We here at Bike Stop hope you all had a merry Christmas, and are set to have a happy New Year too! With 2018 round the corner it's time to check what bikes there are to look forward to.
Dave covered some new bikes in his EICMA post a short while ago - in this post I'll cover other bikes that you should be excited about in 2018.
First up, it's the Kawasaki Z900RS and its café racer variant. Modern-retro bikes are certainly in vogue, and Kawasaki is finally getting in on the action properly. Harking back to the Z1 the Z900RS is set to take the fight directly to recently announced Honda CB1000R, and take a slice out of the lucrative retro pie. Set to launch at a shade under £10000 it has more expensive European rivals beat, and has a decent spec sheet to match, but looks set to be designed for more easy riding rather than knee-down action. This fits with its muscle bike image, and will likely appeal to those trying to relive those glory days with its authentic styling, and modern touches such as ABS and traction control.
Next it's the new Honda CB1000R. The old CB1000R was quite anonymous, but actually a very capable bike. It's been left behind in recent years by the current crop of supernakeds. The new version has differentiated itself from the sporty supernakeds by aiming itself at the modern-retro segment, just like the previously mentioned Z900RS. That being said, it sports much more of a neo-retro look than most others which may divide opinion. No doubt it'll perform well though, with road manners you would always expect of a Honda.
Onto more modern looking machinery, and it's the new Ducati Multistrada 1260 S. While it's certainly not cheap, it can certainly tackle almost anything you throw at it. The Multistrada has always been a jack-of-all-trades, but with the latest model Ducati have set out to improve all they can on what was already a very accomplished machine. Extra capacity means more power and torque, but it's the electronics that will likely make this bike stand apart. Trick semi-active Sachs suspension, super powerful Brembo monoblocs and even a dedicated app for your phone can make you wonder what it doesn't have. I can answer that - a low price tag. The S model (arguably the one to get) starts at £17,195, but you really do get a bike for everything.
A more incremental upgrade next - the Yamaha MT-09 SP. It's been a long time coming, but Yamaha have finally added what many fans were calling for - decent suspension. The new SP model will retain the MT-09's sharp new looks, but will have an Öhlins rear shock, and newly designed fully adjustable front forks. The Triumph Street Triple has always outshone the MT-09 in this area, but this could now mean it has its work cut out, despite its recent capacity hike from 675 to 765. This could potentially be the middleweight naked to get in 2018.
Finally onto the future of motorcycling - electric. Zero Motorcycles, probably the most advanced and accessible manufacturer of electric motorcycles is rolling out an evolution of its current range of bikes. My pick is the new SR - essentially last year's S but with their new, largest battery in tow. Charging takes under two hours now from a Level 2 EV station, and will give over 200 miles of urban range. Its achilles heel remains motorway travel (only around 100 miles) but for commuters this is a welcome upgrade and could easily give a week's commuting in a single charge.
The future is certainly bright for motorcycling, and as well as bikes there are new gear releases to look forward to, with airbag technology becoming ever more accessible. Check out our range at Bike Stop where we're always happy to talk bikes.
