It’s that time of year when we award the biggest prize in Australian motorcycling
Welcome to AMCN’s Motorcycle of the Year for 2024, presented by National Motorcycle Insurance – the most anticipated test for readers, staff and the industry alike! This year AMCN has called upon the expertise of its dedicated fleet of bike testers, here in Australia and overseas, to determine the single greatest all-round motorcycle of the year – as judged against our tried and tested criteria. We’ve selected a cross-section of incredible bikes that show the current state of the industry and the huge choice Australian riders have at their disposal. After testing all of the major new bikes over the past 12 months, we’ve narrowed our choice down to the 10 you will devour over the following pages.
Importantly, rather than be compromised by exactly what models are available from importers in time for a single all-in test, we’ve decided to rate these individually by the experts who originally rode them. So without further ado, let’s get the judging underway!
THE FINALISTS
Here are our ten finalists in alphabetical order – click to read the full review of each bike:
• BMW R 1300 GS – $42,016
• CFMoto 450MT – $9490
• Ducati DesertX Rally – $36,800
• Royal Enfield Bear 650 – $11,690
• Suzuki GSX-8R – $14,990
• Suzuki GSX-S1000GX – $25,890
• Triumph R3 Storm – $38,890
• Yamaha MT-09 Y-AMT – $17,749
• Yamaha XSR900GP – $21,499
• Zero SR/F – $41,800
How we did this!
To determine our coveted MOTY, we wrangled together a line-up of bikes that showcases the smorgasbord of options we have in this country. From a budget-friendly adventure bike, to the rebirth of the OG adventure machine, a street-legal enduro beast that screams “challenge me!”, a neo-retro scrambler for the hipster in your soul, a tire-shredding supercruiser, and even a crossover bike with a personality disorder (it can’t decide between manual or automatic).
Middleweights? We’ve got you covered with a GP-throwback and a parallel-twin that’ll make you question why you ever needed four cylinders. And, of course, a performance electric bike because the future is now. After a year of riding everything we could throw a leg over, we’ve picked our top 10, then enlisted the adventurous souls who conducted their real-world tests, braving bugs, mud and questionable weather to tame them. We’re not here to pit apples against oranges (or enduro racers against cruisers). Instead, we’re asking: did these bikes nail their design brief? Are they breaking new ground? And, most importantly, are they slicing through the marketing fluff to truly deliver the goods? Let’s find out…
JUDGING CRITERIA
• BUILD QUALITY Does it feel like a fortress on wheels or something you’d find in a flat-pack kit?
• INNOVATION Is it pushing boundaries, or just slapping on some shiny paint and calling it a day?
• DESIGN BRIEF Did it nail the assignment, delivering to the rider what it promises to do on the tin?
• RELEVANCE OF FEATURES Does it have tech you’ll actually use, or just stuff to impress your mates at the pub?
• VALUE FOR MONEY Not just price, because a well-equipped expensive bike can still represent top value.
The Judges
David Watt – Age 40
Riding experience – Wattie arrived at AMCN about 12 years ago as runner-up in the Cover Hero comp and never really left. If he was Italian we could nickname him “Multistrada”. With the right tyres under him, this ex-racer can – and will – do just about anything.
Ben Grabham – Age 43
Riding experience – Riding since age three, off-road legend Grabbo has won everything from Finke (even with a broken hand) to Hattah, the Condo 750, the Australasian Safari and more. A stalwart for AMCN’s sister publication Australasian Dirt Bike, we’re chuffed to have him weigh in on MOTY24
Adam Child – Age 48
Riding experience – Adam has covered more miles testing bikes than there are pages in every issue of AMCN that has ever gone to print. A racer at both club and international level, “Chad” is equally at home on a superbike as he is on an enduro – and pretty much everything in between.
Kel Buckley – Age 43
Riding experience – One of Australia’s most experienced moto-journalists, Kel has ridden, tested and judged the best and worst of motorcycles in a career spanning two decades. A realist, she has finally bought her dream Nineties bike: a lightly modified Yamaha TRX850.
Sean Mooney – Age 52
Riding experience – Sean has been riding since he was 17 – from commuting on a ridiculous two-stroke to now riding (road and track, with the occasional off-road foray) all kinds of machines – some big, some small, some expensive, some cheap, some petrol, some electric… all great fun!
Sheena Watkins – Age 39
Riding experience – With 19 years in various industry roles, Sheena’s passion for biking has never faltered. She’s a professional weekend social rider, who loves a good catch-up and having a good gander at other people’s two-wheel joy factories.
Damien Pelletier – Age 47
Riding experience – Damien’s passion for bikes began as a teen thrashing a KX 125, then evolved through MotoGP-inspired track days. Now an adventure biking enthusiast, he still holds a soft spot for Kawasaki, despite owning a BMW K 1300 R.
Hail the king!
It’s official. The BMW R 1300 GS Triple Black has claimed the coveted title of AMCN Motorcycle of the Year 2024, but it was a close-run thing. This remarkable machine represents one of the most significant updates of the GS lineage, blending advanced technology with the classic features that have made the GS an aspirational favourite among touring and adventure riders since 1980.
It had to fend off two new and unlikely market segment challengers. Any cynicism that potential buyers may have had about tarmac-racing giant Ducati hitting the adventure trail with its DesertX in 2022 has been well and truly blown into the weeds with the DesertX Rally. It is arguably the pinnacle of a performance off-roader and only its price detracted from a near-perfect scorecard.
The other challenger was CFMoto’s 450MT, its first enduro-tourer. It so impressed our Finke desert racer tester that we had to include it in our MOTY. The 450MT scored strongly but was compromised in the numbers game by having a modest level of technology to keep the price down.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was Suzuki’s new GSX-8R sports twin. Nine out of 10 in the value-for-money rating was backed up by a similar score for having useful rider technology and eight out of 10 for build quality. AMCN believes that these types of mid-range twins and triples are going to underpin the sales success of all the major brands for decades to come.
This is why Royal Enfield didn’t just launch a restyled version of an existing twin when it rolled out the Bear – but made it the best-handling twin in its range. It rated an impressive fourth in our awards.
Build quality and a high level of rider tech helped Suzuki’s GSX-S1000GX squeeze ahead of CFMoto’s 450MT. It’s important to note here that if you are looking for one of the best interstate sports tourers, consider the Suzi. But if you want a budget but capable bushbasher, go for the CFMoto.
There was another close call when it came to Triumph’s Rocket 3 Storm and Yamaha’s XSR900 GP. Just one point separated the ultimate powercruiser from a credible GP throwback to the Nineties. Both honour a period when rules and regulations didn’t blunt the sheer fun of riding.
Zero’s electric SR/F scored high on innovation and relevant rider tech but, sadly, its pricing dragged it down in the ratings.
Which brings us to Yamaha’s MT-09 Y-AMT. It was always going to be up against it as the auto-gearchange option was its only major upgrade but Yamaha deserves top marks for bringing this new tech to a performance model, not a commuter.
The Scoreboard
“With the R 1300 GS, it’s like BMW went to Bunnings to fit three trolleys of goodies into one. Then made that trolley go, stop and handle like a go-kart.” – David Watt
“Exceptional build quality with a high level of finish and reliability. Ducati claimed it would be ready to take on the world – and it does.” – Adam Child
“Suzuki has pulled their socks up on their lower spec models. Affordable, comfortable, everyday sports bike, not too radical, works on the road and track.” – Adam Child
