Top Ten Bikes 2003: Episode 6 - Muscle Bikes - video Dailymotion

Men and Motors

In this new series of Top Ten Bikes, presented by Louise Brady, we look at the best bikes around in the biking world as voted for by our Men & Motors panel.  Today we take a look at the top ten Muscle bikes of 2003. Which one will hit the number one spot?  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell so you never miss a video!  ------------------ Enjoyed this video? Don't forget to LIKE and SHARE the video and get involved with our community by leaving a COMMENT below the video!   Check out what else our channel has to offer and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to Men & Motors for more classic car and motorbike content! Why not? It is free after all!  Our website: http://menandmotors.com/  ---- Social Media ----  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menandmotors/ Instagram: @menandmotorstv Twitter: @menandmotorstv  If you have any questions, e-mail us at talk@menandmotors.com  © Men and Motors - One Media iP 2023

Transcript

00:00 Hello there, I'm Louise Brady and welcome to Top 10 Bikes 2003. Our star studded panel

00:21 have been studying the form of all the runners in this year's charts to bring you the ultimate

00:26 guide to the bikes from 2003. This coveted award will be presented to the manufacturer

00:32 of this week's number one machine. The question is, which bike will it be? Well sit tight

00:37 and all will be revealed very soon. At the end of the series there will be a special

00:41 show where we find out if you agree with the voting of our Men & Motors panel. I'm one

00:47 of the panellists and as the show progresses you'll get the opportunity to meet the other

00:51 journalists involved. So let's get started on the countdown of this week's category,

00:57 Muscle Bike. Well here we are on the start line so let's take a look at the bike in 10th

01:02 position. The year is 1985 and the iconic Muscle Bike is just about to be born. Yamaha

01:09 launched its V-Max and blew a lot of people's minds with this outrageous machine. 19 years

01:15 on and the V-Max is sadly coming to the end of its shelf life as it can't quite cut it

01:20 with the competition anymore. The heart of the V-Max is its awesome V4 engine which with

01:26 its V-Boost brought a smile to the faces of many and a look of sheer terror to some. This

01:32 engine is still very impressive, pumping out a highly entertaining 140bhp. The trouble

01:39 being that the frame and chassis just couldn't cope with this bike's combination of stunning

01:45 power and huge weight. 262kg is a lot of bike and when you tip this bike into a corner,

01:53 riders found it wanted to ride booking and weaving into the nearest hedge or roadside

01:57 ornament. Handling is not what this bike is all about. It's all about straight line grunt

02:04 and is more like a road going drag bike than a super bike. If only Yamaha would bring out

02:09 a bang up to date version of this bike then there would be a lot of very happy bunnies

02:13 indeed. Right, let's see what the boys have to say about this big machine. The V-Max is

02:20 one of those bikes that you really must have a go on at some time in your life, in your

02:24 motorcycling life because it's an icon and it is an interesting experience. Unbelievable

02:33 motor. Chassis is a little bit rubber, you know it doesn't really like going around corners

02:38 but understandably and rightly so it's become a real cult bike. You could credit it with

02:44 really setting the ball rolling for muscle bike category. The Yamaha V-Max is a bike

02:49 from another age. It has got a strong engine but the chassis couldn't keep up when it was

02:53 new and it feels even worse now. Well as most riders know this bike is a real beastie. It'll

03:00 go very fast in a straight line but has a lot of trouble in the corners. And as for

03:04 the stopping department, well you're going to have to fax the brakes if you want them

03:08 to work. So our combined scores for each category of street cred, build quality, performance,

03:15 comfort and value give the V-Max a total score of 73% putting it firmly at the bottom of

03:23 our chart in 10th place. Stomping in at number 9 it's the Buell Firebolt. You have to applaud

03:29 Eric Buell for attempting to make a bike with super bike handling and performance from what

03:34 is a Harley Davidson. In fact he did such a good job that Harley themselves bought his

03:39 company. The Firebolt XB9R is a stunning bike to look at. In fact the more you look the

03:45 more intriguing items you see. For example in an attempt to make the bike as small and

03:50 agile as possible the fuel is stored within the frame and even more surprisingly the oil

03:56 is kept in the swing arm of all places. Many sports bike riders out there would never consider

04:02 a Buell but when you do consider its handling, performance and stunning looks you have to

04:07 ask why. They are missing out on such a great motorbike. I like the Firebolt. I like anything

04:14 that's a little bit different and in that respect the Firebolt delivers on every count.

