25 Best Motorcycles of the Past 25 Years

Rider has selected a Motorcycle of the Year annually since 1990—27 bikes in all. Here we present our 25 Motorcycles of the Year for the past 25 years, from 1992 to 2016. (In case you’re wondering, the BMW K1 won in 1990 and the Honda CB750 Nighthawk won in 1991.)

To be eligible for MOTY consideration, a motorcycle must be new or significantly updated for the current model year. The winner is the one motorcycle we believe succeeds best at its intent, stokes our passion for riding and joins the ranks of truly significant motorcycles. Performance, handling, comfort, value, reliability and practicality are all important criteria, but there are also less tangible qualities, like character and soul.

Given Rider’s focus on touring, travel and “real world” motorcycling, you won’t find any track-ready sportbikes on this list, nor will you find limited-production exotics or flash-in-the-pan oddballs. Our list of the 25 best motorcycles of the past 25 years is full of sport tourers, luxury tourers, cruisers, standards and adventure bikes. One bike is so good, it’s on this list twice (in two different model generations.) Every year there were many worthy contenders, but in the end, there can be only one (per year)!

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1992 Honda ST1100 ABS/TCS
1992 Honda ST1100 ABS/TCS: “What do you do to the bike that has everything? Well, for starters, how about giving it anti-lock brakes and traction control? That’s just what Honda has done to the ST1100, and it has turned what was already a great motorcycle into a flagship for the entire motorcycle touring market.” (Rider, June 1992; photo by Mark Tuttle)
1993 Yamaha GTS1000
1993 Yamaha GTS1000: “Among the motorcycle technical innovations that weren’t conceived merely to increase power, fuel injection, ABS, catalytic converters and forkless front ends are perhaps the most important to motorcycling’s future. The Yamaha GTS1000 is the first to combine all four of these systems, not to mention some anti-theft technology, recyclable bodywork and the unique Omega chassis design. Judged by these features alone, we’ve never had it so easy picking our Bike of the Year award winner.” (Rider, June 1993; photo by Rich Cox)
1994 BMW R1100RS
1994 BMW R1100RS: “This year, as in the past, Rider’s Bike of the Year award is more in recognition of the corporate or individual chutzpah behind the motorcycle than its pure function. The BMW R1100RS has a lot of both going for it, however, a worthy heir to the Boxer legacy.” (Rider, June 1994; photo courtesy BMW)
1995 BMW R1100GS
1995 BMW R1100GS: “It may not be the prettiest motorcycle to ever win our Bike of the Year award, but as long as beauty remains in the eye of the beholder, the latest and biggest GS will inspire equally grandiose dreams of adventurous tours on any continent.” (Rider, June 1995; photo by David Dewhurst)
1996 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Classic
1996 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Classic: “Although the style, fit, finish and performance of both the simple Royal Star and Royal Star Tour Classic are testament to the exemplary engineering behind them, it was the extra effort on Yamaha’s dealer, accessory, warranty and service fronts that swayed us. And the fact that Yamaha has answered a fairly specific call for a certain style with a V-four cruiser all its own. It adds up to the makings of a lifestyle, not just a motorcycle.” (Rider, June 1996; photo courtesy Yamaha)
1997 Honda Valkyrie Tourer
1997 Honda Valkyrie Tourer: “This year the recipient of the most anticipated of our annual choices was a no-brainer. For the 1997 model year an eight-foot-long machine rode onto the scene powered by six growling cylinders, wearing a horned Viking helmet, blowing a trumpet and swinging a large broadsword. Named after the mythological Valkyrie, or choosers of the slain, let’s just say there was no way we could turn our backs on this outrageous beast. // When American Honda first revealed the Valkyrie prototype to a stunned public in 1994, we thought it was just the company’s effort to prove that it had a sense of humor. Well, nobody’s laughing now, except the riders who are enjoying the Valkyrie’s immense power and surprisingly nimble handling. To us, the addition of a standard windscreen and hard saddlebags on the Valkyrie Tourer is the coup de grâce. Move aside, and let the Valky through.” (Rider, June 1997; photo courtesy Honda)
1998 Ducati ST2
1998 Ducati ST2: “Finally tearing a page from the American sport-touring manual—which includes older, ride-to-eat, eat-to-ride types and mind-numbing stretches of Interstate with speed limits—with the ST2 Ducati has finally designed a fully faired bike for decent long-distance comfort and riders who have more money than hair. But the boys in Bologna haven’t forgotten their core customers. By also applying the substantial chassis and running gear experience it has gained from developing the much-praised 916, Ducati has given the ST2 better handling than any contemporary sport tourer available from the factory with hard saddlebags and this level of rider and passenger comfort.” (Rider, June 1998; photo courtesy Ducati)
1999 BMW K1200LT
