Top 5 most popular naked bikes on bikesales

Let’s go get a naked bike! Yeah, well, that actually covers a huge amount of ground – from a docile and humble workhorse to screaming high-end streetfighters.

So, what’s out there? Naked bikes are among the most popular models buyers are hunting for here on bikesales, and here’s what you need to know about our top five most-searched-for models…

Long gone are the days when a learner-approved motorcycle (which falls within the LAMS framework, or Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme) was simply a detuned afterthought in the maker’s catalogue. The segment has gained serious market weight over the years, which means you’ll find certain models are designed from day one to be produced in both LAMS and full-power form.

Yamaha’s MT-07 is one of them and among the variants have been the 655cc MT-07LA (learner approved) version claiming around 52hp (38kW) and the 689cc MT-07HO with 75hp (56kW). That first figure is not to be dismissed in a bike weighing in the vicinity of 185kg wet (the numbers vary a little with model years). It’s more than enough to keep ahead of traffic or tear up your licence!

So what’s an MT-07? The model has been on the market since 2014 and underwent several upgrades in the 2018 update (including suspension and brakes) and in 2023 form runs a TFT instrument screen and ABS. It’s now in its third generation.

In the box, you get a diamond-style tubular steel frame running 41mm forks and a monoshock rear with preload adjustment on the latter. The suspension underwent a major upgrade in 2018.

The parallel-twin powerplant runs a cross-plane crankshaft (the engine is Yamaha’s ‘CP2’, denoting cross-plane crank, two-cylinder). The significance of that is Yamaha has tuned it for a slightly offbeat firing order that injects a little more character than you might usually find in this engine configuration. Yamaha argues it maximises torque delivery.

Overall, it has a great reputation for being user-friendly, while having sharp handling and a slick six-speed transmission with a light clutch and lively performance. Its overall reputation for reliability is good and it has long service intervals (40,000km for valve adjustment).

You will find ABS isn’t present on 2014 examples and on some 2015-plated bikes. From then you get it across the board.

If you fancy a new one, Yamaha lists it at $13,549 ride away.

Find your own Yamaha MT-07LA here on bikesales

It seems that while many of us are happy to ogle the latest high-flying dream machine, there is a solid demand out there for back-to-basics riding – and that’s encapsulated perfectly in the Honda CB125E.

Back in 2019, the Honda CB125E was the top-selling motorcycle in the country, scoring 1013 sales.

You’d have to say a huge part of its appeal was price – just $2299 (plus on-road costs) got you a single-cylinder Honda with electric start, disc front brake and the backing of one of the industry’s great names.

For commuters and food delivery riders, this model holds immense appeal.

We are nevertheless talking simplicity on wheels. The single downtube steel frame had basic forks and twin rear shock absorbers, with a single disc brake up front and drum rear.

That lot hosted an air-cooled 124cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine claiming 10hp (7kW) matched to a five-speed transmission.

For someone aiming to tackle inner-city traffic or simply have something light and easy to ride to the local shops, it’s ideal. Performance is limited, with the 140kg machine managing 100km/h in good conditions. It’s not a realistic proposition for highway or freeway travel, but near unbeatable if light, narrow, and being easy to park are high on your list of priorities.

Oh, and let’s not forget reliability. Honda has been producing versions of the powerplant at least since the 1970s and these engines require just basic love to keep going.

The model has since been updated to a CB125F, with fuel injection, linked brakes, digital instrument panel, and claimed weight pared down to 115kg. Pricing is now closer to $3800 ride away.

Find your own Honda CB125E here on bikesales

If Ducati could bottle whatever it is that makes owners fall in love with its Monster naked bikes, it would make an even bigger fortune than it does already.

The whole concept dates to Miguel Galluzzi’s 1993 original and it’s been a big seller in all sorts of interesting guises ever since. At the heart of it is a light and responsive motorcycle with a punchy V-twin engine that relies on a broad spread of power rather than peak numbers.

In the case of the Ducati Monster 659, we’re talking of a series that was specifically tailored to the local LAMS market and in the relaunched 2017 form was based on the 797 platform. Overall, the series ran for a decade, from 2011 to 2021.

During that time, the specs remained remarkably similar, though there were subtle differences. The later bikes (from 2017) made much the same power (50hp/37kW) 1000rpm lower for a more relaxed ride but were a little heavier at 175kg dry versus 163kg, ran a wider rear tyre (180 profile up from 160) and claimed a slightly taller seat height (785mm versus 770mm).

