Ten Best Bikes 1996

TEN BEST BIKES 1996

Motorcycles for the real world, hallelujah!

THE YEAR 1996 WAS A REALITY CHECK FOR MOTORCYCLING. Over the preceding decade, the major manufacturers had shifted their marketing philosophy from the old scattergun approach to the more calculating sniper method, wherein they targeted only carefully selected niche markets. Obsessively concentrating their efforts in these areas, touring bikes grew to resemble motorhomes, sportbikes transmogrified into roadracers with lights and dual-purpose bikes shed one purpose. But in their quest to build motorcycles that do specific things exceptionally well, they’d neglected the motorcycle that does everything well.

The inevitable backlash occurred. Back when streetbikes were slow and handled poorly, enthusiasts said they wanted racebikesfor-the-street. Now that the manufacturers were giving them exactly that, they realized they wanted something less narrowly focused-sav. something with room for a passenger. They also yearned for touring bikes that weighed less than a car and dualpurpose bikes that you could sit on and touch the ground.

Coupled with a groundswell of common folk who didn’t care a lick for departmentalized machines with fancy nomenclature (witness the buying public’s love affair with Harlev-Davidson), this change in attitude convinced the OEMs that they needed to get back in touch with reality. The net result is a rash of practical-yet no less exciting-new' machines that really work in the real world.

In many ways, this made Cycle World's 1996 Ten Best voting the easiest it's been in years-there was no small-arms fire among the staff, and only one fistfight broke out, a new record. On the following pages, you’ll find the 10 bikes that Ofs editors have deemed the tops in their respective classes.

BEST OPEN-CLASS STREETBIKE Honda CBR900RR

A DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS RED SPORTBIKE that just happens to be comfortable enough to tour on, is all. Honda's engineers went over the radical CBR900RR with a fine-tooth comb in an effort to tune the '96 model for real-world Sport riding. The fuel tank was narrowed, the handlebars raised and the footpegs lowered to improve the riding position; the frame spars were revised to allow for more bump-absorbing flex; engine displacement was boosted from 893 to 919cc to give it more midrange power. Yet the Double-R's newfound civility in no way diminishes the attributes that made it what it is today. Namely, 600-class weight and a down-to-earth price. Though it's also available in an Erion Racing Replica black/red/white paint scheme, we prefer red. Traffic cops be damned.

BEST SUPERBIKE Suzuki GSX-R750

WHEN IT COMES TO superbikes, Light is Right, and what better way to celebrate that fact than to christen a 750 the Best Superbike of 1996? The new-for-'96 Suzuki GSX-R750 is the reigning power-to-weight champ, and a certified literbike-killer. During this year's Ultimate Sportbike Challenge, Ducati's 916 circulated the roadrace track in less time—barely—but the GSX-R is lighter, more powerful, quicker through the quarter-mile, faster down a straightaway and thousands of dollars less expensive. Remember when Suzuki down-sized the old GSX-R750 and wound up with an overweight 600 that bombed? No worries here: This new 750 already weighs less than every 600cc sportbike on the market. Yes, Honda's CBR900RR is just a couple of pounds heavier and makes comparable power. So what—the Suzuki spots it 150cc. If that doesn't make the GSX-R a superbike, what does?

BEST 750cc STREETBIKE HondaVFR750F

IF ONE MORE PERSON refers to the VFR750 as a “poor man’s NR,” we’re gonna wind up and clock ’em. Because this is one bike that was alluring long before it slipped into its fashionable sibling’s scoop-necked red dress. The vaunted VFR has one feature not found in any other U.S. sport machine: a splendid four-cylinder Vee-motor with gear-driven cams, a seamless powerband and a soul-stirring exhaust note that is heaven-sent. This marks the seventh—count ’em, seven—consecutive time that the VFR has topped the Best 750cc Streetbike category, a Ten Best record. But it could be the last: If the rumors are true, the VFR will be bumped up to 850cc next year, making it ineligible for the 750cc class. Care to cast a preliminary vote for Best Open-Class Streetbike of 1997, anyone?

BEST 600cc STREETBIKE Yamaha YZF600R

THE REASON IS RIGHT there in the class title: Best 600cc Streetbike. If we were voting for the Best 600cc Racebike, the result would have been different, because yes, other middleweights can get around a road course quicker. But back in the real world, where most 600 owners reside, the Yamaha YZF600R gets the job done no less effectively, and a lot more gracefully. Its roomy ergonomics and abundant midrange power make it feel much larger than it is, yet one pull on the awesome front brakes confirms that it's not at all heavy. If that's not enough, consider that when the YZF hits dealerships as an early-release '97 model this October, its price tag should undercut the competition's—most significantly that of last year's winner, the Kawasaki ZX-6R—by a comfortable margin. Our advice is to get in line now; this thing is going to sell out faster than Lollapalooza tickets.

