Bike Reviews

What does that even mean?

Yamaha’s YZF-R7 has been the brand’s most aerodynamic model since its introduction. That’s an impressive feat for a new model. But it also poses a problem — what do you do when it’s time to give it an update? For the 2026 YZF-R7, Yamaha focused heavily on making it even more aerodynamic. And it starts directly at the front end.

The Triumph Speed Twin 900 is an absolute blast to ride. Powered by a punchy, torque-rich parallel-twin, it delivers classic British styling with effortless real-world performance. Everything works exactly the way it should—there are no obvious faults, no strange quirks, and plenty of character right out of the box.

Just ahead of the inaugural Yamaha Ténéré Trek, the Blu Cru invited a handful of media guests out to rural Valley County, Idaho to experience, at long last, the Ténéré 700 World Raid. Though the model has been available in other parts of the world since 2022, this marks the first time a variant will join the base T7 in Yamaha USA’s line-up. During our time in Idaho we had the chance to test the World Raid in a range of conditions including long highway stints, high-speed fire road strafing, and a bit of technical two-track for good measure. The TL:DR? Yamaha has succeeded in creating what it set out to with the World Raid. How did it achieve its goals? Read on to learn more.

Modern electronics packages on flagship motorcycles are getting absurdly sophisticated, but sometimes the best feature is the one that simply lets you get a little wild. The perfect example of this is the slide-by-brake feature on the all-new 2026 Norton Manx R.

In early 2024, like January 2, 2024, we got our first taste of the latest update to the Triumph Scrambler 1200 family. Previously, Triumph used the "XC" and "XE" branding to differentiate the base model 1200 from the model with more off-road performance intention. Moving into the future, the folks at Hinckley chose to drop the "C" in favor of a standalone Scrambler 1200 X for the base model, bringing it further in line with the company's Scrambler 400 X line. Additionally, Triumph lowered the price and skewed the X model more toward tarmac than the revamped XE — which remains the more off-road performance oriented of the two.

It has been roughly a decade since KTM retired the legendary RC8R V-twin superbike, leaving a full-sized sportbike void in the Austrian brand’s lineup. The new KTM 990 RC R fills that gap, delivering modern supersport performance without sacrificing usability.

Triumph knows how to do many things, one of which is creating character-rich engines. A perfect example of this comes from the updated Trident 660 and Tiger Sport 660 which feature a heavily revised 660cc Triple that completely transforms the riding experience. The big headline? A massive 14-horsepower leap, pushing peak output up to 94 horses alongside a punchy 50 lb-ft of torque.

It’s been a minute since Kawasaki fiddled with the ZX-10R. In fact, looking through the MO archives, it seems like the last time we rode one was for my First Ride review of the previous iteration of this model in 2021. Five years without any major changes used to be a lifetime in the sportbike world, but these days that kind of thing seems par for the course. The thing is, these bikes are so good already. Power is the last thing we need more of (blasphemy, I know) — these days it’s about who can put that power to the ground better than the rest, whether that’s mechanically or electronically.

You can be forgiven for not knowing the brand Norton — or at least I’ll forgive you. At one point in time, Norton was a global powerhouse, both on the roads and in competition. That time, however, is an era my dad remembers fondly. Historic models like the original Manx and the Commando carry a rich history and remain the stuff of legend. If you’re reading this and getting angry that an entire generation might be unfamiliar with the name, it might be time to look in the mirror and count your gray hairs. In my lifetime, save for the rotary-powered F1 in 1990, Norton has been a mere footnote in the pages of modern motorcycling history books. An important one, certainly, but a marque whose best days seemed firmly locked in the past. Until now. 

Now that the Kawasaki KLE500 has come to play, the lightweight adventure category is starting to get crowded and that’s creating some genuinely interesting choices for riders in North America.

