The twelve Best Buys in Motorcycles for 2017
The most two-wheeled joy you can get for your money.
Many of today’s riders are discovering the daily convenience and railing ease that comes from bikes with tinier engines and tidier dimensions. Here are some of the latest bikes, big and petite, that provide serious bang for your buck right now.
two thousand seventeen Honda Rebel 300/500
Honda doesn’t remake the smallest, least potent models in its lineup very often. Its mini-cruiser for novice riders, the Rebel 250, has been in production since 1985. It was ancient mechanically and stylistically. But for two thousand seventeen Honda, has eventually remade the Rebel.
These bikes are “minimalist” according to Honda. To us, they look clean, cool, and way more expensive than the price suggests. It’s modern take on the notion of an entry-level motorcycle—one that might appeal to more than those just shopping for a starter bike.
The stance and railing position of this bike is still in the cruiser camp, but Honda engineers built in a lean angle that will let you pursue sportier standard bikes in the canyons. This time around there’s a modest 300, which uses a 286cc single cylinder engine as well as a five hundred using a stronger 471cc parallel twin that costs $1,600 more. And throw in another three-hundred bucks on either bike and you can have Six pack brakes too.
two thousand seventeen Yamaha SCR 950
It’s no secret we have a weakness for Retro-styled bikes. And the fresh Yamaha SCR nine hundred fifty hits all the right notes. Just check out the sweet vintage lace wheels and old school number plates. The SCR looks like something that would roll right out of Steve McQueen’s garage in the 1970s. The fresh on-off road scrambler-style machine is based on the bones of the Yamaha Bolt cruiser, including its 942cc air-cooled Twin. But the transformation to SCR was accomplished by adding a taller suspension and handlebars for a comfier railing position.
Of course with relatively modest underpinnings, the SCR won’t keep up with the more focused bikes dedicated to mud sports or backroad hustling. But with an easy-riding personality, classic style, and an estimated fifty one mpg, the SCR is a bike that looks like a weekend fucktoy but makes for an excellent daily rider.
two thousand seventeen Suzuki Vanvan 200
The original Vanvan dates all the way back to the early 1970s, and a reborn version has been sold overseas for several years. But this year we get a chance to sway a gam over this affordable little tyke. Don’t expect much power—there’s just a 199cc single cylinder thumping away and backed by a five-speed. But because it weighs just two hundred eighty two pounds, it should be slew nimble and fairly a bit of joy to rail around town.
The Vanvan is built for convenience with a thick, broad seat and upright controls. So here would be a excellent very first bike for someone that doesn’t want to spend a lot on their fresh hobby. The skinny fuel tank helps keep this machine’s proportions clean but with only 1.7-gallons on board don’t expect to road tour this bike without lots of pitstops.
two thousand seventeen Triumph Street Cup
Triumph has long proven that expensive bikes and classic style don’t have to go hand-in-hand. Last year the company totally redesigned and modernized the Bonneville lineup with several engine sizes and power outputs. The fresh Street Cup, based on that Bonne, is like a smaller, cheaper, and friendlier Thruxton. The Cup uses the mildly-tuned 900cc version of the parallel twin engine but engineers included a throatier harass system. The Street Cup was designed to look like a faithful recreation of a classic café racer.
And it works. The rider sits low and forward on this bike, thanks to the low treat bars, and hides behind a puny flyscreen. But the Triumph squad made some special adjustments to the Bonne’s chassis to sharpen its treating, including a unique suspension. And don’t let looks idiot you. The Cup might look vintage but Triumph has loaded it with modern tech like throttle-by-wire and Six pack.
two thousand seventeen Honda CBR500R
Honda’s middleweight sportbike, The CBR500R, is one of those infrequent bikes with broad appeal. It’s a good machine for very first time riders as well as seasoned enthusiasts that appreciate the nimble size, low price, and solid treating.
