The Best Newly Introduced Motorcycle Models for 2023

Why We Picked It:

Honda already has a great selection of ADV bikes from the CB500X and NC750X all the way up to the Africa Twin. This is why the XL750 Transalp is such an exciting new bike to us, as it takes every lesson learned from those three mentioned models and implements them to perfection.

It has the lightness of a CB500X, weighing in at just 440 lbs, sits lower than the NC750X, but has power approaching that of an Africa Twin at a meaty 92 HP from its 755cc parallel twin, an engine it shares with the 750 Hornet that is on UK roads right now.

Don't let its very road-friendly setup fool you, as it does have off-road capabilities, including a special "Gravel" ride mode that almost completely shuts off the ABS and traction control. However, it is no Africa Twin, so if you are looking at getting properly and truly off the beaten path, there are better bikes in Honda's own lineup for that.

Where the Transalp shines, and is designed to shine, is exactly where its name says it should be: going up and down twisty roads draped down the side of a mountain, chugging away the miles without worry. With a 4.5 gallon tank and efficiency estimates already at 65+ MPG, this happy little Honda bike is looking like being the perfect long-distance tourer for the Adventure riding crowd.

Why We Picked It:

Royal Enfield is, if you'll pardon the pun, on a roll these days. No longer considered the "cheap and boring" motorcycle brand, they have reinvented themselves over the past decade into a proper, serious manufacturer of quality bikes.

One of their more popular offerings is the Himalayan, a small, lightweight ADV that has earned the nickname "The Little Tractor" because of it's torquey 411cc thumper. But when you send the Himalayan to a sport training camp, take away its windshield, give it stiffer suspension and sportier tires and wheels, you get a scrambler version.

The Scram 411 is aimed squarely at those riders looking for a retro-styled scrambler with some decent tech, but still following the RE adage of simple, quality built bikes at a ridiculously affordable price point. You get ABS, you get a digital display speedo and tach, but you lose the digital compass and ABS on/off switch from the Himalayan. The result is a lighter bike with a bit of an attitude and a bit more of a sporty feel.

This is definitely a bike meant for the British B-road, so if you live where there is a quiet but twisty back road nearby, it's almost guaranteed this sportier little tractor will be a hoot to ride there. As a freeway bike... there are other options. This is one meant for twisty fun as a second or even third bike.

Why We Picked It:

Suzuki has not introduced a new engine in nearly a decade now, so when they announced a new 776cc parallel twin, many heads perked up in interest. The engine is as high tech as you would expect from one developed in the 2020s, with an automatic counterbalance system for its 270 degree crank, which gives the engine a pulse like a V-twin, but the friendly torque and power of a parallel twin.

The GSX-8S, one of two new 2023 models that the engine resides in, is also as high tech as you would expect a new model to be. Full throttle-by-wire with multiple ride settings to manage torque and power maps, uneven length intakes to boost torque, and a six-axis IMU that controls everything from traction control to ABS via a new control system called S.I.R.S., or Suzuki Intelligent Ride System. The new bit of kit updates hundreds of times per second, making sure that every rider aid system is at the optimal setting for the ride mode selected to make your ride smooth and safe.

Another thing that the GSX-8S brings with it is a 5 inch TFT LCD dash that has been long overdue, with bang-up-to-date features and even has a light sensor to automatically switch between night and day modes. We expect that this dash will rapidly make its way across all of Suzuki's models, it is such a step forward for them.

The only really controversial thing about the GSX-8S is its styling, which is a love-it-or-hate-it look. We like the aggressive, attacking front and sharp, stubby rear, giving it the look of a streetfighter without being too over the top, but it's definitely a matter of opinion. No matter what, however, we're just happy to get a new bike and new engine from Suzuki!

Why We Picked It:

Triumph has a true winner on their hand with the newly redesigned Street Triple 765 R, and we'll explain why.

The only thing that has carried over from the Street Triple R of 2022 is the size of the engine, 765cc. Inside that engine, using research and development knowledge from their Moto2 participation, everything is new. Crank, con-rods, pistons, and valves are all redesigned for optimal power. The intake trumpets are 20mm shorter than the 2022 bike, and the entire piston crown and cylinder head have been machined for better intake and exhaust.

