We’ve talked about affordable motorcycles plenty (see Top 5 Cheapest Motorcycles 2022, Best Budget-Friendly Beginner Motorcycles, and Best Affordable Used Motorcycles for New Riders 2022), usually with an eye toward value, upkeep, and longevity. After all, “affordable” means saving money over the long haul, not just on the sales floor.
Curious about the other side of the affordability spectrum? Read the Top 5 Most Expensive Motorcycles 2022 and learn what Santa needs to get you this holiday season.
Sometimes affordable means inexpensive, as in cheap. New motorcycles are always a gamble, no matter the marque. Someone’s gotta be the guinea pig. Taking a flier on an untested brand comes with an upside; you look like a genius when it works out. If you’re feeling lucky, let’s look at some bikes that are affordable, period.
Couple of ground rules here. While the merits of dealerships are up for debate, anything on this list needs to be sold from a building with a lit sign in front and a person sweating out a monthly quota. And these motorcycles are inexpensive on the sticker. Motorcyclist makes no claim, guarantee, or implied level of durability for any of the motorcycles on this list.
Minibike: Honda Navi
As an unofficial Motorcyclist long-term test vehicle, the Honda Navi is paying dividends. The $1,692 saved by not buying a Grom paid for three weekends at the track, plus a cheap vacation to North Carolina. Any question about the Navi gets one answer: $1,807. What’s it got for horsepower? Enough for $1,807. Is it fun? Sure is, for $1,807. It’s an absolute steal. Sure, it can’t wheelie and it’s slower than anything 110cc has a right to be. But simple carburetion, a heavy clutch, and conservative variator weights mean more ponies are just an afternoon’s worth of work away.
Designed for the Indian market and discontinued in 2020, it found a second home on American shores in late 2021. The funky design is just faux-carbon fiber plastic and decals, but we stopped counting the times someone asked, “Is that thing electric?” With an average of 90-plus mpg (100-plus if you’re light on the throttle) in the city, it might as well be. The lockable storage space is OK, but an optional rear rack doesn’t do much for cargo. A simple air-cooled single-cylinder 109.2cc mill is mated to a CVT transmission optimized for longevity, fuel efficiency, and slowness. Not quite sold? Let’s say it again: It’s $1,807.
It took Motorcyclist a few months of searching before finding one, so start your search now.
ADV: Benelli TRK 502X or CFMoto 650 Adventura
This split decision comes courtesy of the imaginary (but very real) dividing line between 500 and 650cc. A 650 is practically a midsize ADV, a category that’s grown of late. A 500 is a bit of a stretch. That said, a new buyer gets a lot to like for cheap. Let’s start with the TRK 502X.
Owned by Qianjiang since 2005, Benellis are designed, developed, and marketed from Pesaro, Italy. Then they actually get made in Wenling, China. A liquid-cooled eight-valve parallel twin puts out 47.6 hp at 8,500 rpm, while a seat height of 33 inches keeps things democratic. Its 19- and 17-inch wheels bookend a 60-inch wheelbase that weighs in at 469.5 pounds dry. You get 140mm (5.5 inches) of travel in the front, 145mm (5.7 inches) aft.
None of these specs are particularly eye-opening until you get to the $6,399 price of the TRK 502X with the upswept exhaust, not the pedestrian TRK 502 with the underslung unit. It’s not the most dirt-capable machine. But you’re likely just starting your ADV journey, so it’s not like you’re not bombing fire roads at 50 mph yet. Just something to consider.
Then $400 more gets you an additional 147cc in the form of the $6,799 CFMoto (yes, they spell it with all caps) 650 Adventura. Hailing from Hangzhou, China, its ATVs are familiar to some on this side of the Pacific. The 650 Adventura employs a 649cc liquid-cooled parallel twin that produces 60 hp at 8,500 rpm. Genuine Bosch EFI feeds it, and a six-speed transmission with slipper clutch helps put it to pavement. A 33-inch seat height extends over a shorter 56-inch wheelbase that ends with 17-inch wheels front and back.
Again, nothing amazing stands out spec-wise. But that price, though. And it comes with standard hard bags and a 5-inch TFT. As is customary these days, ABS is standard, as are 120/70 front and 160/60 rear Metzeler tires. Besides ABS, there are no riding aids, but that’s unsurprising at this price point. Still not sold on the CFMoto name? Just cover it up with a sticker.
Midsize Naked/Sportbike: Suzuki GSX-S750Z ABS and Kawasaki Z900 ABS
The Suzuki GSX-S750Z ABS is technically the most affordable ($8,949 MSRP) midsize naked sportbike out there. That’s assuming you find a 2022 straggler at a dealership, since they’ve been discontinued for 2023. The new GSX-8S might be cheaper, but no price has been announced. Regardless, the tea leaves are clear. Everyone’s going parallel twin with 270 (or 285) degree crankshaft timing. It’s a simple matter of production redundancy. Inline-fours are good for one type of bike (these categories) and not much else. Twins can do yeoman’s work on multiple bike platforms.
Thankfully, we still live in a world with Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The Kawasaki Z900 ABS clocks in at $9,399 MSRP and four-wide. Enjoy the party while it lasts. Until someone turns on the lights you get a liquid-cooled DOHC 16-valve 948cc four-cylinder engine with 123 hp and 73.1 lb.-ft. of torque at 7,700 rpm. There are two power modes and Kawasaki’s own traction control. And if you’re cruising your local strip, the three-octave range of your Kawi four will increasingly set you apart from fellow twin and motard riders. All that speaks to value and fun, but the bottom line is it’s $400 less than the 117 hp Yamaha MT-09 triple. Is $400 more worth 4 fewer hp and one less cylinder? You could save $100 and get 299cc less with the Honda CB650R. Motorcyclist just reports. You decide.
Touring: Suzuki Boulevard C50T or Yamaha Tracer 9 GT
Touring is a funny thing. If a manufacturer just says “tour” it means expensive, like BMW. But add “sport” or “classic” and prices fall a couple grand. Although sometimes not. “Adventure” in front of “touring” also returns mixed results. Harley-Davidson calls it “Grand American Touring” which seems to add to the MSRP. But call it “cruiser touring” and prices drop precipitously.
Take the Suzuki Boulevard C50T, at just $10,059. You get a windshield, two saddlebags, and a 805cc 45-degree V-twin engine, fed by a 4.1-gallon tank surrounded by lots of chrome and whitewalls. And you get to keep several grand. You can afford all sorts of extra touring-related fun. Maybe ship your Boulevard to another country for maximum touring-ness? The classic look isn’t for everybody, but hey. You’re riding to see things, not be seen.
If you’re not of the chrome persuasion, you’ve got options. The “sport-touring” Yamaha Tracer 9 GT (not to be confused with the just-released Tracer 9 GT+) can be yours for $14,999. You get an 890cc triple that’s torquey and hauls twin 30-liter saddlebags, standard. The windshield and brush guards are adjustable for a variety of rider sizes. An optional top case also adds 50 liters for your touring consideration. And it’s almost $3K less than the BMW R 18 Classic, which frankly isn’t a classic yet.
But wait, there’s more. Add “supersport” and you’ve got the Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS, clocking in at $15,999. A mere $1,000 gets you an extra 462cc in the form of the classic ZX-14R four-cylinder engine (more or less). Plus, you get hard saddlebags (standard) and an electrically adjustable windshield to help you hurtle through time and space. The most affordable? Certainly not, but the value prop is worth a mention.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com