A double-R version of the Brutale exists, but its $19,000 MSRP is $2,500 more than the most expensive bike here, pushing it out of retail pricing contention. At $16,500 the Brutale R remains the priciest of this group ($15K Tuono and $16K S3R). We did invite the $19K Ducati Streetfighter S to join the fray, however the unavailability of a 2012 model kept it from competing, though, like the Brutale RR, its lofty price would only have hindered its ranking among the assembled bikes. Perhaps later we’ll pit the expensive Duc against the equally exorbitant MV in a platinum cage match.

Both engines are large-displacement, high-torque powerplants that create sweet-sounding exhaust music, and we’ve wondered what other uses could be made from these unique engines.

‘Round here that blooming love is for one of our favorite types of motorbike. They’re motorcycles with sensible, upright ergos and a minimalist ethos capped off with plenty of horsepower, torque and sportbike-like chassis geometry. These two-wheelers with a wild side often also come with badass looks and have the performance to back up their tuff-guy stance.

Maybe you recall that simple mental exercise – usually meant for toddlers and prekindergarten children – of comparing a number of items, where all but one are identical. And the one item is different just enough to stand out.

Other times, a good motorbike battle is off the table by merely a day or two between the return of one model and the acquisition of another. Such is the case for our time with Ducati’s 2011 Monster 796 and Aprilia’s Shiver 750. The return date of one just slipped by the pick up date of the other.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

  Recently, after a late night of staring into computer screens here at MO, we began to wonder which of the modern big-bore sport-tourers was best. Actually we didn't really care, we just wanted to get away from glaring CRTs and go ride some bikes. In any case, we scanned through our new model database and picked out the Bandit 1200 and

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

First off, if you're likely to use the term "hooligan" to address the standard class of motorcycles, you can stop reading, I can tell you right off you're going to prefer the Kawasaki. If you refer to this rapidly growing, popular class as "up-right," there's a greater possibility the Suzuki will fit just fine into your expectations of what a motorcycle needs to deliver to get the job done.

Fontana, California, August 20, 2002 --

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Maybe you remember when five grand could buy a pretty sweet Cadillac, or the fastest, most exotic sportbike known to man.

Moto Guzzi? Moto who? If you've been riding motorcycles for any length of time, you've probably seen one or two of these unique machines, usually owned by the kind of guy who likes 1970s Saabs. They are known mostly for being quirky to the point of distraction, oddly engineered motorcycles that only appeal to those who like Moto Guzzis.