Motorcycles

Timeless designs that take you back to the pre-’60s era heightened the feeling of riding free-spirited machines and the sense of freedom. This is what a modern-day classic motorcycle offers without that knuckle bending fixes and ghastly scenes of oil dripping everywhere. Here are our top five standards/classic motorcycles coming in 2020 that takes us back to the time from the ’60s.

Recalling the past glories, these neo-classic motorcycles have still managed to retain the charm and posterity of minimalistic elegance along with providing modern day mechanicals and the bits. They run on efficient high output engines that are both reliable and powerful and are equipped with state of the art suspension and brake setups that will bring the bike to a halt not far from their point of application, unlike the yesteryears.

KTM added to its mid-range naked-sportbike bracket with the 890 Duke R, and it looks like it’ll make it over to our side of the pond just in time for the 2021 model year. Essentially, the factory took its proven 790 Duke and buffed it with fully-adjustable suspension, racier ergos, and better anchors. An all-new powerplant gives a boost in power and torque along with a handful of rider aids to add an element of control over the ride characteristics.

Reinforced for off-road duty, Scramblers of today hark back at South-West California and Mexico’s Baja scenes in the ’60s and ’70s. They were fitted with engines displacing upwards of 500cc and stripped off anything nonsensical to run on roads or no roads. Featured on these were off-road tires, wheels, and spokes and were given modified suspension systems and engine skid plates, a trademark indispensable in shielding the bike from rocks, stones, and the unforgiving desert terrain.

Here is our list of new Scrambleresque motorcycles coming in 2020 that promise to churn out rugged, stripped down, vintage fun resurrected from its heyday during the 1960s and earlier. Aiding it will be a torquey motor with high mounted exhaust pipes and knobby tires to take it on terrains otherwise not possible.

Suzuki unveiled its new V-Strom 1050 line at the 2019 Milan show with an aggressive new look and expanded capabilities meant to make it easier to range hither and yon over a variety of surfaces. In addition to the new rally-style look, updated electronics and upgraded engine performance are part of the package for MY2020. The V-Strom 1050 serves as the platform for the top-shelf “XT” models but even the stock base model comes packed with upgraded electronics and net-new tech to make it attractive and competitive within the adventure bike market.

In a world where outright horsepower and straight-line speed hold center stage, these machines have blazed the streets and have swept us off our feet in the most fashionable ways possible. Built for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering, they come equipped with components from the industry’s best names to achieve a little more speed every single time they get on the paved asphalt.

Here are our top five picks of serious sports machines coming in 2020 with rider ergonomics favor function, and ones built to cut through the air as smoothly as possible with massive engines and fancy equipment list.

Suzuki improved its GSX-R1000 ahead of MY2020 in a bid to “reclaim the King of Sportbikes crown” as the factory so succinctly puts it. This rebuild comes close on the heels of the last revamp that landed just a couple short years ago, but it adds some significant features, most of which can be found “under the hood” or in the electronics suite. A couple of tweaks to the frame tune handling characteristics while the cornering ABS feature and variable valve-timing engine carries over from the previous generation. All in all, Suzuki turns in a very streetworthy racebike that’s nothing short of a technological showcase on two wheels.

Husqvarna announced today the Norden 901 is confirmed for production as part of its streetbike lineup. After unveiling its first-ever touring model, Husky received overwhelming response at 2019 EICMA on the concept model, and even though it was unclear at the time if it was slated for production, they’ve decided to move forward.

Minimalism and understatement do not always go hand in hand. In this case, it is the whole point of the design. Bringing the designs from their history books and fusing them with cues of early performance models, manufacturers catered to the ’bob-job’ from the 1930s through the 1990s custom scene.

Stripping excess bodywork from a motorcycle, shortening the fenders, and having a bob-tail, here is our list of the top five Bobbers coming in 2020. They run on massive engines yet harks back to a different time – ostensibly the post-WWII era when returning servicemen stripped their bikes of all unnecessary weight for the sake of going faster.

