My TOP 10 Bikes of 2020 | What Is At Number One??

All right guys, welcome along, welcome along to the channel, nice to have you with me. How's that? A little bit more h2 in there, you love the h2 don't you? There it is, you love that, you love that bike don't you? You love it don't you? Welcome along ladies and gentlemen, it's lovely to have you back in the garage. The end of the year is approaching fast and this year has been an interesting year, let's put it like that hasn't it? This year I've ridden an amazing amount of bikes, considering the circumstances, considering we've been in lockdown till, when was it, May or something like that, I've managed to ride, would you believe, 21 new motorcycles this year, so 21 bikes I've ridden. A lot of people ask me what's my favourite bike, what would I have, you know, should I buy this, should I buy that, which one would I prefer? I get those sorts of questions all the time, so I thought it'd be really, really nice to finish the year, I don't think there's going to be any more bikes I'm going to be riding this year now, so why not give you my top 10 favourite motorcycles I've ridden this year. Now this is excluding my own bikes, because obviously they're my favourite, why wouldn't I have one of the other bikes, so excluding my own bikes, so sit back, get a cup of tea, make yourself comfortable, this is the Chops' top 10 motorcycles of 2020. The best part of a ---- year. Yeah, get a bit of heat around the old testicles, this is lovely in the corners, tuck in here, whoa, hey, this is the life of it, not so shabby is it? I love this thing. So the bikes I've ridden this year, I've got a list in front of me, because it's just too many, it's the Super Duke, the Street Fighter, the Thruxton RS, the Tiger 900, the GSX-S, the CBR1000RRR, the RSV4 1100, the Ducati B2 and B4, the V-Strom 1050, the Africa Twin, the S1000RR, the S1000XR, the Speed Triple RS, the Speed Street Triple RS, the Rocket 3, the Brutale 1000, the ZH2, the 765 Daytona, Moto 2 edition, the Speed Twin, the F900R. So I've ridden a fair few bikes, now which out of those are my top 10? So what bikes are in my top 10? Well, there's a couple of things about me, you know I love Speed, I've got an H2, you know I love Nakeds, I've had Super Dukes, I've got the 690 SMCR behind me there, and the Ducati Hypermotard in bits spread around the garage. So that's the sorts of bikes I love, that's the bikes I own, so this is my list, this is what I would buy. So starting at number 10, the bike which is number 10 in my list, out of those 21 bikes to get into my top 10 is pretty good, and at number 10 is the Thruxton RS. I'll give you a little insight, this is my only retro style bike in my top 10. I really enjoy the Thruxton, it's one of those bikes I rode which took me by surprise at how good it was. It's got performance, it really goes well, it handles, it looks amazing, attention to detail and finish on that bike is also incredible. So at number 10, the Thruxton RS. It's so stable around the corners, it's so stable, you get your lines set up and it'll just, you know, it gives you everything you need really around the twisties. All the feedback you need, all the stability you need, all of the confidence that you need to really have some fun. At number nine on my list we have the new CBR 1000 RRR SP, a bike again I really like that, I love sports bikes, even though they're not the most practical things on the street. I thought the CBR was incredible quality and it reminded me a lot of the H2 when you're riding it, how smooth it is, how no vibrations and how well screwed together that bike is. It's expensive, it's £24,500 or £23,500 so it's a lot of money, I don't think it's worth that much hence why it is at my number nine. But number nine, CBR 1000 RRR SP. This is lovely in the corners, so stable. So at number eight is the Triumph, it's another Triumph, it is the Speed RS. The naked bike, the 140 horsepower Speed, that's another bike which I've always loved the look at, it's evolved slowly over, was it 10, 12 years that bike's been out, maybe longer actually, no it's probably longer than that, did it come out in 93, 94, can't remember, but now it's at a point where it's a fantastic motorcycle, loads of usable grunt for the street. It may be lacking behind the 200 horsepower monster nakeds we have these days, but for usable street riding with an exceptional, again, Triumph quality and finish is amazing, the Speed triple RS is fantastic, really enjoyed that bike, so that is at number eight. At number seven, I didn't actually ride the new Tuono this year, but I did ride Womble's 2017 Tuono, so the Tuono makes an entry into my top 10, but only at number seven, number seven, yeah, number seven, the Tuono V4 at number seven. Christ, what sort of bikes have we got in the top five, for heaven's sake, the reason the Tuono is at number seven, I don't