15 Stylish New Motorcycles
Like it or not, how a motorcycle looks can form a large part of many a bikers buying decision.
And so here are my picks of the best looking new bikes from each manufacturer for 2024 and of course we’re going in price order ascending.
1. Svartpilen 401
Now first up at 5,599 pounds we’ve got the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, which I think is a fantastic looking bike considering the price point and also the fact that it’s a two license friendly.
It’s had a substantial update for the new model year with lots of interesting little tweaks and changes including a new TFT display, which looks very premium for the price, but also the overall Stalin has evolved.
And while the fundamental design language is similar to the previous generation Svartpilen 401, this more elongated and stretched outlook I think makes it look more substantial, which suits the kind of rugged appearance.
Now the 401 is also available in a more road bias spec called the Vitpilen 401, and while it’s undoubtedly the better handling road bike for me on the looks front,
the Svartpilen has the edge with the spook wheels, chunky tires and the stealthy looking paint job all giving it a bit more visual interest.
2. Royal Enfield Shotgun 650
Now also represented extremely good value for money I think is the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650, which is new for this model year and I think probably the best looking bike now in their lineup.
It’s heavily based upon their Super Meter 650, which is a more stretched out cruiser style bike, but the shotgun takes that quite traditional looking aesthetic and modernizes it with a graphical paint scheme and blacked out hardware.
It’s also an excellent bike to ride with a more upright and aggressive ergonomic. That means you can get on top of it a little more and with the air called parallel twin at the heart of it, there’s bags of soul and character.
For me, I think I’d have to go for the stencil white paint job that was actually on the bike that we reviewed. But as always, Enfield offer a nice selection of other schemes, so there should be something to suit all tastes,
3. Aprilia RS 660
if you fancy something a little more sporty then you can’t go far wrong with an Aprilia RS 660.
It’s a brilliant middleweight sports bike that offers bags of fun out on the road, but also it’s got a decent riding position that isn’t too aggressive and so it’s actually quite usable and comfortable.
A lot of the looks are inherited from the more premium RSV four sports bike with almost the exact same front end and a lot of similarities in the paint jobs.
And I think my pick of the bunch would be the Extremo addition, which has a slightly more racy finish along with a carbon SE project silencer and a carbon lower fairing and carbon front mug guard.
Now no doubt a splasher carbon adds a little bit to the looks, but also these parts combined save three kilograms of weight, which isn’t to be sniffed That.
4. Ducati Hyper 698
Now for 2024, Ducati announced this completely new Hypermotard 698 with a brand spanking new single cylinder engine that makes a fairly impressive 77 and a half horsepower.
Undoubtedly, this is gonna be a brilliant bike to ride, but in the meantime, purely from a styling perspective, I think it’s fair to say they’ve done a fantastic job as well.
Naturally it looks a little more slender than the 950 equivalent, which I think suits this style of bike really well.
And then they also offer it in their RVE paint scheme, which adds a bunch of graphics and more vibrant color choices that again, I think is a perfect match for a supermoto style bike.
There is also of course the option of the standard Ducati red, but for me the RVE wins this one hands down.
5. BMW R12
The R 12 is BMW new entry into the sort of middleweight cruiser market and on paper I’ve got to admit I wouldn’t expect this to be a particularly great looking bike.
Certainly the last attempt the R 1200 C wasn’t exactly a looker, but when this bike was announced at motorcycle live at the back end of last year, I have to say I was extremely impressed.
There’s just something about the proportions which look quite nice to me and I also think it’s great that they’ve retained a lot of BMW signature features and design language rather than going down the corny Harley copy route.
Now as with most new BMWs, there’s the option to spec it up with one of their option 719 finishing packages, which generally add a more intricate paint scheme as well as billet hardware.
And for this particular bike, it’s the one that really stands out to me with a punchy yellow, black and silver combo along with some spoke wheels with gold anodization on the rims.
6. XSR900 GP
Now over to Yamaha and one of the most exciting announcements this year was the XSR900 GP, which is essentially a halfed version of their XSR 900 semi retro naked that also gets some clip-on style handlebars for a more sporty riding position.
Now hands down, this is one of my favorite looking new bikes of the year across the board with a popin paint scheme that’s inspired by their Marlborough race bikes of the past.
Now if you wanna give it the full sports bike treatment, then there’s also a racer accessory kit and that gives you the fairing lowers amongst a few other items, but personally, I think I like the halfed version the best.
Now the XSR 900 was already one of the best riding retro inspired bikes on the market and in this edition I think it’s also fair to say that it’s now one of the best looking to.
7. Africa Twin
Now, I can’t say that Honda have made any particularly big changes in the Looks department to their new 2024 Africa twin, but for me it was already one of the best looking adventure bikes on the market and so there wasn’t really any need to tear it up and start again.
The body work has been tweaked ever so slightly with a more chiseled and sharp look and if you put them side by side you can see some of the changes to the details.
So while it probably isn’t worth rushing down to the dealer to trade in your 2023 model, it has to be said, it looks just as good as ever and up to date with the competition.