04:18 Buell like to do things differently and they're a brave manufacturer. The Firebolt is a brave

04:22 bike with a lot of interesting technology on it. The engine's always just felt a bit

04:26 on the weedy side. Well I say it's an oddball motorcycle but it's different and I do like

04:32 the look. It's rather uncomfortable but it's quite funky and it can really hold its own.

04:37 So after we've done the maths the combined scores for each of the category gives the

04:42 Buell Firebolt a total score of 74% placing it 9th in our top 10 chart.

04:49 In at number 8 the BMW R1150R. BMW's R1150R is a great bike in its own right but has also

04:57 spawned other notable bike names namely the R1150GS and more recently the Rockster. The

05:04 basics of this bike are very sound indeed. At its heart lies an 1130cc boxer twin motor

05:11 for which BMW is renowned pushing out 85bhp. But it's the smooth, almost lazy way this

05:18 power is produced that makes this engine a great one. Telelever suspension at the front

05:23 means braking forces and suspension are kept apart giving a very smooth and impressive

05:29 ride. BMW use servo assisted brakes which give the bike awesome stopping power. Just

05:35 a single finger will have this bike stopping like it hit a cliff before you know it. Take

05:40 into account BMW's well earned reputation for build quality and reliability and you

05:46 have yourself one great little bike. A really good looking bike and again a bit of an alternative

05:51 to the mainstream of Japanese muscle bikes and things like the Speed Triple. The R1150R

05:58 is I think a very good looking bike. Interesting to look at, looks very different from different

06:04 angles. It's got a sort of a bulldog look to it and so on. But in the end ultimately

06:08 it's a bit soft. The suspension is soft, the engine is very soft and gentle and as

06:13 a muscle bike it doesn't really cut it. Not really a muscle bike, it's more of a middle

06:18 weight and I've got to say I'm not a big fan. So the panel's combined scores for

06:23 each category give the BMW R1150R a total score of 77% putting it firmly into 8th place

06:31 in our top 10 muscle bikes chart. In at 7, Suzuki's Bandit 1200. Suzuki's Bandit 1200

06:39 uses a version of its classic air cooled 1157cc inline 4 and manages to make a respectable

06:46 99bhp. The reliability of this engine is beyond question making this bike a favourite for

06:53 street fighters and stunt nutters. Handling is ok and it's not likely to become a scratchers

06:59 tool but if you want to have some fun it'll let you up to a point. The Bandit is let down

07:05 though by its suspension. Being built to a price it means corners are cut. The front

07:11 forks are underdamped and the rear shock is just not up to the job. Long distance riding

07:17 two up is fine as the seat is pretty comfortable. The pillion's knees aren't wrapped around

07:22 their ears either which all helps. It's a bike that can be sensible if you want it to

07:27 but it can also be the definitive road going stunt bike which if that's what you're looking

07:31 for then maybe this could be the one for you. It feels a bit old compared with its rivals

07:36 now. The engine's a bit buzzy and it's not quite got the rush at the top end. Pretty

07:44 talky in the mid range and so on and it's not bad and stunt riders love them. Suzuki's

07:48 Bandit 1200 launched a thousand wheelies, sold a thousand end cans and has become an

07:53 icon, a cult bike. It's a bit softer than it used to be but it's still a great all rounder

07:57 and not actually a retro bike, it's actually a modern bike. This Suzuki has been around

08:01 for a long time now and I think it's the preferred option of the naughty but nice rider. You

08:07 get a lot of bike for your money and I'm giving this one the thumbs up. Well the Bandit 1200

08:12 has been given a total score of 78% by our panel of experts putting it firmly into 7th

08:19 place in our chart. In at 6, the Suzuki GSX 1400. Retro meeting technology is what this

