Cashing in the new CurrenCy

2009
MOTORCYCLE
OF THE YEAR
Cashing in the
New Currency
WORDS: Tim Carrithers
Things have changed again since we rolled out our picks for
the best motorcycles of 2008, and not for the better. But you
didn’t come here to rehash the bad news, so have a look at
the flip side. Most of the people who should know say we’re not out of
the woods yet, but the worst recession since WWII is on track to turn
around toward the end of this year. Whether that happens on cue or
not, we’ve changed too. Priorities are coming into sync with what the
wisest among us have known all along. People are a whole lot more
important than things. And since you can’t have everything, choose
the things you can have very carefully. For captains of industry and
bone-weary foot soldiers in this summer of our financial discontent,
one thing seems clear…
Ideas are the real currency. Good ones—the wheel, Post-It notes,
penicillin, indoor plumbing, knee pucks, reinforced concrete—
transcend the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Brainstorms rolling in on
two wheels have less sociopolitical impact, but the manufacturers that
bring them to market rise to the top, in the showrooms of America as
well as our MOTY rankings. The practical, functional and stinky-fast
electric motorcycle is closer to reality than ever. Crossplane crankshafts, traction control, track-worthy anti-lock brakes and gearless
hydro-mechanical transmissions are here now. Ideas—all new or newly
recycled—change things.
Thanks to the power of such positive thinking, riding a motorcycle
is still a time-honored antidote for bad news poisoning. And, up ahead,
hope for the future lives on the strength of good ideas. Regardless of
whether you ride for basic transportation, pure recreation or a bit of
both, something—or someone—here should help you keep the faith.
So have a look, see what you think, and keep your chin up. These days,
that’s the best idea of all.
T
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2009 MOTORCYCLE OF THE YEAR
MOTORCYCLE OF THE YEAR
YAMAHA YZF-R1
Redefining the inline experience
WORDS: Aaron Frank PHOTO: Kevin Wing
here’s nothing new under the sun, and indeed,
there’s nothing new under the fairing of Yamaha’s
latest YZF-R1. Cadillac introduced the first
crossplane crankshaft to automobiles in 1923, and such
cranks have motivated everything from Moto Guzzi Grand
Prix bikes in the ’50s to Valentino Rossi’s present-day YZR-M1.
You’d never guess as much the first time you ride the ’09 R1. The
crossplane engine feels, sounds and accelerates so different than
any other inline-four that you can scarcely believe it isn’t some
cutting-edge innovation. If the crossplane crank works this well, why
wasn’t it adopted years ago?
Who would have guessed the simple act of shifting two crankpins
90 degrees would have such a dramatic effect on engine performance and character? The reconfigured crankshaft and irregular,
“long-bang” firing order fractures massive power pulses into smaller
chunks that arrive less violently at the rear contact patch. The benefit is felt immediately at the twistgrip, letting
you get into the throttle earlier and harder
with less likelihood of unpredictable
T
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rear-wheel slides—or sky-surfing high-sides. Controlling
a liter-bike’s overwhelming output has never been easier
than on the new R1.
Improved traction management isn’t the only upside
to the crossplane design. Reduced crank shake and a
counter-rotating balance shaft make this the smoothest ride
this side of a Honda Gold Wing, and the syncopated exhaust note
rivals any Latin twin. The chassis is likewise inspired by Rossi’s M1,
incorporating a MotoGP-derived bottom-link suspension capable of
channeling all that added available traction. Painted, polished and
pieced together like a high-end luxury car, the R1 is one of the most
finely finished motorcycles of any category this year.
Modern sportbikes are engineered so close to the edge of the
performance envelope that we’re conditioned to expect incremental
changes: a shaved pound here, an added pony there. It’s almost
unimaginable that any sportbike could surprise us with a novel riding
experience that realigns our understanding of what a liter-class sportbike is, and what one can do. The 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1 is exactly
that sort of bike—which is why it’s our Motorcycle of the Year.
MOTORCYCLIST OF THE YEAR
BEN SPIES
The real American idol
t’s been years since
American race fans
have had a home-country
hero to root for on the World
Superbike stage. This is what makes
Ben Spies’ both-barrels-blazing entry into the
2009 championship so exceptional. As of this writing, only
seven rounds into his rookie season, Spies had already
broken Doug Polen’s 18-year-old record of six consecutive
poles and won seven of 14 races, putting him just 53
points behind Noriyuki Haga in the championship chase.
To accomplish so much so soon, working with an unfamiliar
team on an unproven bike, is remarkable. To dominate
on racetracks he had literally never seen before—even
challenging circuits like Phillip Island and Monza—is almost
unfathomable. In a world where American hegemony is fading,
Spies reminds us that we’re still capable of greatness.
