Ten Best Bikes 2007

TEN BEST BIKES 2007

GOOD JOB, BIKE-MAKERS OF THE WORLD! HOW'S THIS FOR PARITY? OF the Ten Best spots open to 500 or so individual motorcycle models available for sale in the U.S. this year, seven manufacturers from six different countries are represented. And the ones that didn't make the cut were oh. so close. Bottom line? In the richest feast of moto-offerings ever, there's an individual Best Bike out there for everyone. What follows are the Best of the Best, the 10 machines that have risen to the top of their categories. Some are old favorites, some are all-new, some have been treated to thorough revision. All are great motorcycles, the Ten Best of 2007.

BEST SURERBIKE DUCATI 1098

Once in a while a bike comes along that changes the rules. Way back in 1994, that bike was the then-brand-new Ducati 916 taking Ten Best honors. Editors called the Duc, "The most sensational bike to appear so far this decade." Then added, "It balances stunning looks with performance and handling that is nothing less than breathtaking." Well, Ducati has done it again, releasing the beautiful 1098, and those same comments ring true 13 years later. Visually respectful of the iconic 916 and packing a new racing-derived Testastretta Evoluzione engine more than capable of running with the Japanese Fours, the 1098 is the most significant sportbike of `07. Good news/bad news: A $3000 price drop (from the 999) made it accessible to more consumers, but good luck getting your hands on one that hasn't already been spoken for!

BEST OPEN STREETBIKE KAWASAKI ZX-14

B ig performance gener ates big headlines, and no motorcycle created more of a stir last year than the ZX-14. Twelve months later, nothing has changed. Despite sophisticated electronics that soften power delivery in the bottom four gears, only the steamiest Open-class racer-replicas are as quick in the quarter-mile and noth ing-repeat, nothing-posts a higher top speed. Yet there's more to this highly refined, big-bore Ninja than simply neck-snapping acceleration and landscape-blurring ulti mate velocity. Dual counter balancers all but eliminate engine vibration, and the seating position and suspen sion calibration fall some where between hard-edged sportbike and long-haul sport-tourer. Performance, comfort and agility, the ZX 14 has it all.

BEST MIDDLEWEIGHT HONDA CBR600RR

A11 who rode Big Red's new iddleweight came away impressed, so much so that it edged out last year's winner, the still-spectacular Triumph 675. After riding the bikes back-toback multiple times, in all condi tions and environments, we had to give the Honda its due. As a streetbike it can do no wrong. The engine cranks out impres sive horsepower and is tractable all the way down in the rev-range basement. Handling has been improved dramatically, aided in part by a 16-pound drop in weight and radical new chassis geometry. Keeping things stable and giving the bike its split, road and-track personality is the elec tronically controlled, speed-sensi tive steering damper. The CBR proves that you don't have to "go big" to take home the accolades.

BEST STANDARD TRIUMPH TIGER 1050

I t hardly seems plausible that the com paratively small bike-maker from the British Midlands should keep cranking out the hits like it has over the past sev eral years. And yet, here is Triumph, once again. Last year, we were still high on tire smoke and wheelie-induced oxygen depra vation caused by too much hooliganism on the Best Standard-winning Speed Triple. This year, we continue the very antics, only now we've got a fairing and increased comfort! Seriously, the Tiger 1050 takes the same three-cylinder engine bolted into a new chassis and impresses with its versatility, fun and excellent performance the first time you throw a leg over it. And with optional hard saddlebags in place, it continues to impress thousands of miles down the road.

