Top Ten Bikes 2003: Episode 4 - Sports Tourers - 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 Sport Tourer 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!  ---- 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 [Music]

00:15 Hello there and welcome to Top 10 Bikes with me Louise Brady.

00:19 Well once again the Men & Motors panel have considered long and hard

00:23 the best and the worst aspects of bikes available for sale in the UK.

00:28 Bringing you the definitive top 10 list for each category of bikes.

00:33 This week's we've got Sports Tourers.

00:36 This coveted award will be presented to the manufacturer of this week's number one machine.

00:41 The question is which bike will it be?

00:44 Stay tuned and find out this week's winner as it'll be unveiled later in the show.

00:50 Many of us bikers love to travel and see the world.

00:54 If we can do it whilst riding our bikes then all the better.

00:57 But what if you get to the south of France and find your bike in Givena?

01:01 Twisties to die for and you're stuck on a touring bike.

01:06 Well what you need is a Sports Tourer.

01:08 Plenty of comfort for you and your pillion to travel huge distances

01:12 but when you get there a thoroughly competent bike

01:15 that allows you to enjoy those dream twists and turns.

01:19 Time to find out if our top 10 fit that criteria.

01:23 Let's take a look at the bike in 10th position.

01:26 Starting today's countdown is the BMW K1200RS which is in at number 10.

01:32 BMW may be better known for its boxer twin engines

01:35 but many of its top bikes are powered by inline fours.

01:39 The K1200RS features an 1171cc version of that engine

01:44 with 133bhp which may sound good.

01:48 But if I tell you that this bike weighs in at a hefty 285kg

01:53 then you may well think 130kg of your finest isn't good enough after all.

01:58 The K1200RS does its best to provide you with optimum riding experience.

02:04 Bars, footpegs, screen, seat and even the levers have multiple options

02:09 to allow you to tinker till your heart's content

02:12 and hopefully give you that made to measure feel.

02:15 BMW K1200RS does everything you ask of it

02:18 but it's just a little unspied along the way

02:20 and there are so many other bikes out there that do everything it does better and cheaper.

02:25 BMW's K1200RS is the John Major of motorcycling.

02:29 Very accomplished but a little bit lacking in character.

02:33 Just blends in, doesn't really shout anything.

02:36 BMW do the touring thing so much better with their opposed twins, they really do.

02:42 So for me I just don't really get on with this bike, don't like it at all.

02:46 It would be extremely good for covering very long distances

02:50 except the fuel range isn't particularly good which is unusual for a BMW.

02:54 And I think the build quality is over 82 so not a big fan on that one.

02:59 Well I think it's BMW's attempt at a sporty motorcycle but I think they've failed.

03:05 I think it's a good looking machine but it's definitely a heavyweight and not a Prince Nazeem.

03:11 So our combined scores for each category of street cred,

03:14 build quality, performance, comfort and value give the K1200RS a total score of 69%

03:22 putting it firmly in 10th place in our chart.

03:26 In at number 9, the Aprilia Futura.

03:29 Italian bikes haven't in the past had the best reputation for reliability and build quality.

03:34 Well it's time to lose that stereotype once and for all.

03:38 Today's Italian bikes are as good as their Japanese counterparts in all areas.

03:43 Take the Aprilia Futura for example.

03:45 Power comes from a retuned Mille engine, it's a 997cc V-twin lump

03:50 providing a handy 113bhp which gives this bike serious sporting protections.

03:57 Get this bike rolling and you'll soon discover that great brakes, quick steering

04:02 and that grunty engine all combine allowing you to turn your favourite A and B roads into playground.

04:09 For a first attempt the Futura is excellent

04:12 but a little more time and development and fitting are required

04:16 before it can think of claiming that number one spot.

04:20 Aprilia know how to make comfortable bikes, they've got that knack sorted

04:23 and the Futura is one of the most comfortable bikes out there.

04:27 The Futura, I almost don't care how it rides because here's another bike that is very, very ugly.

04:31 I mean this is Varadero proportions, that's how bad it is.

04:34 What a strange styled machine.

