This ever-popular category of bike has gone from strength to strength as it grows, and a slew of new models means it’s high time for a roundup of the best Naked bikes the industry has to offer.
Some are new to the scene, some are old favourites, and some are from the future…
Key Specs
Engine Displacement: Measured in cc (cubic centimetres), this is the amount of fuel-air mixture that is combusted in each revolution of the engine. In other words, this is the size of the bike.
Power: Another metric for consideration is the power of the engine, shown here in brake horsepower.
Price: We all know what this means. The deal-breaker when it comes to choosing a bike- literally.
Triumph Speed Triple 1200
Specs:
- Displacement: 1160cc
- BHP: 178bhp
- Price: £15,500
New for 2021, the Speed Triple is Triumph’s latest offering in the category. The bike’s predecessors are some of the defining early names in Naked Bikes, and the 2021 iteration is nothing but more of the same.
Hailed for its style and upright, comfortable riding position, the Speed Triple 1200 was developed with the enjoyment of the rider in mind.
Check it out on Triumph Motorcycles
Yamaha MT-10
Specs:
- Displacement: 998cc
- BHP: 158bhp
- Price: £13,999
The MT-10 is one of the undisputed kings when it comes to Naked bikes. Aggressive styling, a visceral riding experience and Yamaha’s famously fun crossplane power plant- what’s not to love?
It’s also more comfortable than a lot of the bikes on this list- even packing a miniature windscreen- so the MT-10 is a great choice for urban riding, but won’t let you down on the open road.
Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory
Specs:
- Displacement: 1077cc
- BHP: 173bhp
- Price: £18,100
This one’s arguably not a naked bike- you could call it semi-fared- but there’s enough of it missing, and enough to talk about that it makes it onto the list.
Aprilia bikes are renowned for their beautiful construction, and the Tuono is no different. Expect top of the range fit and finish and punchy performance in an aesthetically pleasing package.
This bike is so popular with hooligans and roadcrafters alike that it’s hard to buy- so check the used bike pages regularly if you want to pick one up.
BMW S1000R
Specs:
- Displacement: 999cc
- BHP: 165bhp
- Price: £11,190
A riff on the formula BMW laid out with the R1250R, the S1000R is an often overlooked contender in the Naked category, overshadowed by BMW’s massively popular offerings in other sectors.
The quality BMW bikes exhibit elsewhere is repeated here, and the result is a four-cylinder beast that’s backed by one of the most reliable engineering heritages out there.
The S1000R offers a detuned engine for more power in the low rev ranges and sophisticated onboard tech that allows for a highly customisable ride.
Kawasaki Z H2
Specs:
- Displacement: 998cc
- BHP: 197bhp
- Price: £15,899
Kawasaki put superchargers on bikes. That alone is reason enough for the Z H2 to feature here. It’s one of the most powerful bikes on the list for that reason, and with an output close to 200bhp this thing has a scary amount of pull.
The insane power comes with an insane engine management system, however, and the H2 can be tuned on the fly to suit your riding needs- leading to a surprisingly civilised bike when the situation demands it.
The supercharger means that the power delivery is smooth, but hilariously fast, so the H2 is guaranteed to leave you grinning.
Ducati Streetfighter V4S
Specs:
- Displacement: 1103cc
- BHP: 205bhp
- Price: £19,975
Ducati always has to do it better, so here’s the Streetfighter V4S to ruin Kawasaki’s fun.
This bike has a steep price tag, but that’s to be expected when buying a Ducati and the product is definitely worth it in this case. 205bhp is a downright silly number, and few commercially available bikes can compare.
The V4S manages to control all its power to present the rider with a thrilling ride that instils confidence rather than terrifies- as the numbers may lead you to believe.
Suzuki GSX S-1000
Specs:
- Displacement: 999cc
- BHP: 148bhp
- Price: £10,999
The S-1000 gets a spot here for its economy. It offers a way into supernakeds without the extreme prices that they can often carry.
Available used for anywhere as low as six grand, this bike is a great entry-level buy that will no doubt be a stepping stone for many riders on their journey through motorcycling.
Don’t be fooled, though, as 148bhp will still be enough to do practically anything that any other bike on this list can do, and you’ll have just as much fun doing it.
KTM 1290 Super Duke
Specs:
- Displacement: 1301cc
- BHP: 178bhp
- Price: £15,699
You can’t have a Naked Bike roundup without a KTM, and this one’s a classic.
The Duke lineup has been around for as long as naked bikes have been a thing, and there’s good reason.
This history and accumulated knowledge has led KTM to produce some of the most impressive bikes in class- the Super Duke being one of them. The 1301cc V-Twin that powers this thing has been affectionately dubbed “the beast”, and the torque on display here is likely enough to pull down a tree- or a house.
In the latest iterations of the bike, KTM has managed to nail down the engine management to a fine art, making the Super Duke incredibly fun to ride but also surprisingly easy to manage.
Zero S
Specs:
- Displacement: N\A
- BHP: 59bhp
- Price: £12,690
Electric motorbikes for adults are beginning to pick up steam, and with things looking the way they do for internal combustion moving into the future, we’d be remiss to exclude them from this list.
The Zero S is one of the first serious offerings in electric bikes that can compete with traditional manufacturers.
It varies from the other bikes featured here in that it’s got vastly less power, but the instant torque delivery of an electric motor leads to a very different and novel riding experience that can be just as enjoyable as riding petrol.
Definitely, an upcoming sector that will be interesting to watch in the coming years.
Check it out on Zero Motorcycles
Energica Ribelle
Specs:
- Displacement: N\A
- BHP: 145bhp
- Price: £24,340
Another example of an electric Naked- this one even borders on Supernaked territory.
145bhp coupled with over 200 Nm of torque mean that this silent machine will probably leave you howling.
A stated 200km range makes this more of a toy than a serious bike at this point- but it’s an impressive toy, to say the least.
Probably the reserve of eccentric billionaires for the foreseeable, but it’s definitely possible that electric bikes are going to see mass adoption in the future- watch this space.
Check it out on Energica Motor