Triumph rolled out an impressive lineup of new motorcycles for 2026, which was exactly why we found ourselves in Birmingham, Alabama at the iconic Barber Motorsports Park with Sportbike Track Time to ride a few of the latest models. Home to the world’s largest motorcycle museum, Birmingham immediately welcomed us with classic southern hospitality the moment we stepped off the plane. Before even getting to the track to sample Triumph’s Tracker, Daytona, and Street Triple, I already had a feeling this was going to be a special couple of days.

If you haven’t read our First Ride Review of the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R, I’d suggest checking that out for all of the details regarding KTM’s flagship open-class adventure bike. While we were spending a little extra time getting to know the SA R, we couldn’t help tapping our friends at Rottweiler Performance to get some dyno time. There’s no one better than the folks at Rottweiler and founder Chris Parker himself, to add commentary to the numbers the dyno spit out. Check out the video below to get an idea of how the different modes change the power curves, Chris’ take after decades of working with KTMs (as well as Husqvarna and GasGas), and, of course, the sound of the LC8 V-Twin at full throttle. 

UPDATE: Suzuki has announced details for the U.S. market surrounding the GSX-R. Full details can be found here. The unexpected difference is the addition of a third model. In addition to the GSX-R1000 and GSX-R1000R, the third model is the GSX-R1000RS, which is the same as the GSX-R1000R, except the RS has the winglets. The RS is the bike reviewed here. Pricing starts at $16,399 for the base model, $17,939 for the R, and $18,639 for the RS.

Sylvia’s ideal motorcycle would be comfortable, have the sound of a twin-cylinder engine, use phenomenal brakes, and wheelie for days. Standing in the paddock at Autodromo di Modena in Italy, moments before riding Ducati’s new Hypermotard V2 SP, it felt like that wish list had somehow been handed directly to the engineers in Borgo Panigale.

The lightweight motorcycle class has quietly become one of the most interesting genres in the industry, and Triumph’s expanding 400cc lineup is playing a role in the space. What used to be a category defined mostly by compromise is now filled with bikes that feel modern, well-designed, and genuinely fun. The new Thruxton 400 and Tracker 400 push that idea even further, offering two distinct personalities built on the same platform, each aimed at a slightly different kind of rider but united by a shared philosophy: you don’t need overwhelming power to have a great riding experience.

Royal Enfield is a legendary motorcycle brand with 125 years of history. For all those years, it was also a relatively obscure brand in the U.S. until Indian-manufactured Enfields started becoming more visible around 2010. In 2018, the Himalayan was released. Because of its unique styling, low price point, and solid build, the 411cc single-cylinder adventure bike received a warm reception, in spite of its low, barely-freeway-legal power.

If a bat fought a shark, who would win? While this might sound like the sort of thing someone would ask at a cage fight in a gothic-themed sushi restaurant, this scene from one of Jacques Cousteau’s nightmares came to mind while testing motorcycles.

Lately big adventure tourers have been getting a lot of attention from manufacturers (and, presumably, from you, otherwise the OEMs wouldn’t bother making them). But I’d argue there’s something undeniably charming about a middleweight sport-tourer. Let’s face it: most of these big tourers won’t be seeing much dirt, and in the meantime you’re left with a huge, burly motorcycle to contend with. Middleweight sport-tourers are practical, comfortable, and just sporty enough to take the long way home from work. How do I know? Because I used to own a Kawasaki Versys 650 — arguably the most underrated jack-of-all-trades bikes out there.

In just under four years, CFMOTO has managed to establish itself as a manufacturer producing surprisingly high quality motorcycles at equally surprising low price points for the U.S. market. In 2024, CFMOTO entered the lightweight adventure bike segment with the release of the Ibex 450.

Being the oldest continuously operating motorcycle company in the world, Royal Enfield’s been chugging along since 1901. When choosing where to hold the press introduction for its newest model to North America, the Classic 650, Enfield had a novel idea: going to one of the oldest cities in the United States: St. Augustine, Florida — which dates back to the 1500s.

The Yamaha WR125R doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not.