The Eight Best Motorcycles of the Modern Era
From Gold Wings to GasGas: A veteran rider’s personal picks for the
motorcycles that redefined their categories over the past 40 years.
My 2001 Gold Wing on which I logged 50,000+ miles over seven years.
Every rider remembers the first time a specific bike took their breath away. In the past 25 years, eight iconic motorcycles did that for me, redefining what I thought was possible on two wheels. To make it on the list, each bike had to meet its intended purpose, unlike any other, demonstrate breakthrough innovation and superior engineering, and earn some degree of popular acceptance.
My categories reflect the most common reasons riders acquire different bikes, versus the random segments dreamed up by marketers. It makes no sense, for example, to pit a touring machine against a trials bike because their purposes are at the opposite end of the motorcycle spectrum: one is designed to provide a smooth, comfortable ride for hundreds of miles carrying luggage and a passenger, while the other doesn’t even have a seat. I’ve not selected bikes in every category – see Disclaimer #5 below.
Let’s get right to the list, followed by important caveats and disclaimers.
Touring – Honda Gold Wing
No touring bike surpasses the Gold Wing for consistent comfort, performance, and reliability. Celebrating 50 years in 2025, more than 600,00 of these magnificent machines have graced the world’s highways and byways. As soon as I had my AARP card (a requirement to owning a Goldwing), I bought a brand-new yellow one in 2001 and logged more than 50,000 miles on it over seven years. Although it’s a big, heavy bike, it carries its weight low, and a skilled rider can make it dance. I rode mine with the Arizona Precision Motorcycle Drill Team for three years. It truly is an amazing machine, and while people can argue whether Wings from certain years are better than others, it’s always been consistent. Yes, the BMW K 1600 GTL is sleek, powerful, and technologically advanced, but for me, the Gold Wing’s legacy is unmatched.
Switching to Woody’s wheels and knobby tires and the big GS is ready for all sorts of challenging terrain.
Adventure – BMW 1200/1250/1300 GS
The BMW GS series set the standard for adventure motorcycles. BMW did so well in identifying, creating, and serving this group of riders that other brands jumped in with highly competitive entries, such as the Ducati Multistrada and Honda Africa Twin. Triumph, Suzuki, and KTM also make great adventure bikes. This specialized category of motorcycles balances on- and off-road capabilities, advanced electronics, and comfort, expanding riders’ horizons around the globe. Each manufacturer brings its own philosophy to adventure riding. In 2014 I rode a Ducati Multistrada all over Italy and Croatia. Before leaving the dealership, I asked the Ducati rep where the cruise control was. He said, “Ah, cruise control for straighta. Ducati only lefta, righta, lefta, righta….no straighta.”
The Ducati Monster not far from my place in Sausalito, CA.
Standard/Naked – Ducati Monster
This is a super competitive category and one of the most difficult for which to choose a clear winner. In recent years, bikes like the Triumph Speed Triple and Yamaha MT-09 have surpassed Ducati’s lead with better products. That said, Ducati solidly led this category for decades and is the primary reason they get the nod here. With its exposed trellis frame and throaty exhaust, the Monster looks as if its perpetually ready to pounce. I had one when I lived just north of San Francisco in Sausalito, California. The roads in coastal towns like Teixeira, Stewart, Bolema, and Meadow Trails seemed to have been created specifically for the Ducati Monster.
Cruisers – Harley Low Rider
Not the Harley, but a runner up that performed well and looked great. But not a Harley.
To pick a winner in this category, I believe you need to consider style in addition to power and handling. Image and looks are key in the cruiser world, where people go all out to add accessories that make their bikes stand out. Other manufacturers have made major inroads in this category in recent years, with bikes like the Triumph Rocket III and Yamaha Road Star. Even the Harley V-Rod was a terrific entry, but the Low Rider wins the category for me. I acquired a Road Star under unusual circumstances, by financing it for a friend who couldn’t make the payments. I sold it in relatively short order, as cruising has never been my preferred way to ride.
Dual Sport – Suzuki DR650SE
Photo courtesy of Lee Parks, who asked I demo knee dragging on the V-Strom at one of his classes. Students had insisted scraping the puck was only possible on naked sport bikes.