1999 BMW K1200LT: “Thanks to [BMW’s] recently knuckling down and building a proper frame for the latest big four-cylinder mill—one that is stiff enough to allow rubber-mounting the engine and isolates the rider from vibration—today the K1200RS and K1200LT are two of the finest motorcycles on the planet. // In our opinion the formula works best on the new 1999 K1200LT luxury touring machine, which could put all of the heft in the rigid, aluminum-alloy, chill-cast single-backbone chassis to good use and still end up a bit lighter than its luxury-touring competition. A few tweaks to the K1200RS powerplant gave it comparable torque and more horsepower, leaving the only major engineering chore to properly adapt the BMW Telelever front and Paralever rear suspension systems to luxury-touring duty. This added excellent suspension compliance without fork dive or undesirable shaft-drive input to an already solid handling package with very satisfying power.” (Rider, June 1999; photo courtesy BMW)
2000 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic
2000 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic: “[With] the coming of the new millennium and the incorporation of the new Harley Twin Cam 88B engine into the Softails, [not] only do we get the more powerful, 1,450cc V-twin that was introduced to the rest of the Big Twin line for 1999, but for waiting an extra year the Softails also receive a pair of counter-rotating, gear-driven counterbalancers in their engines that effectively cancel most of the primary vibration which intrudes upon their rides. Moreover, a stiffer chassis and better brakes as well as numerous other refinements put all of the Softails on a level playing field with the competition for the first time. Among the new or significantly changed bikes for 2000, to our minds the Heritage has achieved the most, and is therefor our Bike of the Year. // In our opinion the most versatile and beautiful machine in the Softail lineup is the Heritage model, which complements its comfortable riding position and fully valenced fenders with an easily removable windscreen and leather-covered hard saddlebags. Not only can you take the Heritage for short rides with comfort and convenience as well as the Harley sound, power and mystique, but now the TC88B engine makes long trips a smooth, enjoyable experience as well, for all types of cruiser enthusiasts, not merely Harley devotees.” (Rider, June 2000; photo courtesy Harley-Davidson)
2001 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing
2001 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing: “Well, you saw this one coming, right? As you should—it isn’t every year that a motorcycle manufacturer redefines the luxury-touring bike for the second time. Not only is the Gold Wing GL1800 more powerful than the previous but equally competent GL1500 (not to mention the competition), it handles like a big sport-touring bike, and has pop-your-eyeballs-out brakes to match. And though it’s down on wind protection and luggage capacity, we think Honda still hit the bull’s-eye with the GL1800’s sportier design—those who want the cushier largesse of the GL1500…probably already own one.” (Rider, June 2001; photo courtesy Honda)
2002 Suzuki V-Strom 1000
2002 Suzuki V-Strom 1000: “Can you say ‘fun’? Now say it a few more times, with feeling. Because rarely do we come across a new motorcycle that dishes out so much of it. Maybe we’re just tiring of niche bikes, and the V-Strom DL1000 and its new ‘sport enduro tourer’ category can be all things to all riders. Although you wouldn’t want to subject it to any serious off-road riding, it’ll handle a smooth dirt or gravel road just fine, but it really shines, well, just about everywhere else. On tour, in the canyons, two-up on bumpy roads or smooth. The icing on the V-Strom’s MOTY cake is that massive TL1000 V-twin, which cranks out kick-butt torque without any buzziness and delivers fuel economy in the 40s. As just $8,899, adding the optional hard saddlebags, centerstand and heated grips shouldn’t be too painful, either. Among the group of bikes that are all-new or significantly changed for 2002, the Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 is definitely the stand-out.” (Rider, June 2002; photo courtesy Suzuki)
2003 Yamaha FJR1300
2003 Yamaha FJR1300: “The FJR’s compact, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 1,298cc DOHC in-line four with 16 valves, five-speed transmission and shaft final drive were designed from the ground up for its mission, smoothly cranking out 125 horsepower at the rear wheel and handling like a big sportbike. In addition to its very usable detachable hard saddlebags, luggage rack, remote two-position rear spring preload adjuster, large 6.6-gallon fuel tank and available top trunk, for 2004 the FJR’s electric windscreen will grow 4 inches, its front brake will be improved and suspension settings revised. The coup de grâce is a second model available with anti-lock brakes, Yamaha’s first ABS-equipped bike since the 1993 FJ1200…[The] FJR is that big cushy sportbike with ample style, wind protection, power, comfort and handling that serious sport-touring riders dream about. We have yet to meet an FJR owner who has anything bad to say about the bike—most coo over it like a newfound love. With so much good and so little bad, is it any wonder we chose the 2003 FJR1300 as Rider’s Motorcycle of the Year?” (Rider, June 2003; photo courtesy Yamaha)
2004 Kawasaki Vulcan 2000
