Outfitting Guides

The FZ-09 combined a compact, lightweight aluminum chassis with a fresh take on the modern triple. Of course there were four valves per cylinder. Of course there’s liquid cooling. Of course it had ride-by-wire and a 120-degree crankshaft configuration. 

Yamaha’s FZ-07, later renamed to match its European brethren to the MT-07, has been both an important course correction for Yamaha and a smashing success. Yamaha calls the MT-07 a “hyper naked.” Its 689cc, liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine is tuned for the perfect combination of accessible torque with just enough top-end thrill to make the bike fun for newbies and experienced...

The FJ-09 and Tracer’s versatility make it the right “one bike” for a lot of riders. Weekend sport riding is covered with plenty of power and good handling; commuting gets a boost from the bike’s smoothness and comfort; touring benefits from good range and available hard luggage. All of these endeavors also call out for better lighting than Yamaha gave...

Suzuki’s DR650 is among the oldest and, arguably, the most modified. From the air-cooled, four-valve engine that, for now, is still sporting a carburetor, to the simple steel frame and lack of expensive-to-replace fairing pieces, the DR650 embodies the most simple, direct way to have a midsized thumper for off-road and light touring. Modifications? Oh, yes. Because the bike hasn’t...

Not so the DR-Z’s four-valve, liquid-cooled thumper. While today the DR-Z’s five-speed engine seems antiquated next to the latest motocrosser-based engines, it was hot stuff when the DR-Z400 was introduced in 2000. Lighter, more powerful, and more dirt focused than the DR650, the DR-Z400 found instant and enduring success.

No fewer than nine Bonnevilles are offered currently, starting with the T100 and Street Twin, which use a 900cc version of the liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine styled and built to look like a classic but run like a modern motorcycle. There are 1200cc models, the T120s, that include scramblers, bobbers, and one American-style custom

the V-Strom 650 keeps the fun character it inherited from the SV650’s V-twin engine. (The SV was a fan favorite for its cheap, cheerful sense of fun.) What has always made the V-Strom 650 great continues to this day. It got a stylistic revamp and equipment upgrade soon after the 1000 was reworked in 2014—the 2017 model looks like a just-smaller...

The 690 Duke is a pure crazy naked with the beating heart of a strong, torquey thumper. It’s light, it’s powerful, it wants to wheelie from every stop sign. And while the 690 Duke, Austria’s answer to a slightly civilized supermoto, has been civilized ever so slightly through the years, it’s still a beast. 

the KTM 1290 Super Duke was something of a surprise when it debuted in 2014. Sure, KTM had wild and wooly Dukes before—important naked bikes with a touch of dirtbike DNA thrown in—but the 1290 raised the bar several notches. The 1301cc engine made enough power to pull a good sized horse trailer—this may be an exaggeration—and loft the Duke’s...

The 1190 Adventure, which arrived in the U.S. by 2014 and joined by the 1190 Adventure R a year later, proved to be the best combination of the 990 Adventure’s fun side and the power and smoothness of the LC8 engine borrowed (and heavily modified) from the RC 8 sportbike. KTM added ride-by-wire control, ride modes, electronically adjustable suspension, new...

The 1090 Adventure R’s engine was based on the 1190’s but given less displacement and reduced power. However, KTM worked hard on getting weight out of the engine and re-tuning it for the best possible power delivery where you need it most—smooth off the bottom and strong in the middle. If there’s such a thing as a perfect liter-sized dirtbike...

That is, in short, how KTM came to produce the 890 Adventure models, which share a new-design twin-cylinder engine with the now-compulsory 270-degree crankshaft layout that makes you almost think you’re riding a V-twin. That this engine is light, short front to back, and more than powerful enough for true off-road riding as well as long-distance touring is just so...

Once you’ve ridden a hard-core, take-no-prisoners street-legal off roader like the KTM 690 Enduro, you’ll either never be back or you’ll never consider a KLR or DR650 again. 

Indian Motorcycle made a brilliant decision to re-introduce the Indian Scout in 2015. The all-new Scout wrapped a thoroughly modern 1133cc 60-degree V-twin, with liquid cooling, dual overhead cams, and four valves per cylinder in a classic cruiser style. The ingredients for a great motorcycle. 

Indian has given the FTR all the performance that demanding riders want. Lots of power, top-tier suspension and brakes, all with a riding position that’s as perfect for bombing along a mountain road as tackling the daily commute.

Since Indian reappeared in 2014, its touring platform has only grown. With the Roadmaster, you get the 111-cubic-inch V-twin draped in chrome, a generously sized handlebar-mount fairing with lowers, integrated hard saddlebags with standard top box, and an entertainment system to be the envy of your friends. DENALI offers many ways to improve your Roadmaster’s lighting with LED accessory and driving...

Honda’s CBR1000RR supersport motorcycle has been delighting sportbike enthusiasts since 2004. And even though it has been through a number of revisions over the years, with the latest coming for the 2020 model year and embracing a number of MotoGP technologies.

DENALI helps them do all that better. And while it’s true that Honda gave the new-for-2018 GL1800 Gold Wing some pretty good lights (because buyers demanded them), the most touring-biased owners will want to go well beyond what Big Red gave them from the factory. Start with the Driving Light Mount for the 2018-2020 Honda Gold Wing, ingeniously designed to...