2010 Oddball Sport-Touring Shootout: Ducati Multistrada vs Honda VFR1200F vs Kawasaki Z1000

You say tom-a-to, someone says tom-o-to.
Your riding buddies say they can tour on any bike. You say most touring-oriented bikes have a sporty side and therefore make the best sport-tourer.
Oops! Did we just allude to one of the more controversial, even incendiary, topics in modern motorcycling?
Today, when someone utters the word sportbike, the likely response is a GSX-R, an R6, a Honda CBR, or some such thing. But ask a rider to describe his or her ideal of a sport-touring machine, and the answers are wide ranging.
Sure, lots of folks would naturally point to the likes of Honda’s venerable ST1300, Yamaha’s FJR1300 or BMW’s K1200GT or R1200RT, as prime examples of sport-tourers. Each bike offers good to great wind protection, hard saddlebags as standard, robust engines and some darn good handling qualities.

2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R Unveiled

We’ve seen it, sat on it, and heard it run! Kawasaki has unleashed a potent new literbike weapon in the form of the 2011 ZX-10R.
This is not a warmed-over version of the existing 10R – it’s a ground-up redesign with virtually zero carry-over parts. More power and less weight (22 lbs is the target) are naturally part of the package, but less expected is a new traction-control system that is claimed to be the most sophisticated on the market and comes as standard equipment.
The result is a bike said to be a huge 2 seconds quicker around Autopolis than the 2010 edition in back-to-back testing on identical tires on the same day. This indicates it has the potential to turn better lap times than its literbike competitors.

2011 Hyosung ST E3 Electric Scooter

Hyosung will offer an electric scooter as part of its 2011 North American product lineup. The Hyosung ST E3 runs on a proprietary lithium-polymer battery that can be charged in a household electrical outlet in three hours.
According to Hyosung, the ST E3 has a range of approximately 120 km (74.6 miles) on a single charge while traveling at a constant speed of 35 km/h (21.7 mph). Maximum speed is estimated at 60 km/h (37.3 mph).
Hyosung plans to produce more electric models in the future.

Style Points Honda understands vehicle dynamics like no other

Honda understands vehicle dynamics like no other, and hard numbers reveal objective data. But for cruisers/choppers, style is king, and this is judged purely by subjective criteria. “It had to be number one,” says Honda designer Bruno Conte about the importance of styling in this market. The following are some highlights of where we think Honda best hit the mark.

2010 BMW S1000RR Review

BMW's motorcycle division hasn't enjoyed the worldwide performance reputation of its automotive sector, but that all changes with the incredible S1000RR, introduced to journalists last week at the equally impressive Portimao race circuit.
BMW Motorrad hits the literbike market hard with its race replica, as the S1000 employs class-leading power, a stout chassis beyond reproach, and a techie electronics package second to none. This bike is the real deal.
We've been teased with details of the bike for well over a year. Our first glimpse came in April of 2008 when I wrote the S1000RR Preview, and then we brought new insight last December in our Closer Look article. Then we finally got to see the bike in the flesh at its U.S. introduction where Pete elaborated on the RR's features and specs.
After all of that, we were already quite up to speed on what the bike consists of. Now all we needed to know is how it performs.

Cool Saddle for the iron horse

The old West renewed.

Posing, posturing and cat walking through the warm evening air, the endless flow of elegant people glide through pools of brightly colored neon light. Moved by the sultry beat of Reggae, Latin and Caribbean music spilling from the nightclubs they pass, we rumble by as participants in this non-stop show. Impossibly tight clothing clings to chiseled bodies, as each exaggerated step is consciously made and faces turn to check out our rides. A myriad of colors from the decorative lights explode on the smooth chrome surfaces, and the throb of the massive, 111 cubic-inch V-Twins mix with the deep bass rhythm floating out to meet us. In a town that exists for people to see or be seen, we are turning heads as we enjoy the whole exotic, sensuous field of human experience being played out in the steamy Florida night.