Take It Off!
TAKE IT OFF!
NAKED BIKES 2013
IT’S NOT A PARTY UNTIL SOMEBODY GETS NAKED. WHEN EVERYBODY GETS NAKED, IT’S AN ORGY. AN ORGY OF PERFORMANCE, IN OUR CASE...
Cycle World staff
Looking to get naked? You've come to the right place. The five I bikes on the following pages represent the great diversity and big fun to be had in the ever-expanding nakedbike class. As the new Yamaha FZ-09 (p. 38) demonstrates with its 847CC Triple, the term “middleweight” is broader than ever. But don’t forget about bikes like the Honda CB500F, a lightweight, low-cost standard that’s reinvigorated the smaller-displacement part of the segment.
What’s so great about these bikes? The attraction to situp machines sans bodywork is this: In real life, sadly, not every road is a yellow-striped serpent sneaking through the hills. So why not be comfortable on your sportbike as you grind out the straightup-and-down commute?
Let’s party.
MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 675
It was love at first sight with the smallest Brutale. Just look at it. Its sensual angularity beckons you, as does its promise of performance.
The riding position is sweet and natural. I felt poised and well-connected to this compact, narrow beauty.
Until I twisted the throttle. Low-rpm fueling and response in any of the three riding modes was exceptionally poor.
In the real world, while your bike is fluffing off idle, the guy on the 848 Streetfighter just clicked second gear in a one-handed wheelie about 60 feet ahead. He’d flip you the bird, but he doesn’t have to. This engine rips after its initial hiccup. Power (and sonic glory) from 8000-12,000 rpm is fantastic.
Chassis-wise, the Brutale 675 is awesome, with angels-singing cornering response, a firm-but-notharsh ride and a light, agile feel that suggests you can do no wrong. In case you do, traction control is there. We’d suggest a rack of Dell’Orto pumpers, but we’re pretty sure the TC wouldn’t work. Sigh.
—Mark Hoyer
ALSO CONSIDER
The naked superbike that gives you almost all the outright performance of an RSV4 superbike but with much-increased riding comfort. Incredibly fast and agile, it’s also comfortable. It’s so good, it was last year’s Best Superbike and scored an Honorable Mention this round.
TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE R
Few bikes bridge displacement categories as well as this 675cc Triple-powered naked. As a matter of fact, quite a few of us around the Cycle World offices prefer the Street R to the 1050CC Speed Triple.
It all comes down to balance: The Street Triple has just the right mixture of horsepower (94), light overall weight (393 lb.), great brakes and excellent suspension. On paper, those numbers may not seem that impressive, but in motion, the Street T delivers unadulterated fun. Around town, nimble steering lets the bike filter through congestion with ease, while onhighway ride quality and wind protection are quite good for a naked. But it’s on a twisty road where the flickable chassis and torquey engine talk to us. The $9999 Street Triple R is definitely one of our alltime favorite bikes, middleweight or not.
—Blake Conner
AL SO CONSIDER
The Streetfighter is a better-balanced motorcycle than the discontinued-in-the-U.S. 1098 version, and its 849cc, 11-degree, Testastretta Twin possesses perfect fueling and a broad spread of power. With upright ergos and a nimble chassis, the 848 SF is incredibly fun.
MOTO GUZZI V7 STONE
Authenticity is a trait we like in motorcycles, and the Moto Guzzi V7 Stone has it in spades. It's not trying to be retro; it is what it is, a faithful update on the first V7 of 1967, and it's built in the same Mandello del Lario factory where Guzzi has been making motorcycles since 1921. What's more, priced at a reasonable $8390, this simple, no-frills Italian with the trademark air-cooled V-Twin won't break the bank.
Sure, the injected 744CC powerplant sends only 41 horsepower to the alloy rear wheel and the bike tops out at an underwhelming 100 mph. But the V7 isn't a numbers bike; rather, it's a reasonably light everyday runabout blessed with superb style, good low-end torque, a broad seat, decent brakes and a large 5.8-gallon fuel tank. Ride it for fun, not to strafe every apex, and you'll soon find that its pleasant mechanical nature puts you in a good mood. Indeed, the V7 Stone is one of those rare bikes that makes you want to ride for the sheer pleasure of riding. And that, in a nutshell, describes the real power of this entry-level Guzzi.
-Andrew Bornhop
HONDA CB500F
It's not that bad. Really. When I first hopped onto the CB500F from the Triumph Speed Triple R I'd been riding, it felt gutless, ill-suspended and poverty-stricken. Then I remembered to twist the throttle harder-since this is a 471cc Twin, not a 675 Triple-and that 45-horsepower bikes don't need supersport suspension to get you from point A to point B. Shortly afterward, it occurred to my highly calibrated buttocks that the $5499 Honda is, in fact, considerably more comfy than the $9999 Triumph in the daily grind, where you can only go so fast anyway, and soon I was back to happy clamhood. There's a counterbalancer in the all-new eight-valve Twin that encourages you to wring the piston rings off it, the six-speed gearbox is perfectly adequate (if not CBRioooRR perfect)-and the twin-piston Nissin caliper up front is excellent and powerful (ABS for $500 more). The harder you flog it, the more the gooF likes it. Cheap thrills are what we're all about.
-John Burns
SUZUKI SFV650
Introduced in 2009 as the blue/white Gladius, Suzuki’s 645CC, liquid-cooled V-Twin sport naked has returned to the model lineup with a new name and a good dose of bad-boy attitude. Naked “hooligan” bikes paint a certain image in the mind and the SFV certainly plays to this.
What hasn’t changed is the versatility the SFV offers. Its natural upright ergos, comfy saddle, little engine vibration and linear torque all lend well to daily general use. While the trellisframe chassis has sporting geometry suited to spirited romps in the twisties, the suspension calibration favors comfort over hardcore apex strafing, with provision for shock spring-preload adjustment only
Smooth clutch engagement, slick shift action and excellent fuel mapping make the SFV a breeze to operate. Its modest 31.3-inch saddle height and nimble handling make this a viable choice for novice riders, but a bike you won’t soon outgrow. Particularly with its tough new look.
You might say the SFV650 is a shadow of its former self, in a very good way. —Don Canet
ALSO
CONSIDER
You want classic Italian flair? The Griso’s got it, highlighted by Guzzi’s trademark fuel-injected, eightvalve, longitudinal 90-degree V-Twin. With its soul-stirring torque, rock-solid handling and excellent cornering clearance, the comfortable yet sporty Griso is a naked to remember.
THE NUMBERS
MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 675
$10,998
TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE R
$9999
MOTO GUZZI V7 STONE
$8390
HONDA CB500F
$5499
SUZUKI SFV650
$7999