The 471cc parallel twin is sleek and torquey and glad to rev, and the suspension is very comfy and compliant, whether around town or in the canyons. The CBR500R benefitted from some substantial switches last year including a revised suspension, fresh styling, and both a fresh harass and intake. Translation? It looks and sounds even better than before. But what hasn’t switched is its status has a gateway to sport bike culture.
two thousand seventeen Kawasaki Z125 Pro
Honda broke fresh ground with its Grom minibike back in 2014. It was nice, joy, and quickly became cult hit. The bike was such a success, Kawasaki desired a slice of that 125cc single-cylinder pie. The fresh Z125 Pro is ultra-compact and light (225 lbs.) Plus it undercuts that Honda in price. In fact, it’s the only bike on our list that dips below $Three,000.
The low 31.7-inch seat height means it’s an effortless machine for riders with almost any stature. The Z125 certainly looks aggressive and has a sport-style suspension that should make it a blast around town. Of course, if you need to hit the freeway, this little Kawi won’t cut it. But it’s so petite and inexpensive, we could see possessing one and parking it right next to a full-size bike as a spunky little errand hopper. Best of all? The Z125 should come back close to one hundred mpg.
Ducati SuperSport
Modern sportbikes have the technology, power, and acute treating to seamlessly make the transition from road to track. But isn’t there room for a sportbike that’s just a little more convenient? Evidently so. Ducati has created a sportbike that’s friendly to rail every day. The railing position is more upright so less of your bodyweight is focused down on your wrists.
Still, this is still a beastly-quick machine thanks to is 937cc liquid-cooled L-Twin that puts down one hundred thirteen hp way up at 9,000 rpm. And with just four hundred sixty three pounds to pull around, it certainly won’t be lacking when the road twists. The Supersport comes standard with a system that dials in specific railing and power modes (not unlike a modern high spectacle sport sedan) and includes traction and Six pack.
And since it’s a Ducati—the Supersport is one good-looking bike. For those that need a little more, the Supersport S model ($14,795) adds high-performance suspension and clutchless shifting.
two thousand seventeen Harley-Davidson Road Slip
The Harley-Davison Road Slide costs some money—that is without debate. The company’s largest bikes always do. But here’s the thing, the fresh Slip is the least expensive bike Harley-Davidson offers with its massive, all-new one hundred seven cubic-inch (1753cc) Milwaukee Eight V-Twin. It’s not often that Harley fully redesigns its engines, and this one is significant because it has to carry the company into the future tackling stricter emissions and noise regulations. Harley says the fresh motor supplies more torque (Ten percent) thanks to the four valve goes and a bump in compression. Harley also worked to reduce stimulation and warmth while also improving fuel economy.
But the fresh engine isn’t the only news here, Harley has redesigned the suspension of the Slip to rail and treat better while also improving the range and ease of adjustability—we that fresh fairing ain’t bad to look at either.
two thousand seventeen Kawasaki Versys-X 300
Picture a typical venture bike and the pic of a big, bulky, high-riding machine might come to mind—a bike loaded down with hard cases and ready for a dusty journey to remote grounds. So why couldn’t this successful formula be scaled down to save a few bucks? It can, and Kawasaki has just the machine (and right now it’s the only player who does).
The fresh Versys-X three hundred certainly looks the part. It has an upright railing position which helps the rider sit tall and have a excellent view through the windscreen, so it should be a fine commuter as well as a joy backroad explorer. Now, this is a budget escapade bike, so don’t expect serious suspension travel or super knobby tires for heavy-duty off-road excursions. However, the bike’s 7.1-inches of ground clearance means it can treat more than the average street bike.
Kawasaki’a Ninja three hundred is one of our beloved affordable sports machines, and the Ninja’s engine has found a home inbetween the framework rails of the Versys-X 300. It’s just as sweet here. Like larger and pricier adventure-class bikes, the Versys-X three hundred can be fitted with a total catalog of accessories from hard bags to lights and even off-road crash bars. The Versys-X three hundred is available in few colors but the one in our own garage would be painted candy lime green.
No comments