You might have seen that all the things prices too damned a lot. That features bikes. It’s turning into more and more widespread to search out bikes with asking costs in extra of some folks’s annual wage.
The Ducati V4 RS, for instance. That’s an EXCELLENT bike by all accounts, however will set you again £32,795. For comparability, the beginning wage of a practice driver is £27,000 a 12 months. A Band 5 NHS employee – normally somebody with a college diploma and some years of expertise underneath their belt – begins with a wage of £31,048.
Fortuitously, there are many nice bikes that may nonetheless be discovered for much less. They usually don’t must be generic machines. There are bikes with actual character and magnificence available for not an excessive amount of cash.
Setting the bar at £10,000, listed here are prime 10 picks – with lots of the bikes coming in effectively beneath price range. In no explicit order, they’re:
Yamaha MT-07 – burnout
Yamaha MT-07 – £7,704
Greater than a decade in the past, Yamaha rewrote the ‘bang to your buck’ playbook with its MT-07 and MT-09 fashions. Inexpensive and pleasant, they modified the sport and compelled each different producer to play catch up.
Sadly, the MT-09 has priced past the £10k mark since then, however the MT-07 stays comfortably inside vary. Powered by one of the vital fulfilling parallel-twin engines presently in the marketplace, this 689cc magnificence guarantees peak energy outputs of 72.4 bhp and 50.1 lb-ft of torque.
When you’re keen to step as much as £8,054, you may get the bike geared up with Yamaha’s acclaimed AMT automated transmission.
The agility of the brand new CB1000 Hornet is likely one of the bike’s standout options
Honda CB1000 Hornet – £9,099
Yamaha could have redefined worth again within the 2010s, however today its Honda placing everybody to disgrace with its unfathomably reasonably priced CB1000. There’s a lot bike right here, for thus little cash.
The bike’s 1000cc inline 4 pumps out a really respectable (although, admittedly, not class-beating) 155.5 bhp, and 76.7 lb-ft of torque. When Toad rode it, he described it as the most effective worth bike in the marketplace.
And for those who’re keen to go just a bit bit over price range, Honda affords the deliciously high-spec CB1000 SP for simply £10,099.
Triumph Velocity 400
Triumph Velocity 400 – £5,245
Providing markedly much less energy than the CB1000 (but in addition costing fairly a bit much less) is the no much less game-changing Triumph Velocity 400.
There have been some folks within the motorcycling world (sheepishly raises hand) who thought Triumph was making a foul resolution when it first unveiled its 400cc machinesr. Man, had been we incorrect. Providing up peak energy outputs of 39.5 bhp and 27.6 lb-ft of torque, the Velocity 400 – and barely pricier Scrambler 400 – have gone on to grow to be a few of the best-selling bikes within the UK. Toad has ridden each and spoke extremely of them.
Triumph’s 400s have additionally helped to set the sub-500cc market on fireplace, with a variety of producers now leaping in, together with Honda and BSA.
2025 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 – £6,599
Earlier than Triumph introduced out its 400s, Royal Enfield was dominating the sub-500cc class with bikes just like the Himalayan 450 and HNTR 350. These are nice machines in their very own proper, however for our cash, if we’re a Royal Enfield, we’re pining for the extra highly effective Interceptor 650.
Powered by a contemporary – however nonetheless air/oil-cooled – 650cc twin cylinder unit that produces an easy-to-ride and A2-compliant 47 bhp, the Interceptor has a retro authenticity that’s exhausting to beat. Visordown spent a full 12 months with one; right here’s what we discovered.
Largely unchanged since its 2018 introduction, the Interceptor is now provided with solid wheels, which implies tubeless tires – thereby resolving many riders’ sole grievance about this in any other case fashionable and easy-going platform.
2025 BSA Scrambler 650
BSA Scrambler 650 – £5,999
Barely much less highly effective however nonetheless aesthetically genuine, the BSA Scrambler 650 affords one other tackle retro driving. Pushed by a 652cc single, claiming peak energy figures of 45 hp at 6500 rpm and 40.5 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm, the Scrambler 650 is a motorbike that I discovered to be a complete lot of enjoyable in the appropriate circumstances.
