Honorable Mentions

HONORABLE MENTIONS

SUZUKI GLADIUS

Streak-of-lightning repli-racers will blow the mid-size Gladius into the weeds. Big Twins get more chicks. But if you’re looking for a great allrounder that will take you in-town, out-of-town, dash down a curvy road or beat a path along the superslab, this smartly styled V-Twin is ideal. It’s so good, it may be a catalyst for an entire generation of new riders.

KAWASAKI KX450F

A focus on performance has long been a hallmark of Kawasaki. Look no farther than the KX450F motocrosser. This year, the green machine got easier-to-use power that still retains the top-end hit we love, thanks to retuned EFI that is perhaps the best yet applied to a dirtbike. Throw in a crispturning, berm-railing chassis and you’ve got yourself the best KX450F ever.

YAMAHA YZF-R1

Featuring a MotoGP-derived crossplane crankshaft, the new YZF-R1 engine puts a different spin on inline-Four firing order and installs it in an amazingly streetable chassis. Not only is the R1 different than its contemporaries, the engine’s sound and tactile sensation deliver a confidence-inspiring message to the rider. Keep the Rossi scraps coming; we’re hungry for more.

TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675

Jaws dropped everywhere when Triumph rolled out the first Daytona 675—especially here, as it took Best Middleweight in its debut year of 2006 Time marched on and a certain Green Machine topped the charts this time around, but Triumph has returned with a thoroughly updated 675 that’s lighter, more powerful and as fun as ever on the road and track. Think of it as a “Super Middleweight.”

HARLEY-DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC ELECTRA GLIDE

It might look the same, but the 2009 Ultra (as well as all ’09 FLT models) is a dramatically new, significantly improved tourer. Its completely redesigned chassis is more rigid, and it combines with revised steering geometry and modern performance tires to transform the venerable ’Glide into a much smoother and steadier travel companion.