08:27 bike is all about. It really does look the part with its twin rear shocks, twin exhausts

08:32 and that big naked engine making what you think is an animal quite a beast. Actually

08:38 the bike itself is a bit of a disappointment. That engine is a 1400cc inline 4 throwing

08:44 out 105bhp and torque that a diesel truck would be proud of. But ride is hard and you'll

08:50 soon find that right after that huge mid range surge there's really not much else. Acceleration

08:56 is this bikes forte. Try to run with a big voice for speed and you'll soon find yourself

09:02 looking for a new bike as the top end just isn't there. Fortunately this bike is easy

09:08 to live with allowing you to filter and do all the slow speed stuff you could ever want

09:14 to do. Suzuki have obviously got something right with the GSX 1400 because they're just

09:20 waltzing out of the shops. It's a stonking engine, speedo goes right up to 180mph although

09:26 I don't think you're going to be doing anything like that unless you've got a neck like Arnold

09:29 Schwarzenegger. Amazing motor, loads of grunt, absolutely stacks of grunt and quite a big

09:34 bike as well. Physically, obviously it's a 1400cc bike but the actual chassis is quite

09:39 large as well so smaller riders might be put off. Well I'd say a rather racy looking machine

09:45 and rather lardy. It's all about brute force but it's not a badly priced bike. Right, our

09:51 panel's combined scores for each category give the Suzuki GSX 1400 a total score of

09:57 79% putting it firmly into 6th place in our Muscle Bikes chart. Right, we're halfway through

10:04 our chart of muscle bound monsters but don't go anywhere or we'll be sending them after

10:09 you and you don't want to miss our number one heavyweight now do you? See you in a mo.

10:20 Welcome back to Top 10 Bikes, I'm Louise Brady guiding you through the top 10 tough nuts.

10:25 We're looking at the Muscle Bikes of 2003. But before we rejoin our top 10, let's have

10:31 a quick recap from 10 down to 6. At number 10 is the golden oldie Yamaha's V-Max. In

10:38 at 9, the flashy Buell Firebolt. At number 8, the BMW R1150R. In at 7, the stunt bike

10:47 special Suzuki Bandit 1200. And at 6, the Suzuki GSX 1400. So let's rejoin our countdown

10:58 at number 5. Ducati's monster has been with us for over 10 years now and has had many

11:03 incarnations but there's not been one to match the S4R. Finally, we get the monster that

11:10 everyone has been longing for, utilising that fantastic motor from the old 996. That water

11:17 cooled V-twin gives this bike a neck snapping 111 brake horsepower, combined with enough

11:22 grunt to keep even the most power mad of you out there truly happy. Open the throttle and

11:28 this bike is off like a rocket. But make sure you have a good grip or you'll be left sat

11:33 in the middle of the road watching your pride and joy ride off on its own. The handling

11:37 of this bike is superb, allowing you to carve round all your favourite bends. And if the

11:43 need takes you, this bike is perfectly capable of your typical bad boy behaviour. Be prepared

11:49 to have only one wheel on the deck at any one time. The S4R scores every place where

11:55 its younger brother, the basic monster doesn't. It's got bags and bags of attitude and those

12:00 high level cans just look the part. Ducati's launched loads of monsters over the years

12:07 but this one I think was the one that was most eagerly awaited. It kind of has taken

12:12 the shortcomings of the Monster S4 which was a little bit of a dodgy handling, looks a

12:16 bit too similar to the air cooled monsters and really given it a bit of a real sort of

12:21 edge. Yeah the S4R, that's the one for me, that is just fantastic. You've got first of

12:26 all you've got a 996 Ducati engine and it's very very fast, lots of power, lots of torque.

12:33 I'd say this is the new king of the muscle bikes. The Monster S4R should not be allowed.

12:39 It has a perfect chassis, an awesome motor and it goes like a rocket. It's the daddy.

