How we decided the 2023 Bike of the Year

The time has come once again to decide the bikesales Bike of the Year, proudly presented by Youi Insurance, with an extensive judging process culminating today with the announcement of the winning machine.

And that machine is the incredible BMW M 1000 R, which combines superbike performance with a lightweight and accessible naked bike package.

It was a clear winner in the eyes of the judges, and it beat seven other finalists which were chosen from a catalogue of over 60 motorcycle reviews conducted over the last year by the bikesales team.

So how did the 2023 Bike of the Year process unfold? Well, for starters, there is a set of eligibility criteria that a bike must meet in order to qualify.

The eligibility criteria is as follows:

• Finalists must be current production motorcycles

• Finalists must be new or updated

• Finalists must be on sale to the public prior to October 2023

• Finalists must have been tested by the bikesales team prior to the announcement

Of course, there are a few recent key models that didn’t meet these requirements. For example, models such as BMW’s new R 1300 GS or Kawasaki’s ZX-4R didn’t quite make it to local dealer floors in time for them to be considered. The good news is that they are automatically eligible for consideration for the 2024 awards.  

The finalists

The finalists are chosen based on reviews by bikesales journalists throughout the year, with each model scored across our usual bikesales testing criteria.

For 2023, our list of finalists comprised a diverse group of bikes, with some obvious choices and some less so obvious.

Road motorcycles dominated the field with three naked/roadster models joining two adventure bikes, a sportstourer, a Grand American tourer, and a ‘power’ cruiser.

The adventure bikes in the mix were the Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition and the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE, while the Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide and Ducati Diavel V4 added a bit of muscle and flair (and big price tags) to the group.

On the other side of the field, the Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S sportstourer brought a bit of classic Italian style, while the top three bikes – the BMW M 1000 R, Triumph Street Triple 765 RS, and Honda CB750 Hornet – all fall into the naked bike category.

The test

To decide the Winner and two Highly Commended models, the bikesales team once again headed to the growing High Country mecca of Bright for a week-long road test.

The test involves riding and assessing each bike back-to-back on some of the best motorcycling roads that this country has to offer. The weather for the week was mostly fine, but one day of rain did create some interesting testing conditions.

For support van duties, we procured an IVECO Daily 70C, which is the largest available van in Australia. The big IVECO served its purpose well, carrying all our luggage, tools, first aid equipment, and supplies. We also used it to transport bikes and, at one stage, it had two machines strapped down in the back.

The judges

Our judging team for 2023 was led by bikesales Editor Dylan Ruddy, Isle of Man TT winner Cam Donald, and bikesales journalist Kaz Anderson. Also on judging duties was Adrian Harris, John Wilson, Dave Simpson, Peter Gunn, and Murray Sharp.

Our paramedic for 2023 was Rachelle Pettifer from Event Medical Team, while our expert camera team of Andy Pearson and Rene Mitchell-Pitman once again produced amazing imagery from the event. Rounding out the team was Rod Chapman, who took on support van duties and handled logistics for the event.

The voting

After the riding component, the bikesales judges sit down and engage in an intensive round-table discussion, making a case for each bike and deciding whether it is worthy of a podium finish.

The judges assess each model based on the following criteria…

bikesales Bike of the Year judging criteria:

• Engine and Drivetrain (Engine, Gearbox, Clutch)

• Handling and Brakes (Chassis, Suspension, Brakes)

• Build Quality (Technology, Safety, Overall Finish)

• Value for Money (Pricing, Packaging)

• Fit for Purpose

Each judge privately fills out a voting sheet, marking each bike on the criteria listed above, and giving a score out of 100. After each judges scores are added together, the highest possible score for a bike is 800.  

Once the scores are tallied, one bike emerges as the overall winner, while second and third place are given Highly Commended awards.

While we don’t make the final voting totals public, the voting was reasonably close. The M 1000 R was a clear winner, however only 21 points separated the two Highly Commended winners. All eight bikes scored at least 542 points out of 800, proving the competitive nature of this year’s field.

As mentioned earlier, the BMW M 1000 R was the winning bike, with the Triumph Street Triple 765 RS, and the Honda CB750 both receiving Highly Commended awards.

The People’s Choice award also returned for 2023, with bikesales readers voting for their favourite machine of the eight finalists.

Moto Guzzi emerged victorious in that award, with its stylish V100 Mandello S proving to be a hit with the punters.

And on December 15, the Bike of the Year awards will come to a close with the reveal of the 2023 bikesales Learner Bike of the Year winner. That award recognises the best LAMS machine of the year, with the Triumph Tiger Sport 660, CFMOTO 450SR, Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650, KTM 390 Adventure, and Yamaha MT-07LA all in the running.

Related: 2023 bikesales Bike of the Year finalists