Motorcycles

Powered by the Milwaukee-Eight engine with a total of 110 pound-feet of torque, the agile Softail frame brings heretofore unseen performance to the Low Rider. Harley-Davidson is digging deep to give us better handling and more power and the Low Rider is a prime example.

Powered by a Revolution V-twin engine, the Street 500 and 750 are premium Harley-Davidson even though they’re geared toward the budget-minded, entry-level crowd. Just because the price is low doesn’t mean they skimped on quality. The Street siblings come with a steel teardrop tank and fenders covered in the deep, rich color, and flawless finish that long ago made Harley-Davidson the benchmark for premium paint on a motorcycle. The cherry on top is the chrome tank badge — not a decal, as you might expect in an economy-priced bike, but a three-dimensional tank medallion — as Harley’s pledge to you that you are riding a premium quality machine.

Traffic-carving performance wasn’t the first thing I thought of when hearing the name Harley-Davidson, but the MoCo started changing that perception with the new-in-2017 Street Rod 750. While it is, in fact, based on the Street 750, multiple changes in the setup and equipment turn it into another animal entirely. Shorter steering geometry, a more aggressive rider triangle and a more powerful engine come together in H-D’s decisive push into the sport-standard market.

Suzuki caused a tectonic shift in the motorcycle industry with the GSX-R750 and 35 years later the name still a sure-bet go-to for riders with racing aspirations. Any of the Gixxers – the 1000, 750 and 600 – are bikes capable for fast times on the track right out of the store.

Indian Motorcycle, under the broad Polaris umbrella, rolls into its 2020 model-year with a number of improvements, modifications, and additions to its already-robust lineup. New FTR models and bobbed-out Scouts join the 2020 lineup of existing bikes. New engines for 2020 include what was formally a crate engine. The punched-out Thunder Stroke 116 joins the production line and Indian has a net-new engine in the PowerPlus V-twin. The much-discussed Challenger family marks a new direction for the design staff with its broad fixed fairing and focus on performance.

Indian Motorcycle has certainly called some attention to its mid-size bikes through its success on the flat track, and the Scout Bobber looks to capitalize on that by garnering some of the factory-custom business. The “Bobber” brings modern performance to the table along with the overall look of the iconic bobber style, yet fits in well with the rest of the made-for-the-US market, foreign and domestic built. An 1,133 cc plant delivers the power, and last year, the Bobber rocked improved electronics plus a USB charging port, regardless of which color you choose.

Indian Motorcycle cashes in on its deep design roots with the Springfield model that hit the market in ’16 and has been carried over into the 2020 model year with nary but a few adjustments to the color palette. Power comes from what was Indian’s largest production engine prior to 2020, along with ABS and keyless ignition on board, but it’s the classic, old-school bagger looks that drive sales of this particular unit. Best of all, it’s among the least expensive of the available baggers, and that positions it well within the boulevard-bruiser/light-tour categories.

Indian Motorcycle was obliged to release a “civilian version” of its FTR 750 to qualify to race in the Flat Track circuit, but the factory unleashed a new branch on that family tree last year with the FTR 1200. That’s right sports fans, you can own a piece of history with the second race-inspired performance machine to come from Indian since it was acquired by Polaris], and though it’s not liable to see an official closed-circuit course, it’s built to feel as though it could do so. The FTR 1200 rocks a much larger powerplant with looks that clearly channel its podium-sweeping smaller sibling, and it all comes in a street-friendly package that makes it accessible to the riding public in general.

Indian Motorcycle, under the Polaris umbrella, looks to capitalize on its success of American Flat Track in recent years with the race-bike inspired FTR 1200 S. The “S” builds on the vanilla FTR 1200 base model with a number of race-tastic features that elevate it to a higher shelf. It includes upgraded suspension components, better safety equipment, and advanced engine-control electronics for an all-around awesome experience. All of that is on top of the new-from-last-year, punched-out engine, and inherent curb appeal. If you’re into the flat-track thing, or just fancy yourself a fiery-eyed pegdragger, this may be the American-style racer you’ve been looking for.

Indian Motorcycle, under the expansive Polaris umbrella, blessed its Chieftain lineup with a facelift ahead of MY2019, but the Chieftain Classic alone retains its looks to perpetuate the retro-styling that made it a hit in the first place. The “Classic” benefits from the same under-the-hood fandanglery as the rest of the lineup, so while its looks might be a bit dated in the most delightful ways, you can count on modern safety and comfort all the same. For 2020, Indian brings new ICON limited-availability colorways.

Riding high on the success of the Scout and Scout Sixty, Indian introduces the 2020 stable with a few updates over last year, but mostly the same approachable rides with clean lines and more appeal for younger buyers.

KTM’s 2020 street lineup continues the tradition of offering race-capable motorcycles. Well known for its orange, white, and black livery, KTM offers bikes in single-cylinder, parallel-twin and V-twin configurations.