04:37 I quite like it but it's really not everyone's cup of tea.

04:40 But to sum it up it's got a half decent chassis and a great engine.

04:44 So our panel's combined scores for each category give the versatile Italian Aprilia Futura

04:50 a total score of 73% placing it 9th place in our top 10 chart of sports tourers.

04:58 Swinging in at number 8 it's the Triumph Sprint RS.

05:02 Triumph seem to be the nearly men in motorcycling.

05:06 Their range is littered with fine bikes that are just bettered by the competition.

05:11 The Sprint RS is one such model based around Triumph's venerable 3 cylinder motor

05:18 taken from the Daytona 955i.

05:21 Of course it's been retuned for more mid-range performance and thankfully it works.

05:26 Visually the RS looks sportier than its brother the ST

05:31 with its sexy half fairing instead of the ST's all over clothing.

05:35 Add this to a double sided swing arm saving a lot of weight for the RS

05:40 and more importantly it makes it a lot cheaper.

05:43 The RS comes in at more than £1000 cheaper than the ST

05:48 which makes it somewhat of a bargain.

05:50 The idiosyncratic styling on the Sprint ST is not going to be to everybody's taste

05:56 but it makes a fair alternative to a VFR 800 if you want something a little bit different.

06:02 Sounds good, rides ok, no problem with it.

06:05 A great bike, the motor's good but not very characterful.

06:09 The actual delivery of it is pretty much like a 90 degree slope.

06:13 There's no real kicks in the pants when perhaps you might want that on something a bit more exciting.

06:19 But saying that, if you're going to do the distance, this is a really good bike.

06:23 The Triumph Sprint RS, well that's quite a pleasant looking machine.

06:26 It's a good all-rounder, it isn't going to scare you with power

06:30 and that triple engine makes a really interesting whining noise.

06:34 So combining our panel score for each category,

06:37 the very British Triumph Sprint RS scores a total of 75%

06:43 and that puts it firmly in 8th place in our top 10 chart.

06:47 In at number 7, it's the first of the Japanese offerings, the Yamaha FJR 1300.

06:54 Yamaha's FJR 1300 follows on in the footsteps of their classic sports tourer, the FJ 1200,

07:02 which was renowned for its reliability and ability to go on forever and ever.

07:07 Power now comes from a 1298 inline 4, putting out a healthy 144 brake horsepower,

07:14 which makes for a smooth and easy to ride bike.

07:18 Add to this a fuss-free shaft drive and you should have the ideal sports tourer.

07:23 But all is not quite right.

07:25 You see, on a tourer, you want to cover huge amounts of miles in plenty of comfort.

07:30 Sadly, the FJR 1300 seat is not quite up to it.

07:35 Many riders complain of aches and pains after short periods in the saddle.

07:40 So even if the bike doesn't need to stop for fuel, you may have to

07:44 to give your aching posterior a chance to recover.

07:48 The FJR 1300 I think falls into this category because it just happens to be quite sporty.

07:54 It's a touring bike, really. I mean, it's a bike that's up against the Honda Pan European and so on,

07:58 but it does go around corners very well.

08:00 On paper, the Yamaha FJR 1300 should be one of the definitive sports tourers.

08:05 Unfortunately, it's not a very comfy bike.

08:08 And after 80 or 90 miles, your backside will be hurting.

08:12 Now, this bike is comfortable. It's definitely more tourer than sport.

08:16 And it's a real mile muncher.

08:18 Now, if you bought one, you'd be pretty safe in the knowledge that it's not likely to let you down.

08:22 But it's just not much to look at.

08:24 So by combining our panel scores for each category,

08:28 the Yamaha FJR 1300 receives a total score of 76%,

08:34 placing it seventh in our sports tourer chart.

08:38 Number six is an Italian favorite, the Ducati ST4S.

08:43 Its predecessor, the ST2 from 1996, was a great success,

08:48 but was felt to be a little underpowered.

08:51 So in reply to people's demands, Ducati gave us the ST4.

08:56 This used the engine from the old 916 that had to be housed in a completely new frame,

09:01 which sadly doesn't handle as well as the ST2.

