Ducati Multistrada V4 (Granturismo engine)
Launch Year: 2020
Ducati
The Multistrada V4 was a completely new approach for Ducati because it moved away from the famed V-twin that was its signature engine layout. It also ditched the Desmodromic valvetrain, which is another hallmark of Ducati technology. This new Granturismo V4 engine gave almost as much or more power as the engine it replaced, with industry-leading service and valve clearance check intervals. It is an engine that is spreading across the lineup, and the valve-spring-loaded head also has variable valve timing, so there are none of the negatives carried over.
Two Ducati Multistrada V4 Rallys riding off-roadDucati
Engine Type
90° V4
Displacement
1,158 cc
Max Power
170 HP @ 10,500 RPM
Max Torque
92.2 LB-FT @ 8,750 RPM
Price
$19,995 onward
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250
Launch Year: 2021
2026 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special in orange cornering along a mountain roadHarley-Davidson
The Pan America is a very important model because it was a very big risk for Harley-Davidson. The Motor Co. has some very strong touring brands and models, but it has never ventured into the adventure touring segment before. The Pan America 1250 has a completely liquid-cooled engine with variable valve timing on all the valves. It has a final chain drive. And it has all the possible tech that Harley has thrown at it. In fact, it has some technology, like the electronic suspension that lowers its walking speed. That was a first in the segment, and others have copied since. Whatever else it might be, you cannot deny that it is a huge leap forward for the brand.
Rider on a 2026 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 STHarley-Davidson
Engine Type
60° V-twin
Displacement
1,250 cc
Max Power
150 HP @ 8,750 RPM
Max Torque
94 LB-FT @ 6,750 RPM
Price
$19,999 onward
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR
Launch Year: 2023
2023 Ninja ZX-4RR setting a race track ablazeKawasaki
It’s been a while since we last heard a small inline four scream to an impossibly high redline. Kawasaki brought the sound of a bygone era back with the Ninja ZX-4R. This isn’t about pure performance, but the sensations you get from an ICE-powered bike – although if you do allow it to stretch its legs, it can surprise you. It has been so popular that more bikes with small I4s have been launched: it has quite literally given rise to the small screamer sports bike segment once again. The ZX-4RR is the high-spec version with better suspension and a standard two-way quickshifter, and is distinguished by different graphics.
A rider astride a Lime Green Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR KRTKawasaki
Engine Type
I4
Displacement
399 cc
Max Power
56 HP @ 11,500 RPM
Max Torque
26.5 LB-FT @ 11,000 RPM
Price
$9,999
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Verge TS series
Launch Year: 2023
2024 Verge TS ProGuy Pickrell
Verge is a motorcycle company from Finland that makes electric motorcycles. The TS is its flagship product. There are a couple of variants that you can get; the TS Pro holds the record for the most miles a motorcycle has done on a single charge. It did this on a run in the real world in London and managed to cover 193 miles, with 7 percent of the batteries’ charge still remaining. The TS Ultra, on the other hand, claims that it can get to 60 miles an hour in 2.5 seconds, travel more than 370 miles in the city on a single charge, and offers a torque figure of 885 pound-feet. This year, it even introduced solid-state batteries with insanely quick charge times. These are all truly amazing things, but what you will find the most amazing is its hubless motor that sits in the rear wheel. It looks like something from the future!
Verge Motorcycles
Engine Type
Hubless air cooled electric rim motor
Battery Capacity
21.8 kWh
Max Power
201 HP
Max Torque
885 LB-FT
Range
370 miles (max)
Price
$44,900
Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid
Launch Year: 20234
2024 Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid front shotKawasaki
Piaggio had a three-wheeler that was a hybrid, and the Honda PCX is a scooter. So the Ninja 7 Hybrid becomes the first strong hybrid motorcycle ever. It has the acceleration of a liter bike, but needs some kinks ironed out, like the fact that switching from the electric power to the hybrid driveline needs the Ninja 7 to come to a halt. You get an automated manual transmission, and max torque is at just 2,800 RPM!