2004 Kawasaki Vulcan 2000: “We fully expected Kawasaki to fire another salvo in the mega-cruiser battle for 2004, but we certainly didn’t expect it to whip out something like the Vulcan 2000 and flatten the competition. At 2,053cc (125 cubic inches!), with 96 horsepower and 119 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheel, it’s going to be a while before anything surpasses this V-twin, at least from a similar mass-production standpoint. The Vulcan 2000 unequivocally answers the call for a truly powerful V-twin cruiser out of the box, rear steel fenders standard, performance modifications absolutely optional. Sit down, rope in, hang on and blast off. // But we didn’t pick the VN2K simply because it’s the biggest new kid on the block. The bike is long on style, too, without any tawdry bells or whistles to clutter it up, and the list of available factory accessories was plenty long at the bike’s introduction…And we like the Vulcan 2000’s handling and comfort almost as well as its straight-line performance, especially after adding its factory accessory windscreen—one of three heights—a cushier passenger seat, luggage rack, backrest and saddlebags….Simply put, none of the contenders for our MOTY did everything they are supposed to do as well as the Vulcan 2000. Cruising, touring or stoplight-to-stoplight drag racing, the big Kawi is unmatched.” (Rider, June 2004; photo by Kevin Wing)
2005 BMW R1200GS
2005 BMW R1200GS: “The Swiss Army knife of motorcycles received a complete makeover for 2005 and ended up lighter and more powerful as well as better looking. After a few hiccups with the earliest run of machines, Rider waited for a production sample of the bike to do a full test, and the new GS received very high marks. Universally loved for its versatility, handling and shaft final drive, the R1200GS manages an effective compromise between long-distance street performance and off-road capability. For road riding, you want highway power with smoothness, and the quick, stable handling that comes from a low center of gravity. Comfort, wind protection and load capacity are important, too. For off-road, it’s all about light weight, big wheels, suspension travel and ground clearance. The GS provides these things in a package that is definitely heavier than most dirt bikes but also significantly lighter than some street bikes that aren’t nearly as capable…We don’t just like the new R1200GS—we love it.” (Rider, June 2005; photo courtesy BMW)
2006 Yamaha FZ1
2006 Yamaha FZ1: “For 2006 we knew almost from the first ride that the revamped Yamaha FZ1 was our [Motorcycle of the Year]. // Since it was introduced for 2001, the Yamaha FZ1 has won every Rider sport-standard shootout in which it was included. This potent combination of R1 sportbike power, quick handling and two-up sport-touring comfort is even better for 2006. Yamaha started from scratch and gave the FZ1 an all-new compact aluminum frame, current generation R1 engine and better suspension at both ends, shaving off 9 pounds, increasing power and improving the bike’s already great handling. The FZ1’s new styling oozes performance from every pore, and that low, short-style muffler looks good, sounds good and allows plenty of clearance for side cases or soft saddlebags. // The best part is that while the 2006 FZ1 is sportier than its predecessor, the bike hasn’t lost the comfort that makes it a good everyday ride and just as much fun to ride to the canyons as in them.” (Rider, June 2006; photo by Kevin Wing)
2007 Triumph Tiger 1050
2007 Triumph Tiger 1050: “It was clear to us that the 2007 Triumph Tiger 1050 deserves our Motorcycle of the Year award. The new bike is completely redesigned with an important and gutsy switch to a pure-street emphasis, creating a machine as good at sport as it is at touring. New 17-inch hoops front and rear accommodate real sport tires, and when combined with new, more serious suspension, it’s evident from the word go that the Tiger loves to tear up the asphalt. At the heart of the Tiger is the same exciting, 1,050cc in-line triple found in the Speed Triple, which pumps out a beautiful three-cylinder concerto from its exhausts. It scoots the Tiger along quite nicely, and the temptation to twist the throttle and make the exhaust sing is hard to resist. // Load up the optional saddlebags and the Tiger embodies the essence of sporty versatility, and with an accessories package that includes everything from heated grips to a performance exhaust, the Tiger really is a do-it-all motorcycle. The real beauty of the Tiger is that it’s just as comfortable two-up down a long highway as it is in the tight stuff. With the spacious hard luggage, there’s no reason why a weekend getaway with a copilot shouldn’t be a regular occurrence.” (Rider, June 2007; photo by Gold & Goose)
2008 Kawasaki Concours 14
