Few would argue that braking isn’t one of the most important aspects of a motorcycle’s quiver of performance features, and that can be elevated even higher when discussing sportbikes. But what if you have a “vintage” sportbike and want the brakes to perform much closer to a modern machine? As we have discovered, there is only so far you...

You don’t need Cycle World to tell you that if the price of a house, hotel, or a horse looks too good to be true then, invariably, it is. And that the same goes for motorcycles—except there is a fast-expanding space in the two-wheeled market that makes things a little less clear cut. One where the prices are double-take...

The 2026 KTM 990 RC R is an all-new platform designed from the ground up for Next-Generation Supersport racing. Well, it’s actually an accessible and fun sportbike for the street that happens to line up great with current supersport regulations. Next-Gen racing filled the void left by 600cc supersports that became spectacularly expensive and hard to insure for street...

Zero Motorcycles is the longest-standing electric motorcycle manufacturer, and as it approaches its 20th anniversary, the Santa Cruz-based company enters the red-hot market of electric dirt bikes for the first time since former NASA engineer and Zero founder Neal Saiki built the Electricross Drift prototype in 2006. The X-line is the first range of bikes to be released under...

Chinese manufacturer QJMotor may not be a household name in the USA or Europe, but lots of us know Benelli and Morbidelli. Both of these iconic marques are owned by QJMotor. And while the Zhejiang province manufacturer’s acquisitions grow ever more global, its own QJ-branded range of machines continues to close the gap to mainstream competition from Japan and...

Riding a motorcycle is a high-flying endorsement of the inviolability of human agency. Choosing to swing a leg over a motorcycle, dropping the clutch, and speeding into the unknown requires forethought and a clear-eyed vigilance. It entails a parley of acting and reacting. And every so often, it demands taking some moments to self-reflect. Which is exactly what I...

BMW’s R 12 S is presented as the modern embodiment of the 1974 R 90 S with its aluminum gas tank in two-tone Daytona Orange paint, a solo seat, and plenty of heritage nods. But heritage is easy to style and hard to earn. The real question is how well the R 12 S channels the magic of that...

If Stark Future isn’t on your radar, you either aren’t interested in dirt bikes or haven’t been paying attention. The company got off to a slow and rocky start after it shocked the industry when it quietly developed the Varg MX model and then sprung it on an unsuspecting motocross market in December of 2021. After taking orders for...

Talking recently about its two-year spell under KTM ownership, MV Agusta’s Italian-born CEO Luca Martin told Cycle World: “For a couple of years MV Agusta has been seen as the cherry on top of the cake, while the cake itself was the big KTM conglomerate.“Now,” Martin said, referring to the Italian marque’s new independence from KTM and the Pierer...

Before iPhones, streaming services, and $7 lattes, neighbors’ yards were littered with fallen bicycles, open garages were a gathering place for kids, and the only rule followed was “Be home before the street lights are on.” That’s what riding the Honda Dax 125 reminds me of: a time when life was much simpler and our joys were much simpler.The...

Now free of the troubled KTM group and under the control of the Russian Sardarov brothers’ Art of Mobility company, there’s a fresh energy around MV Agusta. Much is promised for 2026 and beyond, but the first machines to emerge from the Varese factory since it regained independence in July are these, the Ottantesimo collection of 80th anniversary specials,...

Suzuki’s DR-Z has been a long-standing staple in the dual sport segment since its inception in 2001. Known for its versatility, reliability, and respectable off-road performance, the DR-Z continued to sell well, both new and used. But due to Euro 5+ emission standards, 2024 models of the DR-Z400S and DR-Z400SM could only be sold in North America. For the DR-Z...

Primordial adventure motorcycles evolved from streetbikes, growing longer legs and appendages suited to the task of taking on uncertain routes and varied terrain. Now they have become one of the most popular motorcycle segments, supplanting sport-tourers, nakeds, and standards as the do-it-all motorcycle in your garage. Harley-Davidson even stepped out of its tried-and-very-true cruiser mindset with the Pan America...

As unlikely as it was for the original 1980 BMW R 80 G/S to launch the Adventure Bike Movement, it was even more unlikely that this motorcycle would also become the basis for the machine that won the most epic long-distance off-road rally in the world—Paris-Dakar.And it didn’t just win it once, it did the deed four times with...

Suzuki introduced the DR-Z400SM in 2005 during the pinnacle of the supermoto era. Mounting sportbike wheels on dirt bikes started with the made-for-TV ABC Superbikers race events in 1979 and gained popularity in the years that followed. By the early 2000s pro motocrossers including Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana, Jeff Ward, and Mike Metzger were competing in events such as...