Our Pick of Bikes from Motorcycle Live 2024

Now that Motorcycle Live has been wrapped up for 2024 and we’ve had a minute to catch our breath, we wanted to take a moment to consider our favourite bikes of the show.

Ducati V2

On the first Saturday we saw Fabrizio Cazzoli justifying some of the choices made for the V2, as though 120 BHP was something he needed to apologise for! The focus seems to have been on weight reduction – coming in 15kg lighter than the previous V2. Despite a drop in outright horsepower from the previous model, all that weight saving means the new V2 lapped the Vallelunga circuit just 0.2 seconds slower than its predecessor, so not too shabby! We’re fans of the baby Panigale, perhaps even moreso than the new V4 (those winglets…). Based upon customer feedback, Ducati have made the new V2 less extreme, in the hopes of providing not just a track day weapon but the perfect choice for a weekend ride. The last few years has seen a resurgence of the sports sector (ZX-4RR, GSX-8R, CBR600RR to name a few), perhaps the new V2 is Ducati’s attempt to appeal to this new middleweight sportsbike market?  Time will tell how it sells, but we think it’s a cracker.

CB1000 Hornet

Honda are coming out the gate swinging with the 1000 Hornet – priced incredibly competitively to pull sales away from competitors and perhaps help to lift the 1000cc segment out of its current doldrums. The ergonomics are also incredibly friendly, as you’d expect from a naked bike, so we think this is going to be very popular.

Taking it’s engine from the 2017 CBR1000RR, re-tuned for low and mid range performance with 150BHP and 104Nm of torque, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some other models spin off from this platform. The SP version is the obvious winner, but we’d be lying if we didn’t say we were slightly disappointed in the single colourway available. Honda have made a tantilising proposition with the new Hornet, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a ton of people hoovering these up. Needless to say, there were crowds of folk at the NEC show crawling all over them, and we can understand why! It could definitely do with a tail tidy though. Not to mention a belly pan and light screen…more info on that very soon!

CF MOTO 800MT

Various Chinese motorcycle brands are causing a bit of a stir at the moment – and one model that stands out in particular for us is the CFMOTO 800MT. Featuring KYB suspension, radial brake calipers, bi-directional quick shifter and a 7” TFT dash, the 800MT carries a decent spec for a not so hefty price tag. The engine is derived from the KTM 790 Adventure, so there is no shortage of torque on tap (75Nm) and a decent 90BHP-odd dollop of horsepowers. With their models being designed by the same people behind the KTM range, the bikes don’t look half bad either. We’ve already had a chance to have a crack at some products for the bike, you can find them here.

Yamaha R9

Initially, we were very skeptical of the winglets on the R9, but in the flesh these are not as offensive or enormous as they appear in photos. We’re looking forward to getting our hands on it to develop some parts – it’s begging for an Airflow double bubble screen and tail tidy. Based on the latest iteration of the MT-09 engine, the R9 features 117 brake horsepower and 93Nm of torque, adjustable KYB suspension, bi-directional quickshifter as well as riding modes, cornering traction contol and all sorts of electrical wizardry. Thanks to a brand new frame, the R9 only comes out at 1kg heavier than the latest MT-09. The R9 is expected to hit dealers towards the tail end of March 2025 – we are eager to get our hands on one! It’s a shame we won’t be getting the white and red colourway in the UK.

KTM 990 RCR

Despite it’s ongoing woes, KTM have managed to put together a decent looking sportsbike in the 990 RCR. It’s been far too long since the RC8 graced showrooms, so we are glad to see a potential new offering on the cards for those looking for a bit more grunt than an RC390. Featuring the same powerplant as the latest 990 Duke - producing 128BHP and 103Nm of torque, we’d imagine it’ll feature a few updated gismos orientated towards track riding. That’s if it sees the light of day…

And there you have it! Those are our top picks from Motorcycle Live 2024. Quite a few sports bikes, which is interesting seeing as that sector was pronounced dead a few years back! Although this generation is a lot more easy going than the bikes you’d find back in the day (looking at you, R6). You can catch up on some of the things we saw at the NEC below.