Visordown Awards – the winners

Celebrating the best bikes and kit of 2014

THE votes have been counted and the judges have reached their verdicts – these are the winners of Visordown’s first annual awards for the best bikes and kit.

Judges Roland Brown, Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Visordown Editor Steve Farrell debated long and hard to choose a winner and runner-up from our shortlists in 11 motorcycle classes. We’ve brought you some of that debate so you can see what went into our decisions.

The winner and runner-up in our New Product of the Year category was chosen by the Visordown team after testing everything shortlisted to see which impressed us most in every-day use. 

Meanwhile over 6,000 of you voted for a Readers’ Choice in all the categories.

Click on 'next page' for the results…

BEST ADVENTURE BIKE

Winner

KTM 1190 Adventure

Recommended

BMW R1200GS Adventure

Readers' Choice

Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200

What the judges said:

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: For me, an adventure bike should have some off-road ability. Irrespective of whether people will go off-road, I want to know that it can. So the only two contenders are the BMW and the KTM, both of which have 19-inch wire wheels. They also both have electronics packages with off-road settings. The two manufacturers go to much more trouble than others to give their adventure bikes real off-road potential. The KTM is just a sublime thing to ride. The engine has great punch. It’s got a smooth throttle response. It’s a comfortable bike to sit on.

Steve Farrell: The 1190 Adventure already had fantastic traction control and this year KTM moved things on with its new cornering ABS system. Brake as hard as you like with the bike banked over and it stops safely, without changing line. There's no doubt it will prevent crashes. Next year we're getting something similar on the BMW S1000RR.

Roland Brown: It may not be quite as comfortable as the GS but the 1190 Adventure is a bit lighter, a bit sportier and just a fantastic all-round bike. 

See the full adventure bike shortlist 

BEST SUPER NAKED

Winner

BMW S1000R

Recommended

Ducati Monster 1200S

Readers' Choice

Aprilia Tuono V4R

What the judges said:

Roland Brown: This is the class of the year. There are at least five really good bikes in there. KTM’s 1290 Super Duke R should be a contender but it’s too expensive. They pitched it at £14,000 and then BMW came out with the S1000R, a bike that’s just as good for £4,000 less.

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: The thing about the S1000R is you can spec it how you want it. The base model starts at £10,000. Then if you want all the toys, the semi-active suspension, you can have it. It’s the best mix of price and performance and it can be what you want it to be. BMW have done a proper job of retuning the S1000RR engine as well.

Steve Farrell: It's a class packed with good bikes but it's not too close to call. The S1000R has to be one of the best-value new bikes of the year. Then there’s the Monster 1200S with masses of torque and that Ducati V-twin sounds. Like the BMW it’s got a highly sophisticated electronics package and an attractive price, starting from £11,000 for the base model.

See the full Super Naked shortlist 

BEST SPORTS TOURER

Winner

Kawasaki Z1000SX

Recommended

Honda VFR800

Readers' Choice

Honda VFR800

What the judges said:

Roland Brown: The Z1000SX gets my vote over the Honda despite my being a former VFR owner. It’s a simple format done well, even better than the last one. The VFR is a great runner-up but imagine if Honda had repeated what it did 20 years ago and put all its top engineers on it. It could have been sensational. 

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: Kawasaki has made some good updates to the Z1000SX. The panniers are narrower, it’s got modern gadgets. And it’s a good engine design, a nice long-stroke road-going engine. It’s also one of the biggest-selling bikes of the year, a sign Kawasaki are doing something right. 

Steve Farrell: I loved the VFR on the launch. It's a great new version of a great bike, with an addictive power step-up and roar from the VTEC engine at about 7,000rpm. It's got traction control, an optional quick-shifter, self-cancelling indicators and it's a great-looking, beautifully finished machine. 

See the full Sports Tourer shortlist 

BEST CRUISER

Winner

Yamaha XV950

Recommended

Ducati Diavel

Readers' Choice

Ducati Diavel

What the judges said:

Roland Brown: I’m not even sure the Diavel is a cruiser, although we’ve put it in that class. It could equally be in the super-naked class. It's possibly the most exciting but not necessarily the best cruiser. The XV950 looks cool, it’s designed to be cheap and easily customisable and it shows Yamaha has its finger on the pulse. It’s representative of Yamaha’s reawakening.

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: If all those bikes were lined up outside with the keys in, personally I’d take the Diavel. But the XV950 is more the type of thing a cruiser should be. They should be customisable, they should be air-cooled. And it’s only seven grand. 

Steve Farrell: If high performance is your measure of a good bike, the Diavel is the one. But if you're more interested in traditional cruisers, the XV950 is the best-value new offering of the year, and another sign of Yamaha's ability to deliver what the market wants.

See the full Cruiser shortlist 

BEST A2 BIKE

Winner

HONDA CBR500R

Recommended

KTM DUKE 390

Readers' Choice

KTM DUKE 390

What the judges said:

Roland Brown: I like all the Honda CB500s and I think the CBR500R is the best all-rounder. The riding position is almost the same as the naked CB500F's but the R’s got a fairing, so it’s more practical. It’s £300 more than the F but I’d be tempted to pay extra for it. The CB500X adventure version is the same price but doesn’t have any real off-road pretensions, let alone ability, so it’s just a style choice.   