know, it seems like it should be higher now. Yeah, as I say, the Tuono at number seven, I don't know, Tuono at number seven, I've got it twice, I've got the Tuono twice in my list, that's the trouble, I've got 11 bikes here, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, I've got a top 11 here, that's the problem with this, oh, you idiot, well, it's a top 11 now, because that's why I've got 11, so the Thruxton was at number 11, the double, the triple RSP was at number nine, the Speed was at number eight, no, it wasn't, oh, well, this is a good start, isn't it, this is brilliant, this, cock this right up already, take him out of there, you're not there, so I think I've sorted it, Tuono is so good, it's in my list twice, at number seven, it's another sports bike, it is the Panigale V2, now this is the only Panigale in my list, the V4 is not in my top 10, I found the V4 just too much for the road and too expensive, but the V2 is a lovely, lovely road bike, 150 horsepower, bags for the road, you don't need any more than that, and this is from a man who knows, it's a lovely bike, handles beautifully, the finish on it is lovely, and it's only 15,000, which to me, for a Panigale, brilliant finish Ducati, I don't think that's too bad value, so Panigale V2 is my number seven. This is ridiculous! Number six, so just outside of my top 10, and this is a bike which is fantastic, it's a bike I've nearly bought several times, and it's only coming in at number six, the main reason for this, because I didn't ride the new bike this year, so I haven't ridden a new one, so the only one I've ridden this year is Womble's 2017 Tuono, and that comes in at number six. I love the Tuono, I'm a bigger guy, so the Tuono is a little bit of a small bike, and that's the only thing which really stops me buying one, it's just quite a compact machine, and being an 18 and a half stone monster, six foot two, I just look too big on it, it's, that's really what stopped me buying all along. The engine's fantastic, the later one is better, the Momentum electronic suspension is a definite step above the 2017 version, but the 2017 version Tuono, which is what I've ridden this year, comes in at number six. Sorry Womble, your bike's only number six mate, because it's rubbish! So now the all-important top five, what are the top five bikes I've ridden of 2020? So coming in at number five, it's another Triumph, can you guess what it is? It's the Triumph Rocket. This is the life of it, it's not so shabby is it? Not too shabby. There's a bridge here I think, isn't it? Yeah, there's a bridge here. Yeah, he's a tight and twisty, he's testing these big old girls on. If they can handle this well, then they can handle anything can't they? The Rocket is another one of those bikes which really took me by surprise. A bit like the Thruxton, you know, I wasn't expecting these machines to be as good as they were. The Rocket is a two and a half litre, 170 horsepower, 220 newton meters of torque. This thing is fast. Three, two, one, go! Yeehaw! It's fast, it's big, it's incredible quality, it's a brilliant fun and it does handle even for such a big, big motorcycle. You know, I don't know how many people buy these bikes that ride quickly anyway, but the point is you can. You can, yeah, you can and you can do it and it is rewarding to do it. You don't feel like you're fighting it, do you? No, not at all. You don't feel like you're pushing it out of its comfort zone? No. There's the odd little time where I've hit a bump and it's gone over that little jump there. Yeah, yeah. When that sort of came down, it was a little bit like, oh! Mine shimmied when it came down there. Yeah, yeah, it didn't like that. No. But I don't think you're really meant to be doing jumps on them anyway. The Rocket really impressed me with how good it was. I think me and Greg both absolutely loved it and it's definitely a bike I could see myself owning at some point. When I'm too old, too decrepit to ride the H2, probably in a couple of years, I think a Rocket would be an amazing alternative to something which is just a little bit special. The finish on it is incredible. When we parked those bikes up together, when we bought both of them, the amount of attention we got, people asking questions. It's just a beautiful machine, fantastically engineered and a bit like the H2, it's just because we can. It's one of those motorcycles. It's an engineering marvel. You know, we've ridden so many bikes and owned so many bikes, haven't we? You know, supermotos, naked, supernaked, sports bikes and bizarrely, they're as much fun as all of those. Yeah, yeah. And I'm really surprised. There's a little bit of everything in these, isn't there? A little bit of supermoto, a little bit of sports bike. It's a combination of a lot of different bikes. Number four, we have another sports bike. Now, this is a bike, again, I could potentially see