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Say the word "motorcycle" and the typical American envisions one of two vehicles -- the classic cruiser (a.k.a the Harley) or the exotic sport bike (a.k.a. the crotch rocket). Those motorcycles capture the extremes of the sport. With the cruiser, form becomes fashion. You don't mess with a classic. Fender will never change the Strat, nor Gibson the Les Paul. And the Harley Sportster celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2007. With the sport bike, form follows function. There's a reason all streamlined, full-fairing bikes resemble each other. Simply, they go faster. In one sense, the categories are restrictive. A full dress cruiser that looks great on Main Street may struggle in the twisties. The lean angle on a superbike gives knee dragging exhilaration on a track, but it becomes torture on a daily commute. Both types of bike require intense preparation: leather, fringe and tattoos for the cruiser; full leathers and body armor for the crotch rocket. They are single-purpose machines. But there is a whole world beyond those extremes of chrome and carbon fiber. Designers have explored the middle ground, mixing ideas to produce fresh, stunning bikes. What would a sport bike look like, stripped of its fairing? What would a dirt bike on steroids, with street tires, do for your testosterone level? Some call these bikes "hybrids" or "crossovers." Others simply celebrate them as the new standards -- a return to the time when all bikes were utility toys. Motorcycle journalists who've ridden them talk about the fun factor and the grin index. These machines allow for spontaneity; they look and feel great in the city, on country roads and -- in some cases -- on unpaved byways. We call them, in a word, freedom. Photo courtesy of Kawasaki
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