Bike Reviews

Five models (Bobber, Sport, Classic, Super, 101) and two trim levels (Limited, Limited +Tech) comprise the 2025 Indian Scout platform. Mixing and matching the models and trims ups the total variety of bikes to 11 ranging in price from $13k to $17k. Having ridden the five base varieties there’s only one model for me, the 101. It’s a simple matter of brakes and suspension, but more on that later. For now, it’s important to know that the key differences between the outgoing and incoming models are a change from aluminum to tubular steel for the frame, a new 1250cc SpeedPlus engine, and a consolidated exhaust.

After inhaling what must have been a metric shit ton of dust during the first half of our stifling ride day, all I can do is breathe in the heavy, briny air and relax for a second. Laying in a rattan hammock looking up at the palm trees swaying in the wind after stuffing my face with rice and curry was a welcome moment of relaxation after dealing with the day’s sweltering temps. A moment in time which doesn’t seem to come very often these days. If you get far enough away, jettisoned to the furthest corner of the world, well, maybe that’s what it takes to find a sliver of silence. Of unadulterated enjoyment and reflection. The Ibex 450 carried me here. A worthy travel companion, humble in its specification, but steadfast in its resolution.

Taking a giant leap into creating a motorcycle platform with customization in mind, the Shotgun 650 is, at its heart, the quintessential mid-sized cruiser, wrapped in sleek and simple bobber style cladding, and adorned with the latest technology upgrades.

Displacement creeps alongside tech and styling updates

Like many things in life, perspective is everything. Here in the US, KTM’s 390 Duke has been the smallest member of the Duke family (although that’s no longer true as the 250 and 200 Dukes cross the ocean, too). As the baby Duke in America, we generally look at it with kid gloves, a cute learner bike for someone to start with before coming up through the ranks. Here’s the thing: in many markets, especially Asian ones, the 390 Duke is the cream of the Duke crop. Where we start on 390s while aspiring to move up to 990 Dukes and maybe even 1390 Super Dukes, other parts of the world start on 125 Dukes before hopping on the 250. They’ve “made it” when the 390 gets in their hands. It’s the same bike, just received in two very different ways. See? Perspective. 

There’s a reason why Trader Joe’s is beloved by so many when it comes to their grocery shopping. It boils down to a phenomenon known as decision paralysis. At your typical grocery store, for any particular item, you have dozens upon dozens of choices. Really, how many different kinds of toothpaste do you need? Trying to decide which one to get, when any of the options will do, overwhelms the brain and we end up getting nothing, thus causing choice paralysis. That’s the beauty of Trader Joe’s. They’ve streamlined the options so you can get in, pick your hot sauce, and move on.

Not having children of my own, nor many in my close circle for that matter, I forget how seeing the unadulterated enthusiasm and joy from a child can brighten up one’s entire day. Of course, when it’s due to a group of motorcycles roaring through their small town in the desert outside Marrakech, that joy makes an incredible experience that much more memorable. High fiving kids through small villages as their parents grow weary of motorcycles passing through town (even respectfully) is a memory I’ll never forget and, as it happens time and time again for us motorcyclists, two wheels are what tied these moments in time together in such a unique way. Specifically, in this case, the 2024 Ducati DesertX Rally.

Questions about suspension internals, why there’s a sideways motor pushing a shaft drive on a sub-liter bike, and why I keep forgetting how to navigate a menu I’ve already gone through dozens of times all faded away, as I felt the traction control let the rear wheel step out just the right amount on the twisty Spanish road.

There’s only so much you can learn about a motorcycle after getting about four laps on a racetrack you haven’t seen in a decade. Factor in the cold conditions, a brand new, race-compound rear tire, and no tire warmers, and you can basically throw away any sort of authoritative impressions about the bike. Oh, and did I mention the bike in question is the 2024 KTM 1390 Super Duke R EVO and the racetrack was the ultra-tricky Almeria circuit? There was a lot to take in, not least of which were the myriad of blind corners, sketchy tires that weren’t up to temp, and the literal cold air blasting me from head to toe. But, despite all of this, there is one impression that I’m certain of: If you thought the previous Super Dukes were wild, this new 1390 Super Duke increases the ridiculousness to another level.

It’s no secret that we at Motorcycle.com love KTM’s 790 and 890 Duke (and really love the 890 Duke R). Long-time readers will know this already, but if you’re new here, our history with the middle Duke family runs deep. Type in either 790 or 890 Duke in our search bar and you’ll see the myriad of stories and tests we’ve done with those bikes. Like these:

Mid-way through what felt like the 100th tight curve for the day in southern Spain was when the thought occurred, “This thing is a blast to ride, why was this bike discontinued?” Named after one of the most famous Alpine motorcycle roads in the world, the Stelvio was first introduced in 2007. After quickly gaining a following in Europe as a versatile, all-around touring machine, the Stelvio continued as a mainstay of the Italian brand until it ceased production in 2016.

