Triumph Motorcycles

Triumph motorcycles include the Daytona 675 sportbike, Tiger 800 and Tiger 800XC adventure touring motorcycles, Speed Triple and Street Triple street motorcycles, Rocket III Roadster power cruiser, Sprint GT sport touring motorcycle and the classically-styled Bonneville T100. 

Few motorcycle manufacturers can match the heritage of Triumph. The British bike builder has more than 100 years of history behind it and a legion of devoted customers. Triumph produced its first motorcycle back in 1905 and just five years later makes its first major innovation – motorcycling’s first practical clutch. Triumph has a storied relationship with the military, providing motorcycles to the allies in both World Wars, including more than 50,000 in WWII despite the factory being demolished in the Blitz of Coventry in 1940. After the war Triumph’s reputation only grew, thanks in part to Marlon Brando riding a Thunderbird in the film “The Wild One” in 1954 and the release of the iconic Bonneville in 1959. 

Yamaha R6

In 1999 Yamaha had three different 600cc sportbikes for sale: the FZR600, YZF600R and the Yamaha YZF-R6. The FZR600 was a holdover model in production since 1989. At one time the FZR600 was the pinnacle of 600cc performance, winning the AMA Supersport championship in 1990. The YZF600R, introduced in 1994 and known in some countries as the Thundercat, was a more street-biased sportbike. In 1999, on the heels of the YZF-R1 launched the previous year, Yamaha introduced the YZF-R6 — a no-holds-barred 600 cc sportbike with performance as its utmost importance.

Like the R1, the Yamaha R6 didn’t utilize new technology to achieve its stunning performance. Yamaha put the bike through a stringent process of reducing weight in every area to give it the best power-to-weight ratio in the 600cc class. The Yamaha R6’s inline, four-cylinder, DOHC engine was the first Japanese 600 to produce more than 100 horsepower at the rear wheel.

The Yamaha R6’s first big change came in 2003 when it was given a new chassis and a new engine featuring fuel injection. The Yamaha R6’s weight dropped significantly from 399 lbs. dry to 357 lbs. dry. In 2005 the Yamaha R6 gained upside-down forks and radially mounted front brakes.

A completely new Yamaha R6 came in 2006. The new R6 featured sharp styling and bodywork, its muffler was relocated to beneath the bike with only a short, MotoGP-esque exhaust pipe showing on the bike’s right side. The new Yamaha R6 engine was now producing 127 crankshaft horsepower and came with a slipper clutch as standard equipment.

In reality, the 2006 Yamaha R6 redlined at 16,500 rpm, but an error showed the R6 redlining at 17,500 rpm, the first production sportbike with a redline in excess of 17,000 rpm. Much to do was made of the engine’s ability to rev so high while also maintaining dependability, but it was later revealed that the bike’s true redline was 1,000 revs lower.

The 2006 Yamaha R6 also utilized Yamaha’s fly-by-wire Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T) which controls the throttle valves by computing input from a variety of sensors and calculates the best combination of EXUP setting, throttle position and ignition advance to provide controllable power.

In 2008 the Yamaha R6 received Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-I) which shortens the length of the intake tracks in only 0.3 of a second to increase engine performance. The R6’s subframe was now made of magnesium, engine compression ratio bumped to 13:1 and new bodywork gave the Yamaha R6 a fresh look. In 2010, to boost mid-range power, Yamaha changed internal engine settings and lengthened the exhaust pipe.

The Yamaha R6 has won two World Supersport titles: in 2000 with Jorg Teuchert and in 2009 with Cal Crutchlow. In 2009 and 2010 the Yamaha R6 won the Daytona 200 with Ben Bostrom and Josh Herrin, respectively.

Yamaha Motorcycles

Yamaha Motorcycles include the Yamaha YZF-R1 and YZF-R6, the Yamaha FJR1300 touring motorcycle, and the FZ1 and FZ6 Yamaha street motorcycles. Yamaha's off-road motorcycles include the YZF motocross and WR endurance models. 