2008 Kawasaki Concours 14: “For 2008, the list of eligible [MOTY] contenders is short compared to many previous years, but every one is a formidable bike worthy of recognition. There can be only one MOTY, though, and the Kawasaki Concours 14 is our pick. // We’re focused on performance, handling and comfort first here at Rider, along with value, reliability and practicality. This stylish sport tourer pegs the meter in all of those areas, and has an impressive list of standard features that are both fun and useful, including KIPASS key fob security, a tire pressure monitoring system, electric windscreen, remote rear spring preload adjuster and large, functional, locking side cases. Anti-lock brakes are also available. // Based on the street-shredding Ninja ZX-14 sportbike, the all-new 2008 Concours has a decidedly sporty side, yet it is not just a ZX-14 with higher handlebars. Purpose-built for long-distance travel in comfort, it has just happens to have the handling, braking and cojones of Kawasaki’s largest kick-butt sportbike, nearly a liter-and-a-half in size, with the addition of Variable Valve Timing (VVT) for a broader powerband.” (Rider, July 2008; photo by Kevin Wing)
2009 BMW F800GS
2009 BMW F800GS: “BMW has been thinking way out of the box lately, and there is perhaps no better evidence than its unstoppable new F800GS adventure tourer. It’s taller and longer than the R1200GS boxer twin, and not much lighter, but is far narrower with its upright parallel twin, and like the 1200, it offers a tremendous amount of satisfying performance. Chain final drive, 9 inches of suspension travel, a 21- and 19-inch front/rear spoked wheel combination and plenty of twin-cylinder torque give it much better off-road ability than its boxer brethren, yet the F800GS has enough on-road legs that you can haul down the highway from fill-up to fill-up in satisfactory comfort without stopping. Excellent fuel economy can stretch that out to more than 200 miles, too, and starting at $10,520, the F800GS is priced $4,000 less than the 1200. With a complete range of available adventure accessories (including great expandable locking hard bags, GPS and a low-seat option), as long as it suits your inseam and you don’t mind a little buzziness now and then, it’s hard to find a more capable machine for a ‘round-the-world adventure or just a run to the next town, on- or off-road.” (Rider, July 2009; photo courtesy BMW)
2010 Honda VFR1200F/DCT
2010 Honda VFR1200F/DCT: “A paradigm shift occurred with the introduction of Honda’s VFR1200F, our 2010 MOTY winner. // The VFR’s DNA goes back two decades, to Honda’s earliest V4 racing engines, and continues through a model line that sets new standards for performance, handling and refinement and has won countless awards, not to mention a cult following. For 2010, Honda’s clean-sheet design integrated the very best of its MotoGP and MX racing technology to build a much more powerful and fuel-efficient, yet lighter and more compact, V4 engine than its predecessor. But Honda’s trump card is the optional dual-clutch transmission (DCT), a first on a motorcycle. Available on some high-end sports cars, DCTs provide silky smooth, split-second shifts, and Honda’s does so in two automatic modes (Drive or Sport) or manually with a trigger shifter—no clutch lever, no shift lever. All this on a genteel sportbike equipped with shaft drive, ABS, optional hard luggage, and exquisite fit and finish. We based our selection on riding the DCT-equipped VFR at its intro in Japan and our full road test of the standard model, which has a six-speed transmission with slipper clutch.” (Rider, July 2010; photo courtesy Honda)
2011 Triumph Tiger 800/XC
2011 Triumph Tiger 800/XC: “It has been 21 years since Triumph Motorcycles reinvented itself, emerging from the Dark Ages of the British motorcycle industry under the auspices of John Bloor’s vision and funding. In that short span of time, Triumph has built many great motorcycles, including the Speed Triple, Sprint ST and GT, Daytona 675, Thunderbird and the Tiger 1050, winner of Rider’s MOTY award in 2007. Triumph not only had more new or upgraded models in contention for 2011, it had the best. The all-new Tiger 800 and Tiger 800XC exemplify the practical, comfortable, go-anywhere-do-anything spirit of the growing adventure touring segment. Powered by a smooth, powerful 799cc in-line triple derived from the Daytona 675, these bikes provide complementary answers to the adventure touring question: a street-oriented model with cast wheels (19-inch front, 17-inch rear) and a taller dual-sport model with spoked wheels (21-inch front, 17-inch rear), more suspension travel, beefier fork and hand guards. They look good, handle well, are reasonably priced and can be accessorized for any adventure.” (Rider, July 2001; photo by Paul Barshon and Alessio Barbanti)
2012 BMW K 1600 GT/GTL
2012 BMW K 1600 GT/GTL: “More than 30 new motorcycle models were introduced in the U.S. for 2012, but any way you look at it, this is the year of the K 1600. History will look back upon both the K 1600 GTL and GT as ground-breaking machines in the luxury- and sport-touring segments. They share an in-line 6-cylinder engine that out-guns anything in either class, and have unique features that are right out of the future, like a dynamic-leveling Xenon headlight and fingertip-close Multi-Controller for scrolling through the many menu-accessed functions. // Here at Rider we feel that—so far—the K 1600 platform makes the most sense parked under the GTL luxury tourer’s standard equipment. Stacked against its luxo competition, the GTL offers less weight, more power and capacity, and if the owner of one wants more of a sport-touring experience, the top trunk is easily removed (and it fits and is offered as an accessory for the GT). Comfort is equal to or better than anything in the luxury-touring class (although the stock seat needs a rethink), and the GTL steers, stops and handles like it weighs even less than its 776 pounds, ready-to-ride.” (Rider, July 2012; photo by Bernhard Limberger)
