yamaha FZ1

Out of approximately 480 showroomstock models for sale in 2003, there are exactly six that make more horsepower than this rider-friendly all-rounder-and each of those has clip-ons and rearsets. ’Nuff said?

Best Defunct Dirtbike:

Cannondale E440

Hated to see this. The Connecticutbased bicycle company was finally on track with its enduro bike, impressing us with its power, suspension and fuel-injection’s ability to be reprogrammed via laptop in just a few seconds. But, a victim of the economy, Cannondale was forced into bankruptcy, its assets going up for auction. Under new ownership, it looks like the bicycle end of the business will bounce back; nobody is saying much about the motorsports division. Hey, Harley-Davidson...

Best Reason To Be A Scooter Geek: Honda Ruckus

This is to motorscooters what Sgt. Joe Friday was to police officers: Just the facts, ma’am. Taking inspiration from the beaters favored by Tokyo’s scooter gangs, there’s no bodywork, just an engine and wheels held in place by frame tubes. Er, best to leave your dock shoes and wicker picnic basket at home, Chad.

Best Dual-Sport Missing One Cylinder and 450cc: Suzuki DR-Z400S

Still the best dirtbike-with-lights for single-track trails, just don’t go challenging any KTM V-Twins to contests of speed.

Best Grand Olde Marque Reemerging: Moto Guzzi

Look, there is no good reason, other than force of habit, that Moto Guzzi is still around after 82 years, making it the world’s second-oldest streetbike maker. But like Harley-Davidson (which itself has flirted with extinction), there’s just something about a Goose, and the twowheeled community is better for having it around, hang the quirks and curiosities. Now with Aprilia money updating the factory, clearing up warranty problems and funding new models-not a second too soon, either-Guzzi looks good to go.