REVIEW OF THE YEAR’S MOST-LOVED MACHINES
Astonishingly, none of the bike magazines over Christmas have dealt with one of the key issues of the festive season – namely, how to make Brussels sprouts edible.
The answer is to remove the bitter hearts, boil for three minutes, then stir-fry with bacon and pine nuts. Lovely. Works with leftovers as well.
There, having got that sorted out, let’s move on to which of the bikes I’ve ridden this year I’ve loved most. Drum roll, please, Cyril...
Best adventure bike
BMW R 1250 GS Adventure
Every time I ride a GS, I’m reminded of how well they do everything, and this latest version is the best yet. It has flawless handling even at walking pace, the engine’s up from 1170cc to 1254cc, and power up from 125bhp to 136bhp, and you’ve got significantly more grunt at your disposal for effortless overtakes. A very honourable mention for the fast and nimble Ducati Multistrada 950 which I actually preferred to its heavier big brother the 1260.Best superbike
Furiously fast though it is, the safety systems of cornering ABS, slide control, wheelie control and traction control are so good that you’d need to be a complete idiot to come a cropper. Incredible, stunning and completely mad, but the sort of madness you could happily live with.
Best cruiser
Ducati Diavel 1260 Ducati Panigale V4
In 2011, it shocked all the journalists on the launch with brutal acceleration and incredible handling thanks to a sports profile back tyre. This latest version is even better, with power up slightly and a much flatter torque curve, and with a slightly shorter wheelbase and steeper fork rake than the original, it has even more precise handling.
KTM RC 390
One word sums up the RC 390: hilarious. Only KTM could pack so much fun into such a small package.
Best big bike
Engine up from 2.3 litres to 2.5 and 40kg lighter equals laugh-out-loud acceleration and handling which is astonishing on such a monster.
Triumph Rocket 3
Bike of the year
Triumph Street Triple RS
The previous version was a superb bike anyway, and when the design team at Hinckley sat down to improve on it, four little words were etched into their noggins like acid on steel: light, fast, agile and stylish. They’ve succeeded on all four. It’s the lightest bike in its class, at a piffling 179kg fully fuelled, and with scalpel-like handling, and power and torque up 9% in the mid range, it’s the best naked sports bike in the world.