09:05 Come the year 2000, and we got a brand new model, the ST4S, fitted with a 996 motor.

09:13 It has fully adjustable suspension front and rear, lighter wheels, and nice sticky tires,

09:18 which have given this new model Ducati-like handling once again.

09:23 Options are available, such as ABS for 800 pounds,

09:27 but a standard bike, now selling for around eight grand, is fine as standard.

09:32 Color-coded hard luggage, effective fairing, and a comfy seat for both rider and pillion

09:38 mean this bike is great for getting to the south of France.

09:41 But once there, ditch that luggage and scratch away to your heart's content.

09:47 The ST4 and the ST4S, they're just fantastic bikes.

09:51 They really can do the distances.

09:53 It must be something to do with the image for Italian reliability that puts people off,

09:58 which is a shame, because this is a really, really good bike.

10:01 It's a comfortable bike.

10:03 You're not going to have any problems when you get where you're going,

10:05 and you're going to have fun on the way, because the engine's lifted straight out of the old 996,

10:09 and it's none the worse for that.

10:11 Well, unlike the FJR, the ST4S is definitely more sport than tourer,

10:16 but a great bike for protecting the rider from the elements as you cross those continents.

10:21 Now, it's also a great-looking bike, and I think it'll easily see off the competition.

10:26 So our combined scores give the Italian sports tourer Ducati ST4S a total score of 78%,

10:35 putting it firmly into sixth place in our top-ten chart.

10:40 Well, it's the halfway mark and time for a break,

10:42 but don't go away, as we have more sports tourer treats coming your way.

10:47 In part two, we'll be revealing the number one spot.

10:50 See you then.

10:51 Hello there. I'm Louise Brady, and welcome back to Top Ten Bikes.

11:01 In this week's show, we're looking at sports tourers,

11:04 so let's quickly recap the countdown from ten to six.

11:08 At number ten, the BMW K1200 RS.

11:12 In at nine, the Aprilia Futura.

11:15 And sticking at number eight, flying the flag for the Brits, it's the Triumph Sprint RS.

11:21 At seven in the chart, the reliable Yamaha FJR 1300.

11:26 And slipping in at six, it's the beautiful Ducati ST4S.

11:31 So let's rejoin our countdown at number five.

11:35 And in at five, it's Kawasaki's ZX-12R.

11:39 Kawasaki are a huge company, comprising many areas of manufacturing.

11:44 Fortunately for the biking arm, they also build planes.

11:48 So guess who they went to when designing the ZX-12R.

11:52 The bike's so slippery that you feel it must be hard for the paint to stick on.

11:57 It looks like it's doing 100 miles an hour when it's stood still.

12:01 Powered by an 1199cc inline four, this beast is banging out almost 180 brake horsepower.

12:09 So don't be surprised to hear that it'll reach top speeds of around 185 miles an hour.

12:15 Sadly, the bike's handling is not able to keep pace when the going gets twisty.

12:20 And it's not light either.

12:23 At 213 kilos, this helps to get the suspension tied in knots when you try to scratch with the sports bike boys.

12:31 As a bike, it's great. The snatchiness of the early ZX-12Rs is now eliminated.

12:36 You've not really got that daft running in period where you had to run it in for 10,000 miles

12:40 until you could use 6,000 revs or more or whatever.

12:43 It's a fantastic bike.

12:45 A very solid bike, nice looking bike, and if you like insanely quick machines, then it's ideal.

12:51 It doesn't handle particularly well. It's not particularly comfortable.

12:54 And there are other bikes that are so much better than it is, and better value for money.

12:59 Not the bike I'd choose in this category. There's too many others that do the job better.

13:04 Now we get to the silly bikes.

13:06 The engine produces so much power, especially at the top end.

13:11 But I don't think it's one of the best looking bikes around.

13:14 So the scores on the doors for each category of StreetCred.

13:18 Build quality, performance, comfort and value give the Kawasaki ZX-12R a total score of 80%,

13:26 putting it firmly into fifth place in our chart.

13:30 In at four is the second of the Kawasaki's in our chart. It's the ZZR-1200.

