Outfitting Guides

the Svartpilen is all about looks, though. Its compact single-cylinder engine – either 692cc or 373cc depending on whether you’re riding the 701 or 401 model – propels you down tight urban streets with power and sureness. It’s a testament to the bike’s quality that Husqvarna made no changes whatsoever going from the 2020 model to 2021.

Like the Grom, the Monkey has been a huge hit with urban riders, college students, and oldsters looking for a quick trip down memory lane on the way to Whole Foods and REI. And, lord knows, those aging hipsters need to be kept safe in traffic—to see the road and to be seen by others—because, you know, hip replacement surgeries...

But let’s not forget that part of the Grom’s charm is that it’s actually a pretty okay, pretty practical motorcycle considering its size. With awesome mileage and such a small footprint, the Grom has found favor with commuters and college students alike, they’re everywhere, like mice at the State University salad bar. And being a daily ride means the Grom...

the CRF250L Rally carries the visual confidence of a rally bike—including the frame-mounted fairing, narrow/tall windscreen, and LED lights—but is, underneath, a peach of a dual-sport motorcycle. The four-stroke single doesn’t make so much power that’ll it scare newer riders, but it also has torque everywhere and an indomitable spirit that never says die. 

Honda even had the right engine, in the CRF450R motocrosser’s: A single-cam, super-light torque monster proven in competition and outpunching a CRF250L and XR650L combined. A wide-ration six-speed transmission makes the 450 right for woods in the east and desert work out west, fitted to a fully modern aluminum frame and using real dirt-spec wheel sizes for a big set...

Honda’s truly modern CB1100 is not a CB750, but it’s trying really hard to capture the essential simplicity of the CB750 that enthusiasts with long memories and creaky knees remember so fondly. Yes, the CB1100’s engine is air-cooled, with four cylinders across the frame, riding in a steel tube frame with twin shocks out back. 

Headlining the CB-X’s street orientation, the original CB500X had cast wheels with 17-inch tires at each end, softly sprung suspension, and a single front disc brake. (ABS was optional.) While lots of customizers turned the CB-X into a rally-styled machine with knobby tires and all the farkles, the CB500X was still best as a light adventure bike, thanks to docile...

the NC700X and Honda NC750X benefit greatly from better lighting, both to see the road better and to better be seen on the road. Early versions have a bike-specific DENALI light mount available that bolts right to the frame-mounting fairing and provides a sturdy perch for any of DENALI’s LED motorcycle lights

S1000RR has been a huge success for BMW, all but driving out the Japanese liter-sized sportbikes and bringing lots of dark-haired riders into BMW dealerships. And many of those riders wanted to use their superbikes often, for commuting, track riding, weekend fun flings on twisty roads, and even for some hard-edged touring.

BMW’s F900R is its latest salvo in the Roadster category, benefitting from the new F900 engine, a parallel-twin gem with scads of midrange torque and, finally, a personality you’re not afraid to bring home to the folks. The 270-degree crank makes this parallel-twin engine take on a slightly menacing growl and provide the kind of seismic feedback we all love...

Aprilia named the Shiver 750 for what it can do to your senses when you ride it. And it’s not an empty boast, since the Shiver’s DOHC V-twin engine makes very good power for its displacement, with plenty of torque where you need it for daily rides and the occasional track day, all mounted into a hybrid chassis—some tubular steel,...

Aprilia continues to build the Dorsoduro as a limber, light, elemental supermoto with a street fixation. Put 17-inch cast wheels with high-end street rubber at either end of a short, narrow chassis and stuff a free-breathing, DOHC V-twin in the middle, all bristling with torque and personality. Tell your local tire store to stock three rears for every front, since...

Aprilia has built the Tuono legend from the bones of the RSV and, currently, the RSV4, with its mighty narrow-angle V-4 engine, aluminum chassis, race-ready suspension, and state-of-the-art electronics including multi-level traction control with wheelie mitigation.

We prefer to look at it differently, though. The WR250R and its street-aligned sibling WR250X stood as examples of the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The street-legal WR250 motorcycles are right there at the top when it comes to performance that can easily go from street to off-roading when the pavement ends.

There are a variety of big, torquey bikes on the market these days with off-road, go-anywhere looks, but few have the style of the Moto Guzzi V85 TT. Moto Guzzi knows a thing about adventure, having raced Paris-Dakar since the 1980s. Heck, they know a lot about building all sorts of bikes; the 2021 V85 TT Centenario celebrates Moto Guzzi’s...

The 990 SM, introduced in 2008, came in a couple of varieties. The SMR was the first iteration, growing out of the earlier 950 Supermoto, and it was also the more purist-y variant. The SMT, which arrived at the scene a year later, was more touring focused with a bigger tank, higher weight, and plusher seat. Although both were perhaps...

The 990 Super Duke is an incredibly lightweight machine (only about 400 pounds) for a superbike that rips through streets with agility and grace. Sure, it might not have all the fancy modern gadgets and riding aids. But who needs that when the bike itself is pure perfection on pavement?

They say a jack of all trades is a master of none, but the Kawasaki KLX250 can make you question that particular piece of wisdom. Weighing at just under 300 pounds and equipped with a 249cc one-cylinder, four-stroke engine, the KLX250 takes you wherever you need to go through both off-road trails and paved streets.