2013 Honda F6B
2013 Honda F6B: This was the first year of Rider’s People’s Choice Motorcycle of the Year, and the top three vote-getters were the Honda F6B bagger, Honda CB1100 standard and BMW R 1200 GS adventure tourer. Readers loved the Honda Gold Wing GL1800-based F6B—with the trunk removed, a shorty windscreen and other bagger features—for its looks, power, handling and bulletproof reliability, though some scoffed that it lacked beloved GL1800 features like reverse and cruise control. Here’s how Editor-in-Chief Mark Tuttle concluded his May 2013 road test of the F6B: “In repurposing the Gold Wing for the touring cruiser crowd once again, this time without the Valkyrie moniker but perhaps even more successfully, Honda has built a performance machine that may just give the GL a whole new audience. In red or black, it’s a big, bad bagger, but it’s not your Grandpa’s bagger. Or Gold Wing.” (Rider, May and September 2013; photo by Kevin Wing)
2014 BMW R 1200 RT
2014 BMW R 1200 RT: For the second year in a row, Rider let democracy prevail with its People’s Choice Motorcycle of the Year. The winner was BMW’s thoroughly updated R 1200 RT, with the all-new Indian Chieftain and KTM 1190 Adventure/R rounding out the podium. Readers praised the R 1200 RT for its more powerful, liquid-cooled boxer twin, its Alps-bred agility, its state-of-the-art electronics and its class-leading comfort and weather protection. Editor-in-Chief Mark Tuttle summed up his July 2014 road test as follows “One bike to rule them all? Lacking the off-road capability of the R 1200 GS/A, the R 1200 RT isn’t quite BMW’s Swiss Army knife of motorcycles, but if you’re not going to ride in the dirt the R 1200 RT does just about everything else, and does it really well. It’s the Light Heavyweight of the sport-touring world.” (Rider, July and September 2011; photo by Kevin Wing)
2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT
2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT: For 2015, Rider brought the Motorcycle of the Year selection back in-house, and we chose the Kawasaki Versys 1000LT. We said: “When Kawasaki’s Versys 650 debuted for 2008, we didn’t know what to make of its unusual name (as mash-up of ‘versatile’ and ‘system’) and quirky styling. But the Ninja 650-based machine’s back-road handling won us over, leaping through corners like an over-caffeinated gazelle. A liter-sized version based on the Ninja 1000 was launched for 2012, but only in Europe and Asia. Kawasaki thoroughly updated the Versys 650 and 1000 for 2015 (including all-new bodywork) and finally brought both to the U.S. It was worth the wait. // Part adventure bike, part sport tourer, the Versys 1000LT is the best of both worlds. It’s tall enough for generous legroom and upright seating, comfortable enough for solo or two-up long hauling and powerful enough to satisfy our appetite for performance. Impeccably smooth with crisp throttle response and rheostat-like power delivery, its liquid-cooled 1,043cc in-line four sends 110 horsepower and 69 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheel. And its stout twin-spar aluminum frame, compliant suspension and excellent Bridgestone Battlax T30 tires give the Versys terrific on-road manners. Factor in standard features such as ABS, traction control, an adjustable windscreen, hand guards, 28-liter saddlebags and a centerstand, all for $12,799, and the end result is an impressive, all-around touring motorcycle that lives up to the ‘versatility’ in its name.” (Rider, September 2015; photo by Kevin Wing)
2016 Triumph Bonneville T100/Black
2016 Triumph Bonneville T100/Black: “With new Euro 4 regulations coming for 2016 requiring fewer emissions, a durability test and ABS as standard, in 2012 Triumph decided to completely redesign [its line of parallel twins], and you see two of the stunning results before you, the Bonneville T120, Rider’s Motorcycle of the Year, and its functionally identical, menacingly dark T120 Black sibling. // Now even more evocative of the original, Triumph’s engineers spent three years getting the T120 styling (and that of its Bonneville Thruxton/R and smaller 900cc Street Twin siblings) just right, more faithfully echoing the swinging ’60s in the T120, from its sculpted tank to the bench saddle, spoked wheels and throttle bodies reminiscent of Amal Monobloc carburetors. One might think that was an easy task given Triumph had the original to copy. But to bring the Bonnie up to date Triumph had to squeeze a larger, “High Torque” 1,200cc engine with liquid cooling and a 270-degree crank into the same dimensions as before, and add ride-by-wire with riding modes, ABS and switchable traction control to the list of existing modern features…none of which can really be on display. At the same time it managed to give the bike better handling, more manageability, better fuel economy and more power and authentic rumble in the low- and midrange where it belongs. While the Meriden Bonneville was the superbike of the ’60s, the modern Bonnies are roadsters built for practicality and performance with timeless style. The T120 accomplishes its mission precisely.” (Rider, September 2016; photo by Alessio Barbanti)

