Motorbikes that will make us look forward to 2017

As 2016 is coming to a close, what better way to end it than to drool over the latest motorbike releases planned for 2017, there are some crackers!

Here are my top 5 bikes that I am looking forward to next year, in no particular order.

2017 Yamaha MT-09

While not being completely redesigned, 2017 will bring a host of new changes for the machine from the dark side of Japan.

The list of changes follows

• The single headlight has been ditched for a more aggressive styled twin LED headlight design. I am not a fan of this personally, looks a bit like a Praying Mantis, but i’m sure for any of you Entomologist bikers out there, you will find it's a welcome update!

• The tail has been shortened by 30mm and is set at steeper angle giving the bike a more aggressive stance, the seat is a little bit flatter and 5mm higher than before. This does mean the number plate is now bolted to the swingarm via an ugly bracket, however I am sure this can be sorted with getting an aftermarket tail tidy.

• Getting to the important stuff now, the real update on the MT-09 for me has been the addition of a slipper clutch assisting with downshifts, and a quickshifter allowing clutchless upshifts.

• Forks have been upgraded to 41mm with adjustment in the rebound and compression, this will be a welcome update as many reviews on the outgoing model slated the suspension setup.

Although the MT-09 has its flaws, I can’t imagine a bike that would be more fun for £7799, it's hard to beat this bike for value for money.

Ducati 1299 Superleggera

One of the many exclusive bikes that have been revealed this year. Although most of us won’t be riding one of these, I could not go through my list and not include it, it's got to be the pinnacle of what a production bike can technologically achieve.

This isn’t just a standard 1299 with a fancy name, it's got heaps of changes over the standard bike which make this one special bit of kit.

• It's got more carbon fibre on it than any other production bike I can think of, the bodywork, wheels, but more impressively the monocoque frame and swingarm are now carbon fiber. This means the bike is 156 kg dry which is pretty much unheard of for a superbike.

• Ok so the bike is lightweight, great, but if that isn’t enough, it now has become more powerful, not like the standard 1299 was underpowered. I won’t go into too much detail or I will be here all day, but revised internals and a sexy Akrapovic exhaust system has lead to a power output of 215bhp. More than enough to wrap myself around the nearest tree.

• Money has also been thrown at the suspension set up. It has all round Ohlins, as we would expect for the £72,000 price tag, featuring the FL936 forks and TTX36 rear shock. Would I be a good enough rider to utilise this set up? Probably not, but I do like the gold.

I am not likely to ever ride the new Superleggera, however it's always nice to see a manufacturer pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Expensive technology is always developed on more expensive models before it is fed down to more affordable machines.

2017 Honda CBR1000RR

The previous generation of Fireblade was always considered slightly dull compared to the current crop of superbikes. However this could all change when the next generation hits the showroom floors in 2017.

Honda have gone to great lengths to redesign their flagship superbike. 68% of the components have been updated in order to achieve what Honda says is “Next stage total control.” Let's have a recap of what wizardry they’ve done.

• There has been a 16kg weight saving over the outgoing model. Large savings have been achieved by using exotic materials in the engine and exhaust system, however a lot of the weight has been made by Honda shaving off the odd gram here and there on a large list of components, which adds up.

• Power has also been increased by a little over 10 bhp, which means that the power to weight ratio of the bike, with the weight savings taken into account, is 14% better off than the previous model, impressive stuff Honda!

• The previous generation of Fireblade was known as one of the last superbikes with no electronic aids to help the rider aside from ABS. This has all changed, the 2017 model will feature selectable torque control, that uses a 5 axis inertial measurement system to help the rider put the extra power to the tarmac. I imagine it will be similar to the system used on the current generation of Yamaha YZF R1.

Although the new bike still has relatively reserved styling compared to some of the other manufacturers, i think this is one of the bikes to look out for next year, its changes should be revolutionary for the brand.

2017 Yamaha YZF R6

Most manufacturers seem to have forgotten about their 600cc supersport machines, all but Yamaha it seems. The new R6 will be released next year, which will be the first major update to the R6 since 2006.

Let's go through what has changed.

• The most obvious change has to be the styling, the front fairing looks very similar to Yamaha’s M1 Motogp bike, Yamaha claims the revised styling gives better aerodynamic performance, due to its narrower profile. The tail section looks very similar to the current YZF R1 model which adds to the new aggressive look.

• It seems the engine remains unchanged, however the bike has won the world supersport championship 3 times in the last 7 years with that engine, why change something that works? There has, however, been traction control added to this model with 6 levels of intervention. Yamaha says the software ensures there is no unnatural feeling of intervention when the system kicks in.

• My favourite addition has to be the quickshifter. With the bike being as rev hungry as it is, going through the gears with clutchless upshifts is something I am looking forward to. Many people add aftermarket quickshifters to the current R6, now it will come as standard.

With this R6 not changing massive amounts under its new bodywork, will it be revolutionary to the supersport class? I am keen to find out when the bike is launched in 2017.

2017 Ducati Supersport

This was a surprising return for the Ducati Supersport. Ducati say they wanted to make a sports bike for everyday roads, transforming each ride into a personal track day session. That is quite a big claim, but I am sure this bike will be every bit as involving to ride.

Great but what are the technical specifications?

• The supersport will use a revised version of the Hypermotard 939’s Testastretta 11º liquid-cooled L-twin engine. The engine will produce 113 bhp with 71.3 ft-lbs of torque. I am hoping if the engine is anywhere near as mental as it is in the hypermotard, this bike will be a riot to ride.

• There are two models of the Supersport, the standard will use fully adjustable Marzocchi forks and a sachs rear shock. There will also be an S model which will, in typical Ducati style, have Ohlins forks and rear shock. The standard supersport will cost £11495, while the Supersport S will cost £12795.

• Standard equipment will feature three riding modes, Urban, Touring and Sport, I am assuming the engine mapping and throttle response will be different for each mode.

I can honestly say this is one of the bikes that excites me the most for next year. I believe it has the right amount of power to be useful on the road, combined with that Ducati V-twin soundtrack, I can imagine it will be engaging to ride on the road.

Let's hope that all of these bikes live up to the hype, I know I can’t personally wait for the reviews to come! It's going to be an exciting year for motorcycling.