Bike Maniacs

Base Price : $6500 Honda's middleweight sportbike, The CBR500R, is one of those rare bikes with wide appeal. It's a great machine for first time riders as well as seasoned enthusiasts that appreciate the nimble size, low price, and solid handling. The 471cc parallel twin is smooth and torquey and happy to rev, and the suspension is very comfortable and compliant, whether around town or in the canyons. The CBR500R benefitted from some substantial changes last year including a revised suspension, new styling, and both a new exhaust and intake. Translation? It looks and sounds even better than before. But what hasn't changed is its status has a gateway to sport bike culture. This year’s updated CBR500R and its twin-cylinder siblings, the naked CB500F and adventure styled CB500X, replace models that have been among Honda’s best and most successful of recent years. Precisely targeted at the European A2 class for relatively young and inexperienced riders, the trio w...

Base Price : 8'700 $ It's no secret we have a weakness for Retro-styled bikes. And the new Yamaha SCR 950 hits all the right notes. Just check out the sweet vintage lace wheels and old school number plates. The SCR looks like something that would roll right out of Steve McQueen's garage in the 1970s. The new on-off road scrambler-style machine is based on the bones of the Yamaha Bolt cruiser, including its 942cc air-cooled Twin. But the transformation to SCR was accomplished by adding a taller suspension and handlebars for a comfier riding position. Of course with relatively modest underpinnings, the SCR won't keep up with the more focused bikes dedicated to dirt sports or backroad hustling. But with an easy-riding personality, classic style, and an estimated 51 mpg, the SCR is a bike that looks like a weekend toy but makes for an excellent daily rider.  This is one of those bikes that you simply have to look past the spec sheet and ride, as on paper t...