This has resulted in a higher compression ratio of 13.25:1, boosting power from 115 to 118 HP, but more importantly bringing a lot more torque lower down in the rev range, with peak torque now at 9,500 instead of 11,500 RPM. That torque is now almost dead on 60 lbs-ft, an increase of 3 over the 2022 model.

The 765 R also gains an entirely new 6-axis IMU, which is fully integrated with the lean-sensitive and cornering ABS and traction control, but also features a new style of quickshifter for Triumph. Instead of being a binary switch to change gears, the new quickshifter uses a pressure sensitive actuator to realize a shift is being requested and timing the shift by the time the shifter is fully engage to perform a lightning fast, seamless shift.

The chin fairing is also gone, with the bike gaining a more aggressive, creased tank and thinner headlight pod, making it look like a meaner, nastier streetfighter than before. All we can say is, for 2023, Triumph knocked it out of the park.

Why We Picked It:

To say that the standard Chief is one of the most popular Indian Motorcycles models is like saying the sky is blue. As such, Indian saw fit to not only make a new model of the Chief, but one that promises to be a proper monster.

The new Sport Chief Keeps the basic shape of the Chief, but replaces the 111 engine with a Thunderstroke 116 with a shoulder-socket-tearing 120 lbs-ft of torque. It gains a sporty front cowling reminiscent of a cafe racer, and features dual front 320mm brakes by Brembo, with a single 300mm rear brake by the same, with standard ABS included.

Ground clearance is increased by an inch to 5.9 inches, due mostly to the KYB inverted fork at the front and dual Fox Piggyback shocks at the rear to keep the bike comfortable while also keeping things planted on the road. That same ground clearance also allows for more aggressive turning without scraping the pegs, up to 29.5 degrees lean on mid-mount controls. The handlebars are also mounted to a new 6 inch moto-style riser, with a full combination gauge cluster and infotainment control slung under the center spar.

Indian states that the Sport Chief has been designed from the ground up to be an aggressive, hard-charging cruiser that isn't afraid of long straights and hard turns, and from what we can see so far, it looks like they have a winner.

Why We Picked It:

When Aprilia released the RS660 in 2021, it was one of the few new bikes over the past few years that actually lived up to the hype surrounding it. It was meant to be a beginner friendly introduction to just what a sportbike with supersport DNA could do, and in the hands of veteran riders it was a fun little road rocket that was eminently flickable and loved to corner hard.

However, Aprilia has a racing department, and has a history of letting said department have a little fun with a model now and again. That's why there is an RSV4 Factory superbike model, and that is also why there is now a RS660 Extrema model.

The biggest thing with the Extrema is that it is still a RS660 underneath, with the same 100 HP and 50 lbs-ft of torque. What has changed, however, is that the bike has undergone a serious weight loss regime, with the undercarriage fairing and front wheel guard being replaced with carbon fiber pieces, and the exhaust being removed and a new, SC Project bespoke titanium and carbon fiber exhaust fitted.

This has resulted in the bike loosing about 15 lbs curb weight to come in at 390 lbs, with the exhaust account for almost 7 lbs of that alone. There have been some mild remaps done of the "race" ride mode, but otherwise, it's the first non-limited variant of the RS660, and a damned good looking one at that with the factory livery as the paint scheme!

Why We Picked It:

The new Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE is the other bike that is getting the new 776cc parallel twin engine, alongside the GSX-8S. In the V-Strom, however, it is running a slightly different map, as ADV bikes generally want more of their torque as low down in the revs as possible.

It should be noted right away that the V-Strom 800 DE is a much more compact bike than both the V-Strom 650 and V-Strom 1050 versions, and benefits from that by packing in more dirt- and desert-capable equipment than either of those models. Suzuki states that the 800 DE is "the most dirt- and travel-worthy V-Strom ever," and from the specs alone, they are on to something.