Moto Guzzi celebrates a decade of V7 Racer bikes with the 2020 V7 III Racer 10th Anniversary. The factory builds on the third and current generation V7 Racer with some café-tastic bodywork that sets it apart from the base model. There are Easter Eggs a’plenty from models past scattered about this celebratory machine to turn it into something of a rolling tribute piece. As with the rest of the V7 III line, power comes from the signature, transverse-mount V-twin with over 50 ponies on tap and a new, adjustable, house-brand traction control feature to help you keep it under control. Under the hood, wireless connectivity to web-based services brings an infotainment element to the table along with bonafide modern credentials.

Honda spruced up its CBR1000RR-R SP superbike and plans to release it summer of 2020 as a 2021 model. The long-rumored updates will finally hit the road in the foreseeable future, and the factory even relented in its long-standing practice by actually using the “Fireblade” moniker in the U.S. market. The factory stuffed in its most powerful four-banger with over 200 ponies on tap and followed up with top-shelf electronics to turn out a machine that, in its own words, is “born to race.”

Being the closest thing to flying without leaving the ground, Cruisers have been the incarnation of the ‘30s to ‘60s American lifestyles. Large motors with plenty of low-end torque, forward set footpegs, and a laid-back reclined riding position define any modern-day cruisers. Traditionally, large V-twins ran under the hoods, but inline engines have become more common these days.

Here is our list of new cruiser motorcycles coming in hot in 2020 that gets us to simply cruise, at one with our bike, taking in the sights and smells, the cool air washing over, and supposedly cleansing the soul.

Our lifestyle for daily transportation in urban communities has given rise to street motorcycles that are lightweight and nimble for the concrete jungle. Being an agile handler while looking the part is how we need our commute through the asphalt.

This is our list of new machines we think can handle those demands better than any other. A motorcycle with an upright riding position, lacking plastic fairings for that narrow lane splitting ability and lightweight construction for the ease of flickability is what we are looking for, and here are our top five coming in hot for 2020:

For some people, adventure is about finding your way through the unknown to see things no one has and doing things most haven’t. But unless you plan on walking, you need the right tool to get there. This is where these adventure touring machines comes in and sweeps you off your feet in the most humble and matured way.

Here are our top five all-new adventure tourers coming in 2020 with some excellent versatility to trout the lands across the globe. With the looks and utility of a capable off-roader and the balance and handling of a sport-standard, adventure motorcycles are a bipartisan look at how to tackle paved roads and dirt. Powerful engines, long travel suspensions, and a higher riding position with multiple rider aids adorn these machines.

Moto Guzzi expanded its V7 III footprint off the black and onto the brown with the new-in-2018 “Rough” variant. As its cleverly-ingenious name implies, this model comes set up to have some definite scramble-tastic tendencies with street-knobbies that perform as well on soft terrain as they do on the pavement. Like the rest of the family, power comes from a 744 cc V-twin that delivers 44 pound-feet of torque for solid holeshots and plenty of hill-conquering grunt. There’s plenty of that characteristic MG style as well, courtesy of the sideways engine mount and fuel tank design. Best of all, the Rough beefs up its entry-level bike claim with ABS and traction control that can be turned off for a raw ride, or enabled for maximum stability.

The MY19 Panigale V4 was Ducati’s best-selling bike worldwide, and the factory looks to build on that success through a host of improvements ahead of the 2020 season. Ducati’s engineers struck a balance by increasing rideability and potentially laptimes to deliver more of what made the previous generation such a hit. Top-shelf electronics and a 200-plus horsepower engine complete the package, and it all comes wrapped in low-drag, windtunnel-tested bodywork for both performance and curb appeal.

2020 will see the population of Earth reach 8 billion, the tallest building completed, the colonization of Mars begun, and towards the end, we’ll have the United States presidential election. Amidst such exciting (and some not as much) events that’ll shape a new future, our world of motorcycling only keeps getting more exhilarating with new mind-altering machines on two wheels.

With avant-garde styling elements, ingenious technologies, and state-of-the-art equipment lists, these machines shatter the fabric of our imagination and show us an entirely new sight of motorcycling perceptions. Although all of these motorcycles might look like the futuristic concepts they can be, believe me when I say this, they are all production models for you and me to buy. (Well, not me for sure. I only make money enough to write about them. )