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2023 is widely considered the first true post-pandemic year. With most supply chains fully recovered, many industries are returning to pre-pandemic operations. That includes the motorcycle industry. One indication of the moto market’s health is EICMA, and manufacturers flocked to the Milan trade show en masse this year.
New models from KTM, Suzuki (yes, Suzuki), and Moto Guzzi commanded much of the spotlight, but a flood of other announcements proved that OEMs are back to business in 2023. Here are the other noteworthy unveilings from the EICMA floor.
Coming to America?
Given the show’s location, it’s no surprise that brands focused on Euro-market models. Honda was the main perpetrator. From naked bikes to supersports to adventure bikes, Big Red showed love to nearly every category in its lineup. The neo-café CB650R and fully faired CBR650R received the new E-Clutch technology as an optional add-on. Honda revived the NX name from the late 1980s and 1990s to create a new version of its CB500X, now the NX500 and upgraded with new wheels, suspension, LED lighting, and a TFT dash.
In the naked bike family, the CB500 provided a new entry point for the Hornet range, but much of the buzz surrounded the CB1000 Hornet. That’s for a good reason, as Team Red’s new naked literbike hangs the 2017 Fireblade’s 999 cc inline-four engine from its new steel-bridge frame. Details were limited but Honda reported that the model will produce around 150 horsepower and 80 foot-pounds of torque (official specifications to follow).
Surprise, surprise, the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP underwent another revision, as well. New engine tuning, chassis tweaks, altered ergos, and redesigned winglets (of course), top the upgrade list. Still, the Fireblade was upstaged by the return of it’s smaller sibling, the CBR600RR. The 600 cc supersport class was supposed to be extinct by now, yet Honda revived the CBR600RR (in Europe) with an all-important Euro 5-compliant engine, Fireblade-derived electronics, and a winglet-adorned fairing.
Could Honda send any or all of these models to U.S. shores? Possibly. But, if the CB750 Hornet’s absence is any indication, holding your breath isn’t advised.
Big Red isn’t the only Japanese OEM guilty of Euro bias, either. Kawasaki also rolled out the Z7 HEV, its second hybrid motorcycle, along with the 451 cc parallel-twin-powered Ninja 500 and Z500. Unlike Honda, Kawi has a better track record of sending its latest models to the United States. Still, we’ll have to wait for Team Green’s official confirmation before celebrating.
All eyes on adventure
Luxury seems to be the theme for adventure-tourers this year. MV Agusta introduced the uber-limited LXP Orioli and Moto Guzzi put its transverse spin on the segment with the returning Stelvio (now liquid-cooled). Never to be outdone, Bimota completed the trio of Italian OEMs rushing to fill the same space with the arrival of the Tera platform.
The boutique brand revealed two variations of its crossover tourer. One sports road-biased rubber. The other rocks dirt-dabbling tires, plus a touring windscreen and aluminum side cases. Bringing the Tera to life is Kawasaki’s 998 cc, supercharged inline-four engine, which generates 200 horsepower and 101 foot-pounds of torque. As if supercharging a tourer wasn’t enough, the Tera also features Bimota’s billet aluminum frame plates and Öhlins-equipped Tesi hub-center steering front end (wouldn’t that be fun off-road?).
Not fancy enough, you say? The optional Marzocchi semi-active suspension system elevates the Tera to another plane of luxe. That’s all on top of the Brembo Stylema calipers and Kawasaki-derived electronics suite that comes standard on the model.
At the other end of the price scale, CFMOTO’s 450MT seeks out the dirt in earnest. Its wire-spoked 21-inch front wheel, 18-inch rear hoop, knobby tires, and 7.9 inches of travel say as much. The 43 horsepower (at 8,500 rpm) and 32.5 foot-pounds of torque (at 6,250 rpm) produced by its 450 cc parallel twin don’t hurt, either, especially for the entry-level category. Unfortunately, the Chinese firm didn’t reveal whether the bike will make it stateside.
It did, however, reveal another rally-inspired ADV with the MT-X Concept. Based heavily on CFMOTO’s existing IBEX 800 platform, the trail-hungry concept makes its appetite known with increased suspension travel, higher ground clearance, and a 21-inch front wheel. Add a vertically oriented dash, a dirt bike-style seat, and a pointy beak to the mix and you have another potential competitor in the Rally-trim ranks.
Eclectic electrics
The electric market is rife with concepts, too, but the diversity of machines is unmatched. For instance, Vmoto pulled the covers off its BMW CE 04-reminiscent ADP scooter concept while electric bicycle brand SUPER73 presented two custom concepts of its long-awaited C1X. Still, the most headline-grabbing concept of the bunch was Royal Enfield’s Electric Himalayan Testbed.
While the official press release goes light on details (and heavy on corpspeak), it’s interesting to learn that RE is developing its own in-house battery pack and creating bodywork from materials like organic flax fiber. Considering the brand’s retro roots, Royal Enfield positioning the Electric Himalayan as its “testbed for future ideas and innovations” is just as intriguing.
When it comes to electric models that are actually available for purchase, Zero often tops the list. This year, the California-based company simplified its lineup into three distinct families: the S, DS, and FX lines. The new-for-2024 DS and DSR ditched Zero's old dual-sport build in favor of the DSR/X’s adventure-touring form. Now, different firmware-limited motors (600 amp, 765 amp, and 900 amp) and battery packs (17.3 kWh, 15.6 kWh, and 14.4 kWh) separate the three variants.
As a result, range, recharge times, and weight vary between the DS, DSR, and DSR/X. Everything else, including the suspension, brakes, wheels, tires, and dimensions, remain consistent across the range. Zero’s S, SR/F, and SR/S subscribe to a similar hierarchy, while the FX and FXE serve two different customers altogether.
Something special
EICMA wouldn’t be EICMA without special-edition motorcycles to spice up the exhibition floor. One of the most head-turning (and bank-breaking) examples from this year’s show has to be Ducati’s Panigale V4 SP2 30 Anniversario 916.
As the name indicates, the 500-unit, limited-run model commemorates the 30th anniversary of the classically handsome 916. Sprinkle in a dash of carbon fiber this and some billet aluminum that and you have a $45,995 track-weapon-turned-garage-queen.
That’s a wrap
Despite the wealth of product and concept announcements, EICMA 2023 posed more questions than answers. Is the 600 cc supersport class making a comeback? Is the whole luxury-adventure idea actually a thing? What other contraptions will Bimota supercharge? Like years past, EICMA was full of the expected and the unexpected; it pleased both the practical and the passionate. The motorcycle industry is returning to business as usual in 2023. Luckily, EICMA was just as unusual (in a good way).