Consider that it has the highest ground clearance of any of the V-Stroms at 8.7 inches. Then consider that unlike the aging 650, it has fully adjustable Showa suspension and Nissin brakes with adjustable ABS, and the rear ABS can be dialed down to almost nothing through the ride mode selection. Suzuki has also forgone the aluminum frame of the other V-Strom's and made the 800 DE's frame out of good ol' high strength steel.

The bike also gets the new 5 inch TFT display dash, finally forgoing the analogue and liquid crystal combo, which is tied in to the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System that is another feature borrowed from the GSX-8S. It gains the up/down quickshifter as well, and most importantly for an ADV, has tubeless spoke wheels, 21 inches in front and 17 inches in the rear.

All said and done, this is the most adventurous ADV Suzuki has made, and we're excited to see just what it can do!

Why We Picked It:

The Ducati Multistrada V4 model is already considered one of the best adventure touring motorcycles you can buy, with rave reviews about both its on-road manners and power, and off-road abilities as a trailblazer. For 2023, in addition to the existing Multistrada V4, V4 S, and V4 S Sport models, a new V4 Rally model has been introduced.

The biggest thing about the Rally is that it sports a new, off-road specific Enduro riding mode for tackling rougher terrain off-trail, as well as coming standard with the semi-active Ducati Skyhook EVO Rally suspension. That new suspension has a full 7.9 inches of travel on both front and rear, an increase of almost a full inch over the V4 S. Also new on the Rally are spoked tubeless wheels in 19 inch front, 17 inch rear sizings.

Carried over are the excellent V4 Granturismo V4 engine with 170 HP and 92 lbs-ft of torque, as well as every other bell and whistle that came on the V4 S. Ducati has stated that the V4 Rally is the spiritual successor to the discontinued Multistrada 1260 Enduro, and with a new, 7.9 gallon long-distance tank, up from 5.8 gallons on the other V4 models, it should fill in the top-tier long distance tourer gap that has been in Ducati's lineup since the 1260 left the sales floor.

Why We Picked It:

If it weren't for the Italians, we think that the motorcycle market would be far less interesting than it is. Take, for example, when Ducati made their sport "cruiser," the Diavel 1260. Then, a few years later, they gave it more power, made it faster, and called it the XDiavel. Guess what they did with the Diavel now? Yep, they've put the 1,158cc Granturismo V4 in it to make it even more powerful and faster.

They have also changed the way they are referring to the bike, as they have adopted the "muscle cruiser" nomenclature for the Diavel V4. It gains bigger intake plenums, making it look like its "Shoudlers" are bigger and stronger. It has a full Akrapovic titanium and carbon fiber exhaust with quad pipes, giving it a sonorous roar. The gas tank has been reshaped to look like the whole bike is flexing its muscles, hunching up as it gets ready to catapult you down the road.

That V4 engine, like in the Multistrada V4, pumps out 170 HP and 93 lbs-ft of torque, giving the Diavel V4 the most power of all of the Diavel models, including the XDiavel.

It is, for all intents and purposes, an utterly ridiculous motorcycle... and we absolutely, completely, unashamedly love it!

Why We Picked It:

A lot of Harley-Davidson models have come and gone that have a reputation for being the best of their time. Names like VROD, Electra-Glide, Fat Boy, Liberator, and the like. One of the more popular names of recent years was the Breakout 114, a custom-styled, raked back, badass cruiser that made a lot of noise and a lot of torque, both great things for a Harley, and now, in 2023, the name is back on an even torquier model.

For the 2023 return of the massively popular softail, the engine has been upgraded to a Milwaukee-Eight 117, laying down 125 lbs-ft of pavement shredding torque. That torque goes through to classic-style 26 spoke cast aluminum wheels, with a massive rear tire to make sure that non of it is wasted. As Harley -Davidson themselves market it, it has "obscene performance."

New for the 2023 model as well is the "heavy-breather" intake, with an exposed forward facing filter element that flows as much air as it can to the V-twin. It also looks pretty badass, if we say so, which we think is the exact point that H-D were going for.

Also coming with the 2023 model is a full dual zone ABS system, electronic cruise control, a hell of a lot more chrome than the 2020 model, and the return of the much loved 5.0 gallon fuel tank. All said and done, the new Breakout promises to be a power cruiser to watch!