Top Ten Bikes 2003: Episode 1 - Super Sports - video Dailymotion

Men and Motors

In this new series of Top Ten Bikes, 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 Super Sports 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

Transcript

00:00 Hello there, I'm Louise Brady and welcome to this new series of Top Ten Bikes. Once

00:20 again the Men & Motors panel have deliberated long and hard over the best and worst aspects

00:25 of the bikes available for sale in the UK, bringing you the definitive Top Ten list for

00:30 each of the categories of bikes. Well, here it is, the coveted award that will be presented

00:36 to the manufacturer of this week's number one machine. The question is, which bike will

00:41 it be? Well, stay with us and this week's winner will be unveiled later in the show.

00:46 Now firstly, I'd like to thank you if you've taken the time to vote on the Men & Motors

00:50 website for your favourite bike. At the end of the series there'll be a special show where

00:55 we'll find out if you agree with the voting of the panel. The panel have scored each of

01:00 the bikes using the following categories. Street cred, build quality, performance, comfort

01:05 and value. No bike will be bad enough to score 0% and none will be good enough to score 100%.

01:12 50% is a good average, but for any bike to win it'll need to be better than average.

01:18 Now I'm one of the panellists and as the show progresses we'll meet the other journalists

01:22 involved. So let's get started on the countdown of this week's category, super sports bikes.

01:28 Ask any rider to name a sports bike and you can guarantee that they'll mention at least

01:32 one of the bikes in this week's show. They may not be the most practical of bikes, but

01:37 they're the nearest you'll get to a race bike on the road.

01:41 Here we are on the start line for this season's first outing. Let's look at the bike in 10th

01:47 position. All bikes have two wheels, at least one seat,

01:51 one engine and some bodywork of some kind or another. So how is it that some bikes just

01:56 look more right than others, more eye-catching and dare I say, more sexy? One such bike is

02:02 our number 10 entry, the MV Agusta F4. Designed by Massimo Tamburini and launched

02:09 back in 1999 to an excited world, this bike was not just a new motorcycle, it was the

02:15 catalyst for MV Agusta's explosive return to the biking world. MV Agusta was formed

02:21 in 1945 and was stunningly successful in bike racing, winning 17 consecutive world championships

02:28 before sadly going out of business in 1977. The 1990s brought a change of fortunes when

02:34 Kojima bought the company and the launch of the F4 capped off the return of one of motorcycling's

02:40 most famous marks. Sadly, the F4 doesn't perform quite as well as the looks suggest,

02:47 but being such an object of desire makes people forgive its shortcomings. Handling and braking

02:52 is superb, but the engine's constant need to be revved harder than a 50cc two-stroke

02:58 is its downfall. Let's find out what our panel think of that.

03:02 The only reason for buying the MV Agusta really is it's sexy as hell and it's got heritage

03:08 too. If a bike's ability was judged by the way it looks, then the MV Agusta would have

03:12 to walk off with a prize. It's a gorgeous looking bike which perhaps on the track doesn't

03:17 cut it with the Japanese bikes, but you know, parked up outside a cafe, what are you going

03:23 to want to look at? The F4 MV Agusta isn't just a motorcycle, it's actually a work of

03:28 art. You could stick it on your wall and spend the rest of your life looking at it. That's

03:31 probably the best thing to do with it really, because actually as a riding experience, it's

03:34 not that good. The engine's just not strong enough. Well, I think it's probably one of

03:39 the most beautiful motorcycles ever created. That paint job, certainly for the new '04

03:45 bikes, is one to be proud of. So our combined scores for each category of street cred, build

03:51 quality, performance, comfort and value give the MV Agusta a total score of 77%, putting

03:58 it firmly in the 10th place of our chart. Well, the only Brit to feature in this week's

04:03 chart is in at number 9. It's the Triumph Daytona 955i. The realm of the superbike is

04:10 firmly dominated by the big name Japanese and Italian firms, and it's so good to see

04:15 the flag is still being flown by the best of British firm Triumph, in the form of their

04:21 flagship Daytona 955i. Launched in 1997, revised three years later, and then later reworked

