10 Summer Motorcycle Rides Every Enthusiast Should Experience Once
We’re already hurtling towards autumn, and we are closer to putting our bikes away for the long dark months of winter. The clock is ticking if you want to enjoy your motorcycle for the rest of this year before inclement weather and low visibility take your two-wheel privilege away from you.
There are motorcycles built such that you can ride them in any weather, but the vast majority shine when there is warm tarmac and bright sunshine. This brief window in the year is when you can push a bike to its limit or at least the speed limit, whether you’ve got a supersport, a cruiser, or a dual sport that you enjoy pushing around a fire road. Here are 10 summer motorcycle rides every enthusiast should experience once.
Suzuki SV-7GX
Price: $8,599
The SV650 is a beloved platform, but it has grown old, and tightening emission norms mean necessary big changes. The SV-7GX is Suzuki’s answer to that. This uses the same 645 cc 90-degree V-twin with 72.4 horsepower and 47.2 pound-feet that we love, but gives it a new lease of life. So much so that it is the motorcycle we’d ride across America this summer. The mill ties up with a by-wire throttle, ride modes, traction control, a two-way quickshifter, and an assist and slipper clutch.
It’s already quite reasonably priced, but you can knock a couple of hundred dollars off the price if you opt for the SV7 GXV, which strips the decals from the paint, giving you a blank canvas for whatever you want to do with it. Overall, this is a great mix of new-age features and old-school reliability, and it has brought along its immense fun-to-ride quality.
Honda CRF450RL
Price: $10,199
The CRF450RL is a perfect blend of off-road and on-road riding. It is a race bike dumbed down just a little bit for the road. Being a Honda, you can count on it to be more reliable than the other 450 cc enduro bikes that you will find on the market. It won’t have standard levels of Honda reliability, though, so you still need to look after it a little bit.
But that’s understandable, because it offers nearly 53 horsepower and 35.4 pound-feet from 449 cc, and there is a whole lot of exotic materials helping it generate its performance. That includes a titanium fuel tank, an aluminum twin-spar chassis, a lithium-ion battery, and a hollow aluminum swingarm with urethane injected into it to help its highway refinement.
Yamaha YZF-R9
Price: $12,499
The YZF-R9 is one of the new generation of sports bikes that mixes performance with everyday usability, and it comes alive on empty summer back roads. It is based on the popular MT-09 chassis and driveline, but takes it a step further. A five-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity, a by-wire throttle, a six-axis IMU, and Yamaha’s latest-generation dual quickshifter are all standard.
The electronics also allow you to optimize ride modes, wheelie control, engine brake control, slide control, traction control, and back-slip regulation. There are some quality parts, too, for example, Brembo Stylema front brake calipers and fully adjustable KYB suspension. As for performance, the crossplane inline-three engine generates 117 horsepower and 68.6 pound-feet.
Husqvarna 701 Enduro
Price: $13,399
The Husqvarna 701 Enduro is a twin to the KTM 690 Enduro R, and both these models have got an extremely significant update for the 2026 model year that makes the highway miles feel easy. It still retains the single-cylinder 693 cc engine, but power has now been bumped up to 78 horsepower and 53.8 pound-feet, making it the most powerful single-cylinder engine in a production motorcycle today.
Along with that extra performance, it has also got refinement thanks to a by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU, which means it’s got ride modes, cornering ABS, and cornering traction control with switchable ABS. Other quality-of-life improvements include a USB charging socket, a TFT screen with Bluetooth, and navigation as well.
Indian 101 Scout
Price: $16,999
The 101 Scout is a name with a lot of history and therefore a lot of responsibility as well. It carries it incredibly well, being Indian’s halo performance model today. It has a traditional frame, but mates it with the secretly uber-reliable SpeedPlus 1250 cc liquid-cooled 60-degree V-twin engine that generates 111 horsepower and 82 pound-feet of torque. It is helped along by a by-wire throttle, so there are ride modes, ABS, traction control, and cruise control.
The mechanical package, meanwhile, comprises inverted front forks, Fox shocks, and dual 320 mm floating front Brembo brake discs with four-piston radial calipers. Among the features are the circular four-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation, live weather and traffic, and a bike locator. It also has keyless ignition as standard.
