Recently Reviewed Bikes
November/December 2007
2007 KTM 950 Supermoto
The burgeoning supermotard class of motorcycles offers a sizzling blend of motocross and road-racing designs that can be devastatingly quick on a twisty back road. If you've never experienced a 'motard, think of riding a big dirt bike on steroids, with lots of power, sticky street tires and great brakes – you've got the idea....
September/October 2007
2007 Victory Vision
There's always risk involved when launching a new motorcycle. That's especially true when the model unveiled falls squarely in the upper ranges of the luxury-touring segment. Only a few high-stakes players can sit at that table, and their fan base is very well defined and often fiercely loyal. So, entering this realm is a huge gamble. But when you've...
2007 BMW G 650 X Model Series
It wasn't so long ago that a BMW was considered your father's motorcycle, conservatively styled, quiet, and a little square – the tweed jacket of the motorcycle world. And although understated competence still generates some appeal, the cool contingent wants more pizzazz from today's fast-paced market, and they won't look twice at anything that...
2007 Yamaha YZF-R1
Place the tip of your thumb and forefinger three millimeters apart. That's about 1/10 of an inch, and how much Yamaha engineers raised the rear swingarm pivot on the 2007 YZF-R1. Chew on that for a second – not 2mm, not 4mm, but 3mm, to reduce chain tension under power. That's just one instance of the continuous refinement characterizing the 2007...
July/August 2007
Kawasaki ZX-14
Boasting an inline four-cylinder engine that displaces 1352cc, the new ZX-14 is currently the biggest and most powerful sport bike in production. With the assistance of its ram-air system, the bike is said to produce 187 crankshaft horsepower at 9500 rpm. Even without the aid of forced air, stock engines have been pumping out over 170 bhp at the rear...
Honda Shadow Spirit 750 C2
The quiet back roads north of San Diego inspire a lazy, humming rhythm as we zigzag toward our planned coffee stop. The guys from Honda are leading the way and I'm sure the other journalists in the bunch are, like myself, kicking back, relaxing, and enjoying the scenery. Mornings like this epitomize the carefree joys of cruisers, and Shadow 750s have...
2007 BMW F800S/ST
BMW has officially entered the midrange motorcycle fray with the all-new F800 series, featuring the sporting S and the touring-oriented ST. The Bavarians invited us to test both in an exotic and very demanding setting: The Big Island of Hawaii....
Star Motorcycles V Star 1300
Western North Carolina has some of the finest motorcycle roads in the United States, many of which just happen to be a stone's throw from the palatial confines of the RoadRUNNER offices. So when we got an offer to visit beautiful Asheville and spend a very unconfined day riding Star Motorcycles' brand-new V Star 1300 – well, let's just say no...
May/June 2007
BMW R1200R
An elegant new member of the naked community, the BMW R1200R is a very worthy successor to the extremely popular R1150R....
Ducati Multistrada 1000DS
If you want to stand out in a crowd, Ducati certainly has the answer. That's my first thought as I ride into a parking lot full of big, bad chromo-cruisers on a bright red Ducati Multistrada. The Duc's avant-garde bodywork and trellis frame give it the look of something that might have fallen off a passing spacecraft, while the retro-Wurlitzer styling...
