The 2023 Barcelona Motoh fair I worked as a guest test-ride guide was a shameful disappointment, due to no-show by Ducati, KTM, Husky, Beta, GasGas, MV Augusta, Aprilia, Piaggio, Honda, Suzuki, Triumph, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield, Vespa, and more, yet I still made away with many party favours’ worth of fun rides and experiences. I believe I rode in the neighbourhood of 15 different motorcycles, a number of them more than once.
It may turn your crank, but I was saddened not being impressed with Indian Motocycles (sic.). After all, they’ve had since 1897 to figure it out, only lagging three years from the first ever motorcycle. Setting cruisers aside, I had hopes the naked FTR 1200 would connect with me thanks to its 1200cc water cooled V-Twin and its sexy design. I surmised it being an American answer to an Austrian bike of embellished nobility, the SuperDuke. The cable-clutch’s lack of smoothness, perhaps to be blamed on the clutch basket and plates and not on the cable itself, made the friction point as undecided as a dog caught in a downpour of tennis balls. I was never sure if it wanted to engage or not. Once rocketing forth, I constantly found myself lifting the rear upon braking, wondering if its namesake (Flat Track Racer) was intended to foreshadow this front-end bias geometry, you know, for the times you’d be drifting the rear in those pesky school zone traffic circles.
Not one to shy away from the cruisers, I rode the rest of the lineup save the 628kg Challenger Elite, which despite also being a racing bike in the States, felt inappropriate, bordering on fetishism. Wrong place, wrong time. The rest of the cruisers are not my type of bike, due not only to being dissonant with my personality, but also due to being physically uncomfortable, challenging, and tiring to ride, at least on European roads. On each bike, I disliked the positioning of the mirrors, the oversized controls, the at-the-gynaecologist posture, the weight, or a combination of those listed traits, which made riding ‘a job’ rather than a pleasure. Peter Fonda was cool riding cruisers in Easy Rider… a half century ago. They say cruisers are more of a lifestyle, then again so is being a Kardashian, and I think that says ‘like’ a lot.
Unexpectedly, Kawasaki, a brand I never considered as anything more than a quarter of the ‘Japanese four’, thoroughly impressed me. It’s hard not to appreciate the way they push the envelope of evolution. I love seeing their foray into supercharged bikes, whose engines were delicious. A thrill to ride both models, given the right conditions of a fairly straight road and the hazelnuts to wind the power-plants up between 9k and 12k, where the Nutella flows freely. A friend of mine, a professional rider, tested both bikes more in depth and mentioned feeling the chassis not stiff enough to push the bike in tighter corners. Reinforcing the chassis would add yet more weight, which would take away from expectations and bragging rights. After all, the world gasped in awe when the H2R hit 400km/h on the Osman Gazi Bridge, and one really can’t blame them for trimming fat wherever possible.
It was great seeing Kawa’s 2024 hybrid motorcycle. The more I looked and discussed it with colleagues, the more phenomenal I found it. From a silent and easy in town fully electric commuter to mid-sized sports bike full power, just sipping gas, trying to be carbon neutral, pleasing everyone. They’re on to something big, perhaps creating a shoehorn, an easy transition we could draw out before giving in to electric.
Worthy of its own paragraph, Kawasaki’s naturally aspirated bikes were just stellar. They weren’t pretentious, yet delivered such a balanced and smooth experience, they overtook Yamaha in my Japanese bike hierarchy. I even had a brief affair with a bumblebee coloured Z900RS SE. I honestly haven’t considered buying another road bike in a very long time, but this had me quite excited. Without insulting anyone, I feel it’s a bike for adults, akin to dark chocolate, espresso sans milk or sugar, or any analogy that would make younger generations turn their noses up, whilst urging a knowing smile on the faces of those ‘who know’. My friend prompted me to go through his expert protocol of ‘moto degustation’, which I applied to bumblebee (as I do to as many other motorbikes as I can). So as not to lose all credibility or readership by listing said protocol, I’ll just say the Z900RS SE was preeminent.
I’m open and woke, but as of right now, electric bikes are mostly considered a mockery and bastardization of something beautiful. The electric Zero forced me to reevaluate. I was asked to contribute to an informal type interview (which may make the cut for a commercial), but I’ll say the same thing here: the torque of the bike made me temporarily change time zones. It was like a Tesla in Ludicrous Mode. Without a clutch and gears, allowed better focus on grip, line, and power delivery, which is a lot of what riding on road is all about. One can’t deny that in ways, electric takes away from the full experience and joy of riding a motorcycle, but it does manage to compensate with advantages many might actually prefer. Before riding the Zero, I’d have sworn to never be interested in electric motorbikes and to never suggest others try. I recant. As the batteries get lighter, last longer, even perhaps adding a clutch (as they have on the professional electric trials bikes), I can see possibilities for electric.
Credit to a friend who also tested a bunch of bikes, for bringing up the fact that he enjoys his own bike most. As fun and crazy as one night stands may be, there’s always a quintessential connection missing, but some rides could make you contemplate polyamory.
Writer:
Peter ‘Safety Bear’ Bokor