5 Bikes From EICMA 2023 We Can’t Wait To Ride

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The 2024 Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono was just named the Most Beautiful Bike at EICMA 2023, but we still can’t wait to get it dirty. (Ducati/)

The debuts have been unwrapped, the concepts have been unveiled, and the updates announced, and now EICMA 2023, the world’s largest motorcycle show, is in the books. After stressing on the thin crowds of last year’s pandemic-plagued event, it was heartening to see hundreds of thousands of visitors pack the 2023 show in Milan, and the new hardware on display wasn’t too shabby either, with everything from a 200-plus horsepower MotoGP-derived superbike to a single-cylinder supermoto on steroids to keep us drooling in anticipation. It’s now time for another year of testing the new beasts, but there are five we’re especially keen to throw a leg over and see if they live up to the pre-release hype. It’s probably no surprise that Ducati, Honda, and KTM all made the cut here, but of course, five models are just a drop in the bucket, so be sure to tell us your pick in the comments.

Pay no attention to the weird new alien fascia; KTM’s new 990 Duke promises to be a real hoot in the wheelie department. (KTM/)

2024 KTM 990 Duke

In the wake of the 890 Duke R’s bona fide success, we shouldn’t be too shocked to see KTM roll out a new 990 Duke from the shadows. Dubbed the “Super Sniper,” the naked bike formally known as the 2024 990 Duke comes ready to party with a reworked 947cc twin-cylinder LC8c engine packed into a new frame, with the same robust, adjustable WP Apex suspension and updated electronics package we’re used to seeing from KTM. That engine puts out a claimed 123 hp and 76 lb.-ft. of torque, which is only a bit more than the 890, but the new chassis and lightweight aluminum subframe promise improved agility and even sharper handling. And with KTM claiming this is “the lightest, sharpest, most performance focused mid-class naked possible,” why wouldn’t we want to jump on? Even if that new insectoid-like face isn’t exactly our cup of tea…

A supermoto on steroids (and Botox): meet the new 2024 Ducati Hypermotard 698. (Ducati/)

2024 Ducati Hypermotard 698

It’s not for nothing that Ducati’s Hypermotard 698 Mono RVE was voted Most Beautiful Motorcycle at EICMA 2023, a verdict handed down last week by the show-going public. Ducati may have surprised a lot of us with the single-cylinder format on the new 698 but the all-new Superquadro engine (see Kevin Cameron’s take here), derived from the 1299 Panigale V2 and doling out a healthy 77 hp, should be no slouch. That’s on a 340-pound machine too, so it’ll feel all kinds of punchy, we’re thinking. The lovely, spindly style flows motardlike through five-spoke wheels and a high front fender, with a wide handlebar, flat seat, and upswept exhausts to carry the theme. There’s a standard and RVE version available; sign us up for the latter. Can’t wait to ride this one.

The new Suzuki GSX-8R promises all-around affordability in a sporting middleweight package. (Suzuki/)

2024 Suzuki GSX-8R

Hot on the heels of Suzuki’s new GSX-8S comes the sportier, fully faired version of that naked machine, officially unveiled at EICMA in Milan as a 2024 model. The GSX-8R

carries over many of the same components seen on the 8S, but in a sportier, fully faired package that adds improved suspension components and a revised riding position. Suzuki’s new-gen 776cc parallel-twin engine is unchanged here (retaining the same 81 hp), but the 8R’s streamlined fairing, forged aluminum handlebars, and upside-down Showa SFF-BP fork should give it a pronounced handling boost over its brother, with more tucked-in ergonomics to boot. On the other hand you get the same ride-by-wire system with three riding modes, three-level adjustable and switchable traction control, and a two-way quickshifter as the 8S, so it’s not an earthshaking change. Still, we can’t wait for a three-way throwdown with the Honda CBR650R and the Yamaha R7.

Honda’s MotoGP-derived flagship ups the ante with improvements to the chassis, suspension, and brakes, and a still astounding 215 hp in 2024. (Honda/)

2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R

As expected, Honda unveiled a slightly improved 2024 CBR1000RR-R SP at EICMA last week, and though peak power is unchanged, both the engine and the chassis received a host of improvements derived from the brand’s RC213V MotoGP machine. That makes for what Honda says is the most powerful CBR yet, with “unprecedented levels of track-focused performance.” We’re talking a peak of 215 hp at 14,500 rpm and peak torque of 83.3 lb.-ft, at 12,500 rpm thanks to a new cylinder head with increased compression, all said to result in midrange performance boost improvements and improved throttle response.

The SP version of the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade is the first bike in the world to use the new, third-generation Öhlins Smart Electronic 43mm NPX USD fork, and Honda promises better corner acceleration thanks to revisions in the frame, electronics, and aerodynamic wings. Make all the pirate jokes you want, we’re still stoked to do some laps on the newest ‘Blade.

MV’s first all-new model in years, and first full-size ADV comes in the form of the 2024 MV Agusta LXP Orioli. (MV Agusta/)

2024 MV Agusta LXP Orioli

A luxury ADV machine? We’re certainly not going to say no to a plusher, improved off-road experience, which it looks like the new 2024 MV Agusta LXP Orioli is supposed to provide. That is, if we ever get the chance to; MV says the production run for its first full-size ADV is limited to just 500 units—so let’s hope.

Paying homage to the Dakar-winning Cagivas helmed by Ed Orioli in the 1990s, the LXP brings a nice menu of goodies to the adventure bike segment, with a new high-revving 931cc triple-cylinder mill good for a supposed 124 hp, a titanium Termignoni exhaust, tubeless spoked wheels, large aluminum side cases, and a six-axis IMU which supports cornering ABS, plus 8.2 inches of travel at both ends. Luxury or not, the LXP looks the business—and we sure hope to find out.

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