There are a number of motorcycles that are eagerly anticipated for the year 2015. So, we thought we would look at the new year and here’s our pick of the top 10 new bikes. In 2015, legendary brands rise from the ashes, there’s some exciting thing going on in the supersport category and you’ll even find bikes with excellent price-to-value ratio on this list. Lets see which motorcycles the riders will be most eager to purchase. First part.
1. Kawasaki Ninja H2 and H2R
The H2R is an insane machine – and we like it
“Built beyond belief” is the motto used by Kawasaki to describe the new 2015 Ninja H2R and it is sure as hell that the H2R is no ordinary machine. If the specs are right, the Japanese are not wrong and this bike is the best thing that happened to motorcycling in a long time. The engine of the supersport machine has a big supercharger. Thanks to this, the 998cc inline-four cranks out 300hp and 115 lb-ft (156 Nm) in the track-only variant. That makes it easily the most powerful bike ever produced in the category. The H2R features a high-tensile steel frame and carbon-fiber bodywork. The H2R is capable of doing 320 km/h but with the right gearing, it could theoretically overcome aerodynamic drag up to 250–260 miles per hour (400–420 km/h). The street legal H2 isn’t a slow bike, either: it delivers 200hp and weighs just 524.7 lb (238.0 kg).
The H2R is not just a bike. It’s possibly the most effective selection device ever produced. This is a weapon that disrupts the sleeping motorcycle market.
2. Indian Scout
The Scout is an excellent middleweight cruiser
Polaris Industries rebooted the Indian brand. And what a great job they did! The new Scout is a perfect first motorcycle – it’s lighter than the Harley Sportster, it has a more relaxed seat position, a predictable nature with an excellent steering traceability and good brakes. It’s a nearly flawless middleweight cruiser with a strong heritage, a great sex appeal and an affordable price tag. One of the most important factor of the bike is that it’s beautiful: in authentic fashion, major components are visible in a refined style. You could spend an hour staring at the engine and still not catch all the detail.
The bike uses a 1133cc liquid cooled, fuel-injected V-Twin that delivers 100 horsepower and 72 lb-ft of torque. A big, heavy flywheel is responsible for smooth revs and makes it easy on new riders. The engine is coupled with a six-speed transmission with wide gearing so you can really enjoy those nice long sprints. We get the feeling that maybe the new Indian is doing more than cashing in on a legendary name.
3. BMW R1200RS
The return of the legendary RS badge
According to BMW, the new R1200RS should be a “new dimension in sports touring”. It needs to impress even the most demanding riders since the RS badge is legendary for the company. In 1976, the R100RS became the first mass-produced motorcycle in the world to come with a full, frame-mounted fairing that had been developed in the wind tunnel. The new RS has to continue the long tradition. The bike is powered by the manufacturers signature boxer twin, the same found in the R1200GS, the R1200RT, and the new R1200R. Like its brothers, the RS comes with plenty of electronic aides, including ABS, Automatic Stability Control and variable riding modes. But: the RS features a newly designed tubular steel chassis and a sportbike-inspired suspension.
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The 2015 R1200RS comes in two color schemes: the classically sporty Lupin Blue Metallic/Light Gray Metallic, and the sporty Style 2 variant in Granite Gray Metallic Matte. We’re looking forward to meeting the new RS.
4. Honda Africa Twin
The market needs a lightweight ADV machine – is this it?
Okay, there’s a slight problem with this one: Honda hasn’t officially confirmed it to be the Africa Twin. The project is still called “True Adventure Prototype”. The Japanese have revealed a prototype at the EICMA show in Italy and given the bike was caked in mud, it gives us the impression that Honda actually intend this motorcycle to be taken off-road. The bike is inspired by their adventure heritage and recent Dakar rally racing program and it may be the successor to the much-loved XRV750. Honda is staying tight lipped about the new bike, but according to the pictures, the Africa Twin seems to be pretty compact with more centralized mass and it is powered by a liquid-cooled in-line twin. The front cowl is compact and aggressive, and the adjustable windscreen appears to be almost vertical. Wheels are dirt-spec 21-inch (front), 18-inch (rear) spoked items.
Price, performance figures, on-sale date? Honda literally gave no details about the new bike, but rumors suggest the new adventure bike of Honda is a 2015 model and it will arrive with a price tag reading somewhere between €10,000 and €13,000.
5. Yamaha FZ-07
The best allrounder for your money
The newest member of the FZ family, the FZ-07 is a bike that is all set to redefine the rules of the road. It’s nimble, it’s got a stripped look, a powerful engine and an affordable price tag. But the affordable price tag doesn’t mean budget components. The brakes are stout, 4- piston calipers in front, and the suspension is non-adjustable except for stepped preload in back. The FZ-07 features an all-new, 689cc parallel twin engine that utilizes Yamaha’s Crossplane Concept 270-degree crank. It delivers 75 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and 50.2 foot-pounds of torque at 6,500 rpm. Thanks to its offset cylinders, the FZ-07 offers a great fuel economy: Yamaha says the FZ-07 will get 58 miles per gallon, which produces a range of 214 miles from the smallish 3.7-gallon tank. The all-new chassis is light and compact, weighing a claimed 397 pounds wet, with a 31.7 inch seat height and upright ergonomics.
All in all, the new FZ-07 is a light, simple, inexpensive machine, a perfect all-rounder. The bike is available in Pearl White, Liquid Graphite and Rapid Red.
If you are looking for a new front cowl for your FZ-09, see this 2014 YAMAHA FZ-09 FRONT COWL DARK SMOKE
