Class of 2018 - Here are 10 reasons to get excited about next year’s showrooms!
1 Ducati V4
Ducati superbikes are V-twins, right? Not anymore, as from next year the top-dog Duc will have a MotoGP-derived V4 engine. It’s a seismic change for Ducati, and one that’s already got the Italian brand’s fans divided. The all-new MotoGP engine developed for 2015 was designed with a road derivative in mind, and in 2018 you’ll be able to buy one. Engine aside, the bike’s still a bit of a mystery at the moment. Stunning styling is a given. Its rivals will have to tryvery damn hard to upstage the Ducati V4 next year.
2 Honda Goldwing
A new Goldwing has been rumoured for years and indications are there’s a good chance it will come to fruition next year. Expect technology never before seen on two wheels. There’s talk of a hybrid, with electric power boosting the petrol engine, and Honda has patented several unusual front suspension designs with the intention of endowing the tanker-sized Goldwing with the handling of a much smaller, lighter bike. Beyond that, look forward to unprecedented electronics.
3 Husqvarna Svartpilen/Vitpilen
Husqvarna’s KTM-derived Svartpilen and Vitpilen models are already familiar despite the fact they’re not in production yet. Next year they will be, with a rapidly expanding range that will eventually run from 125cc to 1300cc (including 375cc and 690cc mid-line versions). The engines and chassis might come from KTM Dukes, but the unique Husqvarna style gives them an appeal of their own.
4 KTM Duke 790
New engines are a big deal for KTM, and none more so than the new parallel-twin 800cc set to appear first in the Duke 790. Seen as a concept last year, in 2018 it’ll be in showrooms. It plugs a gap in KTM’s line-up, and may eventually supersede the 690. Hot on its heels should be an 800cc Adventure model, tackling the BMW F800GS and Triumph Tiger 800 head on.
5 Yamaha Ténéré 700
Speaking of mid-sized adventure bikes … Yamaha’s Ténéré 700, already previewed in the T7 concept, could be a tough rival for any forthcoming KTM. Driven by the same parallel twin used in the MT-07 and Tracer 700, it gets a unique chassis and styling. Like the expected 800cc KTM Adventure, the Ténéré 700 has a more serious off-road approach than some rivals. Seen as a successor to the 660cc Ténéré single, it promises to be a much greater success than the Super Ténéré.
6 Turbocharged Suzuki
Suzuki has been dangling a boosted twin-cylinder sportsbike in front of us since 2013 when it revealed the Recursion concept, and for 2018 it looks like it will finally reach showrooms. Changed significantly from the original concept, the production bike will have a DOHC twin of around 600cc rather than the Recursion’s 588cc SOHC. It’s also going to be better packaged, with a trellis frame for reduced weight.
7 Another supercharged Kawasaki
Like Suzuki, Kawasaki is convinced that forced induction is the way of the future, although it has concentrated on supercharging instead of turbos. While the furore around the H2 and H2R has died down a bit, the company’s next step will be to introduce a more mass-market supercharged machine. Little is known of the next supercharged model – Kawasaki has suggested several possible directions, including a more touring-oriented big bike or a smaller, naked design – but it’s expected to use the balanced supercharged idea it revealed on a concept at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show.
8 KTM RC16
Not a bike likely to be on your shopping list unless you’re a well-heeled trackday addict, but KTM’s production MotoGP bike will be a star of 2018 regardless. It’s promised to be barely toned down at all compared to the race versions and – unlike other limited-edition MotoGP replicas – there will be no attempt to make it road legal. KTM, sensibly, reckons its performance should be kept to the track (plus, of course, it won’t have to meet all that red tape). All the same, we reckon that some owners will work out a way to make them into roadies…
9 Suzuki Hayabusa
Suzuki hinted at the future of the Hayabusa with the Concept GSX sculpture in late 2015, and two years on we’re expecting to see the finished machine. It’s going to be interesting. While the ’Busa is still a legendary sports-tourer, since it was last revamped we’ve seen sharp-handling superbikes supersede it in terms of power, straight-line acceleration and top speed. Does that eliminate its raison d’être? And, if so, how will Suzuki respond? More power? More speed? Or perhaps a more mature approach to cater for customers who want performance without the compromises and discomfort of an out-and-out superbike?
10 Honda V4
We started with a V4 superbike, so let’s end our list with another. Honda has yet to officially confirm its plans for a new V4, but in this year – the 25th anniversary of the launch of the RC30 – it makes a lot of sense. Honda needs it, too. The newly revamped Fireblade is still largely carried over from its predecessor and has so far struggled against its racing rivals. A MotoGP-derived V4-powered homologation special is what we’re expecting to see, something that will sit alongside the ’Blade in the range rather than replacing it. The engine already exists – the V4 from the road-legal RC213V-S – but slotted into a mass-produced chassis that will drastically reduce costs compared to the hand-made limited edition. Some say it’s a 2018 model, others 2019, but either way we should see it at some stage before the end of next year.