50. Honda CRF250M 49. Triumph Explorer XC 48. Suzuki C1500T Intruder 47. Harley-Davidson Street Glide 46. Ducati 1199 Panigale R 45. Husqvarna TR650 Terra 44. Harley Davidson XL1200CA 43. Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive 42. Husqvarna TR650 Strada 41. Suzuki Inazuma 40. Ducati Hyperstrada No real moral to this nonsense, other than not to listen to bike journalists. Oh, needless to say, the Beemer R1200GS won. I remember when Ducati released the 1098, Bike magazine slated it and Ducati pulled their advertising. Then, a couple of months later, after much loss of revenue, they had an issue with 40 pages or so of how great the 1098 was. Nice to know the Suzuki Burgman scooter is ahead of Ducati's flagship. Maybe they should try a Burgman in WSBK, it might beat the Panigale !
What you posted is bit pointless. We do not know if the article was about out right speed, usability, 1st time bike you? They must have looked at the same things on all of them so what did they look at?
No, no one does give a crap. What I've posted is about as useless as the publication that printed it. That's the point, Bike Magazine has rated fifty bikes in order based on the following waffleing nonsense. Quoting the magazine "MAKING THE BIKE of the Year selection is tough. More than 50 new bikes were launched this year from the diminutive Honda MSX125 to the well appointed Ducati Multistrada Granturismo. This isn't just a pick of our favourites (though we're as partisan as the next man), it's the bikes that appear to make the biggest leap, which re-invigorate a stale market sector and which surprised us most. Feel free to write and tell us that we've got it wrong". It doesn't make sense to me either. At least Fast Bikes take the bikes to a track, stick the same rubber on them (apart from the Panigale - Ducati refused to allow them to change from the Pirelli tyres to Bridgestone), data-log them and fit GPS to extract some useful data. Bike Magazine have devoted eleven pages to this shit. It doesn't make sense to me either.
I used to like Bike magazine, right from the early days with chopper articles, it was a bit different. Don't even bother looking through it in Smiths now, its all roadtests of the latest IL4's. Performance Bikes from same publisher is more my thing with specials, older bikes and project bikes the main diet.
I used to subscribe to it in the days before Dan Walsh went crazy and it was a great publication. I then got sick of all the BMW crap in it so binned the subscription. Having bought a copy recently for the first time in years, I realise my decision all that time ago was the right one.
Lol so on the fly suspension changes are less innovating than sticking a helmet under the seat...great publication
That was about the time biking stopped being fun in general, about the time the Fireblade appeared and changed sportsbikes forever, about the time bikes started being compartmentalised, segregated. About the time Ducati started making affordable bikes, about the time trackdays started, about the time forums appeared en masse... Yes, it was much more fun before then, cos your choice was limited to 'shall I buy a bike or not?' Not 'Which bike will show off my manly attributes best and match my one-piece kangaroo skin leathers..?' Now it's got fuck all to do with how much fun a bike is, but how much kudos can I achieve by buying this or that particular brand or model. Perhaps Bike magazine rated them in the order they enjoyed riding them, have you thought of that? Perhaps the Panifanni is not as much fun to ride as a Hyperstrada. What do you think of that? Personally, I think they could be onto something. Perhaps the Burgervan won over the Pani because it was simply less hassle... Get your blinkers off chaps, there are lots of really great bikes out there. And not all of them are red.
BIKE, the magazine that said the new GS had issues about safety when they tested it at the launch. And since then the magazine has had way too many pages saying how great it is whilst the journalist who made the original statement about tankslappers is nowhere to be seen. Go figure.
i completely agree, there is a very good reason why Street Triples do so well in these rankings, they are an absolute hoot to ride! If anyone on here feels biking has lost its fun go out and test ride one, you will be grinning like an idiot in your lid i promise.
I agree with a lot of what you said but this is a Ducati forum so the readers/posters are likely to favour the red flavour.... When I was a spotty teen I rode in all weathers including snow (I remember a particularly fun trip on the M4 with only the width of a tire track in the snow to ride in!!) but now biking has turned from a necessity to a luxury so my needs/wants have changed. Its impossible to rank bikes in a mag as the ranking is only relevant to the individual. My need is for Sunday morning blasts and track days (all sunny and dry) so the pani suits me fine.
Yes, and in their defence they say as much at the start of the article. However they do rate two Husqvarnas that are no longer manufactured ahead of the Pantygirdle...