Yamaha has been producing motorcycles since 1955 and they appeared on U.S. shores just three years later. Quickly adopted by racers, Yamaha motorcycles have been winning races at virtually every level for decades. Today Yamaha manufacturers a huge variety of motorcycles for just about every purpose. Newer riders can choose from the likes of the diminutive C3 scooter and unintimidating V Star 250 cruiser, while more experienced pilots can opt for the YFZ-R1 sportbike, the YZ450F motocrosser and dozens of other high performance machines. Yamaha is also aggressively adding to its already impressive fleet with models like the dual sport Super Tenere R1-inspired FZ8. Yamaha fans can also draw inspiration from its many championship winning racers. 

Suzuki Boulevard

In 2005 Suzuki revamped its cruiser line by eliminating its variety of cruiser names including the Intruder, Marauder, Volusia and Savage, and consolidating all the models under the Suzuki Boulevard banner and giving individual motorcycles alphanumeric designations. The alphabetic aspect of the new Suzuki Boulevard line included the S models which were the standard cruisers, the C series was reserved for more classically-styled cruisers while the M series was only for high-performance models. The numeric part of the designation stood for engine displacement in cubic inches. In 2006 the Suzuki Boulevard line included the S40, S50, S83, C50, C90, M50, and M109R.

The S models in the Suzuki Boulevard series were largely the rebadged Intruder models which can trace their roots back to the introduction of the original Intruder 700 in 1986. The Suzuki Savage was renamed the S40. The S40 Suzuki Boulevard is powered by a 40 cu. in. (652cc) air-cooled single-cylinder engine producing 30 horsepower. The Savage was introduced in 1986 and presently continues in the Suzuki line-up as the S40. The Intruder 800 was replaced by the S50, while the Intruder 1400 was replaced by the S83. The S50 is the cousin to the original Intruder 700, now with a new name and a 50 cu. in. (819cc) V-Twin engine. The S83 (Intruder 1400) is powered by a liquid-cooled, 1360cc V-Twin engine producing 72 horsepower.

The C50 Suzuki Boulevard was formerly the Volusia 800. New on the C50 Boulevard for 2005 was the introduction of fuel injection replacing the Volusia’s carburetors. The C50 Boulevard can trace its roots to the bike’s introduction in 2001 in Volusia County, Florida. The other C model was the C90, which the year before was the Intruder 1500. Launched in 1998 with classic styling and wide handlebar, the 1500 Intruder was unlike other Intruder models.

The M50 Suzuki Boulevard, like the C50 Boulevard, was also based on the Volusia 800. The M50 differed from the C50 with 41mm forks, the engine was painted black, and inside the 805cc V-Twin the M50 received split crank bearings (the C50 used single-piece bearings). The M50 also had different fenders and fuel tank, and the speedometer was mounted on the handlebar instead of on the fuel tank.

Introduced as a new model to the Suzuki Boulevard line in 2006 was the M109R. In the spirit of the Yamaha V-Max, the M109R was a power cruiser featuring a liquid-cooled, DOHC, fuel-injected,1783cc, 8-valve V-Twin engine producing 127 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 117 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,200 rpm. For 2011 Suzuki offered a limited edition M109R Suzuki Boulevard with custom paint and custom gauges.

In 2009 Suzuki introduced the C109R Boulevard. Using the same engine found the M109R, the C109R delivers heady performance in a cruiser with classic styling. The C109RT Boulevard takes the classic look one step further with standard windshield, leather saddlebags and a passenger backrest.

Suzuki Motorcycles

Suzuki motorcycles include the GSX-R family of sportbikes such as the GSX-R1000 and GSX-R600 and the high-powered Hayabusa, cruisers such as the Boulevard M109R, Gladius and Bandit 1250S streetbikes, and the Burgman 650 scooter. Suzuki’s off-road motorcycles include DR-Z400E enduro and RM-Z450 motocross bike. 

Suzuki has been manufacturing motorcycles since 1952 and was all about two-stroke engines for more than two decades. In fact, Suzuki didn’t introduce a motorcycle with a four-stroke engine until the GS750 was produced in 1976. Just two years later Suzuki unveiled the GS1000E, which became the flagship model of the GS series and Suzuki’s first ever literbike. The United States was introduced to the esteemed GSX-R750 in 1976, hailed by some as the most important new motorcycle in a decade. The popular platform is alive and well today and received a full makeover for model year 2011. Suzuki also has a storied racing history, highlighted by Joel Robert who gave Suzuki (and Japan) its first World Motocross championship in 1970. 