me owning. If I didn't have the H2, this would be my sports bike of choice for the road. Can you guess what it is yet? No, Chops, do not do Rolf Harris or Jimmy Savile impressions, for heaven's sake. But can you guess what it is? It is, of course, the BMW S1000RR. So this is my ultimate road sports bike. It's incredible. The S1000RR is the epitome of what a good road bike should be. All of the creature comforts you need on the road, cruise control, heated grips, a comfortable riding position, not too far forward. You know, just a really, really good road package. All of the turn-by-turn navigation. The Panigale V2 is a brilliant bike, so is the V4. But as a road bike, they're missing the essentials. And that's what the S1000RR and what BMW has brought to the party with that bike. This is the ultimate sports tourer. Yeah, sports tourer. This can turn from a focused track machine to a comfortable sports tourer on the fly at the press of a button. And that is why I love this thing. Not only is it an incredible road bike, it's also phenomenal on track. I've not taken it on track, but you've seen all the track tests on that machine. It goes and handles as well on track as it is practical on the road. I don't quite know how BMW have pulled it off with that bike, but it just is amazing. And that's my top four bike. It's not perfect. I think some of the quality and fit and finish on it could be a little bit better. If it was, it might be further up my list, but it's at number four at the moment and an incredible sports bike for the road. Proper in dynamic when you do come for a couple of twisties. Quick shift and blipper is also incredible. As I say, the bike is just telepathic. There's the handling. So stable as well. You know, so confidence inspiring. I love this thing. So it's the top three. Things are getting exciting. What could they be? What on earth could Chopsy have put in his top three? We know he's a bit of a hoonigan. What would he have? Is it something ridiculously fast on the road? Is it something comfortable? Is it something to do mileages on? Is it a GS? No, do not worry. There is no more GSs or anything BMW in my top three. So number three, it is another sports bike. And this time you're going to be surprised at this one because it's a bike. I actually said I'd take the S1000RR over, but this bike is such good value. When we did that comparison with Greg, I said, I'll take the S1000RR over the RSV4 1100 because there was no money involved. It was just bike. The RSV4 is incredible value. It may be 22. Oh, the RSV4 is my number three, by the way. It may be 22,000 list, but you can pick these bikes up for about 17 grand. Brand new. This year's model, a phenomenal, amazing bike. Yet it's not as practical on the road as the S1000RR, but it's just a thrill. It's the epitome of a fun road bike. That machine is just so punchy. The quality's there. It's amazing. It sounds, it's the best sounding motorcycle on the road, end of. Nought to 60. Well, not nought to 60. We'll do a rolling one. But first gear to 60. All right, this has got anti-wheely turned on. Yeah, it's got all that. Oh, this has as well. Some of this is anti-wheely too. Yeah, yeah. Well, hang on then. It's just doing lots of. Three, two, one, go. Sorry, I had a bit of a head start there. Both flipped fast. Yeah, the bike needs a bit of an update and maybe there'll be an announcement of a slightly updated one for next year. Who knows? But that model is still fantastic. If you're worried about how, if it looks dated, just stick some LED bulbs in the thing and that's all it needs. It's a beautiful machine. And the RSV4 is my number three, only because it's such a great machine, but it's also incredible value. It does look nice and pretty in the back though. Really tiny back end. It hasn't even got a tail tidy on it. It doesn't look too bad. Lovely back end, that knot. Really nice. It's been around years, isn't it, that back end, but it still looks good today. Looking about the bike on my back end. Yeah, you look lovely. So top two. It's getting quite exciting. Calm down. We'll be there in a moment. What on earth could be my top two motorcycles? There's a couple of bikes I haven't mentioned yet. So you may be able to guess what these could possibly be, but what would be my top two motorcycles of 2020? Well, I won't leave you in suspense anymore and I'll tell you my number two, and it's an Italian beauty, but it's not the Panigale V4. It is the Ducati Streetfighter S. So the Ducati V4 S is obviously based heavily on the Panigale V4. It is really the same bike without the fairing on. The engine is more or less identical. Tuned slightly differently for a bit more torque and a bit less power right at the top. So a more torquey motor. They've also given it a smaller front sprocket and they've gone up a tooth at the rear to make the gearing a bit more suitable for the road. And