Meanwhile, down in Sin City Southeast (are there many ten-year-old- kids in Florida named Chad, by the way? Just asking), I managed to jump on six bikes in just a few days which I reviewed for various publications. I found them all to be pretty interesting machines, and an encouraging sign of the health of the motorcycle industry at least in terms of their determination to build desirable new products. One of these, the Ducati Diavel, I’ve already talked about in a post below. See? It’s down there. Scroll, man. Anyway, the other bikes I shall now recount briefly, and I hope if one spurs your interest you’ll research further and sample one yourownself to see if its a good fit.

Harley-Davidson FXS Blackline 

Here’s the Motor Company’s latest Dark Custom, first revealed at a party at Don Hill’s in SoHo back in January. It was a wild night. I heard (as did the rest of the attendees) from a Harley engineer (on stage no less) that Harley-Davidson is no more. It’s Harley-F***ing Davidson, thank you very much, and don’t you forget it, Bitches. The crowd loved this rebellious attitude, which is what the whole Dark Custom thing is all about after all. But I wondered, what will we tell the children?

We’ll tell them the Blackline is a f***cking nice bike, and a genuine pleasure to root around on. The Twin Cam 96B engine is smooth, soulful and puts out real nice torque. The riding position is kicked out and chopperish, but it works just fine around town. Despite the rather brilliantly-executed minimalist retro styling there’s some very contemporary features, like an odometer window that has a menu that toggles via a handlebar switch and includes a tachometer reading and gear selection (among other things). The biggest techno-surprise turned out to be ABS brakes, which I didn’t realize the bike had until a tiny yellow self-test light winked out whenever I rolled off after first starting the bike. Subsequent braking shenanigans in a parking lot confirmed this diagnosis, and that’s a f***ing great feature for a Hog to have, Bitch. And, overall, the Blackline was a very satisfying bike, whether you’re into the Harley mystique or not. $15,499 gets you started.

From form with some function we go to function and then some, and a totally well-rounded mount that helps illustrate why dual-sports are so popular. This plucky Brit Adventure Bike has a sweet, smooth Inline Triple, tuned for great low-to-midrange grunt and great response. As is typical for the breed, an upright riding position and a broad, wide adjustable handlebar make the Tiger very flickable whether you’re on the trail or in traffic, and a real pleasure to spend many miles on. Surprisingly, the seat height is less lofty than most trailies which makes balancing the bike at stops much easier for those that are short of inseam. If you are more Lakerish, you can easily flip a bar under the seat and gain another inch or so of seat height for more leg room. A massive collection of accessories is available form Triumph, including really well-designed tank and tail trunks I sampled that are perfect for small items and have interiors that are very well-protected from the elements. And speaking of Mother Nature, I got nailed by a thunderstorm (imagine that: a thunderstorm in Florida) and I couldn’t have been on a more tractable mount in heavy rain. I’ve saved the best for last: I think this is one of of the smarter dual-sports out there, and the base price is $9,999. That a lot less than a lot of the competition, and to be honest as good as the class is overall a lot of the other guys don’t have it going on to near the extent as this kick-ass kitty. 

Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero

From the city road, country road or whatever pit of goo the Tiger finds itself slogging through, we move to a big, bad bagger in the form of the Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero. This is a heavy, yet graceful long-haul bike that is a true turn-key, get-outta-town mile muncher. A big, loping 1700cc V-twin is perfectly suited for all-day highway dispatching, and the standard cruise control and comfortable accommodations are likewise ideal for long days on the road. Excellent roll-on performance, very stable handling and solid brakes make the big rig dance reasonably well on tighter pavement, and air-assisted rear shocks can help adjust to the load of gray market iPads and pirate costumes you’ve stuffed in the attractive, roomy saddlebags. Great coverage from the fairing, terrific low-speed balance and even a potent sound system make the Vaquero one buen amigo, Bitches. Sorry. That Harley ‘tude pops up from time to time when there’s big-ass V-Twins involved. Plunk down $16,499 and you can motor off to distant horizons. 

Honda CBR250R

Here’s a wee motorcycle at a wee price, that is such an obscene bargain for those that appreciate things like corner speed and fuel economy that you want to buy his and her models and surprise the Significant Other. This smallest CBR is powered by a modest 249.4cc Single, but it’s counterbalanced and surprisingly smooth. It’s no V-max, but the engine moves the 357-lb. bike along just fine and the 6-speed tranny has perfect ratios to maximize acceleration. The riding position is sporty but still fairly upright for in-town comfort, but this bike is the most fun on tight, curvaceous pavement where the great balance and light weight can shine (and the fact that you don’t have a MotoGP bike motor between your legs isn’t as important). The styling, fit and finish of this bike says anything but entry-level, and you can even get ABS which is a brilliant option considering newbie riders may be in the saddle in large numbers. The thing is, though, this little CBR is not a bike you’re going to outgrow; indeed it would make a great track bike as well as a very frugal commuter. Pricing starts at $3,999.

Star Stryker

Our final Daytona Bike Week machine comes from Yamaha’s Star division, and more than any other bike here got attention everywhere it went thanks to its aggressive, ultra-custom styling. This is a show bike you can ride, and one surprise was the 1304cc 60-degree V-twin that was fine at speed but seem a bit weak at low RPMs which is unusual for this kind of mill. But the kicked-out front end does a decent job in the twisty stuff despite the lazy steering geometry, and while it’s easy to drag your heels in tight turns overall handling is fine for a long, low cruiser. Cool touches abound, such as a downright Gothic instrument cluster that has cool trip computer you toggle with a button on the right handlebar and the overall fit and finish is superb. This is certainly aimed more at looks than outright performance, but it is perfectly acceptable for scooting around town and definitely starts conversations. MSRPs start at $10,990.