2024 Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid accelerating on city road, side shotKawasaki
Engine Type
180° I2 + Electric Motor
Displacement
451 cc
Max Power
NA
Max Torque
44.2 LB-FT @ 2,800 RPM
Price
$12,499
Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide RR
Launch Year: 2025
2025 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide RR packs the biggest V-twin production engine everHarley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson’s CVO models aren’t technically limited. The CVO Road Glide RR is different – it was announced as a limited-run model, and only 131 units were ever sold. At 131 cubic inches, it is the largest V-twin, and twin of any kind, to ever go into production, only missing out on the overall displacement record by a few hundred cubic centimeters. Oh, and this is a Screamin’ Eagle engine that is quite like the Milwaukee-Eight engine, which is low-tech in comparison to other high-performance engines. Everywhere else, though, it is a race bike, with carbon fiber, aluminum, Brembo racing-spec brakes, Öhlins suspension, Akrapovič exhaust, and a chain that drives the rear wheel.
Milwaukee-Eight 131 in a 2025 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide RR engine close-up detailHarley-Davidson
Engine Type
45° V-twin
Displacement
2,147 cc
Max Power
150 HP @ 5,750 RPM
Max Torque
150 LB-FT @ 4,750 RPM
Price
$110,000 (when new)
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Indian Challenger PowerPlus 112
Launch Year: 2025
Indian Challenger parked indoorsIndian Motorcycle
The Challenger is Indian’s most well-equipped bagger for the highway. It also gets the largest liquid-cooled engine in an American motorcycle, with the PowerPlus 112. This is paired with a six-speed transmission and belt drive, but even more obvious is its feature set. There is a 7-inch touchscreen, six-axis IMU, rear cylinder deactivation, Apple CarPlay, tire pressure monitoring, and blind spot warning. If you want even more, the Challenger Elite offers some truly amazing options like a tri-tone paint job with crushed glass in it that gives it a 3D effect.
Indian Challenger PowerPlus 112 close up shotIndian Motorcycle
Engine Type
60° V-twin
Displacement
1,834 cc
Max Power
126 HP
Max Torque
133 LB-FT @ 3,600 RPM
Price
$31,999
Buell Super Cruiser
Launch Year: 2025
2025 Buell Super Cruiser popping wheelieBuell Motorcycle
Buell’s sometimes-on, sometimes-off nature makes it difficult for people to remember all the innovation it has brought into its products, and that, engineering-wise, it is up there with the best of them. The Super Cruiser is uniquely Buell in that it is blindingly quick. At the same time, it is very much a power cruiser with quality parts like Fox suspension, Brembo brakes, and a design by Roland Sands. It’s a pity Buell moved away from the rim brake, though.
A shot of a rider on the 2026 Buell Super Cruiser cinematic shotBuell Motorcycles
Engine Type
72° V-twin
Displacement
1,190 cc
Max Power
175 HP
Max Torque
94 LB-FT
Price
$25,900
Honda WN7
Launch Year: 2026
Studio shot of Honda WN7 electric motorcycleHonda
Honda’s first proper electric motorcycle doesn’t seem to do anything truly extraordinary: it has the claimed performance of a 600 cc motorcycle and a pretty basic 80-mile range. But it is genuinely going to be a big shift: the battery tops up in approximately three hours from a wall socket, meaning you don’t need a fast charger. That’s not just money saved on the purchase of a quick charger, but there will be no need to hunt for one on a ride with the right connector!
Honda
Engine Type
Water-cooled electric motor
Max Power
24.2 HP
Max Torque
73 LB-FT
Range
80 miles
Charge Time
3 hours (wall socket)
Price
~$18,000 (EU pricing)
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Honda V3R 900 E-Compressor
Launch Year: 2027
Studio shot of Honda V3R 900 E-CompressorHonda
The V3R is the first forced induction motorcycle since the Kawasaki H2. It is different because it is an electric compressor, meaning it will have control independent of both the engine crank and exhaust gases. Honda hasn’t released any performance figures, but claims that it should have the performance of a 1,200 cc engine. This is an important model because Honda never does anything it can’t scale, so we’ll see this engine or its tech in other Hondas soon enough!
Studio shot of Honda V3R 900 E-CompressorHonda
Engine Type
75° V3, forced induction
Displacement
900 cc
Max Power
NA
Max Torque
NA
Price
TBA
Sources: Honda PowerSports, Harley-Davidson USA
