Apprehension and sheer curiosity were the sensations rattling around inside my head the first time I thumbed the starter on the Kawasaki ZX14 Ninja. Though we ride bikes of all different stripes, I was uncharacteristically anxious about this particular model. After all, this is a machine capable of sub 10-second quarter miles and a top speed electronically...
In recent years, the Aprilia product line has been stacked end-to-end with truly inspired bikes such as the Tuono, the Mille, and the no longer domestically available Futura, that dominated the top slots of many an enthusiast's "if money were no object" list. This was no small feat considering many far larger entities fail to produce even one bike...
It's a moment that all of us here at RoadRUNNER hope never happens. Any day now, our friends at Aprilia USA will be ringing us up, making the dreaded call to let us know they want their Falco back. It will be tough to part with it, but we know that this brazen bird of prey is destined to hunt elsewhere....
For those who demand a comfortable riding position and still expect performance, Aprilia and Kawasaki offer two exciting sport bikes with high-mounted handlebars. We tested the new Tuono and the Z1000 on California back roads and freeways....
Aprilia ETV 1000 Caponord - Suzuki DL 1000 V-Strom
One concept, two characters. Both are players in the still growing, successful segment of big dual-purpose bikes, each equipped with a powerful engine on a lighter frame. But two different interpretations went into production....
Italy's young motorcycle manufacturer Aprilia is conquering the American market with exciting motorcycles. Their sport touring machines SL1000 Falco and RST1000 Futura are excellent examples of the company's great development....
The name is explosive, the design aggressive, the engine eruptive, and the sum total is the Benelli TnT 1130, one of the sharpest bikes on the market....
What is it that makes a motorcycle great? Is it all-around ability, or sharply focused functionality in a specific area? For the R 1200 GS series, a hot item for BMW aficionados with over 75,000 of them already sold worldwide, it may be both....
Each of these machines is powered by a twin-cylinder engine of similar displacement, and a quick perusal of the spec sheets indicates how very similar these sport-tourers are in other respects too. Both machines are built in the shadow of the Alps: Munich to the east and Mandello del Lario to the south. And both were built with the same task in mind—to...