2006 Euro Streetfighter Shootout - Wallpaper

Donny B giving MSF instructors ulcers.

Kelly Baker to the rescue! The Rosamond-based proprietor of Performance Unlimited gracefully swaps rubber. In addition to offering great trackside support for racers at Willow Springs, he is also a first-class story swapper and an all-round good dude.

It was about 12 months ago that we were changing a tire on another single-sided swingarm. Not only do they look bitchin', they also make tire swaps a breeze (as long as you have the correct wrench!).

The evil eyes came out while waiting for a critical VBOX component to be couriered to our hotel.

Our gauntlet of testing included the requisite commuter mileage, but we found time to burn rubber on the best two-wheeled stretches of road in Southern California.

'The name's Danger, Duke Danger.'

Another look at our photog Evans Brasfield's solution to getting some killer still shots on the track.

Ken gives the Tuono some TLC.

Duke goes unicycle on the Tuono.

Duke takes a corner on the Triumph.

Check out the cans on these European beauties!

We all enjoyed the MV Agusta Brutale's looks, including the front end.

When it was all said and done, one of our test rides would be bruised and battered a little more than the rest in our search for a winner.

How do you snap pics behind the controls of a moving motorcycle? With a little bit of Yankee ingenuity!

Duke the journalist rests on the ground, pen and paper in hand to jot down notes on the four bikes. BC does it all internally, as well as wrestle with the philosophical meaning of existance.

Give Kenny a couple Doritos and he'll tell you everything.

Senor Hutchison mugs for the camera.

BC is frozen staring at his throttle hand.

MCUSA Graphic Designer Robin Haldane just seconds after our pit at Willow Springs was held up by roving bandits... not really.

MCUSA sets up camp at the Horsethief Mile.

Smoke! Smoke! Feel the burn!

Four bikes, four riders emoting their serious and sober sides to the camera.

Sometimes you have to shuffle the bikes up during the test. Boy what a rough job.

Donny B gets leaned over on the Duc while Dukalicious gets serious on the Brutale.

Donny B takes his turn behind BC on the Tuono.

The Triple-equipped Duke tries to pass BC on the Tuono.

The Rock Inn was a home base for our street riding exploits.

The Rock Inn was a home base for our street riding exploits.

Our gauntlet of testing included the requisite commuter mileage, but we found time to burn rubber on the best two-wheeled stretches of road in Southern California.

The Horsethief Mile in Willow Springs International Raceway was yet another stage from which to evaluate the sporting capabilities of our four European beauties.

The three-cylinder Triumph (blue line) excelled when the rpm figures dipped below 8000, where its advantage in torque was readily apparent.

The high-revving four-cylinder Brutale topped the horsepower dyno sheet with 117 hp @ 10,800 rpm, but all four machines were within 7.4 ponies of the leader despite of three different engine configurations.

The Brutale bagged the quickest quarter-mile time in our performance tests, just nipping the eager Ducati S4R. The Tuono was a bit tardy off the line but made up most of the gap by the finish line.

The Aprilia stood apart from its Euro competitors. In this case literally.

The four streetfighters didn't offer up much in the way of wind protection.

Chamberlain, Becklin, Duke and Hutchison wonder what they're going to have to do in the next life to make up for having jobs like this.