The Best Motorcycles & Scooters of 2009 – So Far
Sure, it’s only October, but there are no new 2009 models coming out – so let’s take a look at the industry’s top picks for best motorcycles & scooters. Between out hipster-Vespa loving friends and a great article from Motorcycle.com we discovered there were a few great two-wheeled vehicles to hit the road in ’09. From crotch-rocket to cruiser and moped, have a look at these picks.
Motorcycle.com Best Sportbike:
Kawasaki ZX-6R
When it comes to sportbikes the name Kawasaki is king. This over 600cc bad-boy arrives “every two years in a never-ending quest to one-up their rivals.” It’s one of the sexiest Kawa’s to date, with a 0-60 time that will knock the socks off, but hopefully not your helmet. According to Motorcycle.com, “Triumph’s Daytona 675 gives the ZX a run for its money, but among four-cylinder middleweights, the nasty and nimble Ninja stands clearly at the top of this ultra-competitive heap.”
Motorcycle.com Best Cruiser:
Triumph Thunderbird 1600
Park you Harley-Davidson’s in the garage folks, Triumph has been tearing up the competition for the past decade or so. Motorcycle.com says “Harley’s iconic 45-degree V-Twin has spawned an endless succession of imitators, many of them excellent in their own right. But we don’t think we’re alone in seeing this genre as a little bit stale. That’s one reason why Triumph’s new T-Bird made such an impression on us…” Triumph’s lines are “clean, graceful” – a graceful motorcycle? Improbable but not impossible.
Automopedia.org Best Cruiser:
Honda Rebel
Light, sporty, simple – and most importantly…fast. The Honda Rebel has been the little bike that could for a long time, and captures our interest with a $3,400 base price and a feisty 250 parallel-twin 4-Stroke. It also looks like a chopper – which is awesome.
Automopedia.org Best Scooter:
Genuine Buddy 150 Black Jack
Genuine is an up-&-coming scooter brand, built in America, and totally kicking Vespa’s rear. The 150cc Buddy Black Jack utilizes “the same air-cooled 150cc-Single powering the Internationals. Black Jack delivers some relative pop for its size.” What’s considered “realistic” top speeds are around 55-60 mph. But we know a few people who have had their Buddy up past 65 on certain back roads in New Jersey. Buddy’s are best for your daily urban commute – and we at Automopedia do NOT recommend you drag racing them up Broad St. at 1 am. But if you do, please take video.
Automopedia.org Best Moped of 2009:
Honda CRF 50
Perhaps we have a fetish for Honda’s – or maybe we like the tiny dirt bike that’s great for your aspiring X-Game child, or a drunken cousin. The Honda CRF50 brings joy and and comic relief to all who witness the kid, or buffoon, riding one. Sure, you only max out at 49cc – but when you’re taking on the dirt mounds of you back yard it’s not top speed you’re concerned with… the landing.
Oct 21st, 2009 at 3:17 am
[...] and Sen. President David Williams on the issue of VLTs or expanded gambling at state racetracks. The Best Motorcycles & Scooters of 2009 – So Far – automopedia.org 10/20/2009 Sure, it’s only October, but there are no new 2009 models [...]