It’s presumably not as all-round versatile because the Royal Enfield (or, in reality, any of the opposite bikes on this checklist), however the single-cylinder engine affords a singular and interesting expertise.
Moto Guzzi V7 Particular in Nero Smeraldo color scheme
Moto Guzzi V7 Particular – £8,900
Talking of contemporary retro machines: with a historical past stretching again roughly 60 years, Moto Guzzi’s V7 platform is, fairly merely, iconic.
As of this writing, Moto Guzzi affords three fashionable takes on the V7: the V7 Stone, V7 Sport, and V7 Particular. Every is powered by a transverse, air-cooled 853cc V-twin that claims 67.3 hp and 58.2 lb-ft of torque. The expertise of a Guzzi is the form of factor that conjures up some males to strive their hand at poetry. And when Phil West examined the V7 Sport, he provided it up as competitors for Triumph’s widespread Velocity Twin 900.
Magnificence is within the eye of the beholder, however we’re notably keen on the V7 Particular’s paint scheme and general aesthetic, which harkens again to the V7 platform’s early days – when it was really pushed by a 700cc powerplant.
Z650RS evaluation 2022
Kawasaki Z650RS – £7,799
If you would like retro styling however genuinely fashionable efficiency, Kawasaki’s Z650RS must be on the prime of your checklist.
Clearly influenced by bikes of the ‘70s however not enjoying dress-up, the Z650RS’s 649cc liquid-cooled parallel twin affords up 67.3 bhp and 47.2 lb-ft of torque.
Launched in 2021 as a 2022 mannequin, the Z650RS has typically discovered itself within the shadow of its greater and equally horny sibling, the Z900RS. This can be a disgrace, as a result of the 650 is a pleasure in its personal proper.
Suzuki V-Strom 800 RE – driving
Suzuki V-Strom 800RE – £8,899
Let’s be sincere: £10,000 could not go so far as it used to, but it surely’s nonetheless some huge cash. As such, it’s possible you’ll be on the lookout for a motorbike that may do some greater than a few of the machines above – one thing that’s extra of an all-rounder.
The V-Strom platform has by no means actually been ‘cool’ in an apparent manner, however has earned respect from riders for being so reliable and utilitarian. You received’t win numerous admiring seems at a motorbike meet, however it is possible for you to to journey to Athens and again with out incident.
Powered by a 776 liquid-cooled parallel twin engine boasting peak energy outputs of 83 bhp and 57 lb-ft of torque, the RE is the road-focused V-Strom 800. When Matt Robinson rode it for Visordown, he described it as “effectively value contemplating.”
Voge DS900X
Voge DS900X – £8,499
Chinese language producers have made progress by leaps and bounds in recent times. Add to {that a} suite of rider aids and technowhizzbangery that will price way more on a motorbike from a ‘conventional’ producer and you may see why they’re significantly threatening the previous manner of doing issues.
Made by the identical individuals who really construct the engines for BMW’s F 900 GS (Loncin Motor Co.), and utilizing the very same powerplant, the Voge DS900X has been turning numerous heads since its arrival within the UK market in 2024.
With an 895cc parallel-twin engine that provides up 93.9 bhp and 70.1 lb-ft or torque, the Voge DS900X was described as “the most effective Chinese language bike but” in our 2024 evaluation.
Kove 800X Rally
Kove 800X Rally – £9,499
The most costly bike on this checklist, the Kove 800X Rally is arguably additionally probably the greatest. Whereas the Voge and Suzuki are good journey bikes which might be usually meant to be stored on roads, the 800X Rally has been successful kudos from severe journey riders who get pleasure from pushing their machines far off the crushed path.
Kove is one other Chinese language model, began by former skilled moto-cross and enduro rider Zhang Xue. These foundations imply the model is extra devoted to the off-road aspect of issues.
Making use of the identical 799cc parallel twin engine that CFMoto produces for its 800MT-X, and KTM’s 790 Journey. Most energy is 95 bhp (though Kove’s UK web site incorrectly states 130 bhp) and 59 lb-ft of torque.