20 COMMENTS

    • The problem with Harley Davidson is that they serve only the cruiser and touring markets. Secondly, they are perceived as over priced. The buyer decides that but more and more riders are buying less expensive brands which have turned out to be faster , more reliable, and less expensive. Thirdly, the image of the HD rider is not a Steller one, far too often HD riders look like gang members. I’m not suggesting that they are but many connect the two.

  1. Triumph managed to get on that list 3 times, not bad for a small company and well deserved too, they are innovative and their bikes are well made and nicely finished.

    I hope they will import the new Tiger Sport 1050 in 2017!

    • Triumph not such a small Company any more,I think I read somewhere that they are now one of the biggest bike manufactures in Europe. Small by U.S.standards maybe though?

      • Triumph is still a small company which produces around 100,000 motorcycles yearly world wide. What sets the company apart are three things, first, Triumph has been recognized as one of the best built motorcycles made today (as good as the Japanese), secondly, Triumph has been financially solid being one of the best financed smaller motorcycle companies (very good use of funds), and finally, Triumph has been very careful to build what their customers have wanted. Their lineup has been well thought out over the years. Triumph has been a model new-company doing “most” things right!

    • Not ignored Don. The 2014 “People’s Choice” podium finisher was the Chieftain… German engineering seemed to have the edge that year.

    • It tells me that the BMW engineers actively listened to current and future customers and quietly improved brand segments. Dramatic German contributions to the motoring fields in the last 25 years my friends… Not bad considering the dozen top spots won by the four Japanese engineering firms [H / K / S / Y], and the foot pegs have remain generally just behind our knees. ;^ )

  2. Have owned many rides, currently have two st1100’s always a reliable ride, and a 94 goldwing!
    My 96 st has 158000 miles on it and not afraid to do a 1000 mile day.

  3. Had Harleys, went to the dark side on a Valkyrie Interstate, and wound up on a Gold Wing. Every bike on the top 25 list deserves to be there!

  4. just so many beautifull handsom cruisers big fast upgraded technology galore but for me at my age 78+ 16 bikes 50cc puch 50 cc guerelli 1962 up to my 1997 X4 HONDA 1300 CHAIN no bells and whistles just very basic for me personally !!!! old stly le carbs soft seat manuall water cooled rad lovely off the mark slow top end !! for me NO 1 safe solid reliable ive ridden most since 1962 i am crazy about my black beauty everywone to their own choise so many beautifull bikes on the world map !!!!!

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