Bike Reviews

As the tail rider in a train of approximately seven identical Yamahas, I couldn’t help but watch in awe as each of us weaved our way through the notorious Tail of the Dragon, bending the bike underneath us to our will through the 120-something corners, the unison of the dance mesmerizing as each of us took our turn, one by one, around each apex, at irresponsible speeds, front wheels inches away from the person in front of us. This is the kind of trust you build up after you’ve ridden with the same group of people for years on end. We all know that riding with your friends is fun. For us, the experience was heightened thanks to the motorcycle we were riding – Yamaha’s updated 2024 MT-09 SP.

Rolling out of the underground parking garage where a DJ had seen us off by kickin’ the jams, we were greeted by the warm hug of Barcelona’s summer weather as the orange morning light splayed across the beautiful Catalan capital. Admittedly, traffic was light, so squirting through the city streets on our way to the surrounding hills was a breeze, making it even more so, was Royal Enfield’s latest addition to its lineup: the Guerrilla 450. Somewhat of a street scrambler-style motorcycle, the Guerrilla 450 shares many similarities with the Himalayan that was developed alongside it.

Despite having been around the longest, BMW’s middleweight machines haven’t been leading the pack since the current adventure craze took off. As of late, the F 800/850 haven’t been top of the performance heap on-road or off. BMW aims to change that with its all-new F 900 GS. A bump in displacement along with a thorough redesign and new options may very well be the ticket to putting the Beemer back into serious contention within the middleweight ADV brawl. Lucky us, we got to head to southern Spain to see if BMW’s latest adventure bike was a stud or a dud.

When attempting to check my bag at LAX, the attendant told me that my flight to France was canceled. I asked if he was sure since the app was still showing the flight was on time. Rather than ducking back behind the computer, he grabbed what had to have been a 12-foot long ream of paper full of flight schedules all plastered with the word Canceled. Turns out France was in the midst of a massive air traffic controller strike which had halted almost all air travel through France (go figure). As it would happen, my flight was indeed still scheduled. Shocked, the attendant reluctantly hoisted my bag onto the carousel and we watched as it began its journey with hopes that I would see it again on the other side of the world. Au revoir!

Every good story needs a hook, and Verge certainly has one with its hubless rear wheel design. They’re leaning into it so much that even the company T-shirts say, “Reinventing the wheel” on the back. But what is the Verge TS, anyway? Verge the company was founded in Finland – which itself is unusual for the motorcycle landscape. Like seemingly all electric motorcycle companies, Verge is hinging on electric propulsion as the way of the future. The company has been selling bikes in Europe for a couple years now, and has just made its way into the US. It’s even opened up two brick and mortar retail showcases – one in Northern California and the other in SoCal. All this in anticipation of the first models landing on this side of the pond by the end of the year.

Wet, cool, low visibility. What other conditions could I possibly ask for when getting to test BMW’s carbon fiber-laden, $30.5 grand 200+-horsepower M tourer? Our half day onboard the BMW M 1000 XR started out of Malaga, Spain, and wound up into hills fully socked in with the morning’s marine layer. Water began to bead up on my visor as I attempted to keep the lead rider’s taillight in view on the highway. Fantastic.

After getting a taste of KTM’s new 990 Duke on the street, it was agonizing not to see how it would do on track, especially since the home base of our street ride was the Almeria circuit in Spain. I was also curious because the street ride revealed the 990 to be much more rigid in the chassis department than the 890 before it. I might be an outlier, but the 890’s chassis flex was actually one of its redeeming qualities, in my opinion, giving it character both on the street and the track.

My original review of KTM’s 2024 1390 Super Duke R EVO was cut short due to bad weather. A track test always gets the heart racing, but when you combine an extremely powerful motorcycle in the Super Duke with a particularly tricky and challenging track like Almeria with cold, rain, and the lack of wet weather tires, the risk-to-reward ratio wasn’t in my favor.

There’s no such thing as the perfect motorcycle, but when it comes to track-specific machines, Kramer Motorcycles makes something that’s really, really close. Known for its bespoke chassis, premium components, and overall light weight no production bike can match, Kramer partners with KTM, who provide the engines for these track-focused weapons. Kramer embodies the “Ready to Race” ethos of KTM so well that KTM enlisted the boutique brand (started by a former KTM employee) to build a small production run of 100 bikes, dubbed the RC8c, centered around the 890cc LC8c parallel-Twin.

There really wasn’t a reason to update Yamaha’s MT-09. We love the MT-09, and apparently you do too – it’s been Yamaha’s best-selling MT model for a decade. It’s so good, in fact, that the world has been clamoring for an R9 sportbike loosely based on the MT-09, and sharing a hopped-up version of the 890 three-cylinder engine, for years. While Yamaha remains tight-lipped on the R9, it’s created a diversion to get people, especially journos like us, to talk about something else, if only briefly – an updated MT-09. And so, here we are. 

Displacement creeps alongside tech and styling updates

Attendees to the 2025 Triumph Rocket 3 Storm R & GT launch in Cannes, France were gifted with a piston from the motorcycle’s 2.5-liter engine. Measuring more than 4.25 inches across and weighing a pound, there’s plenty of real estate on the face of the massive chunk of aluminum for various inscriptions and logos. Lucky for me, I was also in attendance for the original Rocket III 20 years ago at which event we were also gifted a piston. Now I have an almost matching set.

For the 2024 model year, the US will see only the Tiger 1200 Explorer models hitting dealership floors, while our friends up north will have the Pro models only. In 2025, the whole family will be getting back together in both countries. So, for now, we’ll focus on the Tiger 1200 Explorer models and the slight revisions that Triumph brought us to the beautiful Scottish countryside just outside of Glasgow, to test out.

Things are different now. More than 16 major motorcycle manufacturers are competing for a slice of the piping hot, deeply nuanced ADV pie. Displacements for these machines range from light-footed 250cc Singles to monstrous tech-laden Twins with pancake-sized pistons suckin’, squeezin’, bangin’ and blowin’. Oh! And Pierer Mobility, parent company of KTM, Husqvarna, and Gas Gas, is now also the majority shareholder of the Italian marque, MV Agusta. Considering the slew of adventure bikes to its name already, and the murky waters that the Lucky Explorer – or Enduro Veloce as it’s now known – has waded through up to this point, we weren’t sure an MV ADV would ever grace dealership floors. We were even less sure when Pierer Mobility CEO, Stefan Pierer was quoted in our recent interview as saying, “Nobody is waiting for such a model from MV Agusta.”

Kawasaki has been dominating the realm of entry-level motorcycles, especially with the introduction of the Ninja 400 in 2018. In fact, they were so capable and enjoyable to ride that I bought one myself and it has become one of my favorite motorcycles in my stable. The Ninja 400 wasn't perfect, and I had my gripes about it. So, of course, I was very intrigued by the unveiling of the new Ninja 500. As luck would have it, I was fortunate enough to find myself invited to a press launch for the new Kawasaki in Malibu, California, to see what this new machine is all about. The Malibu area hosts some of the best canyon roads in the United States – a perfect proving ground for testing the new, larger displacement Ninja 500.

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.

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.