Kawasaki Ninja

Not only did the first Kawasaki Ninja create a name that would become the default characterization for non-motorcyclists describing plastic-clad sportbikes, it was also the blueprint for sportbikes up to and including present day models.

Launched in 1984, the Kawasaki GPZ900R (also known as the ZX900A) was the world’s fist Ninja motorcycle. So groundbreaking was its design, the Kawasaki Ninja was faster than bikes with more displacement and lighter than bikes with less displacement. The motorcycle’s primary advantage was its engine: the first liquid-cooled, double-overhead cam, 16-valve, inline four-cylinder that Japanese OEMs continue to utilize as the preferred sportbike engine format. The Kawasaki Ninja’s 908cc engine produced nearly 115 horsepower at 9,500 rpm that propelled it to a top speed in excess of 150 mph (the first stock streetbike to do so) and to a standing quarter-mile time of 10.9 seconds.

The Kawasaki Ninja’s engine, combined with its aluminum-alloy sub-frame, 16-inch front wheel, triple-disc brakes and six-speed gearbox was such an advancement in motorcycle performance that three privateer Ninjas placed first, second and third in that year’s Isle of Man TT races, beating factory-supported teams from other manufacturers.

Since 1984 the Kawasaki Ninja designation has graced the fairings of numerous Kawasaki sportbikes ranging in size from 250cc to 1400cc. So ubiquitous has the name Ninja become that non-motorcyclists often refer to any sportbike, Kawasaki or otherwise, as a Ninja.

In the 1980s 600cc and 750cc Kawasaki Ninjas did battle with Honda Hurricanes and Interceptors until Honda stopped using the names and instead went to the alpha-numeric insignias (see CBR and VFR). In 1988, the Kawasaki ZX-10 (1000cc) Ninja was launched and immediately claimed the title of the world’s fastest production streetbike with a top speed of 166 mph. In 1990 the Kawasaki ZX-11 (1100cc) Ninja replaced the ZX-10, upping top speed to 175 mph and retaining its top-speed title for years to come.

In 1993 Scott Russell piloted a Kawasaki ZX-7R (750cc) Ninja to a World Superbike title against Ducati’s legendary 916 ridden by Carl Fogarty. From 2003 to 2008, the Ninja name was even attached to Kawasaki’s MotoGP effort and its ZX-RR prototype. The GP bike struggled, however, never winning a race before Kawasaki’s withdrawal from MotoGP racing.

Of all the Kawasaki Ninjas, the diminutive Kawasaki Ninja 250 is one of Kawasaki’s all-time best selling motorcycles. Since 1986 the liquid-cooled, vertical twin-cylinder 250cc Ninja has been a part of Kawasaki’s model line-up and, with minimal competition from other manufacturers, has become the default sport-style bike for beginner riders. The Kawasaki Ninja 250’s combination of sporty looks, low retail price, light weight and non-intimidating performance make it the perfect motorcycle for novice riders to hone their skills before upgrading to a larger sportbike. In 2011 Honda introduced the CBR250, a sportbike with a liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine featuring fuel injection, to compete with Kawasaki’s littlest Ninja.

Kawasaki Motorcycles

Kawasaki motorcycles include its Ninja family of sportbikes such as the Ninja ZX-10R and Ninja ZX-6R, the entry-level Ninja 250R, the Z1000 streetbike, the Concours 14 sport touring motorcycle and Vulcan family cruisers such as the Vulcan 1700 Voyager. Kawasaki’s off-road motorcycles include KX450F motocross bike and KLX 140 enduro motorcycle. 

Kawasaki joined the motorcycle business in 1960 and is one of the major players from Japan. From the time it released the B8 125cc motorcycle in 1961 Kawasaki has seemingly never slowed down. Just five years later Kawasaki produced Japan’s biggest bike – the 650W1. The first Voyageur touring model, based on the liquid-cooled KZ1300, hit dealerships in 1978. In 1981 Kawasaki launched the hugely popular 600cc sportbike class with the GPz550 and just two years later the GPz900R “Ninja” is introduced to a stunned motorcycle press. The first ZXR-designated motorcycles reach the market in 1989 and are still going strong today. In addition to its vast lineup of street bikes, Kawasaki’s KX lineup of off-road motorcycles cannot be ignored, thanks largely to the racing success of James “Bubba” Stewart.