Just for the heck of it I emailed Cycle World the following...
Quote:

The selections for the best bikes of 2006 are quite impressive. I can definitely see why the Yamaha Star Roadliner was named the Best Cruiser. Since Triumph already dominated your list with the Daytona 675 being the Best Middleweight Streetbike and the Speed Triple chosen as Best Standard (both obvious choices), you could not possibly add another Triumph to the list. It may have been a tragedy to show that Triumph really does make the best motorcycles on the planet. After all, not only does the Speedmaster stand out in the crowd with it's classic looks and it's non-trendy parallel twin motor, it also is a bike that can hold it's own against the bigger v-twin bikes while remaining comfortable enough to ride all day. Not only is it versatile for running around town or for long cross country rides, it also has the precise and easy handling of a sport bike in the twisties. I definitely understand that there is a need to spread the glory around to the other manufacturers, so not selecting the Triumph Speedmaster as the Best Cruiser (as much as it is the obvious choice) is definitely understandable.


Soren
Beaverton, Oregon



Believe it or not, they actually replied...
Quote:

Soren, for the record, we don’t "spread the glory"; if Triumph made the best bike in each of our 10 categories, it would go home with 10 awards (one year Honda took six). Still, pretty damn impressive that Triumph won two, but no way does the Speedmaster handle like a sportbike or hold its own against bigger Twins. Sorry.


Best,
David Edwards
Editor-in-Chief



Heck... it was worth a shot

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