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Motorcycles have to be just about the most relative machines on wheels, as everything we enjoy about the way they accelerate, corner and handle terrain is relative to what else you’ve ridden and how you ride. We buy based on carefully selected factors, and while Honda might fit best for you, your buddy may insist on Husqvarna.
When it comes down to it, though, I’m sure we can all identify bikes that have a certain panache—a little extra spice that makes them the one you’d pick in a crowd—even if it’s just once to see what it’s all about. We distill that whole concept into a segment we call Most Thrilling by Genre, and the following six bikes are our (somewhat) intentionally controversial picks from their respective stables of new machines.
Cruiser Bikes: 2025 Buell Super Cruiser You can define a cruiser in all sorts of ways, but in attempting to cover all our bases, we’re after a machine that offers relaxed geometry—something you can bomb around at highway speed and just cruise. But since the qualifying dimension for this list is thrills, it needs to offer a little something extra, perhaps a surplus power for hooliganism, and the requisite gear to shine in the twisties as well. With that in mind, we can’t help but think of a better wolf in sheep’s clothing than the 2025 Buell Super Cruiser.
There have been some dark chapters in the history of the Buell brand, and while many were skeptical of the company’s direction in recent years, it seems now there’s no doubt Buell is back in a big way. In 2024, Buell introduced the new Hammerhead 1190 sport bike with a 1,190 cc V-twin producing 185 hp at 10,600 rpm, and we’d love to know the daring soul that suggested this powerplant would make an exceptional cruiser.
Buell tagged in Roland Sands Design to help design the bike, mandating that as many off-the-shelf parts be used from the Hammerhead as possible, necessitating a clean-sheet chassis design by RSD to accommodate the Hammerhead’s V-twin, swingarm and wheels. The result isn’t ‘pretty’ by normal standards, but if you’re within this bike’s intended audience, you’re likely seeing your wildest dreams in mechanical form.
The 72-degree Rotax Helicon V-twin serves up a mind-bending 175 hp in Super Cruiser trim, and the bike weighs just 450 pounds [204 kg], ensuring the riding experience will be unrivaled by any conceivable peers. And then there’s the rest of the running gear from the Hammerhead, consisting of a massive aluminum swingarm, SHOWA big-piston forks, 17-inch aluminum wheels and a massive 386 mm front perimeter brake rotor with an eight-piston caliper.
Equipped with real-deal sport bike underpinnings, the soul of a thumping V-twin and all the style of a performance-oriented club bike, the Buell Super Cruiser is decidedly in a class of its own. Buell’s still ironing out the details on the Super Cruiser at this time, with production expected to start in the Fall of 2025, and we’ll be hard-pressed to wait that long to get a taste. [Buell]
Adventure Bikes: 2024 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R The adventure segment is full of massive techy machines, with most all of them promising to take you wherever you dare to go. But for one of these machines to make the grade for us, its off-road prowess has to be beyond any doubt, otherwise, you’d be better off with a tourer. Excelling in power production, suspension performance and ground clearance, the 2024 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R truly has the equipment to take you anywhere, not to mention that signature Team Orange flash.
At the heart of the 1290 Super Adventure R is a 1,301 cc, 75-degree V-twin engine that delivers a staggering 160 horsepower and 103 lb-ft of torque. This engine provides ample power for both on-road and off-road riding, allowing riders to effortlessly cruise highways or tackle demanding trails. The engine is paired with a six-speed gearbox that offers smooth shifts and precise ratios.
The 1290 Super Adventure R features a robust steel trellis frame that provides excellent rigidity and stability. The suspension setup is equally impressive, with fully adjustable WP XPLOR components both front and rear. The long-travel suspension allows riders to adjust the bike’s ride height and stiffness to suit various terrain conditions—an important consideration when you’re talking about a tall bike that weighs around 550 pounds [249 kg].
KTM has packed the 1290 Super Adventure R with a plethora of advanced electronics. The bike comes with multiple ride modes, traction control, ABS, cruise control, and a quickshifter. The large 7-inch TFT display provides clear information on the bike’s status and settings, and a standard USB phone pocket keeps your cell charged, dry and Bluetooth connected.
Reviewers have consistently praised the Super Adventure R for its exceptional performance and off-road capabilities. The powerful engine provides effortless acceleration and cruising speed, while the suspension offers a comfortable and controlled ride even on rough terrain. A clear standout in its class, the Super Adventure R comes with a hefty price north of $20k stateside, but the juice may just be worth the squeeze. [KTM, Philip Platzer]
Naked Bikes: 2024 Ducati Streetfighter V4 S Ducati’s Streetfighter has forged a reputation for track-caliber performance in naked bike clothes, and the 200-hp 2024 Streetfighter V4 S is just as powerful as it is innovative. Savage, yet surprisingly refined, the V4 S is a machine that defines the ragged edge of the naked bike scene.
The Streetfighter V4 S is powered by the same 1,103 cc V4 engine from the Panigale V4, which delivers a staggering 208 horsepower and 90 lb-ft of torque in the Streetfighter. With a linear power delivery and thrilling acceleration, the Streetfighter V4 S will go from 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds, and Ducati has a host of selectable control modes within the TFT to fine-tune its performance to suit your level of insanity.
The Streetfighter V4 S features a lightweight aluminum frame that provides excellent rigidity and handling. Opting for the V4 S model comes with a big jump in suspension technology—semi-active Öhlins suspension (NIX30 upside-down 43 mm fork and TTX36 shock absorber) with SmartEC 2.0 interface—which replaces the standard SHOWA and Sachs setup on the V4.
Ducati has packed the Streetfighter V4 S with a plethora of advanced electronics. The bike comes with multiple ride modes, traction control, ABS, wheelie control, and a quickshifter. The large TFT display provides clear information on the bike’s status and settings, all computed by the standard six-axis IMU.
