2023 had some of the best standard motorcycles that were released! Featuring some of the most popular brands, such as Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha, and more. Check out our "10 Best" list below to get your ride just in time for the 2023 riding season!
The premier small-sized naked Kawi’s liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke fuel-injected 292cc single-cylinder engine is good up to 70 MPH, equipping this naked little nugget into highway-ready range, rare at this price point. The LMX300SM’s top-end swells at 8,000 rpm to rumble through a full-stacked six-speed gearbox. MSRP starts at $6,299.
This is one of my personal favorite naked—after a brief hiatus, the Yamaha factory revamped their classic streetfighter into a dirt-devouring monster. It stocks a 1670cc v-twin powerhouse into a standard street chassis to manifest 90 horsepower behind its aggressive steering geometry, even its Atari-graphic-reminiscent display ads to its uniqueness. MSRP starts at around $14,199.
KTM’s “light heavyweight” doesn’t change much over the years, but if the smallest little Duke offers more banging features for your buck than most entry-level naked rippers and carves corners as well as anything else in its class, well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Due to the ultra-compact single-cylinder 4-stroke power plant and a lightweight tubular chassis, the KTM 200 DUKE packs a mighty punch. MSRP starts at $4,199.
The Z900 is a legend in the large-standard scene. Its 948cc, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor; rugged trellis frame; premier handling; smooth power delivery system, and for the simple fact that there isn’t a streetfighter in the large-displacement naked class I know about that’s more affordable. This Kawasaki comes equipped with all sorts of technology, power mode and integrated riding modes, smartphone connectivity, and TFT color instrumentation just to name a few. MSRP begins at $9,699.
The 2021 year model MT-09 packs a punch with its brand-spanking-new 890cc three-cylinder with four valves per. Its downdraft air intake and unique compression ratio push torque and deliver power. Also, new for 2021 MT-09, lightweight forged pistons and an improved fuel delivery system make this one of the leanest, meanest machines of the year. MSRP begins at $9,799.
Honda’s small-displacement “neo-cafe” is one of the most fun bikes to ride, thanks to its razor-sharp handling, ultra-lightweight frame, and the surprising amount of power its 300cc motor pushes to the gears. Since it’s not quite a full-fairing sports bike, we get a great look inside the motorcycle and can see its delicious engine and blacked-out chassis hardware. The base MSRP is $5,049.
The Honda Monkey just begs the rider to laugh, not because a mini-cafe racer called a Monkey is the most adorable thing ever. Still, because nobody makes engines like Honda—when you realize that fact remains true even at the 124.9cc, air-cooled, four-stroke scale, you can’t help but smile and throttle up. The Monkey is Honda Groms retro counterpart and can hit a top speed of 60mph. The bike is street legal, so if you're looking for that nostalgic feel MSRP begins at $4,249.
The 300cc version of the Masters of Torque(MT) series is the smallest, but its twin-cylinder engine and chassis are ripped from the R3. That much power, performance, and handling at home or a race track combine to make the MT-03 a clear industry leader in the small-displacement naked class. MSRP starts at $4,999.
The MT-07 is the quintessential naked streetfighter. Its upper-middle-class 689cc parallel twin-cylinder may be smaller than the heavyweight MT-09, but the MT-07 has a relatively long stroke and valve timing that makes it a mid-range monster rather than a high-end powerhouse. To me, mid-range power is the name of the standard bike game; no naked bike mids can match the MT-07. MRSP for this bike starts at $8,199.
2021 was good to the Grom—Honda gave the little street ripper that could an extra gear to give it five. Quick-release bodywork for improved customization, a staple to the Grom scene. Its upgraded LED headlight, slim seat, and trimmed subframe all combine not only to make the Grom more nimble but making it one of the most-improved models on the list. MSRP for a 2021 Grom model begins at $3499.