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: The Ninja 300 is fun if you want to rev it to the red line constantly. The Duke 390 is more bottom-end and punch and drive. The Honda 500s feel the most like all-round, well-developed motorbikes. They’re made in Thailand but there’s nothing on them that looks cheap.

Steve Farrell:  If you're limited to 48hp, why wouldn't you want the full 48hp? Unlike the Ninja 300 and Duke 390, the CBR500R delivers it. The Duke 390 could be more fun for an afternoon but the CBR500R is more convincing to own and live with. Shame KTM's RC390 was launched a little too late to make this year’s shortlist.

See the full A2 bike shortlist 

BEST TOURER

Winner

H-D Electra Glide Ultra Ltd

Recommended

BMW K1600GT

Readers' Choice

BMW K1600GT

What the judges said:

Roland Brown: Yes, this is a sad story of one bike taking itself out of the contest. On the launch, I thought the R1200RT was the best tourer I’d ever ridden, but it can’t be in contention because of that recall. So for me it’s the Harley Ultra Limited. Since Polaris bought Indian, Harley know they've got a new rival and need to step-up the game, and they really have. The Ultra Limited handles well, it’s got good ground clearance, the brakes are good and the panniers open with one touch. Harley have come up with lots of useful innovations and made sure you can't even see them. It's a revolutionary bike really.

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: The Best Tourer class is really the story of one bike disabling itself. In any other year, if it hadn’t been for that suspension recall, the BMW R1200RT might have been a winner. But if you rule yourself off the road for two months… maybe next year. The K1600GT is a superb bike with so many innovations. It’s BMW at their ballsy best, to build an in-line-six and make it really work. Everyone else stopped building in-line-sixes in the '70s. The Harley Ultra Limited is also impressive. Just like Yamaha are on the case with the MT-07, the Ultra Limited shows Harley are prepared to move forward.

Steve Farrell: The R1200RT was the best tourer of 2014. Then, in June, BMW told owners not to ride them because the rear suspension could fail, and it was over nine weeks before a replacement shock could be offered. BMW gave the 500 affected UK customers £500 to spend on a product or service, but it still makes it hard to give the RT an award this year – and leaves the Ultra Limited as the best tourer story of 2014.

See the full Tourer shortlist 

BEST RETRO

Winner

BMW R nineT

Recommended

Royal Enfield Continental GT

Readers' Choice

BMW R nineT

What the judges said:

Roland Brown: The BMW R nineT is the perfect blend of traditional styling with modern technology. It’s got lovely detailing. The GT is an interesting bike too because it shows Royal Enfield is a serious force these days. It's a whole new level of effort, to get Harris to design the frame for example, and I think it justifies the £5,000 price. I think Yamaha is taking the piss a bit with the SR400, dragging something out of the back catalogue, doing nothing at all to it and charging £5,200 for it.

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: If you pulled up on an R nineT, everyone would look at it and everyone would want the keys. The Continental GT in some ways is the polar opposite of the SR400 because Royal Enfield are pushing and doing things they haven't done before whereas Yamaha have just gone back in time.

Steve Farrell: I liked the SR400 when I tested it but it’s not styled with the same attention to detail as the Continental GT and that’s important in this class. The R nineT is in a league apart, not just a styling exercise but one of the most fun bikes to ride of 2014.

See the full Retro shortlist 

BEST NEWCOMERS' BIKE

Winner

Yamaha MT-07

Recommended

Ducati Monster 821

Readers' Choice

Yamaha MT-07

What the judges said:

Roland Brown: This is an easy decision. The MT-07 sums up Yamaha's amazing recovery. The lightness of it, the sporty attitude. It could have been a dull budget bike but they've really made something exciting. Launched at £5,200, it forced everyone to reassess their prices. If it had been a grand more you would have thought it was good value. The Monster 821's a great bike. It's nearly as good as the Monster 1200, it amazingly sounds even better and it's obviously cheaper. Twenty years ago you needed to get a big Monster for that performance. Now you get it from the middleweight and with Gatso cameras all over the place, it suddenly makes more sense. Why pay more? 

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: Of everything on that list there's one bike that's come in with less weight, more power and a lower price than the competition. In this sort of budget class it would be so easy to bring out a bike that's a de-tuned, bad version of something that's been on the shelf for ages, but the MT-07's just fresh air. You know it's a significant bike when Kawasaki knock £800 off the ERs and Suzuki knock a grand off the Gladius.   

Steve Farrell: I think the MT-07 has some limitations. The suspension is too soft and bouncy and the one I had as a test bike was prone to stalling at low speed. But I'm willing to forgive it because it makes such an enticing offering to new young riders, which is what this class is all about.

