Highlighting this year's motorcycles are some unique out-of-the-box rides. Hold on to your helmet--we didn't see these bikes coming
Buell Ulysses XB12X ($11,500) What it is: An adventure tourer or, as designer Erik Buell calls it, a touring supermotard. What you notice: How free you are. The ultimate street fighter-hooligan bike-wheelie machine is a dual-purpose motorcycle that keeps riding when the pavement ends. Though a street bike, it can attack dirt roads with ferocity. The engine, suspension and tires are tuned and fit to handle a bumpy ride. (The Kevlar belt drive is bombproof.) The numbers: This bike gets 103 hp from its 1,203 cc engine and enough torque to turn the planet. Where to be seen: Thirty-five percent of American roads are unpaved. Buell gives you the keys to that playground.
Triumph Scrambler ($8,000) What it is: A modern classic. What you notice: The combination of hip retro styling and contemporary Triumph performance. The small headlight, chromed high-level twin-exhaust tailpipe, single-clock speedometer, skid plate and flat seat are all reminiscent of the 1960s, when Steve McQueen jumped a barbed-wire fence on two wheels in The Great Escape. The numbers: A thoroughly modern 865 cc engine will zip you around at a speedy clip. It delivers 54 hp at 7,000 rpm. Where to be seen: Campuses, cafes, bookstores and POW camps.
Ecosse Heretic ($49,800 or $139,800) What It is: Denver-based designer Don Atchison calls the Heretic a handmade high-performance street machine. What you notice: The killer styling. Driving through the industrial parks of Long Beach, California, a backdrop straight out of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, we turned more heads than Carmen Electra would. Almost. The numbers: Other than the price? The 107-cubic-inch V-twin Patrick racing engine pumps out 125 hp and 125 foot-pounds of torque. This bike is not for novices--it has the kick of a handgun. Where to be seen: Wherever there's pavement.
Yamaha R6 ($9,300) What it is: Arguably the most advanced production sport bike on earth. What you notice: The R6 has the sleek Yamaha bodywork that is art in motion. The numbers: This bike's tachometer redlines at 17,500 rpm. Not even Valentino Rossi's MotoGP engine turns that fast. The R6's engine peaks at 133 hp. The shriek begins around 10,000 rpm, but that may be the sound coming from inside your helmet. Where to be seen: Around town the ride is silky smooth, but this bike belongs on the track. Notice the easily removable taillight-license plate holder.
BMW R 1200 S ($14,700) What it is: Mean. You're looking at the most powerful boxer twin engine ever. What you notice: The S model is defiantly unadorned. It would be sacrilegious to obscure the slender lines with saddlebags. This is not a staid tour bike; it's a serious tool. It offers the kind of escape velocity that can come in handy. The numbers: 122 hp in a419-pound, pure hot-rod package. Zero to 60 goes by in 3.15 seconds. Where to be seen: At the head of the pack. Check out the neat LED taillight and the underseat exhaust pipe. On the road, that's what your biker pals will be looking at.
Harley-Davidson Screamingre Eagle V. Rod Destroyer ($31,250) What it is: A turnkey drag bike. It is not street legal. What you notice: The noise, for starters. Eighty decibels is an act of God. The straight pipes are like percussion caps. The first time we heard this bike fire up, we thought we'd been shot. The numbers: With help from the Screamin' Eagle/Vance and Hines championship drag-racing team, Harley tweaked the Porsche-designed V-Rod engine to get 165 hp (up from 115 hp on the production V-Rod). The bike does a sub-10-second quarter mile. It'll be the hairiest nine seconds of your life. Where to be seen: Thursday test-and-tune nights at your local drag strip or any All Harley Drag Racing Association-sanctioned event.
