11 Best New Naked Motorcycles 2023
So you're looking for the best all round everyday bike? Well then you probably want a naked and there are plenty of new and updated models for 2023. They're fast, fun, relatively comfortable and there’s some great bikes on the more affordable end of the spectrum.
Here are 11 of the best, in price order ascending, from what I consider an absolute bargain, up to the eye-wateringly expensive stuff.
Honda CB750 Hornet Image from Honda UK
11. HONDA CB750 HORNET (£6,999)
First up is Honda's revival of the famous Hornet name, the new CB750. This bike starts at just £6,999 which is less than most other mid-capacity naked bikes on the market and yet boasts a pretty impressive spec sheet. It's powerful with 90hp from it's 750 parallel twin and fairly light at 190kg kerb. Nissin brakes, Showa suspension, and Michelin tyres as well as loads of impressive tech features like modes, self cancelling indicators and phone connectivity all exceed expectations at this price point.
The only catch could be the looks - from what I can tell from the reaction in the comments of my videos, it's not for everyone. But if you don't mind the modern angular vibe then I'm sure it'll be a happy purchase for you.
Yamaha MT 07 Image from Yamaha
10. YAMAHA MT07 (£7,500)
There's every chance the Hornet could topple the king of this segment, the Yamaha MT07. This bike has been a best seller for many years, and it's easy to see why. The 689cc parallel twin engine is way more fun than the 72hp on the spec sheet would suggest, mostly down to the lively throttle response.
It’s also a very very simple bike: no TC, no riding modes, just ABS (as required by law), and that's pretty much it. For some people the less tech involved the better, but clearly, looking at the Hornet in comparison, Yamaha are thinking they might need to do something to keep up. For this year, it now gets a new TFT display that offers phone connectivity to go some way to bridge the features gap. But still, will people be willing to pay £500 more for less power, a more basic chassis, and less tech than the Hornet?
Suzuki GSX-8S Image from Suzuki
9. SUZUKI GSX-8S (~£8,000)
And it's not just Honda who are trying to move in on Yamaha's market, here's Suzuki with their brand new GSX8S. A new parallel twin engine with a 270 degree crank to give it a bit of growl and bark, decent hardware, a TFT dash, plenty of tech, modern angular looks, and all with accessible and compact dimensions.
The price hasn't been announced yet but it's expected to be more around the £8k to £8,500 mark. Will that be too much of a premium over the Hornet for a very similar bike with a bit less power? Only time and the sales figures will tell.
KTM 790 DUKE Image from KTM
8. KTM 790 DUKE (~£9,000)
Also entering the affordable middleweight marketplace comes KTM with their 790 Duke. Entering, or re-entering? You see the 790 Duke was already in the their lineup before they updated it, gave it more capacity and renamed it as the 890 Duke. But for 2023 it's back and now being manufactured by KTM's Chinese partner, CFmoto. The idea (I assume) is twofold: reviving an existing design cuts down on R&D costs and making it in China cuts manufacturing costs. When the final price is announced it'll be much more competitive than their 890s and potentially close enough to tempt buyers a little up from the likes of the MT07.
But also, if you make a bike at 95hp, you can sell it restricted for A2 license purposes, and KTM don't currently have a bike of this nature in their lineup. If you're on a budget, or you're on an A2 license but looking for something with a bit of a big bike image, then this one looks like it could be worth a punt.
Triumph Street Triple R Image from Triumph
7. TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE R/RS (£9,495)
Next we've got the new Triumph Street Triple which looks as though it's going to be an absolute blast. The new bodywork and styling really does give it a more muscular and mean stance. Under the covers, there’s more power across the lineup and a more aggressive geometry for each of the bikes should give it more lively handling.
Perhaps the most exciting of the bunch is the moto2 special which is a nod to their involvement in the moto2 championship as the engine provider. It celebrates this partnership with a couple of banging new paint jobs (765 to be produced each). It takes the same spec as the RS, but adds some super premium Öhlins suspension and some clip on style bars for a more aggressive and track biased riding position.
