Part of the 60's counterculture, the original cafe racers were built to reach speeds of over 100-mph, and allow the rider to race from a cafe to a predetermined location and back, before the song on the jukebox ended. (Crazy hippy bikers.) Buell's new '09 1125CR is a nod to those old racers, and brings superbike performance to their streetfighter category.

Incredibly fast, and nimble beyond imagination, this new Buell is powered by a liquid-cooled 1125cc Helicon V-Twin that comes in at 146-hp and 82 ft-lbs of torque, with the added bonus of having been geared down for optimal acceleration. Considering the bike weighs in at a feather-weight 375 pounds - with each of those 146 horses only responsible for propelling 2.5 pounds, a class-leading weight-to-horsepower ratio - you will experience seriously optimal acceleration as you swerve and dodge through whatever the road throws at you.

The Clubman-style bars with integrated LED signals are another nod to the classic cafes, and there's a short flyscreen instead of a fairing, giving the 1125CR an aggressive visage that sets it apart from its Japanese rivals. And since these bikes sip, rather than guzzle, fuel, they're a definite alternative to the 8-cylinder cage you're driving in now.

$11, 695
www.buell.com