Cycle News Staff | December 30, 2023
Our year-end issue marks that time when we look back on the past 12 months and the many motorcycles we have been fortunate enough to throw a leg over. These are our top favorites—plus some honorable mentions—chosen by the staffers who rode them. *Disclaimer: Remember, we’re not claiming these to be the “best bikes” of the year. Unfortunately, we can’t ride them all to make that claim, but these are the ones that we did ride that made us smile the most for whatever reason in 2023. After all, we ride motorcycles just for fun, don’t we?
Rennie Scaysbrook
Favorite: 2024 BMW R 1300 GS
Sometimes, manufacturers can completely revamp a motorcycle and really screw it up. They can lose sight of what made the bike so good in the first place, and what you’re left with is a shell of what its predecessor was.
Not so with the 2024 BMW R 1300 GS. It is completely redesigned, top-to-bottom, back-to-front—smaller, lighter, more agile, and much faster—the 1300 has taken the best bits of the 1250 and none of the bad, creating what just may be the ultimate all-round motorcycle.
I guess that’s always been a GS tagline, but the new edition is that good. The electronics are, amazingly, easy to navigate and understand, the ride position is near spot-on, off-road handling has been dramatically improved with the new EVO Telelever and Paralever suspension, and it goes like a bat out of hell with its new, much smaller 145 horsepower motor.
It’ll cost you a bit, with prices starting at $19,890, and that’s before you start throwing more cash at all the add-ons you’ll want, but it’s worth it. The BMW 1300 GS is one hell of a bike.
Right there behind the BMW for me is the 2024 Krämer GP2-890RR. In direct contrast to the do-it-all BMW R 1300 GS, the Krämer GP2-890RR is as specialized a tool as you can get.
Oh, the joys of a Krämer GP2-890RR. They cannot and never should be underestimated.
This bike is designed for only one thing—going fast around a racetrack. At $39,995, you’re getting the sharpest possible tool for the job. It’s also one of the most exclusive. Only 125 of these RRs will be made for the buying public. You get 138 horsepower from a KTM 890 Duke R motor in a package weighing a scant 313 pounds dripping with top-spec goodies from Brembo, WP, Dymag, RP and electronic brains from Mechtronik.
It corners like nothing else I’ve ever ridden, including a Moto2 bike, fits like a glove, is the perfect speed for my stage of racing life, and looks drop-dead gorgeous. If it wasn’t so specialized, it’d be my favorite bike of the year without question.
I also considered the Triumph Street Triple 765 RS. When you need to unleash your inner hooligan, you will do plenty worse than take a Triumph Street Triple 765 RS for a spin.
The $12,595 Street Triple is the OG mid-size brat bike, but this new one is the best yet. A new chassis with slightly racier steering geometry than the base 765, a new 128 horsepower inline-triple motor that sounds like angels in a choir and looks that wouldn’t be out of place at a punk rock gig make the 765 RS one of my favorite bikes of the year.
It’s extremely easy to ride, turns on a dime, and has plenty of power. No one needs 200 horsepower for the street. I’ll take less weight any day. And if the bike looks this good, that’s a win-win.
Sean Finley
Favorite: 2023 Beta 300 RR Race Edition
Like last year, my favorite motorcycle I rode in 2023 was a 300cc two-stroke off-roader. We did a multi-day test of all the “headlight” 300cc two-strokes, and I had the most fun riding the Beta 300 RR Race Edition. The Beta Race Edition models come standard with KYB forks and shock rather than the Sach’s components found on the standard RR models, and I loved the settings and performance. The suspension has excellent compliance on the small stuff but allows you to push the pace without blowing through the travel.
I equally liked the performance of the carbureted motor. It is peppier than the fuel-injected KTM and sister brand TPI bikes and also provides ultra-usable power down low. I have yet to have a chance to ride one of the new generations of KTM TBI fuel-injected bikes for comparison. Fuel injection is arguably better for changes in altitude, but the stock carburetor jetting was just about perfect on our test bike, and it ran well at sea level and up to 5000 feet of elevation.
Besides the KYB suspension, the Race Edition comes standard with billet-aluminum footpegs, gripper seat cover, quick-release front axle, aluminum/steel rear sprocket, anodized brake/shift levers, handguards and fluorescent -red-with-blue plastics and graphics versus the deep red/black plastics. The Race Edition models also use a slightly different cylinder, cylinder head and power valve, resulting in more compression and power.
