Here Are the Best Motorcycles We Rode This Year

Here at Autoweek, our passion for vehicles goes far beyond your average Lamborghini, Fisker, or Ford. From electric jetskis to turboprop SUV-like planes and beyond, we try to cover the spectrum of vehicles as they exist today and beyond what's in front of us at this moment. However, when we can find the time, we enjoy sampling a simpler kind of vehicle, one that dates back to the late 19th century.

To say these two-wheeled vehicles are without modern technology would be, well, lying. Motorcycles have become so advanced as of late that it can feel like you're riding a madman's fever dream of a car but with Apple CarPlay, of course. But even with dash screens getting larger and the scope of rider aids increasing, the essence of riding on two wheels remains strong.

Between the two of us (on separate sides of the country), we've managed to test quite a few motorcycles this year and wanted to round up our favorites before the year comes to a close. From Honda and Ducati to BMW and Kawasaki, we certainly had some proper fun this year and hope you were able to as well.

2024 Honda XL750 Transalp

If there is one class of motorcycle that represents the majority of mileage put on each year, it would be a close draw between cruisers and adventure bikes. Referred to in short-hand as ADV bikes, this class of motorcycle represents both the toughest and the richest bikers among us, as they're essentially all-road ready and also very expensive.

But Honda's new XL750 Transalp is here to say that having adventure chops and modern technology doesn't have to be a costly endeavor. Nor should you need 1200 cubic centimeters to get the job done, either.

With a passionate 750cc parallel twin, solid suspension travel, and a suite of configurable rider aids, the 2024 Honda Transalp represents everything that is right about modern motorcycle design. At $10,599, it's a hard price to beat for a true 21-inch front-wheel adventure bike.

2023 Kawasaki KLR 650 S

The Kawasaki KLR is a terrific all-around dual-sport bike, as comfortable on pavement as it is easy to ride off-road. And it's much more affordable than full-on ADV bikes from BMW, Ducati, and Honda. Sticker price starts at $7634 without ABS and $7934 with.

After disappearing in 2018, the KLR was back in 2022, with fuel injection and revised cams on both the intake and exhaust sides. That means its 652-cc upright DOHC single-cylinder makes 39.1 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm. No horsepower number is given in the US, but published figures in Europe list it at 40 hp at the crank and 35 at the rear wheel.

The new KLR still has a five-speed transmission when many competitors offer six-speeds. Likewise, the gauges on almost every other motorcycle sold in America offer more information than the speedo you'll see on the KLR. There's no tach, for instance, but you can trade off tach and radar cruise control for that low sticker and the KLR's reputation for eternal durability.

If you need—or can only afford—one bike for both on- and off-road riding, and if you have to get back and forth to work in all weather on sometimes muddy, rocky, or snowy roads, with pavement riding thrown in, too, the KLR is an obvious choice.

BMW R 1250 R

When people ask the very generic question, "What's the best motorcycle out there?" I will now confidently respond, "The BMW R 1250 R." Despite a relatively heavy looking 1254-cc flat-twin "boxer" engine, the R 1250 R is so smoothly and magnificently engineered, with so much power and torque available at just about any point in the rev range, and with clutch operation and engagement that is so precise and easy, there is simply no other bike maker out there that has mastered the art of two-wheeled transportation and good times so well.

The mighty boxer makes 136 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque, and BMW's ShiftCam technology spreads that output across all riding conditions. There are ride modes galore, from Eco to Sport, that will keep you upright almost despite what you do. You may never want to return to the garage.

If you want luggage space and a windscreen, you can step up to the very similar R 1250 GS, which offers both, along with off-road rideability. But the R 1250 R will make you love riding all over again. Priced at $16,120.

Ducati Scrambler Icon

The Scrambler name dates back to 1962 at Ducati. It was the entry-level fun bike from the Italian motorcycle maker that would go on to make some of the greatest street and race bikes the world would ever know. But Scramblers stopped in 1975, as the brand went off into its more serious street bike direction. When Ducati revived the Scrambler in 2014, it evoked memories of everybody's favorite dirt bike from high school.

The new Scrambler Icon brings back those same memories but with a better TFT info display screen, QuickShift Up and Down shifter, and full LED lighting. A new frame, new swing arm and a lighter engine means it's now almost nine pounds lighter. A flatter seat means longer days in the saddle. Cornering ABS, traction control and two riding modes mean riding is safer than ever on the new Scrambler.

It's still an 803-cc air-cooled electronic-fuel-injected L-twin making 73 hp at 8250 rpm and 48 lb-ft of torque at 7000 revs feeding output to a wet clutch, through a six-speed manual, and along a chain driving the rear wheel. With a curb weight of just over 400 pounds, it's just a little more fun than before.

Lift it off the kickstand and you can feel how light it is right away. Climb aboard and its light weight tees up a good time. Modern ABS is greatly appreciated in this, as I found out when a beat-up Camry turned left in front of me one day: Full ABS operation at front and rear wheels probably saved my life. Thanks Ducati.

2023 Honda CB1000R

No one really needs a 1000cc bike, at least not in naked sport bike form, but I sure do want one now that I've ridden the 2023 Honda CB1000R. Offered only in this blackout-edition paint scheme for 2023, the CB1000R follows a long lineage of high-displacement naked bikes from Honda.

Offering 143 hp out of a 998cc inline-four, the CB1000R is both docile and furious, depending on your own wrist inputs. Intoxicating isn't fully representative of the power surge, as it feels a bit nerve-wracking to crack it wide open.