04:29 in 2001, the Daytona is as British as a nice cup of tea. Early Daytonas had a few teething

04:36 troubles, soft chassis, heavy steering and questionable looks. Now, third time lucky,

04:41 things are looking much better for this superbike. Powered by a 955cc four-stroke three-cylinder

04:47 engine, the Daytona is Europe's most powerful production superbike, producing 147 brake

04:53 horsepower at 10,000 revs. However, light it is not. Weighing in at 188 kilos, it's

05:01 clear to see this power is a necessity and not a luxury. And being priced towards the

05:07 lower end of the superbike market, the Daytona would make a very worthy investment. The question

05:13 is, do you dare to be different? Well, now you've seen the bike, let's find out what

05:17 our panellists thought.

05:19 Triumph's Daytona 955i is no headbanger, but it is smooth, it's fast, it's comfortable

05:25 and it's British, and that matters. The 955i doesn't really work if you think you're getting

05:31 a full-on super sport bike, like a GSXR 1000. It's not quite there. Well, it's a little

05:38 long in the tooth now, it's weighing more and it's certainly producing less horsepower

05:42 than many of its competitors, but it's British and we want to love it. So, our combined scores

05:48 for each category give the best of British Triumph 955i a total score of 79%, putting

05:56 it firmly in ninth place in our chart.

05:59 In at number eight is another Italian beauty, the Benelli Tornado. Now, Benelli is one of

06:04 the great names in Italian motorcycling, with many TT victories and GP crowns under its

06:09 belt. Benelli was the darling of the 1960s. The factory ceased production in the '70s

06:16 and it wasn't until the mid '90s that Benelli's fortunes turned round due to the scooter boom.

06:22 Then in 2002, Benelli bounced back onto the sports bike scene with the Tornado 3. The

06:28 creator of this bike is Adrian Morton and he's British no less. So, puff your chest

06:33 out with pride and bask in the glory that is the Tornado. Unless you were lucky to get

06:39 hold of one of the £23,000 originals, then you're going to have to slum it with the Tornado

06:44 3 Novocento, which only costs around £11,000.

06:49 Styling remains the same with under seat radiator and extractor fans. Performance remains high

06:55 class. Its hybrid steel alloy frame combined with Brembo brakes and wheels gives you outstanding

07:01 ride quality.

07:02 An 898cc triple engine gives you 141 brake horsepower and a top speed of around 170 miles

07:10 an hour. All meaning this bike has the ability to walk the walk and most definitely talk

07:16 the talk.

07:17 Well that's our Benelli Tornado, let's see what the boys think.

07:19 It's a beautiful three cylinder motor. Gorgeous looking bike. I mean, absolutely stunning

07:24 thing.

07:25 Perhaps in this company, if it's performance you're after, you'd be better placed going

07:29 after one of the other bikes.

07:30 Well it's a beautiful machine, bristling with innovation and technology and a real serious

07:35 contender to the 999 and RSV. So our combined scores for each category given by our panel

07:42 means that the Italian stallion that is the Benelli Tornado has scored 80%, putting it

07:47 firmly in 8th place in our charts.

07:50 Okay next up we have the Kawasaki ZX9R at number 7.

07:55 In 1994 Kawasaki managed to carry on its tradition of creating outstanding 900cc bikes. Following

08:02 on from the Z1 of the 70s and the GPZ900R of the 80s came the ZX9R. Sadly for Kawasaki,

08:10 Honda had introduced their Fireblade in 92, which brought with it previously unsurpassed

08:15 levels of performance, handling and styling. It was against this bike that the ZX9R would

08:22 compete and right from the start it became clear that it was no blade beater.

08:27 The bikes downfall is its weight. It's always been heavier than the opposition, which may

08:32 improve handling but ultimately spoils your ability to accelerate and brake with the best

08:36 of them. 2002 saw the last in a long line of updates for the ZX9R which have brought

08:42 it as close as ever to its rivals. A new frame, swingarm and revised suspension, allied to

08:48 engine upgrades have made this the best version yet, but it's still the equivalent of your

08:53 portly mate taking on Linford Christie. So let's find out what our panel think.

