2015 was an incredible year for the motorcycling industry and the public has really benefited from a huge range of bikes being introduced. Unfortunately for me there were so many bikes released this year I simply didn’t get a chance to ride them all, with some incredible bikes like Yamaha’s all-new R1 and every dirt bike on the planet still on my ‘must ride’ list.
With that in mind my top bike of the year is picked out of the ones I’ve swung a leg over this year, and boy there have been some highlights!
Yamaha finally returned to the sub 400cc sportsbike market this year with the sporty little R3. With the biggest engine in the Japanese 300cc class (at 320cc) a wicked handling frame and ABS all for under $8,000 it stood out of the increasingly competitive LAMS crowd this year.
Who says newer is better? Triumph’s capable classic has the cool factor and isn’t afraid of gravel roads. With its Bonneville derived siblings all getting a major update next year the Scrambler will soon be the only bike to run the tried and true air-cooled 865cc engine. It’s 360 degree crank sounds glorious while providing plenty of usable torque, and you know it’s cool because the King of cool - Steve McQueen had one.
I seem cursed that at each motorcycle launch I attend it rains. Seriously, I can’t catch a break. At the Suzuki GSX-S1000 launch it didn’t rain, it poured. The main selling point of the GSX-S apart from more relaxed ergonomics was its advanced traction control. You’d be hard pressed to lose it in almost any conditions it felt that composed in the atrocious weather. With performance from the legendary 2005 GSXR derived engine and a sharp price starting from $16,995 it’s one of the best high performance sports bikes your money that you could happily ride every day, rain, hail, snow.
The biggest surprise of the year had to be the Harley-Davidson Project Livewire. I was lucky to ride the prototype in Malaysia in March, and months later it I’m still thinking about it regularly. With a design that doesn’t scream ‘Welcome to the dystopian future!’ and decent riding performance complete with unique sound to back it up, Harley could be onto a winner if they just build the thing (with a little more range too). While it’s not targeting Harley die hards, it is definitely a cooler way into Generation Y’s hearts than the little Street 500. With competitor Victory now selling an EV in the USA we can expect the big H-D will make a decision whether to get in on the action in the next 18 months. Please Harley put it in production!
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