13:36 The ZZR-1200 is the latest bike to carry the famous ZZR badge.

13:42 Nowadays, outright speed and handling is dealt with by the ZX boys,

13:46 leaving this 1200 to deal with the touring side of things.

13:51 Styling goes a lot to the old ZZR-1100 and may not be as sharp as some of its rivals.

13:57 But ZZR owners seem to love its classic or modern looks.

14:02 It features all the important touring items such as bungee hooks, electrical accessory set,

14:09 clock, centre stand and most importantly, a fuel gauge.

14:13 Well, it's obviously a bike in the same mould as the Blackbird and so on.

14:16 A bit more character and style to the looks, but it's an 80s style.

14:19 You either are going to think, yes, I like that. It looks like a proper Kawasaki.

14:24 Or you think, no, that looks a bit dated.

14:26 The George Hamilton of motorcycling. It's had a nip and a tuck here and there and it's come back.

14:31 And hey, it's a new bike.

14:33 The old ZZR is still ticking now with 1200cc instead of 11.

14:38 Of course, it gave up that crown a few years ago, but it's still a serious all-round contender.

14:43 So our panel have done their maths and the combined scores for each category

14:48 give the Kawasaki ZZR-1200 a total score of 81%,

14:54 putting it fourth in our top 10 sports tourist chart.

14:57 Honda's VFR-800 was last year's winner in this category,

15:02 but sadly this year finds itself relegated to third place.

15:06 This year's bike is quite a bit different, having acquired the VTEC varial valve operation.

15:12 This is found on many of Honda's car range, but it's the first officially imported UK bike to feature it.

15:18 Handling-wise, the VFR still has what it takes to embarrass a lot of sportier bikes

15:23 when the going gets twisty.

15:25 At the same time, it allows you and your pillion as much luggage as you can strap on

15:30 to travelling comfort to the other side of the globe.

15:33 This bike lives up to all the VFR traditions of performance, handling and styling,

15:39 although the latest model does look like it has some styling cues taken from Aprilia's Futura.

15:45 The Honda VFR-800 is a polished performer.

15:48 It actually feels like a twin to ride until you really rev it,

15:51 and then it just opens up and goes.

15:53 It's comfortable, it's fast, it'll last 200,000 miles.

15:58 If you want a bike that is going to cover long distances and isn't going to bore you on the way,

16:03 certainly if you're out with a group of mates who are on more hard-headed sports bikes,

16:07 I think the VFR is really going to cut it.

16:10 Many say that the Honda VFR-800 was one of the best motorcycles ever built.

16:15 Relatively light, relatively fast, a great all-rounder, just a superb total package.

16:21 So by combining our panel scores for each category,

16:25 the Honda VFR-800i is in third place in our chart with a total score of 82%.

16:32 Jumping in at number two is the Suzuki GSX-R1300, known to its chums as the Hayabusa.

16:39 Now to call this bike extreme is nothing short of an understatement.

16:44 It's powered by a 172bhp inline four-stroke engine.

16:49 The bike is named after a Japanese bird of prey,

16:52 and will rocket towards a top speed of, wait for it, 200 miles an hour.

16:58 Everything about this bike is focused on speed,

17:01 from the nose fairing through to the bodywork and then finishing on the rear seat unit.

17:07 You see, the airflow is passed faultlessly around the Hayabusa and any soul mad enough to ride it.

17:14 However, as a true sports tourer, the Hayabusa falls short of others in its class,

17:19 and that's because of its fantastic drag-efficient design that lacks any sort of substantial storage space.

17:26 What it lacks in storage space for those long hauls to the south of France,

17:30 it more than makes up for in street cred, poseability and, most importantly, performance.

17:36 The Hayabusa, for me, this is the mad one.

17:39 I mean, it's the only bike I've ever ridden that will wheelie and spin the rear wheel at the same time when you open the throttle.

17:45 Now, I mean, it's got to be worth buying a bike just for that.

17:48 It's so great to be a biker when you can turn around to someone who drives a car,

17:52 and you can say, for about eight and a half grand,

17:55 I've got a bike which can go faster than a Ferrari or a Porsche 911 or whatever.