Spies hails from Texas, like Polen and another former World
Superbike Champion, Colin Edwards, and he embodies the same
Wild West virtues of strength, purpose and unyielding confidence.
These are essential traits for taming a 200-plus-horsepower
motorcycle while fighting off 20 of the best riders in the world,
all gunning for a podium spot. Spies isn’t a trash talker—he’s
not much of a talker at all, in fact—and you’ll never hear him
make excuses or cast blame. Even when bad luck strikes—such
as when he was punted off-track twice in his first SBK race at
Phillip Island; when he crashed while challenging for the win at
Valencia and Assen; when he ran out of gas in the final turn at
Monza; and when his shift linkage broke at Kyalami—he remains
unfazed. He just brushes off his shoulders, puts any upset
behind him and, more often than not, exacts revenge by dominating the next race. It’s becoming his signature.
Always collected, always classy, gracious off the bike and
fiercely competitive anytime the visor is down, Ben Spies,
World Superbike racer—and, we hope, 2009 World Superbike
Champion—is the best thing to happen to American roadracing in years, which is why he’s our Motorcyclist of the Year.
Thank you, Ben. In a year full of bad news, you’ve given us
something to cheer about.
I
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2009 MOTORCYCLE OF THE YEAR
Alternative Take
DUCATI 1198
You can look at the new-for-’09 Ducati
1198 two ways: as a 100cc larger version
of the acclaimed 1098, or as a massproduced version of the 1198cc 1098R
on which Troy Bayliss won the 2008 World
Superbike Championship. Though the
price went up $500 this year to $16,495,
that’s still less than a 999 cost in ’03.
BEST SPORTBIKE
KAWASAKI ZX-6R
Best middleweight sportbike, anyway…
Kawasaki’s ZX-6R went from being the runt
of the litter in ’07 to the big dog at the park
in ’09, with alpha-dog styling and a bite to
match. A comprehensive overhaul (including
engine, chassis, suspension and bodywork)
led to a massive 25-pound weight reduction
and added power across the board. The allnew engine is seriously potent—especially in
the midrange—making every corner exit feel
like blast-off at Cape Canaveral. Silky-smooth
throttle response and a buttery transmission
make releasing all those ponies easier, and a
race-ready slipper clutch, Showa’s innovative
Big Piston Fork and powerful Nissin brakes
give the Ninja a distinct advantage on the
racetrack. Take into account that, at $9799,
it’s the least expensive purebred in the pack
and it’s easy to see why the ZX-6R is our
Sportbike of the Year.
Alternative Take
HARLEY-DAVIDSON XR1200
Hallelujah! For decades, fans of HarleyDavidson’s evergreen XR750 dirt-tracker
have been begging for a street-going
replica, but all they’ve ever gotten is
an orange-and-black Sportster. Granted
that’s what the new XR1200 is as well,
but it’s a vastly improved Sportster, with a
90-horsepower engine featuring downdraft
induction. Ironically, it took The Motor
Company’s European importers to make
it happen.
Best Naked Bike
DUCATI STREETFIGHTER
Score one more for the boys from Borgo
Panigale. Ducati’s sawed-off Streetfighter
is the latest in a long line of stunners from
the famous Italian motorworks, marrying
true superbike performance with betterthan-Monster ergonomics to produce the
ultimate naked bike. There’s nothing more we
can say about the 1098cc V-twin, one of the
most charismatic and satisfying engines ever
inserted between two wheels. With chassis
geometry carefully optimized to suit the
unique demands of the naked architecture,
and a seat that you actually want to sit on for
more than a few minutes at a time, the Streetfighter sets a new standard for standards. For
everyone out there who ever said they’d buy a
Ducati superbike if only they weren’t so bloody
uncomfortable, well, that excuse just expired.
Ducati might never sell another fully faired
superbike to a street rider again.
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2009 MOTORCYCLE OF THE YEAR
Alternative Take
Best Touring Bike
KAWASAKI CONCOURS 14
Maybe you absolutely have to get from the
Santa Monica Pier to Seattle’s Pike Place Fish
Market overnight. Maybe it’s the pure, twisted
joy of covering 1137 miles in 17 hours. Either
way, the Concours 14 is still an affordable version of Kawasaki’s 186-mph 700 Series bullet
train: infinitely easier to park, more fun through
the twisty bits and it still corners on rails.
Essentially a more comfortable ZX-14 with
removable hard bags, optional ABS and adjustable wind protection, the Concours puts an
honest 150 horsepower to the pavement with
a shaft-drive system that keeps all that power
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
ULTRA CLASSIC ELECTRA GLIDE
The beauty of Harley’s ’09 ’Glide is
that it only looks the same. Beneath
that timeless exterior, the Twin Cam 96
engine lives in a simpler steel frame
that transforms road manners with
more rigidity than its forefathers. The
vibration-canceling rubber engine mounts
and 2-1-2 exhaust are new. So are those
28-spoke wheels and 180mm Dunlop
D407 rear tire.
from pushing the chassis around. That’s
muscle enough to dispatch slow-moving traffic
in 2 seconds, or cover a quarter-mile in 10.52
at 130.5 mph. Either way, accurate fuel
delivery equals seamless acceleration. And
the Concours’ slipper clutch makes your next
corner entry just as smooth.
