Can’t let the models have all the fun. Time to give the Yamaha TW200 a proper review. (Yamaha/)

Motorcyclist strives to be a highly responsive motorcycle news organization. We keep close tabs on your comments, feedback, and unsolicited correspondence. Among the hot-button topics that generate lots of pixelated opinions are which new motorcycles we should review. As most readers know, Motorcyclist already covers a wide assortment of model releases over the course of the year. But a First Look/Preview isn’t an actual butt-in-seat, white-knuckled motorcycle review.

In the spirit of full disclosure, some reader suggestions didn’t make the cut. We won’t be reviewing a hoverbike (yes, they exist) or any streetbike featured in past or present Batman movies. Also, we cannot review ex-racebikes used in competition. Specifically, we can’t review Valentino Rossi’s ill-fated 2012 Ducati GP11 racebike. We do appreciate the equally imaginative and odd request, though.

We loved your suggestions, one and (mostly) all. Turns out you’re all quite the practical sorts. While Motorcyclist is blessed with a sizable team of seasoned journalists and a palatial headquarters (and garage), we can’t review them all. But here are the top five motorcycles you want us to throw a leg over and ride and write about. Keep reading, we’ll start making calls.

2023 Yamaha TW200

The 2023 Yamaha TW200: Look at those chonky tires, how could that not be fun? (Yamaha/)

Fact: Smaller bikes are more fun. Or maybe it’s the same amount of fun in a smaller package? Whatever. The Yamaha TW200 has been a staple of retro-scrambling since it was introduced 36 years ago. Arguably, simple carburetion and square instrumentation was already a bit retro in 1987. But those 180/80 front and rear gumballs (on 18- and 14-inch wheels, respectively) just beg for a long-term review on trails and semi-legal urban environs. Generous 6.3- and 5.9-inch front and rear suspension travel combined with a 278-pound curb weight make the TW200 perfect for any number of review scenarios. Ideally, our review will feature an informal Black Friday Hare Scramble in a Walmart parking lot. Story to be updated.

2023 Honda Rebel 1100T DCT Bagger

The 2023 Honda Rebel 1100T DCT bagger in all its official Honda website glory. (Honda/)

Readers seem to enjoy arguing about anything with a DCT transmission. This interest extends to a full ride review of the Honda Rebel 1100 DCT Bagger. Game on, peanut gallery. Motorcyclist has made no secret of its love for the Rebel family. The new Rebel’s 1100 bagger variant looks to spread the gospel of trouble-free touring and democratized transmissions. A batwing fairing and windscreen plus 9.2 gallons of storage via hard saddlebags equals a win-win in our books. Obviously, our review would feature rigorous, objective testing and evaluation of the bagger’s strengths and weaknesses. Think amateur hill climbing at Sturgis.

2023 Honda Rebel 1100T DCT bagger, in Bordeaux Red Metallic. (Honda/)

2023 Kawasaki KLR650

The 2023 Kawasaki KLR650 Traveler ABS. Or a 2022, hard to tell with KLRs. (Kawasaki/)

Why should we review a motorcycle largely unchanged since the Mesozoic era? Sometimes it’s the rider, not the ride. The Kawasaki KLR650 S tweaks a classic formula with new dimensions for smaller riders, while the Kawasaki KLR650/ABS and Adventure/ABS and Traveler/ABS variants are worth a first look for newer riders drawn to the red-hot middleweight ADV category. Does the tractorlike reliability of the KLR650 stack up to newer entrants like the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE, Yamaha Ténéré 700, or even the BMW F 850 GS? A proper review will help liven up the debate. While readers didn’t specify a review based on dirt or asphalt, Motorcyclist would split the difference. Maybe we’ll throw some light stunting in too.

The Kawasaki KLR650. No, not the diminutive KLR650 S, to be clear. (Kawasaki/)

2023 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST

Tallboy, meet 2023 Harley-Davidson Low Rider El Diablo. (Harley-Davidson/)

Depending on who you believe, Motorcyclist is either beholden to Milwaukee deep-state interests or inherently biased against America. Neither is true. We love all motorcycles, regardless of race, creed, or color. Readers were quite taken by the limited-edition Low Rider El Diablo, what with the fancy paint and devil motif. But so were the 1,500 buyers who bought them all up in short order. But don’t despair, there’s still the Low Rider ST, which likewise pays tribute to the classic 1983 FXRT and “Tallboy” culture. The upright riding ergonomics and tall front end complement the capable liquid-cooled 117ci Milwaukee-Eight mill. We’re grabbing our yellow vests and modular helmets and cruising Long Beach for a week. Stay tuned.

You devil, you: close-up of the El Diablo’s special paint and livery. (Harley-Davidson/)

2023 Suzuki V-Strom 650 and XT Adventure

The 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT Adventure, with aluminum panniers. (Suzuki/)

It would seem readers want a last hurrah before everything goes sideways. The Suzuki V-Strom 650 and XT Adventure models (plus the 1050 models) are holdouts in an increasingly parallel-twin world. How much budget-tastic joy has this liquid-cooled 645cc 90-degree V-twin mill given riders over the years? Might as well count pixels in the rainbow. Behemoth 1,000cc ADV rigs will always collect souvenir stickers and grace Whole Foods parking lots, but it makes sense folks want Suzuki’s middleweight 650 in action, pics, and words. Seeing as how we might be singing a classic swan song, Motorcyclist will put real thought into a proper review concept. Got any suggestions for a challenging trip? You started all this so don’t hold back. Let those comments fly.