BEST STANDARD Buell S1 Lightning

IS THE BUELL S1 LIGHTNING A STANDARD? NOT IF you ask Erik Buell; he insists it's a fairingless sportbike. The CW staff begs to differ. Like the Ducati Monster that topped this category in l993 we'd dare say that the S1 is helping to redefine the standard standard. No longer does the term "Universal Japanese Motorcycle" apply—not while Japan is in the throes of Naked Bike fever, and Supermotard racers are finding their way onto European streets. Practical is out, radical is in, so the time is obviously right for a jet-black musclebike powered by a 1200cc Harley-Davidson V-Twin. The Lightning is an elemental motorcycle, consisting of an engine, two wheels, someplace for the rider to sit and something for him to hold onto. What more could you want? "S1?" Stands for "sexy one," we suspect.

BEST CRUISER HondaValkyrie

WARNING, CRUISER BUYER, the only "V" you'll find in Honda's Valkyrie is in its name. Unlike Harley-Davidsons and other Japanese mega-cruisers, the Valky is not powered by a Vee-motor, but by a huge, 1520cc flat-Six borrowed from the Gold Wing mega-tourer. And unlike the Japanese competition, which chose to detune its engines for boulevard duty, the Valkyrie's engine was hopped-up to the point that it produces more than 100 horsepower and a Sequoia-stump-pulling 100 foot-pounds of torque. No other cruiser comes close. A taut chassis, killer brakes and cushy, Gold Wing-derived seating position make the Valkyrie a bike you want to ride, instead of one you park and admire from a bar stool. If you're looking for the King of Cruisers, the list of nominees starts and ends with the Valkyrie.

BEST TOURING BIKE BMW R1100RT

WE GOT A LOT OF flak back in 1992 when we voted Honda's ST1100 Best Touring Bike. Gold Wing owners were especially outraged, seeing their beloved Ala d'Oro passed over in favor of her younger, svelter sister. Well, sorry again, two-wheeled Winnebagoers. This year, CW votes in favor of a touring bike with all the extras, but one that is equally happy on the interstate as on snaking backroads; one that is just as competent touring two-up as splitting through commuter traffic jams. BMW's R1100RT is one plush ride, yet it gives up nothing in sporting capability, thanks to its WunderBoxer motor, innovative Telelever/Paralever suspension and ABS-equipped brakes. The RT is the best two-wheeled park bench yet—a nice place to spend a lazy afternoon watching the scenery change.

BEST DUAL-PURPOSE BIKE Suzuki DR650SE

DUAL-PURPOSE BIKES ARE, by their very nature, compromised—they have to work well in the dirt and on the street. Over the past few years, we've tended to overlook the latter half of this equation as land-closure issues spurred the OEMs into building dual-purpose mounts that are effectively street-legal dirtbikes. We welcomed the change, because to be honest, previous dual-purpose bikes worked awful off-road. But this year, Suzuki proved that the 50/50 ideal doesn't have to be a compromise. The new DR650SE works well everywhere, and its unique adjustable ride-height lets shorter folks put their feet flat on the ground; just think, no more stopping at curbs. Even better, lowering the suspension doesn't reduce travel significantly, and there's only a small reduction in ground clearance. Go ahead, call us soft—we'd prefer to think of ourselves as well-rounded. Just like the DR650.

BEST ENDURO BIKE HondaXR400R

GADS, A FOUR-STROKE as Best Enduro Bike? Not since 1992, and the Husqvarna 610, has that honor been bestowed upon a Thumper; in fact, the KTM 250 E/XC has claimed the title three out of the last five years. Yet Honda's new-for-'96 XR400R works so well, and has proven so versatile, that we just couldn't help ourselves. We're not alone in our assessment, either: We've seen XRs competing in motocross races, enduros and long-distance desert races, to say nothing of trail riding, which is where the majority of them will end up. Company spokesmen say that the XR was popular even before it existed—it was one of the most-asked-for models in Honda history. Simply put, there isn't a better all-around dirtbike on the market, two-stroke or four.

BEST MOTOCROSS BIKE Kawasaki KX250

NO SURPRISE HERE, THE STANDOUT WINNER OF CW'S 1996 MOTOCROSS Comparison is a clear winner here, too. The Kawasaki KX250 has few competitors when it comes to winning motocross races from the Novice to Expert level. Sure, Yamaha's YZ250 is better-suited to beginners, and Honda's CR250 works best for high-flying supercrossers, but neither is as adaptable as the green machine. The KX's powerband is strong but not hard-hitting, its suspension is firm but not rigid and its handling is quick but not too quick. Add to that Kawasaki's ever-improving durability and attention to detail, and the KX triple-jumps its way to the Best Motocross Bike title for the third time in the last five years. 'Nuff said.