How we decided the 2021 Bike of the Year

With a huge number of exciting new and updated motorcycles released over the last 12 months, determining an overall winner for the 2021 bikesales Bike of the Year, proudly presented by Shannons, was no easy feat.

Complicating matters further was the ever-present COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the bikesales team to adapt and present the Bike of the Year awards in a new format.

The first step of Bike of the Year is to select the finalists. For a model to be eligible, it must be either new or heavily updated, on sale at the time of selection, and have been previously reviewed by the bikesales team.

Related Reading:
Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS: 2021 bikesales Bike of the Year Winner
Yamaha MT-09: 2021 bikesales Bike of the Year Highly Commended
KTM 890 Adventure R: 2021 bikesales Bike of the Year Highly Commended
Who you voted for in 2021

A key difference for the 2021 bikesales Bike of the Year awards, proudly presented by Shannons, was the removal of individual category winners. Previously, each finalist had been chosen as the best motorcycle in a particular category (i.e. adventure, cruiser, sportsbike etc).

Instead, each finalist was chosen independently and judged on its own merit. This has ultimately resulted in a more competitive field, and ensures that bikes in typically stronger and more-populated categories are not left out. For example, there were three adventure bikes in the running this year, where previously, despite being a very popular segment, only one would have been chosen.

With a bank of over 50 reviews of new and updated models in the last 12 months to choose from, it was not an easy task to choose the 10 finalists. But ultimately, an eclectic and diverse group of finalists were selected to fight for the 2021 Bike of the Year title.

Each model is thoroughly deserving, and each is representative of the dedication, determination, and vision of those working in the motorcycle industry.

The 2021 bikesales Bike of the Year finalists were:

Aprilia RS 660
BMW R 18
Ducati Multistrada V4 S
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special
KTM 890 Adventure R
Suzuki Hayabusa
Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS
Yamaha MT-09
Harley-Davidson LiveWire
Yamaha WR450F

And once the 10 finalists had been selected, it was time to begin the process of deciding the winner.

In previous years, Bike of the Year has been a physical event in the form of a week-long road test in Victoria’s High Country, but with lockdown restrictions preventing that from happening, and no certainty over when travel could resume, the decision was made to make the 2021 awards a virtual affair.

So what does that mean exactly? Well, in short, the Bike of the Year was decided through plenty of discussion, analysis, and long-winded Zoom meetings. Our expert judges looked closely at each finalist and assessed them on criteria such as engine performance, brakes and handling, safety and technology, innovation, build quality, price and the degree to which they were fit for purpose.

With such a close field of finalists, it was incredibly tough to cut models from the list. Each bike offered its own strengths but, ultimately, the bikesales team settled on a final list of three models.

The top three bikes – the Yamaha MT-09, KTM 890 Adventure R, and Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS – were the three machines that our judges agreed ticked the most boxes.

The MT-09 is a capable naked bike with plenty of tech and a very attractive price tag. The 890 Adventure R is one of the most capable dual-sport machines in the market, and is arguably the best example of how to blur the lines between road and dirt. And the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS is a highly sophisticated motorcycle with exceptional performance and plenty of technology.

After careful and painstaking analysis, the bikesales team picked two Highly Commended bikes, and one overall winner. The KTM and the Yamaha were both awarded Highly Commended, while the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS was the overall 2021 bikesales Bike of the Year winner, proudly presented by Shannons.

And what a deserving winner it is!