There’s nothing more frenetic that spikes an adrenaline rush faster than sitting astride a broad-shouldered, muscular mass of throbbing metal, or lean, sleek and super-chiselled hunk of hot steel; and on doing so, all of life becomes a short, barely glimpsed blur of action-packed vignettes.
Here are just four of those machines that spell power, rebellion, desire and all those forbidden feelings that are best left to the deepest, darkest recesses of your heart.
The Devilishly Divine Ducati Diavel
Touted the insanely hottest bike of the year, the Diavel was dubbed the Mega Monster of the bike world prior to its unveiling in early 2011. Wildly styled and category-defying, this redefinition of Ducati’s power-cruisers possesses the supreme handling, potent stopping force and the hallmark L-Twin power that has for so many years defined Ducati’s sporting heritage.
The Diavel, a weird new roadster built within the power-cruiser idiom goes beyond anything cruiser-like really. 162 hp of raw power and 94 ft-lbs joined by ABS, traction control, rider-selectable engine mapping, a slipper clutch and a monstrous 240mm rear tire from Pirelli, makes for a unique and stimulating ride, even as it posed a devil of a time for all the competition.
The C3 X132 Hellcat – All claws and spitfire
Motorcycling at its most raw and visceral – a celebration of metalwork and muscle, and a monument to American individualism. At once, the fastest, toughest, lightest and cheapest bike ever produced by Confederate. Yes, the C3 X132 Hellcat is indeed vastly different to the rest of the motorcycling world. And, as a missive promoting it reads, “kiss its rear hugger” if you don't like it. It’s a 43-pound (19.5-kg), once-piece forged hard steel crankshaft, the 6061 aircraft grade aluminum engine cases, a front engine mount that's ten times the size of anything else in the motorcycle world, and a rear swingarm pivot that "could literally pull a train of a thousand cars."
All gleaming motor and wheels, with a squat, uncomfortable-looking seat, the only nod to comfort, the C3 Hellcat is sorted in the “tough as nails” appearance stakes. And while its price, at US$45,000 puts it within the reach of ordinary mortals, the C3 is being made in boutique numbers.
2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R – Supercharged steel
Since its debut in 2006 the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 has been all about performance. Now, the “R” suffix is new for ’12, and indicates the intention of this second-generation revision. Sharpened styling and a slew of incremental chassis upgrades along with variable power modes and traction control makes this an essentially all-new model.
An adept open-class machine, equally at home sport-touring across the desert southwest or sprinting down the quarter-mile, the new R-version, with its refined chassis and body, high-tech electronics and even more horsepower, only revs up the Alpha Ninja’s all-around riding capabilities.
The Honda CB1000R
A combination of sporty handling and power combined with day-to-day liveable makes the Honda CB1000R a most vied for motorcycle. It’s a sharply styled, liter-class naked bike powered by a 998cc inline-four sourced from the ’06-’07 CBR1000RR. Edgy and futuristic in appearance without being too outlandish, the CB1000R boasts a turn-in quick enough to give the impression of riding a middleweight roadster.
A tremendously versatile, fun machine that’s able to do anything from sport touring to track days, its engine is derived from the previous CBR1000RR, detuned with smaller throttle bodies and lower compression to yield a claimed 123 crankshaft horsepower at 10,000 rpm. And where the CB1000R will feel most at home is in an urban setting or when blazing back roads with your riding buddies.