The annual EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy, is where manufacturers traditionally show off their new models for the coming year. However, the Covid pandemic has obviously had a big impact on manufacturers’ budgets and both the 2021 and 2022 shows have lacked the sparkle of previous shows as some manufacturers have chosen to show new models via online presentations rather than blow a ton of cash on a trade show. Having said that, there was still plenty to see, from the mundane to the exotic and all points in between. Here is our pick of the highlights of the show.
10 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650
The surprise star of the show, the Super Meteor 650 showed the world that Royal Enfield is becoming a force to be reckoned with outside its native India. The Super Meteor is the third model from RE to feature the parallel-twin engine: the other two are the Interceptor roadster and the Continental GT café racer and the Super Meteor adds a cruiser to the line-up. The Super Meteor gets a unique tubular steel frame designed by the famous Harris Performance company in the UK. The 646cc engine pushes out a lazy 47 horsepower but that just gives the Super Meteor wonderfully under-stressed performance, perfect for a cruiser. The style is that of a quintessential cruiser, albeit at the smaller end of the size scale, which is actually one of its charms. The riding position is upright, the seat height low, the gas tank is a lovely teardrop shape, the headlight and taillight are old-school round items, there’s a six-speed gearbox, and disc brakes are clamped by ByBre calipers. It will be launched in India first in 2023 and be rolled out into other territories throughout the year.
9 Honda XL750 Transalp
Back in the 1980s, Honda dipped its toe into the emerging adventure or dual-sport market with the Transalp model, featuring a V-Twin engine in a tall-styled chassis and bodywork. For 2023, the Transalp is back after a break of 10 years, this time powered by a 755cc parallel-twin engine, developing 90 horsepower and 55 pound-feet of torque. It’s the same engine you’ll find in the CB750 Hornet and features a 270° firing interval to give it better torque, smoother running, and more character. The ride-by-wire throttle allows for multiple riding/power modes, Showa handles the suspension duties and it comes with a 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear. The styling is an updated version of the old Transalp and the whole bike has an air of being uncomplicated and rugged, which is something Honda is becoming very good at. The Transalp will slot into the range below the Africa Twin but above the CB500X.
8 Suzuki V-Strom DL800 DE
Suzuki announced the replacement for the long-running and much-loved V-Strom 650 in the form of the V-Strom 800 DE. A ground-up new design, gone is the venerable V-Twin engine and, in its place is a brand new 270°, 776cc DOHC parallel twin which will also power a new middleweight sports roadster, the GSX-S 8S. It features twin balancer shafts to damp out vibrations and, thanks to the 270° crank, it will feel more like a v-twin than a parallel twin, with attendant excellent torque. Power output is claimed to be 83 horses at 8,500rpm, with 57 pound-feet of torque at 6,500rpm. That puts it right in the mix with the Yamaha T7, BMW F850GS, and the newly-announced Honda Transalp XL750. In terms of weight, it also sits in that same ballpark. Suspension is by Showa and offers 220mm of suspension travel and 220mm of ground clearance. The chassis is all new and has brought the seat rails closer together for a narrower seat where it meets the tank, which will enhance control by bringing the legs closer together when standing. The rear subframe is bolted on to ease and lessen the expense of repairs. The electronics have been completely revamped, with three levels of on-road traction control alongside a ‘G’ mode for off-road, which will allow more spin of the rear wheel. ABS can be turned off at the back wheel for off-road riding. There’s also a bi-directional quick shifter and Suzuki’s easy-start system with low-rpm assist, which helps prevent stalling. There’s a five-inch, full-color TFT dash via which all the rider aids are controlled.
7 MV Agusta 921S Concept
Okay, so the 921S is not a production reality yet, although, with the positive feedback from the crowds, it’s not unthinkable that MV Agusta could put this into production. As it is obvious, the design borrows heavily from MV’s heritage, in particular the 750S from 1973. Whether it works as a styling exercise is up to you, but there’s no doubt that there’s plenty to get excited about. The engine is a brand new inline four-cylinder of 921cc, producing 115.5 horsepower. Even though the 921S is a concept, there can be no doubt that we’ll see that engine in more MV models in the near future. The rear wheel has an interesting combination of cast alloy and wire spokes while the front brake looks at first glance, like an old-fashioned drum brake. The whole design is light and airy, with the engine having a strong visual presence. Will we see it in the showrooms? That’s impossible to say but for MV to play on its heritage could be a game-changer for the company, so we can only hope.