Brad Richards has a tough task. What do you do when you’re tasked with designing a ground-up revamp of your company’s most successful and coveted models? Two motorcycles that have etched themselves into the history books largely because of the way they look? The answer, as it always has been, boils down to three words: Refinement. Refinement. Refinement.

KTM, consider yourself on watch because Ducati is coming for you, and it’s coming for you with this: the 2024 Hypermotard 698 Mono. One look and you can tell the Hyper Mono is aimed squarely at the KTM 690 SMC R, the supermoto inspiration is obvious to all, and now there’s suddenly an arms race in a category that’s been one-sided for years. Sure, the street-legal supermoto scene may be a small niche, but we all know it’s a recipe for getting your license taken away in no time – all with a giant smile on your face. 

You know the Harley CVO story by now. It starts with the highest-performing production bike The Motor Company can make, and then we see bits and pieces make their way down the standard production line in the years to come. But what trickles down to the CVO models in the first place? Historically, the answer would have been nothing much, but ever since Harley went head-first into racing the King of the Bagger series with MotoAmerica, and amplifying its rivalry with Indian in the process, there’s now a new answer. 

In the past six years since Royal Enfield launched its first 650cc twin-cylinder bikes of the modern era in the 2018 model year, the well-developed, well-built and well-priced Interceptor and Continental GT have catapulted the Indian manufacturer into a leading role in the global middleweight motorcycle market.

Since its launch in 2020, Triumph’s Tiger 900 platform has been impossible to keep out of the middleweight ADV conversation. With 45,000 sold to date, Triumph clearly didn’t need to reinvent the wheel with its 2024 models, but there are a few key revisions across both the Tiger 900 GT and Rally Pro models that really make them shine even brighter on and off road. After arriving in Malaga, Spain, Triumph sat us down for a brief presentation to tell us all about the new updates for 2024.

Aprilia’s measured but inexorable rise to the front of the MotoGP pack in recent months, with two victories in three races plus a Sprint race win, all inside the space of 30 days, has reaffirmed the Piaggio-owned brand’s sporting credentials at the highest level. [Unfortunately for them, this was the extent of Aprilia’s race wins for the year -TS] It’s also served as a parting testimony to the late Roberto Colaninno, Chairman/CEO of Piaggio who passed away on August 19, just days after his 80th birthday and a fortnight after Aleix Espargaró’s Silverstone race victory saw Aprilia turn the tables on its Ducati rivals.

A tech-laden, long-legged addition to the K5 family

Being the sole engine supplier to a race series has its benefits. The big one being able to incorporate changes into the harshest environment possible and get feedback from 30 of the best test riders in the world. And when you get a general consensus that whatever you’ve done was a step in the right direction, it’s easy enough to incorporate those changes (or versions of it) into the motorcycles you and I can buy at the dealership.

When Ducati first introduced its original Streetfighter with the 1098 engine in 2009… I hated it. Other than being nice to look at, the riding characteristics were horrible. Oddly enough, when the 848 version was introduced, somehow it was a little more enjoyable to ride. Nonetheless, when the Streetfighter family went under, I wasn’t very sad. I was skeptical when Ducati brought back the Streetfighter, but you don’t have to search very far in the MO archives to see that I’m a big fan of the revived bike with the V4 engine. And in keeping with tradition, the smaller 955cc V2 Streetfighter isn’t a bad ride either. So much so that we included it in our 2023 European Middleweight Naked Bike Shootout, and though it may not have won (spoiler alert), it definitely kept us talking. With that in mind, here are 5 things you need to know about the Ducati Streetfighter V2.

Yamaha’s popular Ténéré 700 “T7” adventure bike returns for 2024, and while it would be easy to say it is “largely unchanged” from the 2023 model, there have been some notable changes made in response to feedback from many North American riders. One wish still unrealized: the U.S. dealers won’t be getting the up-spec World Raid and numerous other versions of the T7 the EU enjoys - at least not this year. But might that change?

It’s hard to say goodbye to the ones you love, but that’s exactly what we have to do with the KTM 890 Duke R. One of our favorite bikes since its introduction, the 890 Duke R is leaving the KTM lineup to make way for the incoming 990 Duke (and the re-introduced 790 Duke). But before we bid it farewell, we put it up against some of its European contemporaries in a good old fashioned MO shootout. And guess what – it won. Just like it usually does.