The 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT without Adventure nomenclature and panniers. (Suzuki/)

Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com

Part of entering any new year is thinking ahead to all the great stuff the future brings. We’re looking forward to all the incredible superbikes coming to market. Here are seven sportbikes that we’re really looking forward to spinning some laps on in 2023.

2023 Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100: $25,999

Aprlia’s RSV4 Factory 1100 absolutely rips. (Aprilia/)

The Aprilia RSV4 Factory has been one of the top-class superbikes available to consumers since it was announced back in 2018. We took a later model out for a spin in 2021 and couldn’t help but be impressed. The 1,099cc V-4 gives copious amounts of usable power throughout the rev range, and the up-spec Factory features semi-active Öhlins suspension and a lighter overall curb weight which makes it a scalpel through the corners. The bike is ergonomically comfortable for a broader range of riders thanks to an opened-up cockpit, and the price tag is highly competitive for such a race-ready machine.

2023 BMW M 1000 RR: $32,995: $32,995

BMW’s M 1000 RR handles like a dream on track. (BMW/)

We just took a spin on the 2022 edition of the M 1000 RR and found it to be one of the best-handling BMWs we’ve ever experienced on track. And for 2023 the bike gets a more aerodynamically advanced design that is striking. It promises some notable gains in both top speed and cornering performance, which we’re itching to put to the test. For riders who want to really go all out, there will also be an M RR Competition Package available that swaps out plastic parts for carbon fiber, adds cooling ducts to the front brakes, and drops overall weight thanks to a lighter swingarm and bells and whistles.

2023 Ducati Panigale V4 SP2: $39,500

The V4 SP2 from Ducati is a phenomenal track weapon. (Lorenzo Concari/Photohouse/)

More often than not, company hype around new bikes is hyperbolic. However, with the Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 we found that the Italian brand wasn’t completely off base saying it had created the “ultimate racetrack machine.” When we turned laps at Misano on the 2022 edition, we were enamored with the unyielding power, silky smooth transmission, almost effortless handling, and highly competent and consistent braking package. And that was all while riding in Race B mode. There’s even more to extract from the bike in Race A. There are too many MotoGP-derived parts to count and a world-class electronics package. For a truly thrilling trackbike straight off the showroom floor, the V4 SP2 is hard to beat.

2023 Ducati Panigale V4 R: $44,995

Ducati’s 2023 Panigale V4 R is a top contender for the most impressive superbike coming to market in 2023. (Ducati/)

Although, if you were looking to get an even more race-capable Ducati, the 2023 V4 R might be the place to put your money. This bike promises 240 hp and a claimed 415-pound curb weight with the full racing exhaust installed. That’s a 0.57 power-to-weight ratio. Race tech abounds throughout the rest of the bike as well, from the transmission to the electronics package to the bodywork, suspension, and chassis geometry. It will be one of the most powerful, streamlined, and effective track weapons to come to market in 2023.

2022 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP: $28,900

The Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP remains an appealing superbike option in 2023. (Honda/)

As of the writing of this article, Honda has yet to announce a 2023 model-year edition of the Fireblade SP, so 2022 it is. That’s because Honda’s WSBK homologation model has been a ripper for the past few years and we expect 2023 to be no different. Take the 2021 model, which we reviewed during the 2021 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP First Ride Review, 2021 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP MC Commute Review, and 2021 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP MC Commute Second Review. That machine has great power delivery and superb handling, excellent brakes and a competitive electronics package. It’s also on the more affordable end of the spectrum in the class, making it a much more compelling value proposition than some of the other machines on the list.

2023 Suzuki GSX-R1000R: $18,199

Suzuki’s literbike doesn’t get any updates for 2023, but still remains a model we’d be stoked to ride. (Suzuki/)

Even though the GSX-R1000R is unchanged for 2023, and even though its spec sheet is less impressive than a lot of the bikes on the list, we’re still pumped to see this platform carrying forward. We enjoyed our time on it during the 2021 Suzuki GSX-R1000R MC Commute Review and the GSX-R1000R has proven itself to be a competent and approachable superbike both on the streets and on the track. It benefits from race-derived technology thanks to a major update back in 2017, and will continue to be more than enough bike for the more casual trackday riders and backroad explorers.

2023 Yamaha YZF-R1M: $26,999

The Yamaha YZF-R1M is another well-established model we’re always pleased to ride. (Yamaha/)

Yamaha’s YZF-R1M has long been one of our favorite superbikes as tested during the 2021 Yamaha YZF-R1M MC Commute Review and 2020 Yamaha YZF-R1M Review MC Commute. The ‘23 edition carries over all the characteristics we’ve come to love. An absolutely stunning crossplane inline-four engine, dialed Öhlins electronic suspension, aggressive and eye-catching styling, and plenty of race-derived technology to keep you competitive against your friends at the track. It might not be as flashy as the V4 R or M 1000 RR, but the R1M is a bike we always look forward to riding again, which counts for a lot in a field as crowded as this.

Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com