Among EV motorcycles, the 2020 Zero SR/F sits front and center at the head of the class. Developed as Zero’s “halo” model, the SR/F is a finely crafted, traditionally styled streetbike intended to close the performance gap to internal-combustion motorcycles, and it does just that. In fact, this American-made machine produced 146.5 pound-feet of torque and 100 hp at its rear wheel on the Cycle World dyno. Zero also offers a SR/F Premium model, which comes with a 6kW rapid charger that cuts “fill-up” time by half at a Level 2 station, plus a fly screen, heated handgrips, and aluminum bar ends.

After testing the Zero Motorcycle SR/F Premium, Road Test Editor Michael Gilbert noted, “The lack of clutch and gearbox paired with medium-distance range makes this electric bike seriously useful as around-town transportation with the capability of tackling a few miles of twisties in between while retaining a natural motorcycle riding experience.” This blend of outright performance and utilitarian features makes for an entertaining yet purposeful riding experience, and charging comes easily in any location welcoming to EV vehicles, likely including your own home.

Before adventure-touring motorcycles became the en vogue mode of long-distance two-wheel travel, sport-touring rigs were the sensible rider’s choice for canyon carving and pounding the interstate. Let’s face it: They’re comfortable, plenty fast, and—if a tendency styling-wise to veer toward the codgerly doesn’t bother you—pretty close to ideal for most on-road riding scenarios. The 2020 Yamaha FJR1300ES is the archetypal sport-tourer. Powered by a 1.3-liter inline four of the non-crossplane genus, the soundtrack and smooth-running nature of the FJR are as tried and true as its form factor.

Considering the FJR1300 was last updated in 2016, some sticker shock may accompany its $18K MSRP, but this bike has many useful features, including cornering lights, linked antilock brakes, and three throttle modes. For that coin, however, we’d like lean-angle-sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, a TFT dash, and a quickshifter—all available on one of the FJR’s competitors, the identically priced Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT. While the FJR’s electronics package is dated, we’d venture to say that for some riders, the latest tech is less important than a comfortable seat, heated handgrips, and integrated hard luggage, all features the FJR does possess.

Heavily updated in 2019, the Suzuki RM-Z250 returns for 2020 with only color and graphics updates. While the new black-and-blue packaging looks great on this yellow motocrosser, the stiffly set up KYB AOS (Air-Oil Separate) fork and KYB shock, combined with a fairly rigid chassis, result in a firm ride bordering on uncomfortable for riders who weigh less than 190 pounds. Upside is, the Suzuki corner easily. The engine offers good low-end and midrange power, but signs off at higher rpm; short-shifting is a necessity. It’s also worth noting the RM-Z250 is one of only two models in this class that still come with a kickstarter. Thankfully, the engine starts fairly easily.

So, while this Suzuki doesn’t offer the best package straight off the showroom floor, it has room for improvement with aftermarket modifications. Overall, it’s still a very good motorcycle. “With some suspension work, the Suzuki could be a good racebike,” tester Allan Brown wrote about the RM-Z250. “It won’t be the fastest but, because it’s easy to ride, has a comfortable cockpit, and corners well, you just might find yourself going faster on the stopwatch than you expected.”

The Yamaha MT-07 is adored by pretty much anyone who enjoys a motorcycle that’s easy to ride, has a ton of engine character, and balances its excellent performance and features with sub-$8K affordability. If you want most of what the MT-07 has to offer but prefer a more classically styled machine, the XSR700 may be the bike for you. It’s essentially an MT-07 but with a slightly more relaxed handlebar, seat, and footpeg relationship and a retro makeover that nods to Yamaha’s air-cooled 1970–1983 XS series of motorcycles, a model range about as perpetually en vogue with customizers as two- and four-cylinder Honda CBs from the same era.

The XSR700 is not, however, a retro clone. There are no faux carburetors or cooling fins here, thank you very much. The XSR700 proudly displays its modern liquid-cooled 689cc crossplane parallel-twin and “diamond-type” single-shock steel frame. With antilock brakes, cast aluminum wheels, and a modern liquid-crystal display, the XSR treads into the past without sacrificing its versatile MT roots. For 2020, the XSR gets a new Radical White/Rapid Red paint scheme with gold rims and keeps its $8,499 MSRP.

Motorcyclists can be a nostalgic bunch. Which is why dealer showroom floors are flooded with bikes that are dead ringers for those of yesteryear. A taste for classic aesthetics, however, doesn’t have to veer toward a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past. Take the 2020 Yamaha XSR900: If it fell from the heavens in the mid-1960s, this three-cylinder machine would have looked unusual, sure, but still recognizable as a motorcycle. In 2020, the “neo-retro” style—as Yamaha calls it—doesn’t try to be anything other than just plain cool, especially in its new mid-1980s RZ350-esque Radical White/Rapid Red paint scheme.

Described by one editor as “fun in nearly all riding situations,” the XSR900 is based on the MT-09, so it borrows that bike’s 847cc crossplane triple and aluminum frame. The inverted fork and shock are adjustable, antilock brakes are standard, and electronic rider aids include D-Mode selectable throttle response and two levels of traction-control intervention, plus “off.” Retailing for a buck less than $9,500, the XSR900 is only $1K pricier than an XSR700. For that money, you get another cylinder, additional performance, higher-spec componentry, and more sophisticated technology.

Following Ten Best victories for the Yamaha FZ-09 in 2014 and ’15, it’s no surprise that the retro-style XSR900 found its way onto Cycle World’s respected list in 2016, topping the Best Middleweight Streetbike category. The three-cylinder XSR won the hearts of editors for its versatility, performance, and affordability.

For 2020, Yamaha once again offers the Super Ténéré ES in a single color: Ceramic Ice. Otherwise, this twin-cylinder adventure-tourer remains unchanged since its most recent update in 2014. But as ADV bikes continue to evolve for evermore specific niches, the Super Ténéré toes the line. Indeed, this category comprises everything from superbikes with long-travel suspension to Dakar Rally-inspired middleweights that nod to the category’s genesis, as well as smaller-bore machines that don’t need 8-gallon gas tanks to cover a bazillion miles and off-road-focused models with touchscreens and Apple CarPlay. What a time to be alive and ride motorcycles.

The Super Ténéré represents the adventure bike as we’ve long known it. You can cover long distances in relative comfort, carry luggage and a passenger, and travel unpaved roads. And, at $16,299, it’s sensibly priced compared to other liter-plus ADVs. While it may not be as sophisticated as other models, the Super Ténéré has three ride modes, linked ABS, and electronically adjustable suspension. The big parallel twin features a 270-degree crank and puts power to the ground via shaft final drive. In other words, it’s probably more sophisticated than your hatchback.