The Best Beginner Motorcycles
Your first motorcycle should be light, forgiving, and easy to flat-foot at a stop: enough to keep you safe in traffic without overwhelming you. These are the bikes we put first-time riders on, ranked by how confidence-inspiring they are to actually learn on.
- 01Royal Enfield · adventure
Royal Enfield Himalayan
8.4A transformational leap over the old 411: the liquid-cooled Sherpa engine makes this the standout budget ADV, punching above its price.
Consensus from ADV Pulse · RideApart · GearJunkie
- Price
- $5,799
- Engine
- 452cc
- Power
- 40hp
- Seat
- 825mm
- 02Yamaha · naked
Yamaha MT-07
8.4A torquey CP2 twin in a light, friendly chassis whose 2024 fork and brake upgrades sharpen one of the most rewarding middleweight nakeds, though rivals now make more power.
Consensus from 1000PS · Cycle World · MCN
- Price
- $8,499
- Engine
- 689cc
- Power
- 73hp
- Seat
- 805mm
- 03Aprilia · sport
Aprilia RS 457
8.3A genuine small-bore sportbike with adjustable suspension, ride-by-wire modes, and full 35 kW A2 power in a light, premium-feeling aluminium chassis.
Consensus from 1000PS · MCN · RevZilla
- Price
- $6,799
- Engine
- 457cc
- Power
- 48hp
- Seat
- 800mm
- 04Honda · adventure
Honda CB500X
8.2The do-everything middleweight benchmark: plush, practical, and the most sensible A2 adventure-tourer on sale, if a touch tame.
Consensus from MCN · RevZilla · Bennetts
- Price
- $7,399
- Engine
- 471cc
- Power
- 47hp
- Seat
- 833mm
- 05KTM · naked
KTM 125 Duke
8.2The sharpest, best-equipped 125 on sale: a punchy single, full-colour TFT and grown-up chassis make it feel like a much bigger bike.
Consensus from MCN · Bennetts · Visordown
- Price
- $5,499
- Engine
- 125cc
- Power
- 15hp
- Seat
- 820mm
- 06Kawasaki · sport
Kawasaki Ninja 500
8.0A polished, easy-going A2 sportbike that builds on the brilliant Ninja 400, and one of the best-resolved entry sportbikes you can buy.
Consensus from RevZilla · MCN · Cycle World
- Price
- $5,299
- Engine
- 451cc
- Power
- 51hp
- Seat
- 785mm
- 07KTM · naked
KTM 390 Duke
8.0The sharpest, most feature-rich small naked on the market: fast and flickable, though vibration and patchy finish stop a clean sweep.
Consensus from RevZilla · Cycle World · MCN
- Price
- $5,899
- Engine
- 399cc
- Power
- 44hp
- Seat
- 820mm
- 08Yamaha · sport
Yamaha YZF-R3
8.0A refined, low-seat twin-cylinder entry sportbike that handles crisply on track and street, held back only by modest mid-range punch against single-cylinder rivals.
Consensus from 1000PS · Cycle World · Motorcycle.com
- Price
- $5,499
- Engine
- 321cc
- Power
- 42hp
- Seat
- 780mm
- 09Yamaha · sport
Yamaha YZF-R125
8.0A proper miniature supersport with R-series looks, variable valve timing and a quickshifter, the aspirational 125 for learners who want the full experience.
Consensus from MCN · Bennetts · Visordown
- Price
- $5,499
- Engine
- 125cc
- Power
- 15hp
- Seat
- 825mm
- 10Honda · cruiser
Honda Rebel 500
7.9A low, light, supremely approachable bobber-styled cruiser whose easy 46 hp twin and 690 mm seat make it one of the best first bikes around.
Consensus from 1000PS · Cycle World · RevZilla
- Price
- $6,499
- Engine
- 471cc
- Power
- 46hp
- Seat
- 690mm
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