Alternative Take
Best Adventure Bike
BMW F800GS
After six months and 5000 miles, the smaller,
simpler F800GS got around its bigger boxer
brother. In the end, it happened on a nasty,
rocky excuse for a trail that dives off the
pavement in San Francisquito Canyon. Armed
with a Rotax-built parallel-twin that refuses
to stall, better front-end feel and enough
dexterity for the tight bits, this one leaves
the heavyweight champion behind. On the
other side of the tach, there’s enough thrust
to reel in miles of 80-mph fire road. The
2/3-scale version of Munich’s best-selling
omnivore inhales the worst commute in L.A.
BMW R1200GS Adventure
What do you do with 530 pounds of XXL
German eccentricity? Just about anything
you’d like, really. BMW has sold more
than a half-million copies of the big GS
since 1980 for that simple reason.
You’d really like six bikes in the garage
but there’s only room for one? This is
the one.
without gagging, with a little weekend tour
for dessert. All it asks in return is a gallon of
mid-grade unleaded every 45-50 miles and a
little chain lube. The $4000 you didn’t spend
on the R1200GS could finance a pretty nice
expedition, which sounds like more fun than
watching Ewan and Charlie on TV. Again.
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2009 MOTORCYCLE OF THE YEAR
Alternative Take
BMW S1000RR
Though BMW’s all-new S1000RR hasn’t
been quite as successful as Aprilia’s
RSV4 in this year’s World Superbike
Championship, it’s probably only a matter
of time. The Germans claim their new
superbike will be the most sophisticated
available when it goes on sale later this
year, with a fly-by-wire throttle, advanced
traction control and race ABS. We’re
holding our breath…
Best Dreambike
APRILIA RSV4
Do you sense a hint of Honda RC212V in
Aprilia’s new RSV4? That’s no coincidence.
The Italian engineers studied all manner
of engines for their new World Superbike
contender, and came to the same conclusion that Honda—along with Ducati and
Suzuki—came to for their MotoGP bikes: The
V-4 configuration works best. Yes, Ducati beat
the others to the punch with its Desmosedici
RR, but that limited-edition model sells for
$72,500. The Aprilia will sell for less than
the base-model Ducati 1198 when it goes
on sale here later this year—and there’s an
uprated Factory version to rival the 1198S as
well. Meanwhile, the RSV4 has been winning
various overseas sportbike comparisons,
so we can’t wait to ride one stateside. But
we’re going to have to, and you’ll have to wait
to buy one too. So color the RSV4 forbidden
fruit. And color it our Dreambike of the Year.
Alternative Take
Best Bang for the Buck
KAWASAKI ER-6n
With the same steel-trellis frame and
compact engine as the 2008 MOTY awardwinning Versys and the popular Ninja 650R,
the ER-6n is destined for success. It looks
strikingly similar to the fire-breathing Z1000
naked bike, but it’s cheaper, lighter and less
likely to land you in jail. That’s not to say the
ER-6n is boring—far from it. The ER’s peppy
649cc DOHC parallel-twin and light handling
make it every bit as fun as the Ninja, yet
its upright ergonomics mean it’s almost as
comfortable as the Versys. A low seat
height and a lower $6399 price tag put this
edgy streetfighter within reach of cashstrapped riders, and 48-mpg fuel economy
KAWASAKI KLX250SF
At $5299, Kawasaki’s KLX250SF is the
least expensive production supermoto
you can buy. A bigger front rotor, 17-inch
wheels and ample suspension travel
transformed the KLX250S dual-sport into
this road-eating mini-monster. Excellent
fuel mileage aside, this little thumper is a
blast to ride—especially on one wheel!
and conservative tire sizing makes for
affordable operating costs. Despite its
economical price, the ER-6n hasn’t been
diluted with discounted components, and
its reliable, rubber-mounted, fuel-injected,
engine offers seamless throttle response
plus plenty of power to keep you entertained
in the twisties.
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2009 MOTORCYCLE OF THE YEAR
Alternative Take
HARLEY-DAVIDSON V-ROD MUSCLE
Muscle. The name isn’t subtle. Neither
is the look or the sound. They’re perfect.
Hence last summer’s coming-out party
for the latest liquid-cooled twin-cam
Revolution twin at the Infineon Raceway
drag strip in northern California. If 105
horsepower doesn’t sound like much,
pull the trigger on this herd and get back
to us.
