Ten Best Bikes 2009
TEN BEST BIKES 2009
A MID SEEMINGLY INTERGALACTIC ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AND THE appearance that the world as we know it is crumbling, it is nice in 2009 to be able to count on at least one thing: awesome motorcycles. Yes, things are weird out there, but with 550 or so models available for sale in the U.S. this year—an amazing array of excellent machines you can buy right now—motorcycle enthusiasts have never had it so good.
But these 10 two-wheelers are different. They aren’t just about being good: The machines on the following pages are the Ten Best Bikes of 2009.
Some win on the sheer audacity of their design, some on their overriding performance superiority, some on being simple, approachable fun. But while there are many factors that play into the selection of a motorcycle as the best in its category, at the core remains the simple fact that these are motorcycles you truly want to ride.
It’s nice to have something to count on.
BEST SUPERBIKE APRILIARSV4
Italian V-Twin performance is an institution, yet for the second straight year a V-Four from the boot-shaped nation has kicked butt in this category. While last year’s winner—the ultra-exotic Ducati Desmosedici—is a rare machine few will ever experience, the comparatively mass-produced Aprilia RSV4 is certain to reshape public perception of Italian sportbikes. The track-bred racer-replica has an incredibly compact stature, competitive power output and unmatched liter-class agility, all while possessing Italian style that is visual music to the eyes. Best of all is a level of refinement that makes this amazingly high performance accessible to a very broad range of riders and skill levels. We may be witnessing the beginning of a new institution!
BEST OPEN STREETBIKE DUCATISTREETFIGHTER S
If only our commute to work were like doing 10 laps at Mugello, with ample runoff room, no traffic and a perfect riding surface so that all of us sportbike fanatics could make our daily ride make sense aboard a fullon, race-ready superbike. Unfortunately, real life is not even close to being like that. Which is what makes the Ducati Streetfighter S such a wonderful motorcycle. Sure, it’s ready for Mugello with its Öhlins suspension, amazing level of chassis feedback and incredible 1098-sourced V-Twin, but it packages all that superbike goodness with a sensible riding position far more suited to the unpredictable cut-and-thrust of real road riding. So for road or track, well, there’s no bike more Open than the Streetfighter S.
BEST MIDDLEWEIGHT KAWASAKIZX-6R
Year in and year out, Kawasaki’s Ninja 600 sportbikes have been steady contenders, achieving a great deal of success on racetracks while also showing tremendous poise on the street. Yet even the Ninja’s fine balance of performance and versatility hasn’t quite been enough to put it on top of the hotly contested middleweight category. But following a lengthy nine-year dry spell, a green machine is once again in the limelight. Credit a focus on dramatically improved engine performance that helped it smoke its competitors, plus substantial weight reduction, more precise handling and sharper styling, all of which created an unmatched blend of just the right ingredients for middleweight supremacy.
BEST STANDARD HARLEY-DAVIDSONXR1200
Flat-track fanatics have long pined for a street-going replica of Harley-Davidson’s all-conquering XR-750. The Motor Company finally delivered last year, rolling out to great acclaim the XR1200. Smiles turned to frowns, though, when H-D announced that this neo-vintage street-tracker and ultimate American-style standard would only be offered in Europe. Outcries ensued and—fast forward a few months—the XR is now also available stateside. Pumping out nearly 80 rear-wheel horsepower and burning through the quarter-mile in the low-12s, this is the hottest Sportster that Milwaukee has ever produced. More to the point here, with its situp riding position and wide handlebar, the XR1200 is comfortable and great-handling. A superb all-rounder, in other words.
BEST SPORT-TOURER KAWASAKICONCOURS 14
No type of motorcycling demands a greater range of on-the-road versatility than sport-touring, and no sport-touring motorcycle fills that need better than the do-it-all, do-it-wonderfully Concours 14. With a monocoque chassis built around a tuned-for-torque version of the engine borrowed from Kawasaki’s ZX-14 rocketship, the Concours combines smooth, effortless, wickedly fast acceleration with backroad handling that could shock a lot of pure-sport motorcycles yet offers long-range comfort almost as pleasurable as that provided by some specialized luxury-touring bikes. As a bonus, the Concours does all of that for just $13,499 (add $800 for the ABS version). With so much performance at so little a price, the Concours 14 is practically a steal.
BEST CRUISER TRIUMPHTHUNDERBIRD 1600
That rumble you hear off in the distance? It’s the sound of a relatively small British motorcycle manufacturer steadily expanding its appeal. Yes, the Thunderbird 1600 is a big departure for a little manufacturer and, heck, with that musclebound parallel-Twin in such a large displacement, the T-Bird would be a big departure for any manufacturer. Triumph gets the nod here for doing such a fantastic job in execution, with a great-running, torquey mill that {ahem) thunders with the best engines in the class, Vee or otherwise. Add in a comfortable riding position and excellent-handling chassis, delivered at a competitive price, and all we can say to the other guys is, watch out, the British are coming!
BEST TOURING BIKE HONDAGOLD WING
How good is the Gold Wing? Well, except for the addition of a few optional accessories, this big flat-Six hasn’t undergone any significant changes since its introduction in 2001, yet it’s still the best two-wheeled long-haul traveling machine on the market, having won this category seven times in the 1800cc version’s nine-year existence. That’s how good it is. Want an even more impressive statistic? This is the 19th time a Gold Wing of any size has been voted Best Touring Bike in the 33-year history of our Ten Best program. Obviously, Honda knows a thing or two about touring, and that expertise is readily apparent the moment you plop down onto a Gold Wing’s seat and begin enjoying the smoothest, most luxurious ride in all of motorcycling.
BEST DUAL-SPORT BIKE BMWF800GS
Dual-sports reside in an unusual market segment. Bikes range from essentially off-road racers that are barely street-legal to liter-class adventure machines that rarely get soil on their tarmac-oriented tires. This year, there is a bike that treads a fine balance, one that allows a degree of capability in the dirt that belies its excellent highway manners. That bike is the BMW F800GS. On-road, the parallel-Twin will blow the doors off any Single, while the bike’s comfort, amenities and ride quality make it a great mount for month-long road tours or just plain commuting. But hit a gravel road or desert trail-and even the occasional single-track-and the Beemer will surprise you with its competence. When somebody asks “How do you get to...?” the answer is an F800GS.
BEST ENDURO BIKE HUSABERGFE450e
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen such outside-the-box thinking in the Enduro segment, as conventional four-stroke Singles have pretty much dominated this category lately. But that was only until Husaberg came along and quite literally turned everything upsidedown. This small builder’s genius was to take a conventional 449cc Single, flip over and rotate the engine so that the cylinder is at a nearly horizontal inclination, which placed the crankshaft mass— and therefore its gyroscopic forces—as close to the bike’s center of mass as possible. Result? Incredibly light, precise steering and an enduro that is easier to ride fast than anything else on the trail. Top-quality components, fuel-injection and a comparison-test win against Honda’s reigning-champ CRF450X settled the score.
BEST MOTOCROSSER HONDACRF450R
We’re kidding, right? Actually, no. Big Red just keeps on rolling with the CRF450R, taking this honor for the eighth consecutive time! Last year, minor updates were all that was necessary to beat out the competition, including the new fuel-injected Suzuki. This year, Kawasaki’s injected KX450F came very close to unseating the incumbent. Problem is, Honda had an ace up its sleeve, unveiling an excellent fuel-injection system of its own! But it wasn’t just updates to the more-compact engine that kept Honda on top. An all-new, better-handling chassis and KYB suspension also contributed to its continued superiority. The competition crept closer once again, just not close enough.