18:00 I mean, that's what we've got here, an amazing bike,

18:03 which in restricted form can do 186 miles an hour.

18:06 It's probably still the fastest bike out there because of its aerodynamics.

18:09 Well, I say the Hayabusa is truly the king of sports touring,

18:13 although it does take some muscle to haul that bike around those hairpins.

18:18 Well, the Kawasaki may be the fastest in a straight line,

18:21 but I tell you what, the mid-range on that Suzuki puts the ZX-12 to shame.

18:26 So let's take a look at the combined scores for each category of street cred.

18:30 Build quality, performance, comfort and value

18:34 give the Suzuki Hayabusa a total score of 83%.

18:39 So what is number one in the sports tourer category?

18:43 Well, I'm going to keep you in suspense for a little longer

18:46 whilst I run down the top ten lists so far from ten to two.

18:51 At number ten, we have BMW's K1200RS.

18:56 Storming in at number nine, the Aprilia Futura.

19:00 At number eight, the very British Triumph Sprint RS.

19:05 Slipping in at seven, the good old Yamaha FJR1300.

19:10 And another Italian in at number six, it's the Ducati ST4S.

19:16 While at five, it's the Kawasaki ZX-12R.

19:20 At four, we voted in the Kawasaki ZZR1200.

19:25 At number three, it's the Honda VFR800i VTEC.

19:30 And at number two, it's the very powerful Suzuki GSX-R1300 Hayabusa.

19:37 And the number one spot this year goes to the Honda Blackbird.

19:42 The Blackbird first appeared in 1997, bringing forth a new breed of hyper bikes

19:48 that combine outrageous top speed with practical all-round capability.

19:53 With stiff competition from Suzuki's Hayabusa and Kawasaki's ZX-12R,

19:58 the Blackbird still holds its own, all thanks to a unique combination of practicality,

20:03 build quality and superb handling, which is surprising for such a big, heavy bike.

20:09 The engine is superb and full of punch.

20:12 The fuel injection boasts mid-range power and the top end is incredible.

20:17 Open the throttle and you're hitting warp speed.

20:21 Look out, Millennium Falcon. So let's see why it was placed in the number one spot.

20:27 The bike really shifts. It handles sublimely, brilliantly built and put together, and it still stands up.

20:34 I think it says a lot for this bike that it's not had any major changes since it was launched back in the end of 1996.

20:41 They've added fuel injection to it and just ironed out a few things, but it's pretty much stayed the same.

20:47 I'm going to annoy a lot of people here because the Blackbird's got a big fan base.

20:52 I just think it's fast but forgettable. I think it's extraordinarily quick, but it eats up tyres,

20:59 which to me means it's not actually very good at touring.

21:03 It looks like a piece of soap, doesn't it?

21:07 It'll go on forever again. It's a Honda. The build quality's very good,

21:11 but I can't see any particular reason to go and buy one.

21:14 Honda Blackbird, super fast, super reliable, super comfortable.

21:18 It's the kind of bike you can do 3,000 miles in in a few days, and it will always, always get you home.

21:24 Well, the Blackbird has a real stealth look to it, and you can slip away from traffic without anyone really noticing.

21:30 It's supremely comfortable. The engine is very smooth, and it'll deliver you to your destination without you even noticing.

21:38 Well, the panel's combined scores for each category gave the punchy Honda Blackbird a total score of 86%,

21:45 confirming it as the number one sports tourer for 2003.

21:49 So, congratulations to Honda.

21:52 It's great to be accepting this award for the Blackbird. The bike is now five years old,

21:56 and for it to still be winning awards this late in its life is a really great thing.

22:00 We think we've had a real winner, and obviously other people do too, so thank you very much.

22:04 So, that's it for another week. Hope you've enjoyed this edition of Top 10 Bikes.

22:09 Join us next time for the Top 10 Insurance Friendlies. See you then.

22:13 [Music]

22:42 (explosion)

22:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Top Ten Bikes 2003: Episode 4 - Sports Tourers

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