By Will Powell
It's going to be a big year in biking but which of the new bikes being launched will be best? Here we round up the five most important and exciting new models of 2010.
5. Honda VFR1200 £11,596
This bike has already had had more written about it than most other machines put together. An extended pre-launch publicity campaign about a 'landmark' being launched whet the appetite but questionable styling, a hefty kerbweight and limited tank range seem to have dampened down the celebrations.
So in the cold light of day what is there to tempt you down to a Honda dealer on Valentine's Day, when the VFR will go on sale? For starters, on a deeply practical note, there's an attractive three year warranty and the prospect of 8,000 mile service intervals, thanks mostly to a low maintenance shaft drive.
That sort of information isn't going to impress your mates as much as the V4 engine however. Honda have a proud race-winning tradition with that sort of engine configuration, and the VFR750s and 800s of the past have gone down in history as some of the greatest all-rounders of all time. Here the 1200cc unit offers velvety power and surging torque, finished off with an exhaust note that turns from growl to howl as you accelerate with the fly-by-wire throttle. The VFR may not contain as much technology as hoped for but there's still the prospect of a fully automatic version arriving in the summer - which could be just the landmark we've all been waiting for and will turn this bike into a true revolution.
4. KTM Factory 350 SX-F price tba
KTM are kings of mixing and matching existing engines and chassis but the new 350 is significant because it's a completely new motocross bike from the rubber up. It's the first four stroke 350cc dirt bike in the world and is attempting to offer a halfway house between the easier going nature and lighter handling of the traditional 250cc bikes with the outright arm-ripping power and torque of the popular 450cc capacity. It's the Goldilocks philosophy - not too much power, not too little, just right.
Three years in development has meant the engine is only marginally bigger than a 250cc unit, while fuel injection ensures plenty of bottom end response, so crucial when the revs have dropped after landing big jumps.
It also boasts optional electric start, a new low top tubular frame and new rear linkage suspension. This year it will be campaigned by the awesome Italian motocross rider and reigning MX1 champion Toni Cairoli, with a showroom version available to buy next year by the eager amateurs who are always so keen to emulate their heroes.
3. Norton 961 Commando £11,995
It isn't the rosiest economic time to get a new British business off the ground, but under the astute management of Midland businessman Stuart Garner, Norton's comeback is a great success story. Last year a new manufacturing facility at Donington Park in Leicestershire was opened, an ambitious entry to the Isle of Man TT was made, and the 961 SE Commando was launched...and promptly sold out. Those 200 limited edition bikes were nigh on 16 grand, but the good news is there are more bikes on the way.
The 961 Sport (£11,995) and Cafe Racer (£13,495) share the SE's 961cc fuel injected parallel twin developed with the help of Formula 1 engineers in Oxfordshire. It produces about 80hp so the bike isn't a speed freak but it's purpose in life isn't to set land speed records. Instead it's meant to be a thinking man's alternative - a treasured possession with fantastic build quality, premium components and special feel.
It certainly caused a stir at the Motorcycle Show at the end of last year, with noticeably more business being done on the Norton stand than anywhere else. Amongst the people rumoured to be handing over cheques to Sales Manager and BSB rider Chris Walker were celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsey and James Martin.
2. Ducati Multistrada 1200 £10,995
The BMW R1200GS is perennially near the top of the sales charts so it's understandable Ducati wanted to try and muscle in on this lucrative sector. And it's entirely conceivable that the Multistrada is going to knock a big hole in GS sales because Ducati seem to have designed the only bike you'll ever need.
They call it four bikes in one - a sports bike, a long-distance tourer, an urban bike and an enduro machine, and one click of a handlebar button tailors the trick suspension, engine control and safety systems to suit the terrain.
Sport mode gives you full access to the 150hp on offer from the 1198cc V Twin based on the World Superbike race-winning engine, stiffer suspension for precise cornering and relaxed traction control. Touring mode still gives you full power (after all you'll probably have a passenger and the optional panniers to haul around) but with a slightly less aggressive engine characteristic and softer, more comfortable suspension. The Urban setting is probably more suited to wet conditions, as power is cut to 100hp and traction control is fully on, while Enduro mode lets you go attack off road sections care-free by jacking the suspension up and giving you the option of disabling traction control altogether.
The extended black snout isn't quite the sleek Italian styling we're used to but the GS's clumsy looks have never held it back - plus there's a Multistrada S version available festooned with carbon fibre to distract the eye.
1. BMW S1000RR £11,190
BMW said they'd only enter the superbike market if they could make a bike that was more powerful and better than any of the Japanese opposition. That's quite a challenge to set yourself against established rivals who've been perfecting powerplants and weight saving for decades, relying on state of the art technology dripping down from big budget grand prix teams. BMW's biggest claim to two-wheeled fame to date was building something to transport Ewan and Charley around the world - not exactly relevant experience when it comes to embarrassing Fireblades and R1s.
But BMW have done it. The S1000RR's 999cc inline four engine produces a colossal 193hp, far in excess of anything else in the class. It's a healthy 13 horsepower advantage over the Yamaha R1 in a package that weighs a couple of kilos lighter.
It's not just on paper where the bike scores well either - early test rides have impressed everyone on both road and track. In particular it's the technology that comes on the options list that appeals: for £1300 you can specify the Sport Package which gives you a quick shifter for short and slick gear changes, lightweight race ABS to ensure secure stopping and advanced traction control to let you get on the gas hard without fear of highsiding.