Indian FTR Image from Indian Motorcycles
6. INDIAN FTR (£12,995)
The Indian FTR lineup has had a refresh for 2023 and it's looking better than ever. Across the lineup we've got the same awesome big 1200cc 120hp vtwin, and largely the same chassis, but there've been some tweaks to the exhaust system, the braking setup, and some of the bikes get a new round TFT display which looks more in keeping with the semi retro stylings of these bikes than the previous gen's big rectangular slab.
But for me, perhaps the more exciting update is the new direction they've gone for with the visuals. The previous generations of the FTR have always had a strong aesthetic tie back to the flat track racing vibe, but for 2023 they seem to have gone with more of a colourful sporty naked bike look and personally I think it looks great. Lots of pops of colour that suit the lively riding experience you get from this bike.
Moto Guzzi V100 Image from Moto Guzzi
5. MOTO GUZZI V100 (£13,500)
Next we've got the moto Guzzi V100 which has long been a bike I've been looking forward to riding. Despite being announced in 2021, it's only just starting to arrive in dealers at the start of 2023. I'm still really excited to get a go on one, because it's a massive leap in development for Moto Guzzi. For a few years now they've been fully focused on retros, but this is a completely modern affair with a new liquid cooled engine, top notch chassis components and loads of up to date tech.
You could even go so far as to say it's innovative, with a new active aerodynamics system that uses little winglet flaps to give you more wind protection at high speeds, depending on what riding mode you've got selected. I was a little conflicted about putting it on this naked bike list, cos it does have a little bit of a mini fairing, but certainly when those active flaps are down it's close enough for me.
Ducati Monster SP Image from Ducati
4. DUCATI MONSTER SP (£13,995)
Also hailing from Italy, we've got the new update to the monster lineup, with a super trick specced SP version. This looks proper good fun - some of the bikes on this list get to pretty silly power levels, but this bike maintains the 110hp vtwin in the regular base monster and just adds some trick components to improve weight and handling. There's Öhlins suspension front and rear, Brembo style brake calipers up front, a termignoni street legal silencer, a lightweight liion battery and Pirelli's new diablo Rosso iv providing a little more grip.
All in all sounds like a it'll make for a significant upgrade over the standard bike. The only catch, as always, is the price at just shy of £14k as opposed to the £11,295 of the standard bike. It's a big difference, but if you want the ultimate monster then this is pretty much it.
BMW M1000R Image from BMW
3. BMW M 1000R (£19,480)
Now it's a massive jump up to the next bike, at just under £20k and it’s the BMW M 1000R. The idea of BMW's M bikes is to take an existing bike in the lineup and then give them the best of the best in terms of performance componentry, a bit like the M series cars. The S1000R is their top sporty naked, and while it's an impressive bike with plenty of real world grunt, 165hp doesn't quite cut the mustard in the world of supernaked willy waving where a few bikes go well over the 200hp mark.
In steps the M1000R with a massively upgraded engine and the result is, at the time of writing, the most powerful street legal naked bike on the market with 210hp peak. Plus there are loads of chassis upgrades, brand new tech, and this awesome looking msport paint job. Is there a better way to spend the best part of £20k? You decide!
Ducati Streetfighter V4 Image from Ducati
2. DUCATI STREETFIGHTER V4 (£21,095)
If you are looking to part with big money, Ducati may be the way to go with their updated 2023 Streetfighter V4. Admittedly it's more like £21k, but it looks like quite the bike. There are plenty of new and updated features and techy bits that have trickled down from the Panigale V4 sportsbikes. As well as a slightly larger fuel tank which is welcome news as it's not exactly the most economical engine.
But perhaps my favourite update is this new grey Nero paintjob on the slightly more premium S model which I think looks as good as the red, if not a little better. But if £20k sounds like spare change to you and you're looking for something a little more exclusive, you could consider the awesome looking SP2 version which got a lot of the same updates
Ducati Streetfighter Lamborghini Image from Ducati
1. DUCATI STREETFIGHTER LAMBORGHINI (£55,995)
To take it up another huge notch, there's the Lamborghini edition that was designed in collaboration with the Italian supercar manufacturer. £56k for this one which is an eyewatering amount of cash for a motorcycle, so could it possible be worth it?
Well I've linked to my video all about it below where you can give it a watch and make your own mind up…