Offering certifiable sport-bike performance in a naked bike package, the 2024 Ducati Streetfighter V4 S is exceptional for its 90-degree Desmosedici Stradale V4 performance, razor-sharp handling and intuitive electronics. All but the most discerning of riders will find the V4 fitting for both street and track use. [Ducati]
Scrambler Motorcycles: 2024 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE The Scrambler market is hot, with everyone from Honda to Husqvarna offering bikes with upswept pipes and tan saddles, but if we had to pick just one, it has to be a machine that can back its sporting aspirations with dirt-ready features. Offering an unmatched mix of rugged character and legit off-road prowess, the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE is the scrambler we’d most readily throw a leg over.
Billed as the ultimate scrambler, the 1200 XE is based on all the same goodies as the 1200 X, from the tubular steel chassis to the 1,200 cc, SOHC parallel-twin. Triumph’s mill has also recently been revamped for Euro 5 compliance, without noticeably affecting peak power at 89 hp at 7,000 rpm.
While both models boast full-adjustable Öhlins piggyback rear shocks, the XE model receives a longer aluminum swingarm with increased travel at 9.84” [250 mm]. The Showa inverted 47 mm front fork is a beefier unit on the XE, also boasting nearly 10” of travel. As far as suspension goes, the Scrambler 1200 XE is pretty much in a league of its own, and it’s also darn light for its class at just 452 pounds [205 kg] dry.
Complete with a 21-inch front wheel, tubeless off-roady rubber, handguards, a skid plate and a radiator guard, the 1200 XE is as capable in the dirt as a scrambler gets, but don’t think for a second that it’s forgotten its street manners. In addition to dual Brembo discs up front and standard ABS, the Scrambler 1200 is equipped with a trick multi-function display that keeps all parameters in check, and offers multiple riding modes from road and sport, to rain and off-road. [Triumph]
Dual Sport: KTM 500 EXC-F Championship Edition The Bike EXIF staff is decidedly in the 30 and up segment, and our tastes are usually more reserved than wild orange paint schemes, energy-drink liveries and bikes on the hotter end of the usable spectrum. And with dual-sport entries ranging far and wide, there are certainly more sensible bikes to spend hard-earned funds on, but that’s not really the point of this round-up now, is it? To be crowned ‘most thrilling,’ a bike needs all the power and standard equipment you’d need to excel in its segment, and with that in mind, it’s hard to argue against the 2025 KTM 500 EXC-F Championship Edition.
Even without all the trick championship add-ons, the 500 EXC-F is still a machine that commands respect. With nearly 511 cc of displacement, the SOHC thumper engine produces a massive 64 hp, with exceptional low-to-mid range grunt. The WP XPLOR and XACT suspension systems provide around 11. 8″ [300 mm] of fully adjustable travel and the bike weighs just over 250 pounds [113 kg] before adding fuel.
Full of exotic bits, the 500 EXC-F utilizes a lightweight rear subframe made from polymer and aluminum, and the featherweight wheel hoops come courtesy of GIANT. KTM also includes a handy Offroad Control Unit which replaces fuses and relays in one central unit under the seat that deactivates outputs individually in the event of a fault.
So what does your extra $500 buy in the Championship Edition, besides the flashiness? For starters, you get the orange factory racing saddle, ODI lock-on grips and a map-select switch. There’s also a skid plate, frame protectors, a radiator fan, Supersprox Stealth Rear Sprocket, Michelin Enduro tires (depending on region) and several other trick add-ons as well. In short, it’s the type of stuff you’d want to add to the bike to make the most of it, and you’d spend significantly more adding it after the fact.
Equipped to make you the most feared rider at your local spot while boasting all the road-legal equipment to get you home afterward, the 500 EXC-F Championship Edition is a machine without compromise. [KTM, Mitterbauer H.]
Superbikes: 2024 Ducati Panigale V4 R Most of us are woefully unqualified to do any serious dabbling in the world of modern superbikes. Do you really have the necessary seat time to distinguish the difference between a 200-hp motorcycle and something north of that? Is a bike that’s capable of 250 mph more ‘thrilling’ than one tops out at 180? My point is that there’s a level at which more performance is purely for bench racing, and if you need to invest your money in a machine of that level, pick the one that speaks to you. For us, that bike is still (hypothetically) the Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Equipped with a beastly 998 cc Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine, the Panigale V4 R unleashes nearly twice the horsepower (240.5 to be exact) of a Toyota Prius. Derived from Ducati’s MotoGP technology, the engine’s aggressive nature is enhanced by its counter-rotating crankshaft, reducing inertia and optimizing handling during aggressive cornering.
The Panigale V4 R is not just about brute power; it’s got a healthy resumé of engineering and design under it as well. The chassis is a combination of lightweight aluminum and magnesium, meticulously crafted to minimize weight while maximizing stiffness, lending to a mere 368-pound [167 kg] dry weight. The result is a bike that handles with unparalleled stability and agility.
To harness all that raw power, the bike features Ducati’s advanced electronics package, including traction control, wheelie control, engine braking control and a quickshifter. These systems work harmoniously to keep the bike in check and the rider (well most riders, anyway) in control, even during the most sanity-questioning riding scenarios. A multi-level riding mode system tailors the bike’s performance to rider preferences and road conditions—everything from rain to race.
Fully adjustable Öhlins suspension, Brembo brakes and lightweight, forged-aluminum wheels provide the ultimate setup for precision handling and braking. Combined with the electronic aids and the engine’s explosive power, the Panigale V4 R becomes a formidable weapon that can outmaneuver and outpace competitors like the BMW S1000RR and Yamaha YZF-R1. [Ducati]