to be perfectly honest, you don't think when you get on this bike, yeah, converted sports bike. The Streetfighter was a bike which I knew it was great. You know, we'd all seen a lot of the reviews by the time I rode it. I didn't get on it that early. The bike never had an official launch event because of COVID. That was cancelled. So it sort of dribbled out the reviews on this machine. And a lot of people said, you know, that that engine, it's not got enough drive. It's all at the top. I disagree. It's got a lot of poke, a lot of drive. It's an incredible machine. It looks amazing. The most impressive thing about this bike is just how quickly it covers ground. I think it's just, it's a testament to how good the Panigale is. The electronics on this bike are incredible. It gives so much grip. I think it's got so much mechanical grip and it's got this incredible suite of electronics on the top. I don't know if it's because it's got the clever reverse crank in this, you know, where the actual crank turns, the engine turns in a different direction to what the wheels do. So it counteracts that gyroscopic effect. I don't know if that makes the bike a lot more stable, but this thing is just absolutely planted. What really surprised me was how good the Streetfighter was when it is really just a Panigale V4 without any clothes on. Normally, if you just dump the fairing off a bike and turn it into a naked, it doesn't really work. And there's some compromises, but the Streetfighter, you wouldn't know it was just a Panigale V4 without the fairing. The only reason you might realise that is because, and this is my only criticism of this machine, and perhaps why it isn't my number one, is it's just a bit too easy to ride. It's all a bit too controlled, you know, it won't wheelie unless you really abuse the throttle. So it's almost too good. It really flatters your riding, and you can end up going silly speeds without really getting that much enjoyment from it, because it's all happening almost automatically. Compared to the Super Duke, it is faster. I think it's faster across country, but the Super Duke feels more of an analogue bike, even though it has got all of the electronics, you know, everything, it just feels more analogue. This is a demonstration of what technology can do. That's how they differ, the Super Duke feels like just a very well set-up, analogue bike, you know, incredible throttle response. I think the throttle response, because they've got that softening effect they've done, you don't feel like it's quite as direct as what the Super Duke is, and I don't like that. I'm not too keen on the throttle response on this bike, you just feel that it's doing a lot for you, and it takes a little bit away from the rider involvement. That is really my main criticism of this bike. A few problems, and the reason it's not number one, again, small tank, no fuel gauge, it'd only do about 100 miles before filling up, so it's not a bit reserved on the hoonage, because it's just too good, and a bit too controlled, so, but it's still fantastic, and that is my number two. When you first twist the throttle, it's a little bit initially flat. They've done something with the mapping to soften it initially, and I'm not sure I'm a massive fan of that. It's sort of softened, and then it kicks incredible amount of kick, and the wheel just stays on the ground. It doesn't, you know, it really is so stable, so planted. Number one, drumroll please. Oh, we'll put proper drumroll in. Number one, drumroll please, chopsy. This is a bike I love. It's the bike which, well, I knew it was going to be good, and it did not disappoint. It's from a make incredible motorcycles, and I've owned a few of them. I've owned one at the moment. This bike is a bike where I was that close to selling the H2, and perhaps purchasing one of these, because I really enjoyed it. It's a bike which is an absolute hooligan, a bit like me, so we go together quite well. It is, of course, the one and only KTM Superduke R. On the front brake, quick shifter and blipper, beautiful. It is extra low. Wheelie control, keeping it in check, but letting you have a bit of fun as well. The latest Superduke R really is fantastic. I mean, I've owned the original Superduke. I've put a lot of money in my original Superduke, trying to fix the things which weren't perfect with the bike new. The new Superduke, honestly, you could buy it. You don't need to do a thing to it. It's so well set up. It's so well fueled. If I bought one of those, I'd probably just change the end can on it, and really, probably, I know it's me we're talking about, I'd leave it alone because it really needs nothing. There's stuff you could do to it to cosmetically improve it, but it needs nothing. The throttle response and everything is just incredible. I've never ridden a bike which has got such a beautiful feeling throttle. It's beautifully