09:00 It's comfortable, it's fast, it's practical and it's extremely reliable. It's extraordinarily

09:05 quick and it's a very endearing engine. It delivers its power very, very rapidly, really

09:11 up front. You see I think this bike doesn't really

09:14 belong here. It's a real pie muncher of a bike. OK, it's got a decent engine and good

09:20 enough stoppers, but it's still a little bit out of its league. So our combined scores

09:25 for each category give the Kawasaki ZX9R a total score of 81%, swatting it firmly in

09:32 seventh place in our chart. And jumping in at number six is the Honda

09:37 SP2. The Honda SP1 was developed with racing in mind and held few concessions to comfort

09:44 or practicality. As a race bike it was an immediate success, winning the Superbike title

09:49 first time out. On the road it was awesomely fast and handled impeccably, but was too harsh

09:55 in its throttle response. A bike designed to do nearly 200 miles an hour on the track

10:00 didn't like to be trickled through traffic, lurching like a drunk at closing time. 2002

10:07 bought the first upgrade, the SP2. The changes involved few modifications to the engine,

10:12 producing more power, but more importantly making the bike smoother at lower speeds.

10:18 These modifications make it a more pleasant bike to ride, but one of the main criticisms

10:22 of the original remains, namely the pathetic tank range of only 100 miles. Now if ridden

10:28 hard the SP2 will return even less than that, which is fairly laughable for a modern sports

10:33 bike. So let's hear it from the rest of the panel.

10:35 And it has got a bit of history, you know, it's won the world superbike title. It's

10:39 just that as a road bike perhaps there are better bikes out there. I think it suffers

10:44 from being pretty good at everything, but not great at anything in particular. And with

10:49 world superbikes going down in the ratings, I think the days of that type of bike are

10:56 numbered really. The Honda SP2, very successful on the racetrack,

11:00 but couldn't quite cut it as a road bike. The problem was a lot of riders were put off

11:05 by its quirky handling, but still, at the heart there's that thumping Honda V-twin

11:11 engine, which we love. Well therefore the panel's combined scores for each category

11:16 give the smooth and fast Honda SP2 a total score of 82%, putting it firmly in sixth place

11:22 in our chart. Well sadly that's it for the first half of

11:25 the show, but make sure you join us again in part two and see which bike is crowned

11:30 king of the super sports bikes. See you soon.

11:33 Hello there, I'm Louise Brady and welcome back to Top 10 Bikes. Well in this week's

11:44 show we're looking at super sports bikes and here's a quick recap of the countdown so far

11:48 from 10 to 6. Well in at number 10 it's the beautiful MV

11:53 Augusta. At number 9 it's the definitely British Triumph Daytona 955i. And slipping ahead at

12:00 number 8 it's the gorgeous Benelli Tornado. Number 7 with Kawasaki's ZX9R and just ahead

12:07 at number 6 with the Honda SP2. Well at number 5 in our top 10 of sports

12:12 bikes it's the Ducati 999. With the 999 Ducati have improved on what many thought was perfection

12:19 and at the same time make the bike moderately more usable for everyday use. The riding position

12:25 is slightly less radical, meaning you no longer need to own your own personal chiropractor

12:29 to meet you at the end of every ride. Now this doesn't mean it's comfortable but the

12:33 old bum in the air riding style has been softened which gives your wrist and neck a bit of an

12:38 easier time. Seat padding is sadly lacking so long journeys don't make much sense on

12:44 this bike but when it comes to the twisties, mamma mia, can this bike handle? Let's find

12:49 out what our panel think of that. It's one of the sweetest bikes out there to

12:52 ride and ultimately riding a bike is what it's all about. It was always going to be

12:57 tough to replace the Ducati 916 but the 999 I think has done that with the benefit of

13:02 a year or so of people getting used to it. It's looks initially I didn't like. The

13:07 looks have been I think like the Hayabusa and like many other bikes in the past few

13:12 years you kind of have to get used to it but what Ducati have finally dialled into their

13:16 sports bikes is flexibility. You would not be disappointed with the 999 it really is

13:23 a very special bike still. The Ducati 999, well this bike was certainly met with mixed

13:28 reviews when it was launched although I've got to say it's certainly growing on me.

