VOLUME 58 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 14, 2021 P149
HONORABLE
MENTION
APRILIA RSV4 1100
FACTORY
Man, what a superbike. I
have always loved the RSV4,
but the 2021 edition is a
behemoth of performance.
That motor and chassis
combo is so spot on for fast
lap times straight out of the
box. It'd be my pick of the
year if the Ducati wasn't
that damn good.
HONORABLE MENTION
RUNNER-UP
KAWASAKI H2 SX SE+
This is my sport-touring pick
of the litter in 2021. The H2 is
uber-comfortable and hides
its girth so well. It's also as
stable as a bullet at speed. And
having supercharged power in
your right hand with a change
of clothes in the side cases is
a naughty feeling I couldn't get
enough of.
RENNIE'S 2021
BIKE OF THE YEAR
2021 DUCATI
MULTISTRADA V4 S
Choosing a winner was
far more difficult than I
thought. I've ridden so
many incredible bikes
(38 this year!) but the
combination of new radar
tech, blindspot detection,
a superb chassis and that
awesome V4 engine made
me want to keep riding the
Ducati Multistrada V4 S.
It's such a well-executed
bike and ticks all the boxes.
It handles light off-road
duties well, but it's such
a good street bike it just
makes the rider feel like a
king.
Ducati hit the sweet spot
with the Multi and the V4
because in Streetfighter
form, the motor is an
absolute animal. Put it in
the Panigale and it's damn
near useless unless you're
at a racetrack, but in the
Multi, it's approachable
with excellent low-down
torque matched to a top
end that simply eats other
big-ticket ADVs.
And the fact it was
the first bike to come
out with Adaptive Cruise
Control (ACC) and Blind
Spot Detection software,
making the ride a little safer,
deserves special mention.
The point is, I did not
want to stop riding the V4
Multi. It looks bad ass as
hell, will ride for days in
comfort, go off-road, and
when you happen to find a
deserted road (or racetrack),
it'll happily play there, too.
