600-750cc

The Frog 750 concept by Hartmut Esslinger, designed for a German motorcycle magazine’s competition, was typical of 1980s styling exercises, or should that be excesses?

When you are getting bored with modern motorcycle design, head for the pages of Bike Exif and discover a whole new world of vision and craftsmanship.

It’s the motorcycle that all other manufacturers had to beat and, while they could on occasion, it was the Harley Davidson XR750 that ruled the racing roost for nearly 5 decades, outlasting all its rivals.

Yamaha’s Ténéré line expanded down into the mid-range with the all-new-in-2021 Ténéré 700 (XTZ700). The “700” brings solid dual-sport capability to the adventure-touring range with an off-road bent that definitely favors soft terrain. Yamaha’s CP2 engine delivers the goods with a transmission and chassis tuned specifically for trips off the beaten path, much more so than its bigger brothers in the Super Ténéré family. After a race to the top, this model marks a new front in the battle for market supremacy as the factory seeks to fill in under the 1,200 cc units.

Honda’s adventuresome NC750X got a facelift ahead of the 2021 model-year that includes refined front fairings for improved penetration and an enlarged cargo space to contribute to its utility as both an adventure bike and a commuter cycle. The engine also enjoyed a few mechanical tweaks along with an improved electronic-control system, and the lump lost some weight so even more of that power is converted into acceleration. A new slipper-type clutch and re-calibrated transmission completed the MY2021 package with a concurrent gain in safety. Shorter gear-ratios for the first three gears let you come out of the hole like a champ while remaining in the usable powerband.

Yamaha beefs up its MT-07 ahead of 2021 with a handful of improvements and updates on the menu. This marks the first major update for the Master of Torque since it was renamed from the FZ tag it carried for so long in the U.S. market. Engine tuning, design updates, safety equipment adjustments, and ergonomic tweaks all made it onto this newest iteration of the hyper-naked MT-07.

Part of Yamaha’s “Faster Sons” lineup, the XSR700 is based largely on the proven MT-07 platform. It is a reinterpretation of a vintage design for a modern-retro look, clearly meant to draw in the hipster/Millennial crowd, as well as those with an appreciation for classic design elements. It’s not all about looks, though, the mill churns out a claimed 73.8 horsepower and 50.2 pound-feet of torque to push the 410-pound wet weight, so there’s no shortage of thrills to be had on Yamaha’s mid-size roadster.

Kawasaki brings back the mid-size seventies-style UJM cruiser look with a new addition to its naked-sport family, the 2022 Z650RS. Classic design elements join with a modern engine and chassis plus a handful of electronic safety systems to round out the package. This new Z650RS can serve as an entry-level machine, but should be entertaining enough for riders with some smaller-displacement experience.

For 2022, the Suzuki GSX-S750 models bring a level of excitement to the middleweight sports bike category.

DOT might not be a name you’re familiar with but the company has a long history and is now back with two bikes, one a cafe racer and one a scrambler. Deep pockets required!

Ahead of its public unveiling at the Motorcycle Live Show in England, the revived BSA brand shows off the brand new 650 Gold Star

The Honda Hornet (called the 599 in the U.S. and CB600F in the UK) was a much-loved middleweight naked sports bike. A recent reveal at the EICMA show in Italy confirms that the name - and the bike concept - is set to make a return.

They may be relatively new models, but Aprilia has seen fit to tweak the 660cc models, the Tuono and RS, upgrading the former to Factory specification and the latter gets a limited edition version with a Stars and Stripes paint job.

Suzuki continued with the evolution of the SV650 line with the all-new-in-2017 SV650. Built on the success of the original SV650 that covered 1999 through 2008, and its offspring, the SFV650 “Gladius,” the new ride carries the SV DNA into a new generation. With a revamped 645 cc engine, it has more horsepower than ever before.