750-1000cc

The Ducati Monster can trace its heritage back to the ’93 Monster 900, and the new “Stealth” variant serves as what you might call a highly-functional tribute piece for that venerated machine. It totes the usual suite of electronic gadgets with Ducati’s Quick Shift feature added to the stock package, and it boasts 100-plus horsepower in a design that is, paradoxically, both sexy and stocky at the same time.

MV Agusta built the Rush 1000 with a single purpose in mind: drag strip domination. The factory took its 200-plus horsepower Brutale engine and mounted it in a bike that, in true dragster tradition, carries only what is needed to function. No weight is wasted on superfluous equipment or body panels to convert as many of those ponies as possible into brute acceleration. Those weight-savings measures extend to the engine and include the use of titanium to reduce the reciprocating mass of the mill and deliver faster revs. The electronics suite is all about that drag-tastic life to deliver the safety and control you’ll need to manage the power and keep the thing rubber-side down.

Newly revised in 2018, the Monster 821 from Ducati benefits from some trickle-down engineering from its big brother, the Monster 1200, and a host of new design touches all its own. A new tank, tail section, headlight and muffler gives it an all-new variation on the classic Monster look with due consideration for the original Monster 900. Duc’s Testastretta L-twin powerplant serves up streetfighter performance with 109 horsepower tucked away in the stable and a host of safety systems to aid the rider in keeping it all under control. Not an entry-level ride by any stretch of the imagination, the Monster 821 does offer an experienced rider a mercurial platform that can shift personalities at the touch of a button for a wide range of conditions and skill levels.

Many of the major players offer a pure-D racetrack hypersport for the public’s consumption, and for Kawasaki, that honor falls to the freshly updated Ninja H2 R. The H2 R brings to the table the best Kawi has to offer along with top-flight aerodynamics and a supercharged engine on top of a full electronics suite making it a threat on the track right out of the box. That’s about the only place it’s a threat though, since the H2 R is far too awesome to be street legal, and as a track-only bike, it wastes not an ounce on any silly old mirrors, headlights, or turn signals. Carbon-fiber components complete the package with their own brand of lightweight strength.

It’s finally coming. Leaked information and pictures from a special event hosted by Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali gave us the first glimpses of the Panigale V4 Superleggera. And the specs are going to blow your mind.

Italian marque MV Agusta throws its hat into the retro-tastic ring in 2020 with its Neo-Classic Racer model, the Superveloce 800. Clearly a modern machine, the factory managed to incorporate the flavor of the old café racers to deliver an interesting blend indeed. A high-compression triple delivers 148 horsepower with an electronics suite that gives the machine multiple personalities to match your own attitude and skillset. Make no mistake, this is a racebike through and through, but one built for the road rather than the racetrack, just like the original café racer bikes.

Triumph’s new Tiger 900 line covers an array of bases throughout its range, but while the base model and GT versions are built for urban touring/commuting, the Rally and Rally Pro are clearly geared toward off-road work. Long-stroke suspension components and laced wheels set the tone with the full spectrum of ride-quality and safety systems, several of which benefit from the IMU to deliver corner-optimized performance both on-road and off. All of this delightfulness rides on an all-new chassis with an also-new, 888 cc powerplant that cranks out 10-percent more grunt than the previous “800” to drive your multi-surface adventures.

BMW buffed its mid-size adventure-bike range with the new-for-2020 F 900 XR model that builds on the equally new F 900 R roadster. The XR is built as an on-road tourbike/commuter on a new chassis with a new plastic-welded gas tank and a handful of top-drawer electronic safety and ride-quality control features to polish off the package. A new parallel-twin engine drives the XR with nearly 100 ponies on tap to drive your asphalt adventures.

BMW Motorrad finally gave its mid-size sportbike range a much needed update ahead of MY2020 with its new F 900 R roadster. Built for fun, the F 900 R delivers the goods with a new chassis, new all-plastic fuel tank, and a bevy of electronic systems for ride-quality and safety control. A new, parallel-twin powerplant drives your on-road adventures with almost 100 horsepower on tap, and as always, BMW has a well-rounded accessory line that pulls from the top shelf to boost its capabilities even more.

2020 is a new decade, a new year for all of us to leap and move forward fearlessly. To re-invent and to make room for things which really matters, things that will uplift you physically, mentally, and spiritually.

OR

Throw up your arms, wash off that alcohol stink, and go get yourself a new motorcycle. Works just the same.

Here’s our top twenty production motorcycles coming in 2020 that does all of that, and more.

Motorcycle racing took shape the minute the second motorcycle was made. Then came the madness of being the fastest man or building the quickest machine on the planet gave a new sense of high and want. It is intoxication, indeed. Setting records for the whole world to know became a fascination, and people spent all the time and money into this pursuit of speed.

In a world where outright horsepower and straight-line speed hold center stage, these machines bred by factory engineers have blazed the streets and have swept us off our feet in the most fashionable way possible. Here is our list of top ten machines ready to be plucked off showroom floors and much miles as quick as possible:

Triumph up-sized its outgoing Tiger 800 adventure model ahead of MY2020 to create the all-new Tiger 900. This machine serves as a platform for a number of upscale stablemates, but today I want to focus on the base model. The factory balances capabilities and cost to deliver a bike that can both tour and serve as a daily commuter. The safety electronics covers the basics and come bundled with a handful of ride-quality controls for push-button personality changes to round out the package and give the 900 a bit of versatility.

Triumph’s new-for-2020 900 GT and 900 GT Pro brings an urban bias to its multi-surface, adventure-bike Tiger line making it a good prospect for long-range/touring riders as well as those looking for a solid commuter. Power comes from an all-new, 900 cc plant, but the real star of the show is the electronics suite that delivers safety along with push-button personality changes to give this pair extra flexibility. The question is whether it’s enough to be genuinely worthy of the Gran Turismo moniker.

After their Bonneville range, it’s the Tiger models that give the British brand their numbers, predominantly the three-cylinder ones for its practical approach and usability as an adventure motorcycle.

Taking their game to serious new levels, Triumph is giving us an all-new range of Tigers that will replace the 800s’ with a new 900cc engine. It will give out 10% more power, aggressive modern styling, brilliant standard specs, and new state-of-the-art riding enhancements. And it is the lightest Tiger models ever since they came out in 2010, making them the most capable, agile, and dynamic middleweight adventure bikes available. The RALLY and the RALLY PRO are the top-spec versions “Transformed for maximum off-road adventure, and road-focused capability and comfort”

Suzuki reaches back all the way to the early ’80s for the design inspiration behind the new 2020 Katana GSX-S1000SM. The reinterpreted “samurai sword” serves as a sportier alternative to Suzuki’s GSX-S1000 platform for those who are looking for an everyday ride with roots. Modernized looks pair with a modernized drivetrain in an attempt to revive the line, and of course, it rocks the expected ride-quality adjustments that are nearly ubiquitous at this point even if they aren’t quite guaranteed in this genre.