If you thought 2016 was a damn good year for motorcycles, get ready: 2017 is shaping up to be even better. The International Motorcycle Show was here in NYC this past weekend, and all the industry’s biggest brands (plus one new one) had their best on display. Most of the bikes had already been revealed prior to the show, like the 2017 Ducati Monster. But this was the first time North America got to see them in the metal, and some promising trends are beginning to manifest. If the show floor at the Javits Convention Center is anything to go by, 2017 can’t come soon enough.
BMW
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BMW aimed for a particular demographic with the R NineT, which the brand admits it failed to reach, mainly because of the high price point. So to remedy that, we were treated to the slightly more affordable R NineT GS and R NineT Racer. The styling of the former is inspired by Beemer’s Dakar Rally bike, while the latter is a beautiful interpretation of a classic grand prix bike. The practice of making old new again is definitely an industry-wide trend.
Ducati
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Ducati already unveiled its new models at EICMA earlier this year, but the bikes are even more stunning in person. The 1299 Superleggera is 368 pounds soaking wet, and that’s down to the carbon fiber, frame, sub-frame and wheels — you basically get a World Superbike race bike with a license plate, for $80,000. The Supersport is Ducati’s newest entry into the sport-standard realm and, based on looks alone, you can be sure it’ll beast of a machine.
