Beneath the bodywork of the Yamaha YZF-R7 is a CW-dyno-proven 65 hp engine that also powers the Tenere 700 adventure bike and MT-07 naked bike. Yamaha’s R7 entered the middleweight class as an accessible sportbike and won a lot of hearts. This year, flexible engine remains, but Yamaha reworked its aggressive stance and styling, sporty riding position, adjustable suspension,...

The 2026 Ducati Hypermotard V2 SP marks the end of an era. But not for me. The first time I rode the Hypermotard 950, the V2’s predecessor, I knew that motorcycling would never be the same. It gave a 215-horsepower experience for 115-horsepower money. It was motorcycling amplified, unadulterated, and hyperstimulating. I wasn’t in the market for a new...

As we made our way to Elephant Moto headquarters for the start of an ADV tour on BMW’s R 1300 GS, all of my preconceptions about Colombia bubbled to the surface. My big brother’s warning rang in my ear: “don’t get kidnapped.” Four of us were crammed in a van, juggling helmets and jackets on our laps, when we...

For a company like Harley-Davidson, updating bodywork is not as simple as choosing an efficient new design. In fact, through the sheer cultural force of its traditions, the Motor Company is especially susceptible to this conundrum: Do too much and you’re straying too far from the brand’s identity; do too little and you’re not updating enough to keep up...

Right now is a great time to be in the market for a sub-500cc lightweight adventure motorcycle. Dealerships are flush with choices, and you’d be happy with most of the latest generation of these small-displacement travel motos. But what about if you are a BMW Motorrad fan? BMW’s G 310 GS is long in the tooth, but the 2027...

Triumph’s Bonneville Speedmaster may not command the same attention as its T120 and Bobber stablemates, but it is perhaps the most accommodating and versatile of all the machines in the Brit manufacturer’s extensive line up of modern classics. Just to recap, this is the Brit-style custom cruiser: a 1200cc High Torque Bonnie with concealed rear suspension and the Bobber’s...

In the early days of motorcycling, every motorcycle was a dual sport. Riders had one bike, and rode it on any surface they pleased (or had too!). But as technology evolved and speeds increased, motorcycles became more focused and purpose-built. And satisfying as bikes that fit neatly into street or dirt segments are, the freedom of a bike that...

There’s a lot to like about the 2026 Husqvarna 701 Enduro. It’s also slightly confusing. It’s got more horsepower, more suspension travel, new bodywork, and a significant upgrade in electronics. It promises a compromise between an enduro dual sport and an adventure motorcycle. On paper it makes total sense. The 693cc single can cover long distances and still play...

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...