Yahoo Autos The Best New 2023 Motorcycles for Beginners on the U.S. Market
There’s never been a better time to be a motorcyclist in the U.S., where enthusiasts are often left looking abroad, staring longingly at the many cool vehicles not available in America. There’s still some of that going on (Honda!) in the world of two-wheelers, but beginner bikes have become so popular that companies are willing to bring their best small displacement or entry-level models stateside.
Even in the land of the big cubic inch bikes from Harley-Davidson and Indian, there are more small bikes available now than ever before. That’s great for new and prospective riders who no longer have just a handful of options. In fact, there are almost too many options, as we will see.
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There are so many good entry-level bikes now, that we’ll only focus on cruisers, nakeds, sport bikes and quote-on-quote ADV tourers. Basically, the meat of the small-displacement market; we’ll have to save the potatoes for another day. Of course, that’s not to say supermotos, minimotos and actual dual-sport bikes are any less tasty. They’re all welcome at the table by virtue of being two-wheelers!
In case you missed it:
2023 Honda Rebel 300
Starting at $4,749 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
The Honda Rebel badge has been around since the ’80s, and Honda did little to update the CMX250 for what seemed like an eternity. But the Rebel line got a huge upgrade in 2016 when Honda announced it was bumping the bike’s displacement to 300cc and 500cc engines, ushering in a new design that was more modern and aggressive.
2023 Honda Rebel 500
Starting at $6,449 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
Even though the spiritual successor to the CMX250 was the new Rebel 300, there was a short-lived Honda CMX450, which was revived by the new bike’s sibling, the Rebel 500. The two have similar styling, but the Rebel 500 has a parallel twin engine while the 300 has a single-cylinder engine. The latter is more characterful than the former, but the 500 makes for a smoother ride.
2022 Honda CBR300R
Starting at $4,899 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
As with the Honda Rebel, the Honda CBR300R came from the former CBR250R, which was one of Honda’s most memorable designs to date — a tiny clone of the Honda VFR1200F. The sporty CBR300R bumped up to a 286cc engine, which made the bike a slightly better fit for fast-paced American highways. But the styling lost a little something in the process.
2023 Honda CB300R
Starting at $5,049 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
Unlike the previous bike, the Honda CB300R is definitely one of Honda’s most memorable designs. The CB300R is one of the rare bikes that a maker blesses with the best looks, despite it being an “entry-level” 286cc model. The CB300R doesn’t envy its bigger brothers in the “Neo Sports Café” line. Until Honda brings back the Hornet, or the 599, the little CB3 is my pick in Honda’s stable.
2023 Honda CBR500R
Starting at $7,299 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
Likewise, the CBR500R is more bark than bite. Even though the R before the 500 would denote that this is a sports bike, the seating position is more upright than you would imagine. The bike’s 471cc parallel twin engine is tucked into the fairings, but this sharp and angular sports bike makes a pretty great commuter.
2023 Honda CB500F
Starting at $6,799 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
The Honda CB500F is what you call a “streetfighter,” which is in between a fully-faired sport bike and naked bike. They’re meant to appear more aggressive than standard bikes, but, really, none of the Honda 500s are mean-spirited on the road. They’re all tuned to deliver power in predictable ways from their shared 471cc parallel-twin engines. The Honda streetfigher just puts the rider in a more upright position than the CBR above, and it looks angrier than other Hondas — though not angry as a Yamaha we’ll get to below.
2023 Honda CB500X
Starting at $7,299 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
The last of the Honda 500s to use the same 471cc engine, the CB500X was actually one of the first major leaps for Honda, which ushered in a new design language. I still remember the radical construction of the early CB500X, built more like a scooter than a track bike. The bike is nominally an adventure tourer, but it’s more a jack-of-all trades that you would be fine riding over most roads, but not many technical trails.
2023 Kawasaki Ninja 400
Starting at $5,299 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
The Kawasaki Ninja 400 looks sleek and comes with an excitable 399cc twin-cylinder engine that deviates from Honda’s approach. Even the Honda CBRs don’t quite deliver the same excitement of the smallest Ninja. The mean green machine from Kawasaki is not at all intimidating, but it goads you on to higher RPMs and it handles incredibly well, which inspires confidence for new riders.
2023 Kawasaki Z400
Starting at $5,399 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
True to the streetfigher name, the Kawasaki Z400 just looks madder than the Ninja 400. It’s not as squinty or puckered up at the nose like a Yamaha later down this list, but it’s close. The Z400 has a more upright seating position than the Ninja, which is good in some cases and more rider-dependent in others. I like a tuck, myself but that can strain your back after a while.
2023 Kawasaki Versys-X 300
Starting at $5,899 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
On a scale of comfort, the Versys-X 300 outdoes both the Ninja 400 and the Z400. Your wrists will thank you, and so will your back! The Versys-X might not have the attitude of the other beginner bikes from ’Kawi, but what it loses in displacement (with a 296cc engine), it makes up for in comfort and practicality. Don’t let the size fool you; the little Versys feels smaller than it looks once you settle into the saddle. This is a great starting place for budding ADV tourers.
2023 Suzuki GSX250R
Starting at $4,999 (excluding dealer prep, delivery)
I have a soft spot for Suzuki, being a former TU250X rider. So, the GSX250R is one of my favorites here, especially with that two-tone and ABS on the modern bike. My old TU250 saw me through most of graduate school, and I’ll never forget what my linguistics professor (an expat from Japan) said to me as I was donning my gear in the parking lot. “Ooh,” he exclaimed, “the big boy!” He was pointing at the engine — I think — not at me, though I was well-fed.
The thing is a 248cc is not a “beginner bike” outside of the U.S.; it’s simply just a bike. That TU250X was missing a lot of modern touches, and some fairing would have made short highway jaunts easier. That’s why I love the GSX250R.
