Kawasaki W800

Japan – motorcycle – 800cc

Perfection epitomized...except, um...that it's not available in the US and there's no kickstart. Kawasaki Corporate please fix asap.

For two short years, about a decade ago, Kawasaki sold the little 650cc sister of this bike in the US. Not many people bought it and it was pulled off the shelf. Now they are so collectible you pay the same price (and often more) that they were sold for new in 1999. The W800 is not sold in the USA and no one can understand why. It has to be a conspiracy of some sort though I'll be damned if I know what it is. The W’s boast the most gorgeous set of lungs ever implanted in a motorcycle (my opinion only folks, no hate mail please), the most comfortable riding position, the maximum possible vintage panache on any retro-modern scoot and, last but not least, pure thoroughbred Kawasaki reliability. The only mistake Kawa made was excluding the kickstart: I’m a fan of kickers not simply because they complete the old-school visage, but having taken some seriously longhaul rides in far flung places there have been times when my life has (probably quite literally) been saved by being able to get the motor running even with a flat battery. I hope they put it on next years model. And import that improved model here. Other than that, this is the new love of my life (or week) and I would fly to the UK to buy one and ride it around the world to the US if necessary, just to own her.

Ryca Café Racer/Streettracker

USA – motorcycle – 650cc

What is it? It’s a beautiful and ingenious café racer expertly crafted by a rocket scientist in California! Actually Casey Stevenson is a visionary in many regards. Firstly he recognized the wonderful Suzuki engine for what it was -- namely a single cylinder, twin combustion chambered, air cooled, 4-stroke engine with a single 40mm Mikuni carb belting out ladles of mid range torque for the kind of riding that gives hardened bikers a shit-eating grin. It is the only engine of its exact type and displacement in any current day street-legal production motorcycle and probably the simplest engine setup anytime, anywhere (equal in engineering brilliance to my favorite thumpers, the Honda 99cc engine used in the current CRF and the Suzuki 250cc used in the current TU250). Good find #1. Secondly, the full cradle frame this engine normally resides in is the simplest frame geometry and the most adaptable for customizing. Because many modern production bikes use the engine as a stressed component then full cradle frames are rare, and custom flattracker frames can cost a small fortune so this is good find #2. Belt drive is good find #3 – sweet, clean, quiet power delivery that is very kind to the engine it stems from and promotes all round mechanical longevity. Then with some artistically styled components Casey has found the perfect balance of function and cool. With all these good finds “chance” suddenly becomes a non sequitur as it is displaced by genius -- and the CS-1 is the butterfly to the S40 caterpillar as it metamorphoses a non-descript little cruiser into a seriously sexy ride dripping with thump and style. Though we must tip our hats to Suzuki for assembling so many wonderful parts in a single perambulator, it is the necromancer Mr Stevenson who gets final praise for sighting the potential secreted therein. I shall watch from the sidelines with bated breath to see what this man’ll conjure up next!

Genuine Stella

USA – scooter - 148cc

I recently bumped into this little cutie on the street and immediately fell head-over-heels! This is the quintessential marriage of retro and modern wrapped in an ergonomic wet dream. If you are an environmentalist then this mode of transport is an obligation (recorded 90-120mpg). If you are a poseur then this is the one accessory (bar underwear) you cannot live without. If you are allergic to plastic bodywork then this stamped-steel steed will steal your heart. If you enjoy sunny jaunts along country lanes with your buddy then these are your wheels. If you are on a date with a picnic hamper and a paramour on the back (and mischief on your mind) then this is the sweet spot that’ll get you to home base. If you are tired of the rat race and accelerated modernity, then this is the antidote. There is no way of looking at Stella without falling in love because nothing oozes romance like this pretty lady whether she’s nimbly lane splitting inner city gridlocks or waltzing through the rural curves -- it’s the little scooter that could and the one you shouldn’t let get away. Hasten to genuinescooters.com and get 'em while they're hot!

Yamaha V-Star Custom

Japan/USA - motorcycle - 650cc

I'm very partial to air-cooled engines: generally tougher than nails and leaner in looks they just suit my aesthetic sensibilities better. My current favorite in the Yamaha line up is a very curvy number called the V-Star Custom which comes in all black and has the bare minimum in bells & whistles, and all for under $7k. Admittedly it's only a 650cc but if you're not size-ist and when it's delivered by a refined Japanese powerplant it's very often all you need for most applications. It has nice hardtail looks with softail comfort, a decent saddle for two-up and a neuvo-retro headlamp that I kinda like. I would probably stick a pair of 16" apes on it (or a drag bar) and pop out the muffler end cones before I rolled it off the factory floor but that done I reckon you'd have a mean dependable chop that'd garner envious looks and get you around in style. Having ironbutted this fair land of ours and visited almost every state in the saddle, I can tell you that rock-solid dependability is my mantra. This bike delivers that and enough cool factor to earn you street cred too.

Sportster Forty-Eight

USA – motorcycle – 1200cc

Harley Davidson is now thinking! I just viewed the HD website – something I haven’t done in a while – and I was impressed. The new lineup of Sportsters is rocking! Finally HD have broken away from the same old predictable models and taken cues from our nation’s great custom builders to construct radical rides that are actually handsome and will appeal to a broader range of young up-and-coming bikers. An applause is due for the design team and financial facilitators at HD. My personal favorite is the Forty-Eight. This is a gorgeous piece of mechanical ass that makes my heart melt and actually caused me to question my longstanding adoration for the Yamaha V-Max – not that they can be compared for any other reason than they both have 2 wheels – but because gazing on the Forty-Eight made me rethink my riding motives; rocket-ship-straight-lining versus cool-hooligan-rampaging. I love it. It is now my new pinup. I gaze at her and daydream, and suspect she’ll soon be my new mistress for romping getaways while all my other girls sit patiently, forlornly, in the garage.