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While some markets in the motorcycle industry are growing more crowded by the day (looking at you, adventure bikes), the two-wheeled world nevertheless remains incredibly varied.
After all, even though manufacturers may be eager to hop on new trends, it’s still important to cater to the faithful, recognizing where one has come from and improving on past efforts.
Just look at Indian and Ducati, for instance. Both brands are celebrating historic anniversary milestones this year, and each has focused on its strengths and played the hits accordingly.
However, plenty of other companies are keeping the throttle pinned, even without an important birthday. From entry-level nakeds to performance-bred track monsters, here’s all the moto-goodness you’ve missed lately.
Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles
Jawa 42
With a name reportedly inspired by the “answer” to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything in the classic Douglas Adams sci-fi tome, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, this bike offers the vastest variety in all the cosmos via 15 different paint schemes. Adding entry-level appeal are a 31-inch high seat, 406-pound weight and 295cc engine making roughly 27 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 19.8 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm, with a top speed of about 80 miles an hour.
The coolest and most affordable bike in Indian’s new 125th Anniversary Collection is the low-slung retro bobber whose bar-end mirrors, chopped fenders and bad attitude are backed up by the roaring 1250cc SpeedPlus, a liquid-cooled V-Twin making a whopping 111 horsepower and 82 ft-lbs of torque. The anniversary treatment, highlighted by a hand-painted “Black Crystal” scheme, sneaky-cool pinstriping and a custom stitched seat, only makes the bike more compelling, especially for well under 18 grand.
The big news with the revamped DesertX is the swapping out of the beloved but persnickety Testastretta engine in favor of Ducati’s new 890cc V2. This engine makes a claimed 110 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and max torque of 68 lb.-ft. at 7,000 rpm, numbers pretty similar to its predecessor, but it also helps the bike shed a couple of pounds while also easing and decreasing the cost of maintenance. Maybe even bigger news? The upfront price tag drops by two grand.
Following the launch of the long-awaited 990 RC R, KTM has unveiled an even more potent version for the track. Accordingly, along with ditching its provisions for street legality, this means that the bike benefits from a more compact electronics system, an Akrapovič exhaust system and some dedicated race-ready riding modes. In practice, it makes even more power at 133 horsepower and 77.4 lb-ft of torque, and it also benefits from reshaped fairings, sticky Michelin rubber and ergonomics changes at the seat.
Already available in Europe with the MT-X nameplate, this liter-class ADV will carry the Ibex moniker into the North American market, where its estimated price point of $12,000-ish would undercut similar-sized competitors. And though the brand may not yet have the off-road pedigree of Honda or BMW, this bike’s KTM-derived bona fides are legit. Highlights include a 947cc engine making 111.3 horsepower at 8500 rpm and 77.4 lb.-ft. at 6250 rpm, nine inches of front and rear suspension travel, Brembo brakes and Bosch-powered ABS and traction control.
Rough Crafts x Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Dominus Torque
Legendary Taipei, Taiwan-based builder Winston Yeh brings his signature touch to a 2022 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, transforming it into a fierce-looking street tracker from the ground up, literally, as step one was swapping in beefy Dunlop GT503 tires developed for the Sportster S. The rest of the bike is pure Rough Crafts magic, highlighted by a custom JZO Crafts scalloped tank, SFC Simon Fiber Craft checkered carbon fiber bodywork, Öhlins suspension, Beringer brakes and several darkly dazzling details straight out of the Rough Crafts parts catalog.
Magni introduced the Sfida 1000 in 1989 as one of several retro-styled follow-ups to its Moto Guzzi-based LeMans. As was the case with the bike’s predecessor, the outfit incorporated the engine from Moto Guzzi’s own LeMans motorcycle, and it also utilized an innovative parallelogram swingarm. Predating BMW’s own paralever as a production offering, the design eliminated the characteristic jacking effect of shaft-driven motorcycles by offering additional points of articulation. In the case of the Sfida 1000, Magni paired the trick feature with a striking bikini fairing and café tail. This particular 1991 example went up for auction on Bring a Trailer, showing roughly 3,000 miles and boasting fresh paintwork.
About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.
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Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles
Indian Motorcycle
Ducati