Harley-Davidson Low Rider S
Price: $18,999
The Low Rider S is one of those rare products that combines American muscle with Japanese reliability. It performs the function of the power cruiser in Harley’s Softail lineup, which means it gets the Milwaukee-Eight 117 High Output engine. This 45-degree V-twin displaces the same 1,923 cc as the other cruisers in H-D’s lineup, but it generates 114 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque.
It looks pretty traditional as well, thanks to its circular analog instrument cluster, but there are hints of its performance in the front inverted forks and the dual front disc brakes. Under the skin, it is thoroughly modern, with Harley’s entire safety suite guided by a six-axis IMU. So there are cornering functions for the ABS, traction control, and drag torque slip control.
KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo
Price: $22,149
The 1390 Super Duke R Evo is one of KTM’s halo products. It even used to be its most expensive product a couple of years ago, and still remains its most expensive naked bike. It has one of the most aggressive drivetrains you’ll find on a naked motorcycle. This 75-degree V-twin displaces 1,350 cc, makes a stonking 187 horsepower and 107 pound-feet, and has been given every single electronic assist you could dream of.
A by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU are a given, but you also have semi-active suspension from WP supporting it. This is auto-leveling suspension, and it reacts automatically to changes in the road surface if left to its own devices, and anti-dive is inbuilt. It has everything that you’d want from a performance motorcycle, along with customization for the traction control, ABS, engine brake control, and ride modes.
Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100
Price: $26,749
The RSV4 1100 Factory is a bargain at its price because of how well it balances thrilling speed, precision, and control. That might sound odd for something that costs nearly $27,000, but there’s a lot to like. The basics first: the aluminum twin-spar chassis houses a 65° V4 engine that displaces 1,099 cc to produce 220 horsepower and 92.1 pound-feet. This is sent through a six-speed gearbox with an assist and slipper clutch and two-way quickshifter to the wheel.
The APRC electronics suite is where it distinguishes itself. It has what you’d expect from a liter bike, yes. However, where it pulls away from the rest is in the details. The Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 semi-active suspension is fully integrated, and you can change the damping using the menu on the screen. It also has an Öhlins electronic steering damper, and for maximum attack on the track, the GPS module offers corner-by-corner calibration on your favorite tracks.
Ducati Streetfighter V4 S
Price: $30,995
The Streetfighter V4 S is, simply put, Ducati’s liter-class missile. It runs the same engine as the Panigale V4: the Desmosedici Stradale 90-degree V4 with the patented Desmodromic valvetrain. It also runs a counter-rotating crankshaft for better handling at speed. This 1,103 cc engine revs hard to generate 205 horsepower at over 12,000 RPM, with its 88.3 pound-feet arriving just a little sooner at 11,500 RPM. That torque is quite well spread, however, because of its twin-pulse firing order.
The electronics are also next level, with Ducati’s Vehicle Observer system calculating the forces acting on the motorcycle in real time and adjusting the parameters for things like traction control, wheelie control, and engine brake control before it actually happens. It also has a combined brake system that applies the rear brake when you lean on the front brake lever alone. Additionally, it uses Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 electronic suspension with the TTX 36 rear shock.
Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide ST
Price: $44,999
The CVO Street Glide ST joins the CVO lineup as one of the sportiest baggers in the Milwaukee portfolio. It has the same hardware as the Road Glide ST, meaning the Milwaukee-Eight 121 High Output V-twin with air-cooled cylinders and liquid-cooled heads. This version of the engine ditches the variable valve timing for better power output, which is why the 1,982 cc engine generates 127 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. It still runs a belt final drive.
Despite being a sporty model, it is still one of the best touring motorcycles for riding 80 miles an hour all day. This is because Harley hasn’t left out the creature comforts that make it such a great touring motorcycle. They include a 12.3-inch TFT touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. It also supports OTA software updates. A six-axis IMU and by-wire throttle ensure you have a lot of different ride modes, including two track-specific ride modes. Features like a USB-C charging port and keyless ignition make it a well-rounded product.
Sources: All the respective manufacturers
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