While the Honda CRF300L and the newer Suzuki DR-Z400S may be better bikes technologically, the venerable DR650SE is my favorite dual sport ride. I bought a new Suzuki V-Strom 650 in the early 2000s for $4,999, which I loved. At the time, I thought I could make a few suspension changes to the bike that would let it perform favorably against an $18,000, fully loaded BMW R 1200 GS. After spending more than $4K in suspension upgrades and riding the two side by side, I gave up. While it was a wonderful bike to ride on the tarmac with its flickable handling and amazing mileage, the V-Strom couldn’t begin to handle genuine off-road terrain like the GS.
Sport Touring – Yamaha FJR1300
My first involvement with the FJR was as a consultant. The Phoenix Police Department hired me to evaluate options for a new police motorcycle when Kawasaki discontinued its police bike. While I questioned the Yamaha’s suitability for the intended task (the department ultimately chose the Honda ST1300), I fell in love with it. Yamaha lent me an FJR for a spring ride in the upper Northeast one year, and I was thrilled with its handling, performance, and comfort. Bundle that with Yamaha reliability and it’s a hard bike to beat in this category.
Dirt/Trail – Yamaha WR250R/F
For years my garage was never without one of these, or the Suzuki DR-Z400 or Honda CRF250X. The Honda is a strong contender in this category, and I’ve spent many days on the Kawasaki KLX 300R, but I went with the Yamaha because it’s just so reliable and light. Yamaha brought four-stroke power to the dirt. While the Suzuki DR-Z400 was my personal favorite, the serious off-road riders I hung out with consistently chose the Yamaha, preferring the 250 over the 400 for its lighter weight and nimble handling.
Gary LaPlante demonstrates rock climbing capabilities with his GasGas Trials Bike.
Trials – GasGas TXT
While my trials riding is unbelievably limited, the off-road guys I rode with, like the LaPlante brothers, were former Trials champions. They owned Betas, Montesa, and others, but it was the GasGas that they climbed onto when they wanted to impress someone. I’ve spent my whole life chasing that rush from cycling, speed & adventure, and establishing a bond between myself and the machinery that I can ride fast or to places you can’t reach any other way. My new book, My Heart Has Been in it from the Start, provides the whole story.
IMPORTANT Caveats and Disclaimers:
Before you storm the comments section with torches and pitchforks about how outrageously misguided this list is—and about the “obvious” bike I criminally ignored—please take a moment to read the following pearls of wisdom (or feeble excuses):
- This list only covers bikes from the late 1980s onward. Yes, I’m aware that the 1908 Indian, the BMW R32, the Vincent Black Shadow (1948), the Triumph Bonneville T120 from the 1960s, the BMW R75, and the Ducati 750s are all legendary. My friend Steve B. sent me a photo of a Cyclone Board Track Racer just yesterday. But unless you count drooling over them in museums or reading about them in dusty magazines as “experience,” I haven’t ridden any of them. My list is limited to bikes I’ve thrown a leg over.
- I’m no longer chained to the desks of motorcycle magazines, though I may occasionally pop up in their pages like an unwanted sequel. The opinions here are entirely my own and do not reflect the official stance of RIDER Magazine, RoadRUNNER, Motorcycle Consumer News, The Overland Journal, or any other publication that’s ever had the misfortune of publishing my work. If you’re shopping for a used bike, feel free to use this list as a starting point—but please, consult someone smarter than me before you spend your hard-earned cash.
- These are my opinions and naturally reflect the bikes I’ve owned or ridden extensively, unless otherwise noted. I like the bikes I’ve owned better than the ones I haven’t, even when the ones I didn’t own are better in some way. While I’ve ridden and reviewed hundreds of different motorcycles over the years, I’ve chosen to buy and own fewer than twenty different makes and models. Some of those are on this list; many are not.
- I fully expect you to disagree with me or point out the glaring omissions I’ve made. In fact, I encourage it! Just keep the comments focused on motorcycles, not my questionable life choices.
- A note about categories: there are a great many of them, and several have sub-categories. For this article, I confined myself to the ones I have strong opinions about. I left out any consideration of the best Electric, Enduro, Luxury Touring, Motocross, Scooter, or Sports bikes because I just haven’t spent enough time on those seats.
So, disagree loudly, and remember: it’s all about the ride. Any guesses about which bikes will win these categories over the next 40 years? I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts below.
Steve