17″ front wheels and adventure on the road: this is the formula for motorcycles ranging from Crossovers to Tourers, passing through the intermediate category that is the sport-touring segment. In this review, which is not intended to be very comprehensive, we present some of the bikes that impressed us the most during 2023 and which belong to these categories.
Benelli TRK 702
Heir to the 502, the new 698 cc range also offers a version with a 17-inch front wheel: the TRK 702 is therefore the version designed for those who always want to ride on asphalt and enjoy the curves. The two-cylinder liquid-cooled engine, with four valves per cylinder, delivers 70 hp and 70 Nm of maximum torque at 8000 and 6000 rpm respectively. The seat height is 795 mm and the curb weight is 235 kg.
BMW M 1000 XR
The BMW M 1000 XR was a missing link in the “M” family equipped with the four-cylinder engine: it is based on the standard model and takes on an aggressive and clearly uncompromising form. With a power output of 148 kW (201 hp), a torque of 113 Nm and a weight of 223 kg, the new M XR promises a four-cylinder engine derived from that of the S 1000 RR, but with even more power and torque and, to leave no doubt, here we find secondary gear ratios and shorter gearboxes.
Ducati Multistrada 1100 V4 RS
The maxienduro from Borgo Panigale is enriched this year by the V4 RS version, a bike produced in a numbered series and offering for the first time in the 20-year-old Multistrada family the V4 Desmo engine derived from the Panigale V4. In other words, Ducati is taking on the challenge of super-performance on its flagship crossover and is doing so with a V4 RS that weighs less and is more powerful than the already very daring Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak, expressing 180 hp managed by a shortened gear ratio, but which can reach almost 195 hp of power through the adoption of the STM-EVO SBK clutch, which allows the gearbox oil to be separated from the clutch and the Ducati Corse Performance Powered by Shell Advance oil to be used, which provides an extra 2.5 hp of power, and then reach the pinnacle of performance by combining it with the Ducati Performance exhaust.
Kawasaki H2 SX SE
Technological and very powerful (200 hp, 210 with the pressurized airbox), it is equipped with a 998 cc four-cylinder fitted with a centrifugal compressor. The electronically controlled Aras suspension completes the remarkable equipment of a bike that is certainly at the top of its class in terms of charm and performance.
KTM 890 SMT
A comeback, if you will: the KTM 890 SMT takes up the legacy of the 990 SMT, finding that mix of supermoto DNA and touring spirit that makes it clear that this is a bike full of adrenaline, capable of having fun on mountain passes, but at the same time also allowing for long journeys. It is equipped with the well-known 889 cc LC8c engine, with four in-line valves and two in-line cylinders, with 75° valve timing, capable of producing 105 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 100 Nm at 6,500 rpm, inserted into the frame as a tensioning element. It weighs 206 kg in running order and the seat height is 860 mm.
Suzuki GSX-S1000GX
Recently presented at EICMA 2023 and already tested by our team: the Suzuki GSX-S1000GX is the crossover with a 17-inch front wheel that joins the family powered by the four-cylinder 1000 cc K5 engine with 152 horsepower and 106 Nm of torque, but does so with renewed equipment and chassis: The GSX-S1000GX brings electronically controlled suspension to debut on a production Suzuki, so we find the Suzuki Advanced Electronic Suspensions (SAES) system that makes use of a Hitachi Astemo (Showa) SFF-CA fork and a BFRC-lite rear shock absorber, but there’s also a six-axle IMU and the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (SIRS), which manage the on-board electronics in an integrated manner.
Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+
Iwata’s crossover for 2023 is enriched with electronic equipment: radar and connected driving aids: Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and the Unified Brake System, but also new is the 7-inch TFT color instrument panel, equipped with new connectivity for smartphones and with which it is possible to dialogue with the navigation system, we also find the adaptive headlights and the new bidirectional quick change. Nothing new for the engine, which remains the wonderful CP3 three-cylinder unit with 119 hp at 10,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 9.5 kgm at 7,000 rpm, while the weight is 223 kg in running order and the seat is placed 810 mm from the ground.