3/10/23
Smaller and entry-level motorcycles should be considered the most important segment in motorcycling, and right now, manufacturers are turning out new models to capture the attention of those who are shopping for a small-displacement machine like never before. Initiating a rider into a brand with a quality offering is one of the best ways to keep a rider on that brand for life. Give them a great experience and they will keep buying and owning for years and years to come.
Recently we’ve ridden and tested some excellent small-bore machines—and there’s more on the way for 2024. But for now let’s take a look at some of our favorite recent small-bike tests.
Just this week we posted Cycle World UK contributor Adam Child’s first ride review of the 2024 KTM 390 Duke. The through-line of the Duke line is easier to see than ever, from the 390 Duke to the 790 Duke to the 990 Duke, all the way up to the 1390 Super Duke R Evo. They look alike, and they all excite the rider with their sharp handling and lively engines. The progression of a KTM naked bike rider’s future purchases is easy to map. Check out Child’s review here.
Just last month, I rode what I feel is one of the best motorcycles of 2024: a $4,995 Triumph Speed 400. Just like KTM, you can see the brand’s DNA in its newest and smallest roadster. This is not a cheaply built version, meant to sort of be like a more expensive and larger Triumph—it is a Triumph through and through. Read my first ride review of the Speed 400 and its Scrambler 400 X sibling here.
I’ve also selected the BMW CE-02 electric as it is another open door for new riders that our industry needs in a big way, and then there’s the BMW G 310 GS for those looking for a starter ADV. And how about a small-bore dual sport and supermoto from Kawasaki for those looking to get a little more rowdy?
What a time to enter motorcycling!
As always, there’s more than we can fit into this email. Check out cycleworld.com for additional tests, reviews, and news.
Ride on,
Justin Dawes
Executive Editor