See the full Newcomers' Bike shortlist 

BEST 125

Winner

KTM Duke 125

Recommended

Yamaha MT-125

Readers' Choice

Aprilia RS4 125

What the judges said:

Roland Brown: The ironic thing is that your first year of riding is when you need ABS most and the little bikes are the ones that tend not to have it. Yamaha have missed a trick by not making it even an option on the MT-125. It's also a surprise there isn't ABS on Honda’s CBR125R. A bit disappointing really. The MT has the R125's chassis but handles slightly better if anything. The R125 doesn't seem to steer quite as sweetly and it's £450 more expensive at £4,349.

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: I look back to when I was 16 and I grabbed the brakes and fell off. At 17 I did exactly the same thing on a new bike. I wish to high heaven I'd had ABS at that age. From day one, KTM have had a good attitude to it. They said 'We're not going to patronise teenagers. We're going to build a good bike.' So have Yamaha to be fair. The MT-125 should be highly commended because Yamaha have made this whole new family of MTs, to get new riders on a 125 and then get them to move up.

Steve Farrell: KTM took a leap ahead in 2013 when they made the Duke the first 125 with ABS. It's a good, Bosch system too. I tested it on slippery cobbles and it definitely stopped more quickly than I could have without ABS. A year later the competition have yet to catch up. The only other bike in the class with ABS is the RC125, which was launched a little too late to make this year's shortlist.

See the full 125 shortlist 

BEST SPORTS BIKE

Winner

Ducati 899 Panigale

Recommended

BMW HP4

Readers' Choice

Aprilia RSV4 Factory

What the judges said:

Roland Brown: To me, the 899 Panigale is the obvious winner. Firstly it's new. Secondly it's got everything you want from a sports bike. It's got that Ducati desirability and yet it's relatively sensibly priced. The ABS was staggering on the launch. In the rain, you could brake really hard and be surprised how much grip there was. In some ways it's actually a better road bike than the 1199 Panigale. It's more manageable and easier to ride. It's got a narrower back tyre and it's probably a bit more agile. The new Aprilia RSV4 is brilliant but the HP4 is also a stunning bike. At two years old, it's still the fastest sports bike you can buy. Just in terms of moving things on, it's remarkable.

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: Without doubt the 899 is the nicest Ducati sports bike I've ever ridden. I had way more fun on it than on the 1199. And it’s still got about the same power as Carl Fogarty's 1994 World Superbike. It's got long service intervals, the full electronics package, it's new for this year and it's a good price. The RSV4 is also sublime but the HP4 probably moved things on more. Without the HP4, you wouldn't have some of the gadgets that are on the S1000R, which has won our super nakeds.

Steve Farrell: It’s so compact you’d hardly suspect the 899 Panigale packs a claimed 148hp and 73lbft. It's got a great engine, with that irresistible Ducati V-twin sound, in a superb-handling packing. It’s the scalpel to the 1199’s meat cleaver.

See the full Sports Bike shortlist 

BEST SCOOTER

Winner

Kawasaki J300

Recommended

Piaggio MP3 500

Readers' Choice

BMW C600 Sport

What the judges said:

Roland Brown: I can't believe how over-priced all those maxi scooters are. I think the new MP3 500 is brilliant though. For me, as a motorcyclist, it's the scooter you can have most fun on, especially in the rain. It's also safe for people who aren't that confident or experienced. Why wouldn't you want that much grip? And I love the tilt lock. You can try to get through London without putting your feet down. I think in 10 years' time three-wheeled scooters might be everywhere.

Martin Fitz-Gibbons: I'm glad you said that because I've had a whale of a time riding an MP3. It's one of those machines that's pushing things forward. The C600 Sport is also really good but wildly expensive.

Steve Farrell: The J300 is a maxi scooter for half the price. It offers good weather protection and it will cruise at fast-lane motorway speeds. A maxi scooter is the world's best vehicle for a long-distance year-round commute and the J300 is as well-equipped for it as any. It suddenly makes scooter ownership seem like a much more plausible proposition. If it had been launched just a little earlier this year, Yamaha’s Tricity would have made the shortlist. Maybe next year for that.

See the full Scooter shortlist 

BEST NEW PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

In association with GetGeared

Winner

Alpinestars Archer gloves

Recommended

Sidi Mag-1 boots

Readers' Choice

Alpinestars Archer gloves

We say:

Alpinestars Archer Gore-Tex gloves: These gloves offer track levels of protection with reliable waterproofing thanks to their Gore-Tex membrane. That’s not the only reason they won though. After testing all the shortlisted products in daily use, we chose these because, aside from the convenience of waterproofing, they’re beautifully designed and constructed, with supple leather and flawless stitching, making them one of those products that’s just a pleasure to use. At £132.99, they’re competitively priced too.

Sidi Mag-1 boots: A magnetic closure system offers an almost limitless level of adjustability and a perfect fit whatever your shape. Twist to tighten or pinch and pull to loosen. It’s a clever, innovative design which really works. These boots might have been our winner if only they’d been a little cheaper than £279.99.

See the full product shortlist