12:45 So our total tally for each category which is made up of street cred, build quality,

12:50 performance, comfort and value give the Ducati S4R a total score of 80% putting it firmly

12:58 into 5th place in our chart. Sliding into number 4 is the Triumph Speed Triple. Looks

13:04 wise the bike resembles a Daytona that's been crashed and never fully repaired. The lack

13:10 of plastic though seems to suit it and with those strange bug eye headlights this bike

13:15 is very distinctive. Triumph have weaved their handling magic on this bike and it's truly

13:21 fantastic to take down your favourite twisty road as long as you aren't trying for too

13:26 much speed. There is an optional fly screen type fairing available which does actually

13:31 make quite a bit of difference at high speeds as well as adding to the bikes looks. Colours

13:36 have always been a strange one for the Speed Triple with it having been available in metallic

13:40 lime green, bright blue and a rather fetching metallic pink. Actually it does look good

13:46 in the blue and the green and if you fancy being an individual the pink one is an absolute

13:51 must. After all how many pink bikes have you seen around on the roads? In Triumph's range

13:56 the Speed Triple is their defining bike. It's got attitude, it's got performance, it makes

14:01 you feel great when you ride it. It looks good, it really is a stunning bike. It really

14:06 does handle superbly, you've got a fantastic engine, a top chassis, superb brakes and as

14:12 a riding experience complete with the sound as well it's really very very hard to beat.

14:17 The Triumph Speed Triple, a lovely looking machine, it looks very aggressive and I really

14:22 fancy those bug eyed headlights. Ok the power won't blow your socks off but hey at least

14:27 it's British. So our panel's combined scores for each category give the Triumph Speed Triple

14:32 a total score of 81% placing it fourth in our top 10 muscle bikes chart. In at three

14:39 the Yamaha XJR 1300. Yamaha's XJR 1300 has received a much needed facelift for 2003.

14:48 The mods have given it more low down and mid range power making it a fantastically fast

14:53 bike away from the lights. The XJR may not have the hooligan ability of a couple of other

14:58 bikes in this countdown but what it likes it certainly makes up for with character and

15:03 performance. Ground clearance is a little limited but this bike will still tattle all

15:08 types of riding. It's wide comfortable seat makes it ideal for carrying pillions and even

15:13 touring isn't beyond it. The XJR 1300 is a fantastic all round bike so if you feel the

15:20 need for power, retro looks and some handling thrown in for good measure then get down to

15:25 your local dealers now. A gorgeous looking bike, if you get the SP version I think they

15:30 only sell it now in the SP version with Ohlins rear shocks. Fantastic, it looks superb and

15:36 that motor's so gutsy you can pull from top gear with a thousand revs on the clock so

15:42 it's a real torque maester of a motor. One word sums up the XJR 1300, mental. It's full

15:49 on bags of attitude, stonking great engine, it just shouts attitude. Well it's a big lump

15:55 of muscly motorbike and it's certainly got all the toys on board to talk the torque down

16:00 the pub. It's got a serious engine in a good chassis so it really won't disappoint. Therefore

16:06 in third place in our muscle bikes chart is the Yamaha XJR 1300 with our panel's combined

16:12 scores for each category giving the bike 82%. Not quite hitting the top spot is the Honda

16:19 CB1300 in at number 2. New for 2003, Honda's CB1300 carries on a long line of naked retro

16:29 style winners from the big H. It's an update of the old CB1000 and has been available in

16:34 Japan for 5 years. After a total update, Honda are now letting the UK market sample their

16:40 big muscle bike. The engine is now a 1284cc inline 4 which makes around 114bhp which is

16:48 more than enough to get this bike hustling along at a decent old pace. Now the old CB1000

16:55 was always known for plenty of grunt. The new 1300 has added to that with a big boost

17:01 of mid-range power. Now 8kg lighter, this new engine features fuel injection and a new

17:07 emissions control system which should keep those gentlemen in Brussels more than happy.

17:13 A new frame was made to handle the engine's newfound strength and shorter wheelbase and

17:18 better ground clearance should see it handle better around the bends. With the CB1300 you

17:24 should get Honda's legendary build quality and reliability so this bike should mean you

17:29 get plenty of smiles for your miles. The Honda CB1300 matches old school retro looks with

17:35 high tech Honda trickery and the end result is a really good motorbike. Honda's deliberately

17:40 gone for a very very high quality build on that bike and it really shows. There's some

17:44 lovely touches on it and you get a lot of motorcycle for your money and it's extremely

17:49 well made. This Honda should pull like a freight train right down from 2000rpm. Pick a gear,

17:56 any gear and it will hurl you into the horizon at an alarming pace. Tallying together the

18:01 scores for each category of street cred, build quality, performance, comfort and value give

18:07 the Honda CB1300 a total score of 83% putting it firmly into second place in our chart.