BMW announced minor updates to its R 1250 R, giving the Boxer-engined roadster a full LED headlight, and making some previously optional electronics standard, all while keeping the price unchanged at $14,995.

Adventure bikes weren’t really a thing in 1989, at least not in the United States. Even BMW’s venerable GS was nothing more than a misunderstood, oversized dual-purpose machine with ties to the Paris-Dakar rally, which itself was only a little more than a decade old at the time. At the back of the dealership where I worked in 1991, parked next to the tire rack, languished a 1989 Honda XL600V Transalp. Along with other two-year-only (’89 and ’90) model offerings from Honda, including the GB500 and CB-1, the Transalp was nothing more than a curiosity.

Like it or not, regulatory agencies around the world are cracking down on vehicle emissions and imposing some of the strictest rules we, the motoring public, have ever seen. One of these rules includes restricting, or even banning, petrol-powered vehicles through portions of some European cities. Naturally, rules like this hit the auto industry the hardest and present a fundamental change in how the industry as a whole operates. As a result, it seems as though all of the world’s major auto manufacturers have decided to abandon the internal combustion engine and are phasing it out over time in favor of purely electric vehicles.

The arc of the aging sportbike rider goes a little something like this: In their youth, going fast and taking chances is the name of the game. Sportbikes are the status symbol that fulfills this desire and is the closest thing to a two-wheeled land missile they can get their hands on. Not to mention it costs a fraction of what supercars go for. The aggressive position of clip-on bars and rearset pegs adds to the sensation of speed and places the young rider in a position of power they may not have experienced yet in their young lives.

It’s pretty gratifying to discover a youthful British entrepreneur’s madcap gamble that he could find sufficient customers ready to stump up the steep price for his self-conceived, self-developed, self-manufactured and self-promoted series production motorcycle that’s unique in today’s marketplace, has paid off. Bingo!

In recent years, what it means to be a supersport motorcycle has gone through a dramatic change. It had to – sales of traditional 600cc supersports have tanked since the Great Recession, and most of the old guard have either stopped selling their 600s in the US, or haven’t updated them in years. Why should they? Instead, we have a smattering of motorcycles with sporty intentions – some with fairings and others without. The only common denominator is they all have engines under 1000cc.

Just when you thought Honda couldn’t possibly add something new and different to its middle-range moto lineup, it surprises us with a reiteration of a previous cult classic, the CL350, best known for paving the way for the Baja 1000 back in the 70’s. This modern version of the peppy lightweight scrambler has all the goodies of Honda’s current offerings, with all the style of the paired down desert racers of the past.

New motorcycle model introductions follow a well-worn path: travel to the event location, eat nice meals, get briefed on the bike of the moment, ride a route designed to highlight the bike’s strengths, take photos/video, eat more good food, return home, and write up a review. After 27 years in this industry, I still get a cheap thrill about throwing a leg over a new motorcycle before it is available to the general public. However, what really gets me going is when I have a chance to log more than just the couple of hundred miles typically covered in an intro and spend some real time on the road with said bike.

The more I ride the Ducati DesertX, the more I like it. There are so many excellent choices in the middleweight adventure bike segment these days that any ADV-curious motorcyclist should be able to find themselves a compatible match. The DesertX is like that one friend you know is always down for some sort of mischief – more partner-in-crime than just a partner. It’s rowdy, loud (with the Termi pipe seen above), and raucous, and it coerces you into having a good time. Since we’ve been able to pass Ducati’s latest adventure machine around amongst the staff, it’s become a crowd favorite.

Adventure bikes were made to unlock possibilities, to transport you from your garage to places unknown. As the category has evolved it has become more segmented to better suit the needs of the intrepid pilots looking to explore the furthest reaches of their abilities – whatever that may mean to said pilot. The new Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally was built to be the best long-haul ADV steed the Italian firm has ever built. With increased comfort, fuel capacity, suspension, and tech, on paper it looks to have checked the boxes. But everyone knows you can’t always believe what you read on paper. For that, you should turn to the internet and Motorcycle.com for the unadulterated facts.

To most North American motorcycle riders, China-based motorcycle maker CFMOTO is a newcomer when it comes to street bikes. Elsewhere, it’s a familiar face, especially in Australia, the Philippines, and the UK, where CFMOTO’s sub-300cc motorcycles and scooters have been sold for decades. But CFMOTO is now making a play for a share of the street bike market in America, and the new 2023 450SS is one of the high-profile new “bigger bikes” beginning to arrive at over 300 CFMOTO motorcycle dealerships across the nation.

