Fifteen bikes. One crown. The fight for MOTY 2025 begins here…

Every year, the motorcycle world raises the bar. More sophisticated engines that meet the toughest pollution regulations, smarter electronics, sharper styling… each new release promises to be the one that changes the game. But only a handful actually do.

In 2025, AMCN’s testers flogged dozens of new models on road, track and dirt. Some impressed. Some underwhelmed. A select few stood out enough to earn a place on the shortlist for our annual Motorcycle of the Year award, presented by National Motorcycle Insurance.

And now the shortlist is locked in: 15 motorcycles that represent the very best of 2025, each one judged on what it sets out to do – performance, value, design, tech and how it actually works in the real world.

Of course, the job isn’t done yet. From here, our panel of riders and reviewers will take this pack of 15 and carve it down to a final Top 10 in the upcoming Motorcycle of the Year Special Issue.

And when that issue lands, we’ll reveal the one machine that rises above them all – the official AMCN Motorcycle of the Year for 2025.

So what’s in the mix? Let’s take a look at the class of 2025:

• Honda Hornet CB1000SP  All-rounder that rocks and continues Honda’s inline-four naked dynasty.

• Savic C-Series Aussie-built electric dream proves that silence can scream.

• Yamaha YZF-R9 Foundation for next-gen supersport racing and one to watch for the track rats.

• CFMoto 450 SR S Value-packed pocket rocket that punches above its class.

• Royal Enfield Classic 650 Genuine charm and usable performance in a classic reinvented for modern riders.

• Ducati Hypermotard Irrepressible wild child.

• Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS Three bikes in one: naked muscle, road weapon and track tool.

• Ducati Panigale V4 S Hi-tech, high-performance flagship sets the standard.

• Yamaha Tenere 700 Bestseller made even better after listening to the fans.

• Kawasaki Z900 Updated with rider tech but still carrying the raw edge that made it Stone’s cult hit.

• Ducati Streetfighter V4 S Specced-up rocketship that’s as ferocious as it looks.

• BMW M 1000 R Competition Insane performance, stripped bare on a naked chassis.

• CFMoto 500SR VOOM First Chinese four-pot to hit Aussie shores in a shot across the bows of established rivals.

• BMW R 12 G/S Style and substance rolled into a retro rebuild done right.

• KTM 390 Adventure R Small-framed sluggard with huge potential for adventure.

So that’s the field! Each with a legitimate claim to the throne. From here, things only get more intense. In the weeks ahead, our expert panel will vote, argue and debate every strength and weakness until just 10 bikes remain. And then? Only one will claim the title of AMCN Motorcycle of the Year 2025.

So place your bets, start your arguments and get ready. Because if this year’s shortlist proves anything, it’s that we’re living in a golden age of two wheels.