We always thought streaking was a '70s phenomenon, but it seems to be coming back in style as more and more people are riding naked. Bikes, that is. What did you think we were talking about? Every year the number of upright, fairingless (or semi-faired) sporty bikes--sometimes called standards--grows, with even a couple of new manufacturers in the mix this year. It's to the point now that to test all the nakeds together would result in a gathering worthy of a Spencer Tunick photograph.
From a testing standpoint, there are a number of ways to split the market. You've got your 1200 bikini-faired models, buck-naked liter-sized twins, four-cylinder half-faired bikes, standard triples...you could mix 'n' match all day and still have bikes left over. Instead of trying to sort through that mess, we decided to showcase a cross section of the market with six models, all of which are new or updated for '07. Here are European and Japanese, faired and unfaired, twins and fours. If you don't see something you like, or wonder how these bikes fit in with the rest of the class, check out our "Exhibitionist's guide" sidebar at the end of the story.
