Up Front

UP FRONT

International Bike of the Year

David Edwards

SEEMS YOU CAN’T SWING A KICK-starter these days (you do remember those, don’t you?) without bumping into a motorcycle awards ceremony. We’re all for giving out gold, but c’mon, Best Normally Aspirated Middleweight Nostalgic Cruiser, Three Cylinders Or Less...?

Raf de Mot of Belgium’s Motor-Week 2 magazine does things a little differently. He polls 14 magazines worldwide (Cycle World included), asking the editor-in-chief to rank the top three bikes of the past year, regardless of class. Placings are then tallied up and the top vote-getter is named International Bike of the Year.

Raffy, being the type that likes to stir things up, also asks for a “Dog of the Year” selection, although there is very little consensus on this point. In fact, back in 1997, the year of the Great Tank Slapper Scare, Suzuki’s TL1000S was picked as Bike of the Year and Dog of the Year!

More of the same this year. Italy’s Super Wheels savaged the Kawasaki W650 retro-Twin as an “ugly motorcycle” with an engine “too smooth and poor of power” and a frame and suspension “that work just like a 40-yearold frame and suspension.” Exactly the point of the exercise, countered Germany’s MO Motorrad-Magazin, ranking the 650 in its top three and calling it a “fun and well-designed retrobike that gives a real touch of the good old days without oil drops or damaging vibes. Fine for relaxing trips into the countryside. A bike with a big heart.”

BMW’s K1200LT super-tourer also came in for the AC/DC treatment. W650-loving MO pooh-poohed it as “perfect for people who love to ride around in a filled-up lorry,” while Portugal’s Moto Jornal put the Beemer in its number-three slot: “This bike transformed our vision of top-class luxotourers. It’s heavy and large, yes, but so easy to use. Its looks are great and the comfort level makes long travel a piece of cake.”

Other canines included Bimota’s Suzuki-powered SB8R, described by Greece’s Moto as “a lot of carbon, a lot of power and a heavy-hitting brand name, but quality close to medium, a great deal of vibration and the complete absence of a convenient riding position.” France’s Moto Revue picked the Yamaha Venture as its bowser, saying “superb technology, but a pale copy of the Harley-Davidson Electra Glide.” (Of course, the magazine found time to praise the French-built Voxan VI000 Roadster as, “an excellent motorcycle, without copying anyone. Vive la FranceT) Sweden’s MC-Nytt had no such flag-waving compunctions, warning readers of the home-country Highland V2 950 Outback, a jumbo dual-purpose bike, “Please forget it at once.. .what a waste of time!”

CWs pick as Top Dog? The Excelsior-Henderson Super X. “Actually the bike’s not so bad-though if the company ever gets its financial act together, it sure could stand a stem-to-stern restyle. That’s easy. What isn’t is understanding how the co-founding Hanlon Brothers could have been so good at raising $100 million in investments but so pisspoor at spending it,” we said.

But on to the winners.

Coming in at number five was Suzuki’s jewel of a middleweight, the SV650. “A sporty yet comfortable motorbike that reminds you why you fell in love with riding in the first place,” said Holland’s KicXstart. “Not for the macho though, who need at least 145 bhp to make any sort of impression at the local bar. But dear oh dear, will they have their work cut out trying to follow one of these down a twisty backroad. It’s impossible not to have a good time on this Suzuki.”

Next up, Aprilia’s impressive RSV Mille, just going on sale in the U.S. (see test, this issue). KicXstart again: “The new kid on the block, Aprilia seems to be doing just about everything right. The Mille’s 60-degree engine shows original technology, staying away from the obvious 90-degree layout. And Aprilia was wise to make the riding position not too extreme, building an exiting yet user-friendly supersport V-Twin. On top of this, you don’t have to be a millionaire to own one.”

Finishing third overall was 1998’s IBOTY, the Yamaha YZF-R1. “We like to feel adrenaline voluptuously from top to toe, which is why our favorite bike is still the YZF-R1,” said Super Wheels. “Outstanding handling, an incredible power-to-weight ratio and the best engine you can expect from a hypersport. The R1 is full of torque at low revs, amazing at medium revs and screams like a 400 on top. It’s definitely the best choice for those looking for a real Superbike feeling.”

England’s paradoxically titled Motorcycle Sport & Leisure issued the lowdown on the second-place Yamaha YZF-R6, which wound up just a solitary point adrift of the new IBOTY winner: “Designer Kunihiko Miwa says the 600’s ‘screaming two-stroke’ motor is an integral part of his no-compromise design. We agree wholeheartedly, voting the R6 ‘Best 600 Supersport Ever,’ thanks to a unique-and Honda CBRbeating-combination of racetrack performance and ride-to-work practicality. Plus a grin factor of 11 out of 10.”

Which brings us to the 1999 International Bike of the Year, none other than the Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa. Since we cast the final votes (deadline, what deadline!?), Cycle World will take credit for pushing the Busa over the top. Our reasoning: “What else to say about the speed-sled that opened a can of whuppass on the Kawi ZX-11 and Honda Blackbird to the tune of an additional 20 miles per hour? Handles and brakes better than a 550-pound steamroller has any right to. Backroad technique? None needed. Just putz through corners any old way, pick it up, then light the fuse. Leave pinpoint apexes and late-braking antics to others, the Suzuki owns the straightaways. Funny ain’t it, how early criticisms on the Big Busa’s styling have melted away-300 kph (actually, 312) is a beautiful thing, baby!”