I would add the optional radiator fan ($200 from Beta), and I prefer the oil injection system that comes on the standard RR models (they don’t include that on the Race Edition to reduce weight). The oil-injection system can also be purchased from Beta ($350).
The Surron Ultra Bee electric bike was also a blast to ride. The $6500 “entry-level” dirt bike is amazingly capable and fun for all levels of riders.
It includes a lot of adjustable settings to dial down the performance for a new rider, and the slightly smaller size and 187-pound total weight are suitable for beginners and experienced riders who want to tackle challenging terrain. The traction control is amazing in slippery conditions, and it has an easy-to-use reverse function that is cool.
All the 2024 250cc motocross bikes are a blast to ride, but the entirely new Yamaha YZ250F rose to the top for me, just like it has for the past several years. The suspension works well for me on just about any track, and the chassis is predictable and comfortable in all conditions. The motor is equally good for most riders, and the Yamaha Power Tuner app sets the standard for adjustability and maintenance tracking. It is a little loud, and the cable clutch feels a little outdated compared to the hydraulic units on many of the other bikes in the class, but it still topped our shootout results.
Ryan Nitzen
Favorite: 2023 Suzuki RM-Z450
Okay, this is cheating, but my favorite bike that I rode this year was the 2023 Suzuki RM-Z450. But it wasn’t just any run-of-the-mill RM-Z450, it was Ken Roczen’s RM-Z450.
Suzuki gave the media a chance to ride Roczen’s “factory” Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki RM-Z450 a few days after he raced it at the Monster Energy SuperMotocross Final at the L.A. Coliseum. I was the lucky CN staff guy who got to ride it. This was the first factory bike I’ve ever ridden, and while it checked off a motocross rider’s dream, it also lived up to the hype in terms of fun, nuance and overall cool factor.
We had the chance to compare Roczen’s bike back-to-back with a standard 2024 RM-Z450. The differences were immeasurable. The number-94 machine was everything I liked about the standard Suzuki but on steroids. The stock RM-Z is known for its sharp handling, but Roczen’s is sharper. The stocker has a smooth engine, but his is smoother. Plush suspension allowed me to attack the track in ways I couldn’t before, while the mellow engine characteristics made the bike ultra-easy to ride throughout a moto. The overall package felt so put together and opened my eyes to the sheer advantage of factory-level teams. Trick parts, like the tuned KYB air forks, Raptor footpegs, hot-start switch and hard-to-find neutral were other Easter eggs sprinkled throughout Roczen’s ride.
The runner-up on my list of favorite bikes that I rode this year was a production bike, the 2024 KTM 250 SX.
Its new fuel-injected two-stroke engine is so easy to ride, and the lack of carburetion makes maintenance a no-brainer. Just mix gas and go. Picking just one of the fuel-injected KTMs was difficult, as even the newly revamped XC-Ws are true weapons in the woods. However, on a day with good track prep and deep, loamy soil, you’ll want to aim for the outside lines and let this KTM 250 SX two-stroke sing.
Another motorcycle way up there on my fun list is the 2024 Yamaha YZ250F.
I loved the previous-generation YZ250F and was seriously concerned when they announced an all-new model rolling out for 2024. Thankfully, the bike kept all the good parts like the motor and suspension, and axed things like the wide radiator shrouds and bowed-out seat. Now, the bike is slim and nimble but still packs that strong punch from the engine department.
Kit Palmer
Favorite: 2024 Sherco 300 SEF
I surprised myself a little on this one. My roots run deep in the dirt, so it doesn’t surprise me that I had the most fun on a dirt bike this year. I was, however, surprised that I had the most fun on a four-stroke dirt bike, the 2024 Sherco 300 SEF.
For the dirt, I will almost always opt for a two-stroke over a thumper. From 125cc to 300cc, a good two-stroke is, for me, unbeatable when it comes to outright f-u-n. Two-strokes are generally lighter, snappier, and just more exciting to ride than four-strokes on the trail. That is, of course, my opinion. But the Sherco 300 SEF had me grinning from ear to ear while zipping in and out of the mesquite trees on tight, technical, single-track trails in Texas.