6 Bimota KB4 RC
Bimota made its name by building bespoke chassis into which they put other manufacturers’ engines, not to mention crazy designs such as the Tesi, with its hub-center steering. The new KB4 RC is the KB4 with the fairing removed to create what the company is calling a café racer. However, while the Kawasaki-powered KB4 was beautiful in its own way (which is a polite way of saying it was slightly visually challenged), the KB4 RC is just plain ugly, which unfortunately isn’t unusual for Bimota. Café racers are all about stripping back the design to add lightness, but the KB4RC seems to have gone in the opposite direction and has awkward styling cues. Don’t think that it has lost any of the exclusivity or exotic air that is an indivisible part of any Bimota, nor the price tag, but it certainly hasn’t added beauty to the mix!
5 Suzuki GSX-S8S
Suzuki is obviously going to get its money’s-worth out of its new parallel twin engine for not only does it have a home in the V-Strom 800DE (see above) but also the new GSX-S8S roadster. The two bikes share the engine and steel frame but the GSX-S8S gets its own subframe, swing arm, and, of course, styling. It follows the current Suzuki design language, with not-too-subtle sharp, angular lines that aren’t unattractive. The engine pumps out 80.5 horsepower and 57.5 pound-feet of torque, with a 270° crank which will give it the characteristics of a V-twin. The GSX-S800 is a natural stepping-stone to the GSX-S1000 and shares that bikes stacked, twin square headlight set-up, which either works for you or it doesn’t. If previous Suzuki naked sports bikes are anything to go by, the GSX-S8S will have sharp handling, good comfort and should be fast enough to keep any skill-level of rider happy, while being built to last.
4 Honda CL500
Maybe not the most exciting new model but probably important for Honda and not without some interesting points. With the CL500, Honda is jumping onto the styling exercise that is called the ‘Scrambler’. It is basically another model in the Honda CB500 range, comprising the CB500F, CB500R, and CB500X. It is nominally a ‘retro’ model but, in reality, doesn’t have much retro styling, apart from the high-mounted exhaust muffler. The name ‘CL500’ is also a nod to the old CLs from the 1960s and ‘70s, which were the scramblers of the day. The frame is a steel tube trellis affair and the engine pumps out 45.9 horsepower and 32 pound-feet of torque. Compared to the other models in the range the CL500 gets its own fuel injection settings in order to move the power and torque curves around to allegedly make it more suitable for riding off-road, although it would be fair to assume that most will never venture further off-road than onto the sidewalk.
3 Benelli BKX 250
Benelli really seems to be working hard to dig itself out of obscurity and shake off the dreaded Chinese-owned tag with a range of increasingly interesting motorcycles. The latest to break cover is the BKX250 dual-purpose model, with pretty radical, futuristic styling. In the modern style, it is all sharp, angular lines and, on the show bike, at least, funky Day-Glo yellow wheels and accents on the bodywork. The frame is a tubular steel trellis design, the front forks are inverted, the rear has a single shock absorber, there’s a single 280mm disc brake up front and 240mm disc at the back. The exhaust muffler is mounted high, and the gas tank holds 3.5 gallons, giving a range of 249 miles (400km). There’s also a USB socket for charging GPS units or phones. The engine is a new 250cc, liquid-cooled single-cylinder that produces 25 horsepower at 9,250rpm and 15 pound-feet of torque at 8,000rpm. It drives through a six-speed gearbox. It’s not entirely dissimilar to the small KTM Duke range of bikes, which is no bad thing at all, and we really hope that Benelli continues to grow and thrive.
2 Indian FTR1200 Sport
The FTR1200 Sport is a brilliant model from Indian which just hasn’t had the recognition it deserves since its introduction in 2019. Some of that might have been down to the 19-inch front/18-inch rear wheels which gave it authentic flat-tracker style, but this hampered its road behavior a little, especially when fitted with Dunlop DT3-R tires. For 2023, Indian has introduced the FTR Sport with more road-oriented 17-inch wheels front and back, which can wear much more suitable road rubber. The FTR1200 Sport replaces the FTR S variant and, while there have been plenty of changes to the style, the mechanicals remain the same, which is no hardship at all. The Sport sits below the FTR Carbon R but above the standard FTR and Rally models.
1 Italjet Dragster 500GP
How could we not include this utterly fantastic and futuristic scooter from Italjet? While previous versions have been powered by 125cc and 200cc, four-stroke, liquid-cooled engines, the 500GP features a 43-horsepower, 450cc engine, which should give the model the performance the styling deserves. A six-speed gearbox with traditional foot change will give a whole new feel to riding a scooter. While the smaller-engined models have hub-center steering, the 500GP reverts to standard forks, fitted with twin discs on the front wheel. The engine is mounted to the exposed trellis frame and not on the rear wheel as you would find on most scooters and this will help the handling. The Italjet has always been a head-turner but this new version, slated to arrive in 2024, will be turning heads for different reasons.