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 Bling King
This past January, at the AMA Supercross season-opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, Two Brothers Racing presented Stewart with a gold-plated motorcycle: a track-prepped Ninja ZX-6R, Kawasaki's 636cc middleweight racer-replica.
“It's not really a racebike,” says TBRs Joel Albrecht, whose brother, Jeremy, is Stewart's mechanic. “Well, it is, and it isn't. James isn't going to race it, but he will ride it at the track. He's just going to have fun. He's not going to try to beat anyone.”
Yeah, right.
—Matthew Miles
Yamaha FZ1
Since its introduction in 2001, the FZ1 has been one of our favorite motorcycles, earning that year's Best Open-Class Streetbike award in Cycle World's Ten Best Bikes balloting. Based on first impressions and the fact that Yamaha has improved upon that same formula for success, it seems very likely that this latest FZ1 will continue to be one of the motorcycles that people love to ride. Anytime. Anywhere.
—Bruno De Prato
Three-Peat!
Triumph calls the all-new 2006 Daytona 675 “incomparable.” While sounding like common marketing hype, it's hard to disagree, considering the new machine is powered by an inline three-cylinder engine that faithfully exudes the tactile sensation, sound and soul that is Triumph and Triumph alone. While undeniably trying to be different, the Daytona 675 also offers several tangible advantages over the middleweight status quo.
Foremost is the engine's broad spread of torque...
—Don Canet
Thunder in Oklahoma
Forget about twisters. The Cycle World crew blew into Oklahoma with a sextet of spanking-new rumble-makers, the latest crop of lightning-fast 450cc Thumpers. Our goal? Get out of California and land on some choice dirt in hopes of finding the best motocross bike to hit American soil in 2006. Honda CRF450R vs. Husqvarna TC450 vs. Kawasaki KX450F vs. KTM 450 SX vs. Suzuki RM-Z450 vs. Yamaha YZ450F.
—Ryan Dudek
KTM 950 Supermoto
Light weight, minimal bodywork, grippy tires and an in-command riding position. These qualities should be at the heart of any streetbike. Call it a 950 “Supermoto” if you must, KTM, but ditch the high fender and mount a normal one, reshape the fuel tank to look less like MX radiator shrouds and this orange bike starts to look a lot like a sport-standard. Especially because at 428 pounds dry, it ain't no supermoto racer. Light for a current-day Open-class streeter, yes, but not something you should be hucking into the air over jumps (unless you are very highly trained).
—Mark Hoyer
Ride a Crooked Road
Some alert member of the state tourist board sent a map and brochure to Cycle World in California, and the equally alert Editor Edwards called me in Wisconsin and asked how I felt about doing a musical tour of Virginia on the just-released Buell Ulysses.
“You live close to the Buell factory in East Troy,” he pointed out, “so you could pick up one of their early test bikes and ride down there. Also you know a lot about Bluegrass and traditional music.”
Well, sort of.
—Peter Egan
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