Now, specifically for the Base Africa twin, my pick would be the tricolor paint job, although it is worth pointing out that only the red and black versions are available at the starting price of 13,199 pounds.
In order to be able to spec up this red, white and blue, it’s mandatory to add that electronic suspension package, which is about another 1500 quid or so.
8. V100 Stelvio
Now this is based upon their new liquid called V 100 platform that was initially launched with the more road biased V 100 Mandela.
And while I do think that’s a very nice looking bike already, I also think the expanded dimensions and slightly more commanding stance of this stelvio probably make it the better looking of the too.
Some of the details on this bike are really very nice, like the jet fighter thruster inspired taillights, the vents that run along the side panels and also the Mandela Eagle daytime running light up front.
And all in all, it makes for a great looking bike with a nice balance of the rugged adventure bike vibe and some beautiful Italian design flare.
Now fundamentally, I wouldn’t necessarily say that the Kawasaki ZX 10R is normally my cup of tea.
I usually prefer something a little bit more classic and traditional looking rather than the super angular modern sports bike design.
9. Kawasaki ZX 10 R
I had to include this new 40th anniversary edition on the list purely for the retro inspired paint job that I think suits this bike absolutely perfectly.
It’s a bit of a throwback to their sports bikes of the eighties and nineties and not only is it available on this ZX 10 R, but also the ZX 6R and the ZX 4RR, both of which in my opinion look equally good.
Now KTM design language is not necessarily always for everybody with super angular shapes, aggressive body work and super bright orange paint work 99% of the time.
10. KTM 1390 SDR
But there is one category of bike that I think this approach absolutely suits and that’s the super naked new for 2024.
We’ve got their updated 1390 Super Duke R and it 100% delivers on their typical style.
And for me, I think it’s a good thing. Now, perhaps the headlight will be a little bit of a contentious feature with a new LED projector design and a daytime running light on a sort of frame around it, but I actually like what they’ve done and I think it modernizes the look a little bit whilst also keeping that outer shape that references the previous model.
Now you can get this bike either in the standard arm model or the EVO with their super advanced electronic suspension and both bikes come in either a black version or the more popping orange, which I think would have to be my pick of the two because it’s a KTM.
11. Hayabusa 25th Edition
Now the Hayabusa is probably a bike that’s going to visually divide opinion, but it has to be said it’s an iconic shape that’s instantly recognizable as one of the most famous bikes of the past few years.
New for 2024 though, they’ve announced this 25th anniversary edition with a paint job that would do KTM proud and it looks much more punchy than the previously available white or black versions.
I think it really does work and for me makes it the best looking Hayabusaof the past few iterations.
12. FTR X
Now over to Indian and for a few hundred more quid, you could pick up their new limited edition version of their FTR Naked, which has been designed in collaboration with a hundred percent who are best known for making gear and goggles.
The FTR is already a brilliant bike to ride with a super punchy 60 degree V twin that makes 120 horsepower peak and 120 new to meters a peak torque.
But this version just takes it to the next level in terms of finish with some really nice little touches all over the bike.
Now I love this choice of color, which is completely different to anything that they’ve done before on an FTR.
And the candy finish actually leaves a little bit of the carbon texture peeping through, which I think is a very nice touch Indeed.
White on the frame also adds a little bit of contrast and I do like the graphical scheme on the tank along with the block of red on the rims, all Ducati for a bit of a sporty vibe.
Now it’s been roughly five years since the current iteration of the Triumph Rocket three was introduced and I think it’s testament to the design that it looks just as good now and still like it could be a concept bike on a stand at a motorcycle show.
13. Rocket Storm
New for 2024 though they’ve announced this updated storm edition and while it does get a couple of technical improvements like some extra power at the top and some lighter wheels, you’ve also got this new stealthy finish with black all over the hardware and a choice of split finishes on the tank.
Now you’ve still got the choice of the more sporty R version or the slightly more comfort bias GT.
And for me, I think I’d have to go for the R just for the more aggressive and stripped back look, each version comes in either a red, blue or graphite half on the tank.
And given that this is such a mean looking bike, I think there’s only one way to go and that’s black.
Now we’re getting on for some serious money here at 30,000 euros, which is pretty much equivalent to around 26,000 pounds.
14. LXP ORIOLI
This bike uses a new 950 triple that’s much more torque and mid range bias than the triples they’ve produced up until now and that should make it much more usable for adventure style riding.
And although the price is pretty astronomical, it has to be said.
They’ve given it the absolute works in terms of chassis spare and also the technology package from a lux perspective.
Obviously it’s taken some inspiration from the Jiva elephant with the paint job and it’s got all of the typical envy Augusta design flair in the body, work with some beautiful contouring and some neat little touches like the light in front and rear, but just applied to the adventure bite format.
But it couldn’t quite top the list in terms of pricing though.
15. Harley Davidsons CVO Street
In fact, he was some way off with Harley Davidson new CVO Street Glide coming in just shy of 40,000 pounds.
Now this was my pick of their new 2024 bikes and while there is a Road Glide equivalent, which gets a bigger frame mounted fare in the street Glide would be my choice with the slightly more traditional looking single headlight that I think better suits the overall aesthetic of the bike.