BEST SPORT-TOURER BMW K1200GT

I t's hard to figure out what the K1200GT can't do. Its 150-plus-hp engine is capable of breathtaking acceleration, and its sophisticated shaft-drive chassis (with available adjustable-onthe-fly suspension) is fully at home decimating the backroads, droning the interstates or anything in between. A highly protective full-coverage fair ing, an electrically adjustable windshield, a cushy dual seat and spacious, quick-detach saddlebags provide all-day or all-week comfort and conve nience. You can complement the basic package by choosing from a mile-long list of options that include heated seat and grips, cruise control, GPS navigation, Xenon headlight and stability control. Sport-touring can be the most challenging seg ment of the sport, since it tries to combine the best from opposite ends of the streetbike spec trum, but for the K1200GT, it's a no-brainer.

BEST DUAL-SPORT BIKE KTM 525 EXC

Dual-sporting is back in a big way, but KTM never bought into the "dual sport-is-dead" philosophy. For 2007, it rewarded consumers with two great off-road-based machines: 450 and 525cc versions of the 50-state-legal EXC. The bigger-brother 525 steals the limelight as a dual-purpose bike. The additional power afforded by the larger motor makes those transfer sections between the dusty parts more relaxed and gives the rider freedom to scoot through traffic at will. Point the EXC down a tight single-track or across a set of desert whoops and it tackles the ter rain with the same tenacity as the compa ny's off-road racing machines. Dual-sport ing is back and bikes like the EXC make it better than ever.

BEST ENDURO BIKE KAWASAKI KLX40R

H ey, wait a minute, the KLX45OR is a 2008 model, how is it the Best Enduro Bike of 2007? An early release had this all-new motocross based enduro on showroom floors in April of this year. That means it was available for testing, and we evalu ate bikes based on performance, not calendar dates. We've been more than impressed with the KLX45OR since the first mile of trail disap peared under its knobs. After a solo ride, we put it up against the rainbow of enduro offerings and the Green Machine was supreme. This bike was too good to wait another year for awards when it patently deserves the crown. The KLX defines off-road versatility; thanks to Kawasaki, the mountains and desert will now look a little greener.

BEST MOTOCROSSER HONDA CRF450R

At this point in the game, onda's CRF45OR simply rules motocross. 2007 marks the sixthin-a-row victory for the CRF in the Best MX category-it has won every year since its introduction. In the past few years, Honda's 450 moto bike has fought off all-new models from Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha and KTM. Though the competi tion gets stiffer, refinements keep the CRF ahead of the game. This year, minor headwork and a larger carburetor gave the 450 more and smoother power-just enough to keep the edge over the others. We used to wonder when the mighty Honda would be dethroned; now we're starting to think the CRF is merely building speed for a decade of wins. It gets better every year.

BEST CRUISER HARLEY-DAVIDSON FAT BOY

I t's gotta be frustrating if you're a competing bike-maker chasing after Harley-Davidson for a share of the lucrative cruiser market. Just when you think you're close, Milwaukee takes its most popular cruiser and strokes its fuelie motor an extra 134cc, resulting in a gain of 3.5 hp and, more importantly, 12 foot-pounds of torque. Next it gets a smoother-shifting six-speed transmission and a light-effort (two fingers!) clutch pull. And who decreed that cruisers have to be uncomfortable? This one has a nice, natural seating position, like sitting on the world's best-sounding dining-room chair. Hunker the whole thing down on lower, wider radial tires and just like that-l7 years after its introduction-the Fat Boy is a Ten Best winner.

BEST TOURING BIKE HONDA GOLD WING

Make all the jokes if you must-it's a two-wheeled motorhome, half a car, a bike so big it has its own zip code, blah, blah, blah. But whatever wisecracks the Gold Wing might evoke, there is no better way to "get away from it all by tak ing most of it with you" on two wheels than the big GL. The flat-Six motor is velvety-smooth despite having locomotive-class power, the aluminum-framed chassis delivers amazing handling for a bike that weighs a six-pack short of 900 pounds, and there are enough creature comforts on board to keep even the crabbiest of riders cozy and content over the long haul. In addition to mod els with ABS, GPS and a premi um audio system, there's even one equipped with an airbag. Whether you're traveling cross-country or merely across town, the `Wing is the way to fly.