fueled. You can cruise around town and it doesn't feel... It's very, very different to the Streetfighter. The Streetfighter felt like it was almost riding itself. You felt that all this technology was there to make it easy, whereas the Superduke just feels like a really, really nicely set up analog bike. In sport mode, it will let the wheel come up, but it'll keep you in check. It won't let you get too out of shape. This thing is all about rider thrills. You don't really see the traction control doing too much. It'll let the bike wheel in. It will come up over crests with a bit of abuse of the right hand. For a hooligan like me, I absolutely love that bike. It's beautiful. I knew it'd be good. Everyone was saying how good it was. I knew it would be good. What I wasn't expecting was it for it to be quite as sharp, quite as mental as this. This is a properly focused hooligan now. The old bike was a bit like a big custom car. It was all about power, but the handling, it was let down a little bit, but it had an amazing power plant in it. What they've done with this one, it seems, is they've brought the chassis up to match that power plant, and they've tweaked the power plant as well. The end result is something just insane. Something which would be completely unrideable if you didn't have the electronics, the fantastic anti-wheelie, the traction control. I'm wondering whether it's just too mad for me, whether I could control myself on such a beast. Blimey. I'm certainly looking forward to finding out. One of the main criticisms with the original Super Duke was the handling. The engine was always fantastic, but the handling when you went on and off the throttle, it seemed to transition a lot of weight from the front to the back, and that would unsettle it in the corners. I had all my suspension revalved, re-sprung. It was much better, but the front did feel a little bit vague. You never got a great deal of feedback from the front wheel. The new one with the new chassis, they put an extra linkage on the rear shock to stop that so much transition happening when you're on and off the throttle. It's now got preload adjustment on the forks. The whole bike now handles beautifully, gives amazing feedback, lots of feedback from the front wheel, which it was lacking before. Over the bumpy stuff, that suspension actually seems very, very nice, very plush. I thought it might all be a little bit hard, a little bit track-focused, but that is lovely, lovely and smooth. These are quite crashy, these roads, so you will get a bit of a knock, but that is power. It is an incredible bike to ride, and it really is a bike which brings you smiles per mile, and for me, that's what motorcycling is all about, and that's why this bike is number one, because it just brings a grin to your face. It's got cruise control, it's got the creature comforts as well, so it's really the full, complete package. The KTM Super Duke R is my number one motorcycle of 2020. That's the one I'd have. The KTM is very much a performance-orientated bike, but it can still do the around town, it can still do the just going out and enjoying the scenery. That motor is so tractable, it doesn't become frustrating if you're in town. Yeah, it's a little bit more vibey than the ZH2, that thing is so smooth, but this isn't just a one trick pony. I thought this was a one trick pony when I first picked it up, but it's absolutely not. It can do the slow speed stuff as well as it does the high speed stuff, and that is the absolute beauty of this machine. A couple of bikes to point out which didn't quite make the top 10. One of them is the 765 Daytona Moto 2 bike, Simon's bike I rode just before he went into lockdown. That was amazing, I really enjoyed that bike. That's one which could potentially be in the top 10. It is really nice. Of course, the Street Triple RS is also fantastic. Same engine, a few changes, but more or less the same engine. Two bikes which again almost made the top 10. There's a lot of fantastic adventure bikes out there, obviously the Tiger 900. If I was an adventure bike man, that could have been my top bike, but I'm not really an adventure bike person. I don't need a bike to do lots and lots of miles on. My bikes are all about fun, so there's no adventure bikes in my top 10, but if I had to choose one, the Tiger 900 would be my winner. Of course, I didn't test the latest Tuono V4. That would have been in my top five without question, maybe even in my top three. The only reason it would miss out is, as I say, it's quite a small bike compared to the Super Duke, compared to the Street Fighter, and I'm a big guy, so just ergonomically and just how I'd look on the bike, I think that would drop down a place or two because of that reason. It's still comfortable to ride for a large rider, but I just look a bit too big on it. So there we go, best bike of 2020, the KTM Super Duke R.