Times Five

Too soon to be making a list for next Christmas? Damien O’Carroll doesn’t think so.

Honda Rebel 1100

Honda gave us a nice surprise earlier this year when it revealed its latest attempt to beat Harley-Davidson at its own game. Called the Rebel 1100, it uses the 1100cc parallel twin engine from the dualsport Africa Twin, generating 64kW and 98Nm of output. It also gets three ride modes and Honda’s electronics package, which includes Honda Selectable Torque Control, wheelie control and cruise control. You can even have it with a dual-clutch automatic, like the Africa Twin.

Kawasaki Z H2

So you want a super-charged engine but you don’t want an H2. You’d also quite like a naked bike, because you enjoy the functionality of your back. Could I then interest you in the Z H2?

As its name suggests, it’s a Z1000 with a heart transplant in favour of forced induction. That means a 998cc super-charged engine making 147kW and a beefy 137Nm of torque. It’s a bit of a heavy thing, weighing in at 239kg, but it should still feel mighty quick.

Ducati Streetfighter V4

The new Ducati Streetfighter gets the MotoGP-borne V4 engine from the Panigale V4 with a slight retune. The Streetfighter offers 155kW/ 123Nm, up and down on the Kawasaki respectively, but the Italian weighs a decent gob less at around 201kg wet.

It’s not quite a Panigale V4 without the fairings and different handlebars, as Ducati has tweaked the chassis to offer 15mm extra in the swingarm and wheelbase for added stability and smoothed out the midrange power delivery.

MV Agusta Superveloce

This is probably the best looking bike in the past five years or so. The Superveloce recalls styling cues from Grand Prix racing in the 1960s, with a single round headlight up front and modernised ‘‘dustpan’’ styling graced with a redon-silver paint scheme.

Instead of creating an all-new bike, MV has taken the smarter route of reskinning the F3 800, meaning there is 110kW of power on tap, along with 88Nm. A dry weight of 173kg should mean the Superveloce goes as well as it looks.

Aprilia RS 660

Middleweight sports bikes should hold a place in every motorbike rider’s heart, so when Aprilia announced it would be doing its own version of a supersports machine, it was good news indeed.

The RS 660 uses an engine built from the front half of an RSV4 1100 motor, making it a 659cc parallel twin and based on overseas reports, is a proper beast. It makes the requisite 100 ponies with 67Nm of torque to boot and has an electronics package to make any sub-2015 superbike sweat.