The motor is stock for the series, with the only allowable mod's being a Dynojet carb kit and freer flowing exhausts. The head received a multi-angle valve job and had the air filter replaced with a freer flowing piece. The exhausts were retro style with reverse megaphones with a not too a mega-noisy sound, and they obviously looked the part.

Honda is the only manufacturer to introduce a new open-class sportbike for 2004 without providing a claimed dry weight figure. Is it possible Honda took a "wait and see" approach here? Kawasaki has claimed its new ZX-10R weighs 365 pounds -- an incredible figure for an open-class machine. Honda could easily substitute a magnesium or titanium part, or parts, before announcing an official dry weight, as necessary, in order to be the lightest in the class.

I was very pleasantly surprised with the ergonomics of the CBR1000RR. Frankly, I was expecting a rather extreme, uncomfortable race tuck-style layout. Although plenty aggressive, the "rider triangle" (bar/seat/peg relationship) was nailed by Honda, once again. This [motorcycle] is remarkably comfortable. The footpegs did not feel too high (granted, I have only a 31" inseam) compared to the competition, and the reach to the bars felt comfortable and natural. Honda accomplished this without compromising ground clearance (see our track test). It certainly is no sport tourer, but the 1000RR manages to be aggressive and comfortable at the same time. Good job.

Five 2005 Suzuki Boulevard models will hit showrooms in August 2004 -- the S40, S50, S83, C50 and C90 -- with more to come in 2005, including the signature M50 muscle machine. Suzuki has designated three separate cruiser lines as the basis for future line growth with specific product names reflecting not only engine size in cubic-inch displacement but also the style of the bike as well -- the stylish "S" series, the "C" series featuring classic cruiser styling and the more-muscled "M" bikes.

Finally, we have the four contenders for open-class honors together. Here are the results from our dyno day-all four bikes run on our SuperFlow CycleDyn dyno one after the other.

The MT-03 is, according to Yamaha a "Roadster Motard", "because it stands for sex appeal, a very determined and aggressive design combined with a high quality technical spec . . . [and] it says something about riding sensations, about the extreme agility when riding in low speed range."

Suzuki also introduces the brand new GSX-R600 for 2004. Claiming the "best power-to-weight ratio in its class", the GSX-R600 comes in at a claimed dry weight of just 355 pounds!

The styling is similar to the GSX-R1000 introduced last year, with a black anodized aluminum frame and swingarm.