Best Cruiser
STAR V-MAX
It’s somewhere between affliction and
obsession. Turn a red light green and some
of us—we know who we are, and so does the
DMV—devour the next city block, freeway onramp or quarter-mile, leaving a trail of smoking
rubber to punctuate the moment. Yamaha
understands, which is why it builds the Star
V-Max. There are quicker ways to cover 1320
feet of pavement on two wheels, but there’s
nothing like the 110 lb.-ft. kick in the tightywhiteys from this 1679cc V-four. Unlike your
average chrome-plated tribute to the swing
era, Mr. Max isn’t afraid of showing a little
high-tech skin: fly-by-wire throttle, variablelength intake stacks, die-cast aluminum frame
… you get the idea. Technology cured ’Max’s
chronic cornering anxiety as well, elevating
him to the top of the Saturday-night food
chain. But omnipotence begets benevolence.
So go ahead and look. You can’t touch this.
Alternative Take
HONDA CRF450R
“Supercross Superbike” we called the
2009 Honda CRF450R in our First Ride,
and that’s a fitting description. Where
motocross bikes are usually only slightly
changed from year to year, Honda pulled
out all the stops, giving its off-road
flagship fuel injection and an all-new
chassis that epitomizes the concept of
mass centralization.
Best Dirtbike
HUSABERG FE450
For years, sportbikes have used stacked
transmissions to shorten the length of their
engines from front to back. Now, Husaberg
has come up with something even more
unconventional. The Swedish engineers
flip-flopped the crankshaft and tranny, so the
former is now on top of the latter, with the
cylinder jutting forward at a near-horizontal
angle. This orientation positions the heavy
crank smack-dab at the bike’s center of
gravity, so it has less effect on roll, pitch and
yaw—and in turn, handling. The most common
remark heard from test riders was how much
the four-stroke single (which is also offered in
a 575cc version) handles like a much lighter
two-stroke. As bizarre as this configuration
seems now, we’ll probably see more like it in
the future, because recent Kawasaki patent
drawings depict sport, dirt and ATV engines
that are surprisingly similar.
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2009 MOTORCYCLE OF THE YEAR
Alternative Take
Best New Technology
HONDA COMBINED ABS
Other manufacturers have developed antilock brake systems for the two-wheeled set,
but they all pale in comparison to Honda’s
new C-ABS (Combined Anti-Lock Brake
System), available on the 2009 CBR600RR
and CBR1000RR. Sure, the sophisticated,
linked system adds $1000 to the price
tag and 20-plus pounds, but it’s worth
every penny and ounce to have optimum
braking performance at all times. With a
natural lever feel and none of the bizarre
pulsing exhibited by some other makers’
ABS, Honda’s system is so un-invasive that
you’ll never know it’s there until you need
it. Grab a handful of brake on a wet or dirty
DUCATI TRACTION CONTROL
Last year, DTC (Ducati Traction Control)
debuted on the $40,000 1098R, making
it the first production sportbike to be so
equipped. This year, DTC trickles down to
the $21,795 1198S. That alone would
be impressive, but the eight-positionadjustable system was actually improved
for ’09, to the point that it functions
seamlessly. Bravissimo!
road, and you’re rewarded with complete
composure and smooth deceleration.
Honda’s C-ABS offers controlled braking at
the threshold of wheel lockup—something
even expert-level riders are hard-pressed
to match, and only after several attempts
on dry pavement. In the real world, you only
get one chance.
Alternative Take
Best New Product
GOPRO MOTORSPORTS
HERO WIDE CAMERA
Since the days of the Newman Sinclair
35mm Auto Kline, motorcyclists have been
strapping video cameras to their bikes in an
attempt to capture the riding experience.
Recently, YouTube videos have undergone
a dramatic increase in quality, and we’re
willing to bet it’s because of the new GoPro
Motorsports Hero Wide Camera. The Hero
is the easiest camcorder we’ve ever used,
with a 170-degree lens that captures video
in 5-megapixel clarity, with clear sound
to boot. Included with every camera is
a plethora of adhesive mounts to fit the
curvature of your helmet, gas tank, fairing
BAZZAZ PERFORMANCE Z-FI
TRACTION CONTROL
Traction control—it’s not just for factory
Superbike racers anymore. The plug-andplay Bazzaz Performance Z-Fi tractioncontrol module adds fully tunable tractionmanagement capability to most any
late-model Japanese sportbike for just
$995. No other aftermarket component
enhances safety and performance as
profoundly, making the Z-Fi a shoe-in for
recognition here.
or fender. Just buy batteries, borrow the SD
card from your digital camera and you’re
ready to record your next hot lap of Laguna
Seca, run up Deal’s Gap or thunderous
cruise down Main St. at Daytona Beach. The
compact design is waterproof, shockproof
and holds up to crashes well. Don’t ask how
we know... MC
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