The latest edition of the Toronto Motorcycle Show recently rolled through town and brought with it a definite sense of colour and excitement.

Of course, this is true every year; for many people, early December is when the prospect of another seemingly endlessness winter just begins to sink in. And there are few better ways to combat the onset of cabin fever than by swinging a leg over your favourite new bike and dreaming about spring.

Here, then, are a few (but by no means all) of the highlights from the show.

Yamaha XV1900

Change is in the air
Over the last few years, it seems like a sea change has happened in the world of motorcycle manufacturing. The big four Japanese brands have been the acknowledged leaders in terms of bang for the sportbike buck for as long as most people can remember. If you want to get from point A to point B in a big hurry and still have spare change rattling around in your jeans, you can't beat a 600-, 750- or 1000cc Japanese sportbike.

Since this fact has become set in stone, though, there has been little to remark about in terms of development. Japanese sportbikes from five years ago were wildly quick and they're still wildly quick today.

There have, of course, been incremental improvements in terms of performance - the 2008 Honda CBR1000RR, 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa, 2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R and 2008 Yamaha YZF-R6 being four prime examples this year - but when it comes to sheer jaw-dropping motorcycle design, the manufacturers from Europe and, yes, America are creating the most excitement.

An eye on design
Exhibit A: BMW. At some point, someone in Munich decided to ratchet up the emphasis on design for BMW's 2-wheeled division and the results have been nothing short of spectacular. The BMW display at the bike show was filled to the gills with ultra-desirable models, particularly the latest addition to the HP2 line.

New for 2008 is the HP2 Sport, which joins the radical HP2 Enduro and HP2 Megamoto. The HP2 Sport utilizes the Boxer twin engine from the company's R 1200 R (128 hp and 84.8 lb-ft of torque, claimed) and features Ohlin front and rear suspension, and a 6-speed close-ratio transmission fitted with a quickshifter for clutchless shifts. Nice.

(The company's G650 X Series, introduced this past spring, simply reinforces the fact that BMW is taking a back seat to no one when it comes to exciting new models.)

BMW HP2 Sport