Small-Displacement Renaissance – Question of the Day
Are you eyeing a smaller bike as your next motorcycle?
Ryan Adams let me unchain myself from my desk this morning so I could stop by the Toronto Motorcycle and Powersport Show to get my first chance to see some of the newest motorcycles in the flesh. There were several no-shows from major OEMs who were there in previous years *cough*Ducati, BMW, Indian and Kawasaki*cough* but those that were there provided a good cross section of what the motorcycle industry looks like in the year 2024.
Perhaps the thing that stood out the most to me was how many new small-displacement offerings there are today. Motorcycles like the Aprilia RS 457 pictured above (I was told this was the only one of its kind currently on the continent), Triumph’s Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X, and Honda’s revamped 500 models including the updated don’t-call-it-the-Hornet CB500F plus its range of Minimotos.
Bikes like these are vital for introducing new riders to the sport, but for the Question of the Day, I’m curious about what experienced riders think. Do you see yourself in the market for a small displacement motorcycle as your next bike, either as your main ride or to supplement your current bike?
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Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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I just bought a Honda XR150L for fun and I'm really enjoying the light weight. The low prices and the variety of 300 - 500cc bikes has me considering another purchase. I've come to the conclusion that 40-50 HP is all I really need for the riding I do.
I am an Aprilia fan boy and have owned a RSV mille and RSV4. at 63 I am looking at the Tuareg for its multipurpose demeanor. The modern midsize category suits us aging boomers to a T.