Power to the People

NOTHING YOU'VE BEEN TOLD ABOUT POWER will prepare you for this year's crop of motor­cycles. Manufacturers have broken the gas ceiling, offering ready-to-wear 200-horsepower bikes. In some cases they've rediscovered the power of cool—the subtle and the sexy. Want a ride?

HERE ARE OUR PICKS FOR 2011

BEST RETRO M

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE ^ STEVE MCQUEEN ? $9,999

WHEN TRIUMPH ROSE from the ashes in the 1990s, it refused to capitalize on its past as the hip bike of the 1960s. Instead, the company made kickass, thoroughly modern motorcycles. When the Brit brand finally decided to go retro, it did so with style. Steve McQueen rides a Triumph TR6 Trophy—painted to look like a Nazi bike—in The Great Escape. That movie is probably the reason you're reading this article and why Triumph issued this signature model. The Steve McQueen special is a Bonneville TlOO painted matte khaki green with black frame, headlight and mirrors, spoked wheels and a solo seat with a luggage rack. Only 1,100 signature models will be released. Barbed-wire fence optional.

ENGINE: 865 CC PARALLEL TWIN POWER: 67 BHP @ 7.500 RPM TORQUE: 50 FT-LBS. @ 5.800 RPM

WEIGHT: 506 LBS.

BEST SPORT BIKE

MV AGUSTA F4 RR CORSACORTA ? $25,000

CLALmm r*CTIf:l lnw was a design genius, a giant in the industry. He bought struggling Ducati in 1985 and revived the brand. Today it's a powerhouse. He purchased MV Agusta in 1991 and performed similar magic, eventually selling the company to Harley. Before his death in August, Castiglioni reacquired Agusta and launched mind-boggling models like the Brutale and the F3. The brand continues its comeback story with the money-is-no-object 185 mph bike seen here. The manufacturer boasts of "maniacal care of every detail"; the result is near perfection. Aerospace alloys abound. The bike has race-ready Ohlins shocks, Brembo monoblock radial brakes and Traction Control MKII with eight levels of adjustability. Riders can switch between two engine maps. Bonus: a 4-2-1-4 exhaust system that makes the tailpiece look like the Millenniiun Falcon. Beauty has never been this fast.

ENGINE: 998 CC 16 VALVE IN-LINE FOUR

POWER 201 HP ©13.400 RPM

TORQUE: 86 FT.-LBS @ 9.200 RPM

WEIGHT: 449 LBS.

BEST NAKED

DUCATISTREETFIGHTER 848 > $12,995

IN THE BEGINNING, all bikes were naked. Then came fiberglass and streamlined, swoopy fairings. No one did bikes as sculpture, art you could ride, better than Ducati. But now the company is known for its bare-to-the-bone beauties—naked once again. The original Streetflghter (2009) was generally considered the sexiest motorcycle on the planet: all the naughty bits of the Superbike 1098, nude and on display. Now Ducati offers the same treatment on its midsize powerhouse. The younger brother of the Streetfighter offers radial-mount Brembo brakes, Marzocchi adjustable forks, a steel trellis frame and Ducati Traction Control—all the bells and wolf whistles you need.

ENGINE: 849 CC L-TWIN

POWER: 132 HP® 10,000 RPM TORQUE: 69 FT.-LBS.® 9.500 RPM WEIGHT: 439 LBS.

3EST BUDGET ADVENTURE BIKE

BMW G 650 GS SERTAO

$8,650

ENGINE: 652 CC SINGLE

POWER: 50 HP® 6.500 RPM

TORQUE: 44 FT.-LBS.® 5.000 RPM WEIGHT: 426 LBS.

BMW DOMINATES the adventure-touring market with the iconic 1200 GS and the purebred F800. How many times can you watch Long Way Round before you succumb to the BMW bug? (Recogniz­ing the market, Triumph and Honda both introduced big-brute adventure tourers last year.) For 2012 BMW offers two new ver­sions of its 650—a street model and the purpose-driven Sertao for off-road addicts. Both are powered by a modest but muscu­lar single cylinder. The Sertao will be called a beginner GS—but trust us, there is no such thing as a beginner's motorcycle. Around town or lost in the outback, this is affordable fun.

BIG GUN

KAWASAKI NINJAZX-UR

? $14,900

ENGINE: i.mCC IN-LINE POUR POWER: 200-PLUS HP ©9.500 RPM

TORQUE: 113 FT.-LBS.® 7,500 RPH

WEIGHT: 584 LBS.

KAWASAKI set out to regain the crown of most powerful production bike ever, and it looks as if it succeeded. The ZX-14R—stock, right out of the box—clears a quarter mile in 9.71 seconds. Like the road itself, the fun never ends. With power comes great technology: ram air, a slipper clutch (no wheel hop) and KTRC traction control. For a decade, motor­cycle companies have limited top speed to 185 mph—part of a gentleman's agreement with European manufacturers. Most people who buy this bike will remap the engine, get rid of the speed governor and wet themselves. To hell with the euro.

BIKE OF THE YEAR

HARLEY-DAVIDSON NIGHT ROD SPECIAL ? $15,300

WHENHARLEY introduced the V-Rod in 2OO2, it rattled cages. This was not your grandfather's Harley. This was a Euro bike, a sport bike in cruiser togs. It was water cooled, the ultimate heresy. Unleashed five years ago, the Night Rod Special—the most sinister looking of the V-Rod family— took the oomph of a Porsche-designed engine and harnessed it to a Michelin Scorcher rear tire. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the V-Rod in 2012, Harley added better suspension, lighter wheels and beefier braking to a new Night Rod Special. The real treat is the subtle styling cues— a slender fastback rear fender, a trick LED taillight and enough black to move the night.

GARAGE

ROCKS

A SHOPPING LIST FOR THE GEARHEAD

1. Leather: Pictured at right is the Classic Racer 141 from Schott ($590, schottnyc .com), which made jackets for Peter Fonda and Marlon Brando. 2. Tunes: Yamaha's PDX-11 ($1OO, usa.yamaha.com) isn't the fanciest iPod dock, but it's loud, and no wor­ries if it gets dinged in the garage. 3. Lube: Bel-Ray's V-Twin synthetic motor oil ($233 a case, bel-ray.com) is perfect for our Bike of the Year, above. 4. Helmet: Arai's Signet-Q state-of-the-art racing helmet ($74O, araiamericas.com) looks awesome and has memory foam for added comfort. 5. Tools: Need to prepare that Fetzer valve with 3-in-One oil and some gauze pads? Remline's Red Rally 36-inch steel tool chest (not pic­tured, $547, jcwhitney.com) will keep your gear in order. Bonus: It's Ferrari red.

ENGINE: 1.250 CC O0HC 8-VALVE V-TWIN

POWER: 125 HP ©8.250 RPM

TORQUE: 85 FT-LBS. @ 7.000 RPM WEIGHT: 670 LBS.