Motorcycles

Piaggio brings its not-inconsiderable scooter experience to bear on its Liberty line to deliver the goods with the new-in-2019 versions of the Liberty 150 and Liberty S 150 models that carry over into MY2020. The proven i-get powerplant reprises its role as the beating heart with highway-friendly speed potential and Euro 4 emissions compliance. Both models come with ABS protection to help you keep it dirty-side down. All of this pairs with that unmistakable Italian style across the board, and of course, the “S” variant brings even more eye candy to the table with custom paint and saddle stitching to breathe new life into the 20-plus year old model family.

This is the present and the future. There is no denial in the fact that people will eventually stop filling their vehicles with liquefied dinosaurs and shift to electric. Not because they’ll like it but because there won’t be an option in the future. So automotive manufacturers have already begun the race to be at the top when that happens, and have kept their workforce busy in spinning out vehicles for the future.

Time and again, it has been proved that electric/hybrid vehicles have an overwhelming advantage, especially to ride within the town, and this evolution has been a gradual process for some – and an exciting start for others. Here are the top five electric mobility options you can buy in 2020 to hum around town, and feel good about doing something for the environment.

Austrian bike builder KTM revamped its top shelf naked bike — the 1290 Super Duke R — for MY2020, and it treated the world to a first glimpse at 2019 EICMA. This newest Super Duke R represents a natural evolution and a rather radical reimagination of KTM’s flagship hyper-naked model to include a new chassis, revised electronics, and reworked engine that together deliver more of what made the Super Duke R such a popular machine in the first place. All of this comes with re-imagined aesthetics that adds new visual elements to the unmistakable KTM panache.

Providing economical personal transportation since the days of WW-II, scooters have been the goto mode for being more affordable, more comfortable to operate, and more convenient to own. The fact that the licensing requirements and insurance for scooters are more accessible and cheaper than for cars in most parts of the world makes them popular in countries with rapid economic growth.

Moreover, urban citizens find it easier to operate who wheelers on the streets due to the increase in traffic congestion and the non-availability of parking spaces. These five scooters coming in for 2020 run on fule-efficient engines, and carry some beautiful piece of equipment to satisfy the majority of the folks.

Piaggio is committed to the progression of EV scooters, and the Group proved it yet again at 2019 EICMA with its Vespa Elettrica 70 KM/H model. As the devilishly clever name suggests, the top speed has been raised to a more useful max for increased utility as an around-town commuter/grocery-getter. The range increase pairs well with the beefed-up output and higher speed to complete the improved drive package, and of course, it comes clad in that timeless Vespa body style that evokes images of the machines that once mobilized a post-war Italy.

These are motorcycles with large motors having plenty of low-end torque, forward set footpegs, and a laid-back reclined riding position that defines any modern-day cruisers. No other feeling satisfies a man’s desire for freedom, to head in a direction unknown. And if you don’t have the right tool to do it, the whole feeling becomes uncanny.

Coming in hot with full fairings to protect you from the elements, large engines, navigation systems, all-important music, and connectivity options and by far the most comfortable seats, here are our top five dressers/baggers of 2020 that does all of it in luxury:

Suzuki builds on its new retro-tastic V-Strom 1050 platform to produce the even more capable V-Strom 1050XT. The 1050 XT has an improved electronics suite along with its enhanced engine performance and classic looks. The addition of an inertial-measurement unit brings a corner-sensitive element to the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.) to put this ride near the top of the technological totem pole as it were. This is most definitely a de facto long-distance adventure tourbike built with an eye toward comfort and safety.

Call them bikes that perfectly fill the gap between thrilling sportsbike and the gigantic touring machines, sports-tourers are naturally long haul motorcycles with sportbike expectations built to get the best out of that long way home. Here is our list of 2020’s top five machines offering the same capabilities as touring bikes but without sacrificing any of the sporty performance.

They tend to be a bit lighter and corner well but aren’t the most comfortable. The riding position tends to be a bit more relaxed compared to sports machines, and there’s better wind protection, much better pillion comforts, transmission with lower gearing, and usually a whole quick-release pannier system designed.

Piaggio rolled into 2019 EICMA with a new 2020 Beverly lineup that covers a range of variants, but the only one that makes it to our side of the pond is the BV 350, a moniker only used in the U.S. market. This model is essentially a renamed Beverly 350 S ABS/ASR, so it brings the same level of rider protection and rideability to the table in a bid to grab some of the urban-commuter market. It also packs a wallop with a 30-horsepower engine that’ll push the scooter up to interstate speed making it a definite candidate for young urban professionals and well-heeled students alike.

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.