Is this a real shift in paradigm or merely another passing trend? In naming its top ten best bikes for 2011, Cycle World cites the gaining ground of European bikes against Japanese bikes in the US motorcycle market.
Leaving aside US bike brands, the likes of Ducati and BMW have fared better against a weak dollar than their Japanese counterparts, providing top quality at a price point much closer to the Japanese bikes than years ago.
Models like the Ducati Diavel won for best cruiser, proving that it is well and truly made to fit the American market, and there are no surprises with the BMW K 1600 GT and K 1600 GTL taking out best sport tourer and best tourer.
With Triumph and even Husaberg getting a mention, it looks like Europe’s motorcycle heyday might be back in terms of product, despite the increasingly waning economic conditions for a healthy market.
Cycle World says:Evolution continues, in good times or bad, whether you believe in it or not.
Seems like only yesterday we were content as could be to ride along on our dinosaurs and horses, and now look at us.
One trend continues in 2011: the shift in motorcycle power from Japan to Europe.
Last year, five of our Top Ten came from Japan.
This year, only three—and two of those were bones of contention that required significant gnawing.
A weak dollar hurts bikes from Europe, but not as much as it’s hurt models manufactured in Japan.
Five years ago, the spread between the sporty BMW K1200S and a Kawasaki ZX-10R was about $5K; in 2011, $151 is all that stands between the base BMW S1000RR and a new ZX-10R—and the aftermath of the earthquake that rocked Japan in March isn’t helping matters.
If you’re lucky enough to ride one of these great motorcycles, count your blessings.
As for us, we were lucky enough to ride all of them.
And like Lou Gehrig said, we consider ourselves the luckiest people on the planet.
To see all the winners in detail, check out the Cycle World report.