13:33 So our combined scores for each category means that the Ferrari of the biking world, the

13:38 Ducati 999 has a total score of 83% putting it firmly in 5th place in our chart. And in

13:45 at number 4 is another Italian, the Aprilia RSV Millie. Aprilia's ability to produce

13:51 quality motorbikes is undoubted. They have achieved great success in MotoGP racing both

13:56 in the 125 and 250 classes so it came as no surprise when they launched the RSV Millie

14:02 back in 1998. Until the Millie was created the Ducati 916 was unrivalled in terms of

14:09 style, character and performance. And whether you find its appearance attractive or not

14:14 the Millie's styling was heavily influenced by Aprilia's quest for aerodynamic supremacy.

14:19 Some people argue that it's the best looking thing to come from Italy since Sophia Loren

14:24 whilst others might say that it's about as appealing as a cold pizza. Aprilia feel that

14:29 if it's not broken then fix it anyway and have a new model, why not? The RSV 1000 R

14:35 which will be available for 2004. Well fingers crossed it's as good as its ancestors. Well

14:41 now you've seen the bike let's find out what our panellists thought.

14:45 Aprilia's first big bike ever was extremely good and the new version is fantastic. The

14:50 Aprilia Millie is that rare combination of usability and performance with that little

14:54 bit of Italian extra that makes you want to own it. It's awesomely fast, superb out the

14:58 corners and it looks like a real cracker. So our combined scores for each category give

15:04 the Aprilia RSV Millie, wait for it, a total score of 84% putting it firmly into 4th place

15:12 in our chart. In at number 3 is a Japanese favourite, the

15:16 Yamaha R1. Now there are certain bikes that the mere mention of their name produces a

15:21 manic grin and wild eyes on any biker. Introduced in 1998 to an unsuspecting public this bike

15:28 had one aim, take the super sports crown from the current king, the Fireblade and this it

15:34 did by a combination of killer power, good looks and lively handling. Many R1 aficionados

15:41 claim that the first model is by far the best. The 2002 upgrade featured a large number of

15:46 changes including even more power, revised bodywork and slightly less lively handling.

15:52 With its 20 valve motor in full flow the R1 is the ultimate in power and handling. Now

15:58 combine this with its suspension improvements and you have the ultra stable road holding

16:03 benchmark to which others strive to be. Coupled with suitability lean, in your face aggressive

16:09 styling and it's obvious why so many riders get their adrenaline pumping on the R1. So

16:15 let's see what our panel of road testers have to say about that.

16:19 Yamaha reinvented themselves with their R1 but the 2003 model is almost too good, too

16:24 polished, too smooth to excite people. Where the Yamaha R1 really scores over the

16:28 opposition is its looks. It is one of the finest looking sports bikes to come out of

16:35 Japan. It's a great bike, superb to take on a track day and not too intimidating to

16:40 live with. So our combined scores for each category have

16:43 given the knee sliding, wheelie popping action that is the Yamaha R1 a total score of 85%,

16:51 putting it firmly into third place in our chart.

16:55 In at number two is a Japanese legend, the Honda Fireblade. The blade was launched back

17:00 in 1992, taking the world by storm. Introducing a new standard of performance and handling,

17:06 it took all the other manufacturers by surprise and having no direct competition, the bike

17:11 became the ultimate sports bike. To maintain that market lead, Honda gave it several facelifts

17:16 along the way but managed to lose some of the original blade's excitement and character.

17:21 In the 2000 incarnation, the bike rediscovered itself. Its engine grew to 929cc, weighed

17:28 only 170kg and its handling was razor sharp, very reminiscent of the original.

17:34 2003 signals the start of the blade's second decade and its final year of production. Ironically,

17:40 the 2003 blade is probably the nearest to the original that there's been. Now powered

17:46 by a 954cc engine, producing 149bhp and weighing a mere 168kg, it's recaptured the character,

17:55 performance and sharp handling that made the Fireblade the best selling liter class sports

18:00 bike of all time. So let's see what the panel think about the blade.

