Dreaming of Riding Weather to Come

Activity at the entry level of the sportbike class was evident at Kawasaki, which showed its ‘08 Ninja 250R, a thorough makeover of a longtime favorite. The revamped model, which sells for $3,499, has racier-looking bodywork and an updated two-cylinder engine. Kawasaki has also overhauled the Ninja ZX-10R with a new ram-air intake system and improved brakes.

Honda’s display showcased the new CBR1000RR, a redesigned model noteworthy for its low-mounted MotoGP-style exhaust sytem. But the CBR600RR, a longtime leader of the 600cc class, also struck a imposing figure in its new Graffiti paint scheme. The nearly flat-black finish is a $300 option on the standard $9,599 machine.

At the top rung of the sport machines in the Javits Center was the Ducati 1098R, heartbreakingly handsome and racetrack-ready, right down to the eight-level traction control system. The price tag, if you must ask, will read $39,900, but with 186 horsepower the “couple of hundred” 1098Rs Ducati says it will bring here ought to sell out quickly.
A motorcycle show in Manhattan at the end of December is bound to be a flop, right? Well, judging by the crowd of riders lined up at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center last Friday, that would be a bad assumption.
The dead-of-winter date for the New York stop of the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show is by now something of a tradition, coinciding for many enthusiasts with the onset of holiday-break cabin fever and an urgent need to see the newest models. Nevermind the weather outside (actually rather mild this year); warm weather is only months away.
The show, which ran through Sunday, Dec. 30, always offers a wide range of diversions. On the program this year were a stunt show, a custom bike showcase and a display of record-breaking streamliners that made history on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The highlight of this group was the current speed champion for two-wheelers, at 350.884 miles an hour, the brilliant red Bub Seven.
Still, the show’s main attraction was the hardware soon to be available in dealerships, which included entries in almost every class of machinery, from a revamped version of Suzuki’s Haya