When it comes to trail riding, 250cc four-strokes don’t have that torque I like, and high-performance 450cc four-strokes are a bit much in the horsepower department and aren’t as agile as a two-stroke. 450s tend to wear me out quicker, too. However, the Sherco 300 SEF was just right in so many ways. It has plenty of torque and zippy power (and quite a bit of it, too) and feels impressively light for a “medium-bore” four-stroke. It has the best of both worlds of a midrange two-stroke and four-stroke. I could ride the Sherco all day at a good clip over multitudes of terrain and with tons of confidence.
I also rode the outstanding Sherco 300 SE two-stroke on the same day on the same trails. As I said, 300cc two-strokes are almost always my go-to bike for the trails, especially the challenging ones, so I was surprised that I had more fun on the four-stroke.
Is the 300 SEF a better-performing off-road race bike than the 300 SE two-stroke? That’s a different story and difficult to say, but of the two and all the motorcycles I rode this year, the Sherco 300 SEF registered the highest on my purely-for-fun meter.
A street bike, however, almost topped my list of the most fun motorcycles I rode in 2023. I always get a big kick out of riding sport-touring bikes, and had it not been for the Sherco, the all-new Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ would have done it for me. When it comes to getting away and having a good time on paved twisty backroads, the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ is hard to beat. And the price is right for what you get.
The GT+ offers a good mix of sport and comfort.
Another grinner for me is, not surprisingly, another dirt bike. This one’s been around the horn a few times, but I never tire of riding it, and sometimes I forget how much fun it is. It’s the Honda CRF450X. I know, it’s heavy and old-school and goes against what I said earlier about big-bore off-road four-strokes, but the fun-loving CRF450X is a big pussycat with knobbies and a headlight. And I enjoyed riding it again this year.
The CRF450X might not be a lightweight but it’s very easy to ride and fun to play around on.
Jesse Ziegler
Favorite: 2023 GasGas EC 300
What makes me happiest about bikes is what they inspire me and my friends to do. Going places and doing things is important. Those things you do and places you go are only limited by ambition and available time. Personally, I rarely factor in unimportant things like my actual ability, preparation or rational thought into the equation. The bike is always ready and willing. The hardest part is signing up for the ride. I love bikes for this!
In 2023, I went more places and did more things on the 2023 GasGas EC 300 enduro machine than any other bike. It was the instigator for putting myself way out there at times, and it relentlessly showed me who’s to blame for mistakes. In another year of repeated torturous “fun,” Klim’s Lukas Eddy and I tackled as many U.S. Hard Enduro races as we could for the SUPERHARD video series on Cycle News’ YouTube channel. This is our third season, and I feel blessed to have had this GasGas along for the ride.
The entire 300cc two-stroke enduro world is hard to hate. And the Austrians make the relationships with their editions easier than all with idiot-proof fuel injection, impressive suspension, smooth engines and great looks. The GasGas looks the best, in my opinion. As the final edition of EC with Transfer Port Induction (TPI), the 2023 is clearly the best of that tech. Updates have continually improved TPI fueling, and for hard enduro riding (am I really racing?), it’s so good. Simply smooth and nearly stall-proof. Dump straight gas into it and check the oil tank every month or so—that’s about all the maintenance I did for a season. I did break or bend a few things, like radiators and brake discs (I told you, I rarely factor in ability and preparation), but they were reasonably priced to replace, and the aftermarket support of these models is outstanding. Hundreds of quality parts built to protect are out there—many of which are designed and perfected by very enthusiastic racers and builders—not just parts factories.
I have a friend who said, “We don’t race Hard Enduro because it makes sense.” And boy, is that true. The GasGas EC 300 is rad enough to take me there repeatedly. What’s not to love about that!?
In a similar way, the new Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition deserves a tip-of-the-hat here with world-travel potential and no need to upgrade a thing. It’s fully loaded and can take you anywhere.
The Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition is now all-terrain ready from the factory.
The Surron Ultra Bee isn’t a race bike but don’t tell Jesse that. The bike (and Jesse) performed remarkably well in the e-motorcycle class at the Tennessee Knockout. Photo: Jenny Keller
And finally, I need to give the Surron Ultra Bee electric motorcycle some love. It proved itself at the grueling Tennessee Knock Out Hard Enduro as not only a decent race machine but a powerful course-marking tool and entry-level bike. How can it do all of that well? I don’t know, but it does. Can’t wait to see what 2024 brings! CN
