Top 10 Videos of New Motorcycles From EICMA 2011

Pete Brissette
by Pete Brissette

The two-wheeled orgasm that is EICMA is over, and now comes the waiting for the sexy new machines on display to arrive. You’ve seen our EICMA 2011 coverage (and if you haven’t yet, tsk, tsk!), read the juicy details and gazed longingly at the photographs. But how do these new models look in motion?

While we still have a little while to wait before seeing these new motorcycles (and scooters!) up close, the manufacturers have released some promotional videos to show off their new models. We’ve compiled a number of these videos and created a top 10 list of new bikes from EICMA 2011.

How did we rank these videos? We considered the cinematography, music, and themes, as well as how informative the videos are. Of course, how cool the motorcycles are played an important role in our decision making, but so did how well the videos convey that cool factor. As perhaps the most important factor, we asked ourselves this: does the video make us want to ride?

Your list may differ from ours, and that’s okay. At one point, the ranking came down to engine noises (or lack thereof!), so believe us when we say it was almost like splitting hairs. Let us know in the comments what you think about our list, and whether you would rank them differently.

And now, without further ado, here is our list of the Top 10 Videos of New Motorcycles from EICMA 2011.

It pains us to say this about this video of one of the most kickass motorcycles coming out of a factory, but we feel gypped that it’s so short (less than a minute) and that so little two-wheeled tomfoolery was exhibited. The Speed Triple is the original production-level streetfighter.

Unfortunately this video for the newly announced R version has as its
setting a racetrack, which is fine in part, but the Speed Triple lives primarily as an urban assault weapon. If you’ve even ridden a Speed Triple, or seen one ridden properly, then you know it begs to perform stoppies at numerous street intersections, hoist big wheelies through school zones and roast its back tire in a smokey burnout protest. Little of that happening in this video, not to mention it says nothing of what makes the R version stand apart.

Related Reading
2012 Triumph Speed Triple R Unveiled at EICMA

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This Beemer vid for the company’s first-ever production-level scooter series features riders aboard real machines set in a virtual environment. The music seems a skosh dramatic for promoting scooters, even if they’re “maxi” scooters. On the other hand we’re given a few useful snippets of facts and features of the C series.

Perhaps the best trait of this video is the surprisingly good close up glimpse of the scoots. The angles are dynamic, giving better views than static photos, and we’re able to notice just how much the C series’ styling seems influenced by BMW’s touring motorcycles.

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2012 BMW C600 Sport and C650GT Scooter Preview

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If nothing else, this video for Triumph’s new large-displacement on-off road Tiger gets across the point that the big Tiger aims to tackle a variety of landscapes and roads. The viewer is given plenty of good looks at the adventure-touring Tiger and its full complement of accessories. Otherwise, the content of the video seems a little generic and generally uninspired.

While we can safely assume the Tiger Explorer is a fine example of Triumph quality and a thoroughly capable motorbike, all we kept thinking while watching was: R1200GS.

Related Reading
2012 Triumph Tiger Explorer Unveiled at EICMA

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Honda’s promotional video for its brand new adventure-tourer, the Crosstourer VFR1200X, is possibly the most unique of the 10 videos. Like the BMW video, we have a rider aboard real machine set in a virtual environment, but in a less highly stylized but more realistic virtual landscape while features of the new Honda are highlighted in near bullet-point style during various segments.

In other “scenes” the video relies on loosely related imagery and the viewer’s imagination to create the sense of adventure that Honda hopes will inspire two-wheel-oriented world-travelers everywhere to sojourn on the Crosstourer. This video is a little light on content, but the music is unusual and the overall approach is unconventional and refreshing.

Related Reading
EICMA 2011 Preview: 2012 Honda Crosstourer Headed for Production

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The best thing about the video for Kawasaki’s all-new, and somewhat of a surprise (except to the French site, Moto-net.com), Versys 1000 is how well it elicits in the viewer the desire to get out and take a two-up trip for the weekend, or longer. The scenery, action and video angles do a good job of conveying the two-up touring capabilities of the new big-bore Versys.

However, the slogan in the closing seconds of the video, “Versys 1000: Roads less travelled,” meant to drive home the adventurous inclinations of the Versys is, in the context of this video, a bit of an overstatement. The riders in the video were having a good time but they didn’t look like they went out of their way to get where they were going.

Related Reading
EICMA 2011: Kawasaki Versys 1000 Not Coming to U.S.

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This vid of Honda’s new sporty and user-friendly NC700 series does a good job of bringing the bike to the foreground of the viewer’s attention while also zeroing in on key features and attributes of the new models. This video is an edgier, bit-size version of the Integra video (with which these bikes share its engine, dual clutch transmission and frame), but with less kitschiness.

The split-screen effect also does a good job showing how similar, and how different, the NC700X and NC700S are.

Related Reading
EICMA 2011: Honda NC700X Unveiled
EICMA 2011: Honda NC700S Breaks Cover

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Considering the namesake of our website, we never suspected we’d rank a scooter ahead of a motorcycle – except in the case of this collection of motorcycle and scooter videos.

This Honda video for the all-new Integra scooter is, admittedly, a little corny, even cute. But the video, while seamlessly highlighting the features, benefits and purposes of the Integra, also doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously; as if it purposely plays to the cliché of how Euros can meet so many of their daily transportation needs aboard a scooter. The video’s a little bit quirky, but we like it for that.

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EICMA 2011 Preview: 2012 Honda Integra Specs Released

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This video of the petrol-powered brother of the Freeride E scores high for its numerous camera angles, breadth of scenery and of course “mad skillz, yo!” the riders possess. We might’ve placed this video of the Freeride 350 ahead of the Freeride E, but the novelty of the nearly noiseless electric bike really caught our attention.

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EICMA 2011 Preview: 2012 KTM Freeride 350 – Lightweight Entry Level Enduro Bike

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KTM’s video for its all-new electric motocrosser, the Freeride E, takes a close second behind the #1 video. The riders’ urban stunting, performed in and around Barcelona, is entertaining, ’cause, well, most videos of slo-mo motocross action are cool. But what sets apart this video is the absence of sounds from this emissions-less dirt bike. Despite lacking the grunty power of an IC Thumper engine neither rider in this video seems handicapped by the performance factor of the electric-powered bikes.

If you hadn’t first seen – or the video didn’t specifically highlight early on – some of the electric-centric features of the Freeride E, do you think you would’ve recognized these as electric motocrossers if your video player’s sound was off?

Related Reading
EICMA 2011: KTM Freeride-E Unveiled

In classic Ducati video dramatics, this video of the all-new 1199 Panigale does an excellent job of showcasing the new hyper-performance Duc in all its Italian sexiness. The viewer is treated to a number of excellent views of the bike, gets to hear the throaty growl of the engine and see the potential of this machine and what it’s intended for as the rider adeptly circulates the smooth, undulating surfaces of Autodromo do Algave in Portimao, Portugal.

And, who knew they were settin’ up the chess pieces just to knock ’em down. Showoffs …

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2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale Unveiled
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Pete Brissette
Pete Brissette

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