Common to all of them was that low-slung feeling that gave the rider an enormous amount of confidence, tied to sharp and light steering backed up by decent suspension and brakes.

Ducatis typically get a mixed report card when it comes to maintenance costs, though the common (and critical) job of replacing timing belts has been stretched out from two to five years over time, thanks to improvements in the belts themselves. It nevertheless pays to get them checked more frequently by a knowledgeable workshop. Oh, and one hot tip: run 95 rather than 98 octane fuel in them as the latter can cause problems with plug fouling.

This is one of those bikes that need regular maintenance, so look for evidence of that when you buy. Get a good one and you won’t regret it.

Find a Ducati Monster 659 here on bikesales

Anyone who publicly calls its motorcycle “the Beast” is setting up a very large target – however, in the case of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, no-one seems willing to seriously challenge the boast.

Now entering its 10th model year and in its third generation of development, the 1290 can reasonably lay claim to being one of the most fierce and capable ratbag bikes on the planet.

The raw stats give the game away: A 1290cc 75-degree V-twin claiming 177hp (132kW) packed into a 189kg (wet) package. So we’re near enough to the 1:1 horsepower per kilo club.

The alterations to the package across the generations have been progressive rather than dramatic, so you’ll still find a first-gen bike to be a super-quick bit of kit.

The basic architecture includes a steel trellis frame (which underwent a major revision in Gen 3), a high-end upside-down fork and monoshock rear, hosting a liquid-cooled twin with six-speed transmission.

Essentially the company has refined the chassis and engine while piling in the now inevitable suite of electronic aids. On board, the big visual change has been the switch from a conventional analogue/digital instrument mix to a TFT screen.

What you score is a very quick and responsive motorcycle with legendary handling.

When you read across the bikesales reviews, you get the impression that choosing which generation to buy will most likely come down to budget. There has been real progress from one to another, without finding earlier versions seriously deficient. Those generation dates are, by the way, 2014, 2017 and 2020.

Rod Chapman summed this model progression up in a 2020 review: “Other than its menu system and a temperamental fuel gauge, I didn't honestly think there was anything wrong with the old KTM 1290 Super Duke R… The 2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R is a new and improved Beast on every front – it’s sharper than ever, yet even more forgiving and safer too.”

Reliability seems to be good. KTM had a recall for wiring looms on third-gen machines, but overall quality is high.

KTM will cheerfully sell you a new example, in one of three variants, from $30,915 ride away.

Find your own KTM 1290 Super Duke R here on bikesales

Back around a decade ago, there was huge interest in Yamaha’s decision to revive inline triple-cylinder engines – something you could trace back to the XS750-850 series of the 1970s. What were they thinking?

Triumph had clearly met with interest and success with the platform (reviving its own tradition from the late 1960s, in the form of the T150), but history and tradition don’t necessarily pay the bills.

The real attraction of a triple from a packaging point of view is you can get great performance in a compact layout that has an inherently different character from anything else out there. Ride a good triple and you’ll soon understand they have an appeal all their own.

Launched as an 849cc roadster (or hyper naked, in Yamaha-speak) the Yamaha MT-09 initially offered 113hp (85kW) tied to a six-speed transmission, in a package weighing 188kg. Though not necessarily tyre-shredding, it was ample to deliver very lively performance.

The frame was a cast-alloy unit with an inverted fork up front and a monoshock rear.

It built a reputation for being quick and flickable, or just good old-fashioned fun. However, the response from the fly-by-wire throttle in the first series copped some criticism for lack of precision, while it was felt the suspension could be improved. Both issues were addressed in the 2017 update.

For 2021, engine capacity climbed to 890cc with a modest jump in performance to 117hp (87kW). More significant was the adoption of a far more comprehensive suite of rider aid electronics. If the mood took you, you could also upgrade to an SP version with premium suspension and cruise control.

Yamaha has used this platform to develop some tasty variants, including the Tracer GT light tourer and Niken three-wheeler.

Aside from being great fun to ride, a high point for the Yamaha MT-09 is its legendary reliability.

Yamaha will sell you a new one for $16,399 ride away.

Find your own Yamaha MT-09 here on bikesales
Find your own Yamaha MT-09A here on bikesales