18:15 As you wait on tenderhooks to find out which bike the men and motors panel of experts voted

18:20 the number one in the muscle bikes category, let's run down the top ten so far from ten

18:25 to two. At number ten the straight line beast the Yamaha VMAX. At nine the American offering

18:32 Buell Fireball. In at eight the European BMW R1150R. And at number seven the stuntman's

18:40 favourite it's the Suzuki Bandit 1200. Number six finds the Suzuki GSX 1400 while at five

18:48 it's the ferocious Ducati Monster S4R. At four we voted in the British Triumph Speed

18:55 Triple. And at number three it's the Yamaha XJR 1300. At number two it's the new muscle

19:03 bound Honda CB1300. So have you guessed what's at the top spot? The best of the retro beasts

19:11 at number one it's the Kawasaki ZRX 1200. Let's have a little look. First seen as the

19:17 ZRX 1100 this bike has been around for some time now featuring a variation of the old

19:22 ZZR 1100 engine which has been breathed on to make 120 brake horsepower. Ride this bike

19:29 and you almost seem able to get into top gear straight away and just ride along using this

19:34 bike's torque almost like an automatic gearbox. The bike has a retro appearance it really

19:40 doesn't look like a modern day bike. The handling is fantastic and will allow this

19:44 bike to be chucked around the bends like it's on rails which is possibly down to the bike's

19:49 weight of 223 kilos keeping it tracking nicely. I reckon this is the ideal bike for those

19:56 of you out there wanting a proper bike with the engine on show. Retro styling that really

20:02 works and with a touch of plastic to keep some of the worst weathers off you. As with

20:08 all Kawasaki's you should really get it in the green colour scheme as everyone knows

20:12 the green ones are the quickest so they say. For me this is my favourite muscle bike but

20:19 it's got to be in green and it's got to have the bikini fairing on. Fantastic bike,

20:23 brakes are up to the job, handling is good and that engine, get it revving it's top

20:28 fun. The ZRX 1200 is the mean kid on the block. Gutsy engine, well built, well put together,

20:35 looks the part, it's mean. Just one thing though, make sure it's a green one if you

20:40 get one, it just doesn't look right in any other colour. Harks back to Kawasaki's glory

20:45 days of the early 80's and as a motorcycle it actually works really well. The engine's

20:50 strong, the chassis is good, the brakes work really well, it's got a little fairing,

20:54 it's a great bike. The ZRX, I like it for its looks because there's an authenticity

20:59 with Kawasaki's in particular, the big ones. They just look brutal and partly it's because

21:06 of the history because they really were. This is a very good looking bike, the ZRX. It also

21:11 happens to go around corners very well and it's got a powerful engine, it's got a lot

21:15 of torque, 120 horsepower or so at the top end and of those bikes, of the big Japanese

21:21 fours, that's the one for me. I like the ZRX a lot. Well congratulations to Kawasaki there.

21:27 I think one of the reasons it's won is because it's beefy in all the right places and of

21:31 course has that big top end rush and that lovely induction noise you only get from that

21:36 Kawasaki motor. Well our combined scores for each of the categories gave the Kawasaki ZRX

21:42 1200 a total whopping score of 84%, giving it that well deserved number one place in

21:49 our chart. Well thanks very much for this award. This is the second year in a row we've

21:54 won this for the muscle bike, the ZRX 1200R and of course it's been voted for by the journalists

22:01 and we all know that they're extremely difficult people to please so if they're happy, we're

22:06 happy and I'm sure the customers will be happy. I'm Louise Brady saying farewell until next

22:11 week for another chart of top ten bikes. See you then.

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Top Ten Bikes 2003: Episode 6 - Muscle Bikes

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