Honda SS125 1967

The stamped-frame Hondas have grown more attractive with the passage of time, and the SS125 is the best looker among them. I like the efficiency of the layout, but it certainly doesn't rival the best European designs of the time for sheer sculptural beauty.

'SuperSport' didn't translate into any extra power. By the time the SS125 was introduced, the 125 twin was pretty long in the tooth and already making all the power it reliably could. Its 10,000 RPM redline was still remarkable, but all those revs only provided 16 crank horsepower and less torque than a 4-stroke twin was expected to make, especially with a 4-speed transmission.

The stamped steel frame was actually quite rigid. The flexy forks and swingarm, combined with garbage damping units and springs, made it less than sporting.

2010 Kawasaki ER6-n

At first, the silly sideblades and overly-ambitious styling looked horrible to me. The fact that it is functionally excellent prompted me give it another look, and I must confess it has grown on me over time. Many of the details are still too cluttered (especially the exhaust and lower engine shields, and that silly headlight) but it does have a certain panache. It certainly isn't boring or bland.

The 650 twin is classed as a 'beginner bike' and dismissed by many as 'just a midsized twin.' But let's put that in perspective: the ER-6n would have been amongst the fastest production bikes in the world 30 years ago. It is still no slouch. Some say it vibrates a bit too much, but once again, that is just being nit-picky by anything but 2010 standards.

There is nothing to complain about the ER-6n's handling, it steers nicely, corners and is reassuringly steady on the highway. Again, this score is a sign of how much bikes have improved over the last decade or so, and just how many excellent bikes are out there now.