Eight bikes, each a winner in its class, slug it out in the ultimate test. One will be crowned king, but which one?
Sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin. Welcome to TWO's 2005 International King Of Bikes. IKOB spawned from an argument about which bike really is 'best'.
But best at what? Everybody's got a reason to love their bike, something that makes it special to them. So, after a heated discussion in the TWO office (as ever, centring around hardcore sportsbikes versus usable streetbikes and so-called all-rounders), we decided to find out, once and for all, which motorcycle is king of the block.
The criteria for a bike's entry into IKOB? Simple, really - being the best in class. We had to limit the entry to eight and this caused yet more aggravation as to which classes to include. But in the end a balance was struck, and the bikes you see lined up above represent the very cream. All came out top in roadtests with their peers over the last eight months. So, in many ways, this lot are winners before we've even started.
They're all great. But only one can wear the crown...
En masse we rode 'em around mid-Wales for a couple of days, two pillions. Then we took them to the dyno room, and then Bruntingthorpe for speed testing. Mackenzie got the whole lot next and spent eight hours thrashing around Donington. An urban trawl around town followed, as did a day with a calculator working out which would cost the most to own. With points awarded for each discipline, the coronation ceremony would be for the bike that scored the highest.
This is possibly the biggest road test TWO has ever done. The winner surprised some, not others. Either way, the International King Of Bikes 2005 certainly earned its crown.
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