Pirelli Bike of the Year – And the winner is:

[Sabre]

It's not my event, mate. It's Mat and Harry's. I was invited like everyone else that took part. 

I am listening to criticism, but I'm also trying to say that with the way the rules are set out, the builders of big, expensive bikes, this year (with the exception of the Triumph), are doing a better job than the builders of cheaper bikes.
[/quote]
Fact is that road bikes and Adventure bikes need to be tested differently, under different circumstances. Go find MetalJocky's comparison test between the Triumph 1200 and GSA on this forum. Brilliant and comprehensive. Like an Adventure bike should be tested

Maybe time to now split the competition in Superbike, Adventure bike and Commuter classes

Please ask the owners of the event to consider this     

[2StrokeDan]

At least the Yamaha got a podium finish.

[2-Stroke]

At least the Yamaha got a podium finish.

This is a very good point. People criticise massively because the bike of their choice didn't win, but keep in mind that to make it to the finals is a triumph in itself. To make it even near the top is legendary. It's like like saying that Danillo Petrucci is a rubbish rider because he only finishes 12th in MotoGP. Nooooo! The fact that he is racing MotoGP in the first place makes him a motorcycle god.

It's not my event, mate. It's Mat and Harry's. I was invited like everyone else that took part. 

I am listening to criticism, but I'm also trying to say that with the way the rules are set out, the builders of big, expensive bikes, this year (with the exception of the Triumph), are doing a better job than the builders of cheaper bikes.

Fact is that road bikes and Adventure bikes need to be tested differently, under different circumstances. Go find MetalJocky's comparison test between the Triumph 1200 and GSA on this forum. Brilliant and comprehensive. Like an Adventure bike should be tested

Maybe time to now split the competition in Superbike, Adventure bike and Commuter classes

Please ask the owners of the event to consider this     
[/quote]

Also keep in mind that the people doing the judging are professional journalists. To mention some  – Simon has been road testing for 46 years, Dennis Droppa for 23 years (at The Star, I don't know how long before then), Mat for more than 20 years, Dave Abrams for about 400 years, and so on. And most of them had already ridden all the bikes on various terrains before the competition. And they all know what a bike is supposed to do and where. The only part of the Bike of the Year test that wasn't included was dirt, but most of the journalists have ridden the dirt capable bikes on dirt before any way, so know what it is like.

Again, the tiny little Triumph nearly beat the mighty H2. That is a good indication that it's working, because if the event was run like many have accused it of running, "only the big, fast, expensive bike win", then the Triumph should have been nowhere, or at least behind the 1290 SA.

[TheBear]

Again, the tiny little Triumph nearly beat the mighty H2. That is a good indication that it's working, because if the event was run like many have accused it of running, "only the big, fast, expensive bike win", then the Triumph should have been nowhere, or at least behind the 1290 SA.

Donovan,  I did not accuse.   I am discussing.   I am giving you my opinion.   It can be a good opinion,  or a truly kak opinion,  but it will always be an opinion and can never be an accusation.

Yes,  it is Matt 's thing,  but you are pretty close to them.   I am not and neither are most of us posting here.   You could share these opinions with them with the purposes of making the BOTY bigger and better,  or you can laugh it off.   Your choice,  but most of us will never have a close chat with them,  as we do with you.   Some of these opinions,  including my own may well ad something positive,  or not.  

All in all,  BOTY is good,  but not great.   You should try to find a formula where a cheap could win.   Again,  this is just my opinion.

By the way,  the "tiny little Triumph"  is a 800cc, R140 odd K bike.   Not quite so tiny.

[2-Stroke]

Again, the tiny little Triumph nearly beat the mighty H2. That is a good indication that it's working, because if the event was run like many have accused it of running, "only the big, fast, expensive bike win", then the Triumph should have been nowhere, or at least behind the 1290 SA.

Donovan,  I did not accuse.   I am discussing.   I am giving you my opinion.   It can be a good opinion,  or a truly kak opinion,  but it will always be an opinion and can never be an accusation.

Yes,  it is Matt 's thing,  but you are pretty close to them.   I am not and neither are most of us posting here.   You could share these opinions with them with the purposes of making the BOTY bigger and better,  or you can laugh it off.   Your choice,  but most of us will never have a close chat with them,  as we do with you.   Some of these opinions,  including my own may well ad something positive,  or not.  

All in all,  BOTY is good,  but not great.   You should try to find a formula where a cheap could win.   Again,  this is just my opinion.

By the way,  the "tiny little Triumph"  is a 800cc, R140 odd K bike.   Not quite so tiny.

I know I know! I wasn't accusing you of accusing. It was all in good nature, hence the ridiculous emoticon with the afro. 

I know that the tiny little Triumph was R140k, but can you name a bike that was eligible that is much cheaper without delving into the Chinese? I'll give you one that didn't make it into the finals - the Yamaha R3. A lovely little road racer for laaities. R69000!

Apart from the laaitie bikes and the Chinese, the next cheapest bike that was eligible was the Scrambler at R12000 (it came 7th).

If there was a more affordable bike that was truly good, under the current rules, it could win. There just aren't any.

[DouglasN]

An interesting story - when I rode the H2 on BotY, I thought it was absolutely terrifying. You have to take a deep breath and brace yourself every time you open the throttle. Straight after the H2, I rode the S1000RR, which is similar to the R1, and thought "oh good, I nice timid bike to get my nerves back". An S1000RR!

Now that you mention it, A guy traded an H2 in at BMW for a RR because he needed a slower bike, actually did happen.

a client of ours saw it there and bought it, his wife got the moer in with him and came in and bought her own!

[MaxThePanda]

There aren't enough new bikes each year to split the categories are there? Devalues the competition if you win against one or two other bikes in your category.