Sport Standard + Standard Motorcycles
Sport Standard + Standard Motorcycles are, like cruisers, bikes that are stripped bare with no bodywork, which is why they are sometimes referred to as “naked” bikes, though included in reviews and road tests of this category are some bikes with small fairings and windshields. But unlike cruisers, sport standards and standards have a more upright riding position and styling that can range from basic to sporty. Motorcycle guides state that they’re lighter, have more cornering clearance and are more performance oriented than cruisers. The term “standard” is used because they are versatile, general purpose motorbikes. Included in this category are “streetfighters,” tough–looking street bikes that are essentially sportbikes without bodywork.
2008 Suzuki GSX650F Road Test
Donya Carlson
March 10, 2008
photography by Kevin Wing [This 2008 Suzuki GSX650F Road Test was originally published in the March 2008 issue of Rider magazine] If you’re going to commute on a motorcycle in 38-degree temperatures, it may as well be on a bike you really like riding. That’s been my scenario this past week,... Read more »
2008 Triumph Street Triple Road Test
Troy Siahaan
March 7, 2008
[This 2008 Triumph Street Triple Road Test was originally published in the November 2007 issue of Rider magazine] Clicking through the gears, I’m flanked by the Italian countryside. After a thorough rain shower the night before, the roads are clean, albeit a little slick in the shady portions.... Read more »
2008 Suzuki B-King Road Test
Rider Magazine
March 7, 2008
TOKYO, Japan, October 2001: At the annual motorcycle show here this month, among the parade of exotic concept bikes, one neo hot-rod spoke to us–literally–more than any other, the Suzuki B-King. Like the guy in the urban legend who put a solid-fuel Jet Assisted Take-Off (JATO) unit in the... Read more »
2008 Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport Road Test
Clement Salvadori
March 7, 2008
It has been said that Moto Guzzi is rather like Italian politics: Every year there is a new government, but nothing really changes. For more than 40 years Guzzi has been developing its V-twin, with a 90-degree included angle, two overhead valves, and driveshaft-friendly longitudinal crankshaft, a new... Read more »
2008 Kawasaki Versys 650 Road Test
Donya Carlson
March 7, 2008
[This 2008 Kawasaki Versys 650 Road Test was originally published in the December 2007 issue of Rider magazine] Many psychologists contend that nagging is counterproductive. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case with Kawasaki, as the flood of e-mails requesting that it bring its Versys 650 stateside... Read more »
2007 Kawasaki Z1000 Road Test
Troy Siahaan
October 24, 2007
When you look at all the bikes on the road today, it’s pretty easy to identify their respective categories. You’ve got your cruisers, tourers, dual-sports, sportbikes, dirt bikes; the list goes on and on. So what, exactly, would you call this Kawasaki motorcycle? It’s too upright for... Read more »
2007 Yamaha FZ6 Road Test
Troy Siahaan
July 3, 2007
(this review of the 2007 Yamaha FZ6 was originally published in the July 2007 issue of Rider] Remember the days when bikes were inexpensive and could do a little bit of everything? Well, there’s good news-the middleweight standard motorcycle has made a comeback. In a market where most bikes are... Read more »
2007 BMW R1200R vs. Ducati Monster S2R1000 Motorcycle Comparison
Bill Stermer
April 10, 2007
[This 2007 BMW R1200R vs. Ducati Monster S2R1000 Motorcycle Comparison was originally published in the April 2007 issue of Rider magazine] The 2007 Ducati Monster S2R1000 If you’ve ever had the pleasure of riding in Europe, you may have become familiar with the national traits of certain brands... Read more »
2006 MV Agusta Brutale 910S Road Test
Mark Tuttle Jr.
January 5, 2007
Remember the gnarly scene in Pulp Fiction when John Travolta’s character stabs Uma Thurman right through the breastbone and into the heart with a shot of adrenaline? What? You haven’t seen the movie? No problem. Just head down to your MV Agusta dealer and look at the $14,495 price tag on... Read more »
2006 Ducati Sport Classic GT1000 Road Test
Mark Tuttle Jr.
January 5, 2007
When Ducati unveiled its three retro Sport Classics at the Long Beach, California, motorcycle show in 2004, naturally its emphasis was on the two that would be ready soonest and of which the line’s designer, Pierre Terblanche, was most proud. In fine Ducati sporting tradition, the Paul Smart 1000LE’s... Read more »
