10 Best Summer Travel Options on Two Wheels

NEW YORK MainStreet -- Hear that roaring and buzzing outside your window? That's every scooter and motorcycle in a five-mile radius telling you summer's here.

Gas prices have dropped below $3.90 a gallon and are down from this time last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Even if you could get a gallon of gas with pocket change, though, rising temperatures would put two-wheelers on the road.

That said, there are some cycles and scooters out there that are clearly ahead of the pack. We took a look at the best the market has to offer and found 10 motorcycles and scooters that cut through beach and mountain traffic more capably than the competition. What we didn't find, however, was a Harley Davidson(HOG) or Vespa that could make the cut:

BMW K1600GT
Starting price: $20,900

The last six-cylinder motorcycle engine in production boasts 1649ccs and 160 horsepower, but it's the little toys that help this big touring bike earn its price. An adaptive headlight that can peek around corners, electronic suspension adjustment, GPS, Sirius-XM(SIRI) satellite radio and electronic adjustable windshield and multiple controllers on the handlebars make the K1600 a luxe dream.

Ducati Diavel
Starting price: $17,495

The brand of choice for those who lust after a sexy European sport bike, Ducati is unafraid to trim the weight of its standard Diavel below 500 pounds, crank the horsepower up to 162 and take its bike from zero-to-60 in less than three seconds. That fat 240-millimeter rear tire just pushed Ducati out of crotch-rocket superbike territory and into the loving embrace of recreational riders and retirees with a need for more speed than a hog can provide.