Streetfighter, roadster, muscle bike, supernaked. It doesn’t matter what you call them, they each contain the very essence of what makes a street performance motorcycle: rich mounds of mumbo, a razor-sharp chassis and a cockpit that arms the rider with ultimate control for backstreet brawling or mountain road scratching – maximum leverage and poised for visual advantage.
To test seven of the best, we forded the flood-ravaged roads of south western Victoria, took on the exquisitely technical challenge of Mac Park race circuit in South Australia, and battled through the streets of inner-Melbourne. Then we measured them, weighed them, and ran them on the dyno.
At the end of the test our five test riders ranked their three top bikes in eight categories: soul, style and design, engine, chassis, electronics, street performance, track performance, and value for money. Points were awarded on the basis of three for first, two for second, and one for third in each category. These points were then tallied to determine the overall winner. Simple.
It has to be said there are no dud bikes among the seven. They’re all winners in their own right, and our test riders would be happy to have any one of them in their garage. With such diverse and exceptional bikes on offer, personal choice will come down to budget and taste – and involve much vacillation.
We are all lucky to live in a time of such a wide range of price options and a rich selection of distinct characters in the streetbike market. But we at AMCN are possibly the luckiest of all, because I can tell you this was THE most enjoyable bunch of bikes to have access to at the same time and place, and at Mac Park at least, not have to worry about our licences imploding with a sudden vacuum of vanishing points.
We admit our test team is skewed towards a penchant for racing, but we all appreciate what makes a great roadbike, too. We also love taking the slow road, the long road, and even occasionally the wrong road just so we can avoid the home road and ride for longer.
If you’re looking for a pure sportsbike, a bike for touring, a daily commuter, or something for just cruising the strip, look elsewhere. But if you are searching for all of those things in a single motorcycle, dream on, and make your own mind up as to which of the seven is the most magnificent.
Every day this week will feature a review each motorcycle