18:05 While some people are going to be going out and getting GSXR 1000s, the real world road

18:09 riders are probably going to go for Fireblade. The Fireblade might not be as full on, as

18:14 fully accomplished and quite as quick as a GSXR 1000, but as everybody knows, most real

18:20 world riding is done on the road, it's not done on a track.

18:23 As a road bike, a lot of people prefer it. It's just a little bit more forgiving and

18:29 you can make it go quicker when you're not quite trying so hard.

18:34 Well I really can't fault it. Well the thing is it's not the lightest or the fastest of

18:38 bikes, what it is is a great all round package. So our panel's combined scores for each category

18:44 give the Japanese legend the Honda Fireblade a total score of 86%, putting it firmly into

18:51 second place of our top 10 super sports bike chart.

18:55 So before we reveal which bike the Men & Motors panel of experts voted the number one in the

19:00 super sports category, let's run down the chart so far.

19:04 At number 10, the first of our Italian beauties, the MV Agusta. In at 9, it's the best of British

19:09 Triumph Daytona 955i. At number 8, the Italian comeback, Benelli

19:15 Tornado. And in at 7, the value for money rocket ship, Kawasaki ZX-9R.

19:22 In at number 6 is the all improved Honda SP2. While at 5, it's the biking Ferrari, Ducati's

19:29 999. At number 4, we voted in the monster Aprilia

19:33 Mille. So in the top 3 and at number 3, it's the knee sliding, eye popping Yamaha R1.

19:40 In at number 2, it's not quite making the top spot, it's the legendary Honda Fireblade.

19:46 So have you guessed what's at the top? In at number 1 is a bike that has changed

19:50 the super sports hierarchy forever. It's the Suzuki GSX-R1000.

19:56 From the start, Suzuki wanted this bike to dominate its class. Its nearest rivals were

20:00 extremely capable and had a fanatical following. Obviously, Suzuki had to make a bike that

20:06 was faster, lighter and more powerful than anything seen in this class before.

20:11 But why just stop there? Why not be outrageous and make a bike with 138 brake horsepower

20:17 at the back wheel, a bike that handled like a GP racer and a bike that made grown men

20:22 cry in fear? Come 2003, Suzuki obviously thought that the

20:27 GSX-R1000 wasn't mad enough and treated the bike to an overhaul. The new bike turns quicker

20:33 and steers truer, making it as close to a road going race bike as they dare.

20:38 So let's see why it was placed at number 1.

20:41 There are going to be lots of us out there who will, for whatever reason, want to have

20:47 the best sports bike, the best, biggest sports bike. And for many reasons, the Suzuki GSX-R1000

20:53 is that. It is a fantastic bike. It's fabulously quick.

20:58 The handling is flawless. The brakes, they just make your nose bleed.

21:05 Suzuki's GSX-R1000 is a true super bike in every meaning of the word. What it actually

21:09 needs is slick tyres, tyre warmers and Donington Park to get the most out of it.

21:13 So congratulations to Suzuki. This is a bike that deserves the honour because it's an

21:18 awesomely powerful machine, sometimes almost too powerful.

21:22 You know, every time you get on the Suzuki GSX-R1000, you have a thrilling and memorable

21:28 ride. Our combined scores for each category of street cred, build quality, performance,

21:33 comfort and value gave the Suzuki GSX-R1000 a whopping score of, ta-da, 87%. So congratulations

21:43 to Suzuki.

21:44 On behalf of Suzuki GB, I would like to thank Menor Motors for this award for the GSX-R1000

21:49 this year. The GSX-R1000 has topped the sales charts this season and I think that alone

21:56 probably makes it justify this award. So thank you once again.

22:00 Well sadly it's time to go, but don't forget if you disagree with the panel, you can make

22:05 your own votes on the Menor Motors website. The viewers special will be at the end of

22:09 the series. Join us next time for the top 10 street and naked bikes, but for now it's

22:15 bye bye and stay Rubberside Down.

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Top Ten Bikes 2003: Episode 1 - Super Sports

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