MV Agusta is on a full-court press to show the world that, thanks to Pierer Mobility, it finally has the support it needs to grow into its full potential. We’ve written about it on this site and are following all of the news concerning the company. One nice change from our perspective as journalists is the availability of a MV Agusta press fleet. Another is the U.S. introduction of a country-exclusive 2023 MV Agusta Dragster RR SCS America, which is designed to appeal directly to buyers in MV’s most important market. It seems only fitting that the heart of Southern California’s motorcycle country was chosen as the place to give the moto press a sample of the latest offering from Varese.

Last year, we voted the Aprilia Tuareg the Best Adventure Motorcycle of 2022 and the 2022 Motorcycle of the Year. Clearly, we like it, but after almost six months without riding one, we began to wonder if it was really as great as we remembered. Fortunately, we recently got to spend some quality time with a 2022 Aprilia Tuareg while adventure touring in South Dakota thanks to the good folks at Travel South Dakota, and it only rekindled our fondness for this motorcycle. This time, however, we spent more time in the dirt than we did on pavement, which only made us appreciate the balance provided by this motorcycle even more.

The Honda XR150 has been in production since 2003, though up until recently it wasn’t available in the US market. Selling most of the units in Asia or Latin America, the XR150 platform is one of the most popular entry-level dual-sports, and its introduction to the US comes with some welcome perks; time tested engine and components plus a 20-year history of available parts – both OEM and aftermarket. Honda’s reliability is legendary, and this little XR150L is likely no exception.

Our perception of the world is influenced by both nature and nurture. Just as our individual experiences shape how we view situations, the same can be said for the handlebars you sit behind. Each bike delivers its own unique experience that plays a part in how you interact with and take in the scenery around you whether that be flying through mountain roads at warp speed, filtering through traffic on the way to work, or cruising through expansive glacial valleys skirting the German/Austrian border.

It had been quite a while since I last rode a multi-cylinder KTM on a racetrack – all the way back to 2011 and the Red Bull-sponsored factory RC8R 1200cc V-twin on which Martin Bauer was victorious in that year’s IDM German Superbike Championship, with teammate Stefan Nebel third. That was a key moment in the Austrian dirtbike specialist’s climb up the ladder to equal status with the likes of Honda and Ducati in the road racing pantheon, and showed that orange was a color to be reckoned with on-road as well as off it.

Astute readers are probably wondering why Motorcycle.com is publishing a First Ride of a bike that’s not coming to the States this model year. Our reasoning is that, thanks to the sleuthing of Dennis Chung, we suspect the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ will be coming to the U.S. in 2024. (Read about it here.) So, we thought our fellow MOrons might be as interested as we are in how well the new technology incorporated into the GT+ performs. We hope you enjoy this taste of what it has to offer. –EB

Being a motorcycle publication, Motorcycle.com largely caters to enthusiast readers. However, for every enthusiast there was once a potential rider who was curious about motorcycles.

It’s exactly ten years on since the born-again Brough Superior brand’s first all-new model, a modern take on the legendary SS100 launched 100 years ago this year as the world’s first street-legal Superbike, was unveiled at the 2013 EICMA Milan Show.

The Route Napoleon is considered one of the best drives across France. It starts near the French Riviera and runs up to the southern tip of the Alps. The route earns its namesake by following the path that the one-time French emperor used to covertly make his way north after escaping his first exile. Despite wet conditions with gravelly sections enroute and frost at higher elevations, it was a most excellent place to have our first dance with Suzuki’s new naked, the 2023 GSX-8S. The second of two 776cc Parallel-Twin-powered models from Suzuki, the GSX-8S proved its mettle over just a single day’s ride in terms of being a contender in the middleweight naked category. Let’s get to it. 

Reinventing an Icon

Just a week after announcing the 450SS sportbike was coming to the U.S., CFMOTO adds another adventure bike to its lineup for 2023. The CFMOTO Ibex 800 S will be available for $9,499, while the slightly more adventure-ready Ibex 800 T trim comes in at $10,499.

You don’t get a name like Elite without earning it (or buying it in this case), and today Indian has introduced two model lines to get the Elite treatment: the Pursuit Elite and Chieftain Elite. What makes these models Elite? All you have to do is look at them to figure out what sets them apart from the standard models. For the Pursuit, this is the first time it will be getting Elite treatment, which consists of Super Graphite Metallic and Black Metallic paint schemes nicely offset with bronze details throughout to exude an air of exclusivity the base models can’t touch.