Letโs be honest: Between pandemic-induced supply shortages and outrageous customer demand, 2021 was just not your year if you were in the market for a new bike.
The good news is that 2022 is shaping up to be one of the best new model years to date, and thereโs an absolute deluge of new bikes to get excited about. It was tough work, but we managed to whittle down the new motorcycles of 2022 to just five standout models weโre absolutely champing at the bit to throw a leg over:ย
- Best Naked Bike
- Best Adventure-Touring Bike
- Best Sportbike
- Best Weekend Trackday Bike
- Best Retro-Inspired Sportbike
2022 Indian FTR Carbon R
Best Naked Bike
Top features:
Stealthy, blacked-out Akrapoviฤ exhaust
17″ wheels with Metzeler Sportec tires & street tuned suspension
Carbon fiber bodywork & numbered carbon badging
When Indian introduced the FTR back in 2019, it was a milestone for American motorcycles. A powerful modern V-twin engine, a well-composed sporting chassis, and tough flat track styling built for the street.
Their latest top-spec model, the 2022 Indian FTR Carbon R, brings back everything we love from the original, but digs its heels into its sporting prowess with upgraded Ohlins suspension, 17-inch wheels front and rear, properly sticky Metzler Sportec tires, and updated fuel mapping for smoother throttle response and improved manners for cold starts.
| Spec | Metric |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 6 Speed Liquid Cooled 1203cc V-twin |
| Suspension | รhlins Fully Adjustable |
| Exhaust | Akrapoviฤ |
| Infotainment | 4.3-inch touchscreen powered by RIDE COMMAND |
| Standard Equipment | Lean Angle Sensitive Stability Control |
2022 Ducati DesertX
Best Adventure-Touring Bike
Top features:
Retro Dakar looks
Full Brembo braking system (front & rear)
110-hp 937cc L-Twin engine
Ducati may have arrived fashionably late to the off-road adventure bike segment, but the all-new 2022 Ducati DesertX appears to be worth the wait.
While its retro Dakar looks are outrageously cool, the Desert X is much more than a mere exercise in style. With proper 21/18-inch wire wheels, Pirelli Scorpion Rally tires, oodles of fuel capacity, and 110 horsepower on tap, this is a long-distance off-roader that means business.
| Spec | Metric |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | Water-cooled 937 cc Desmodromic 11ยฐ Testastretta engine |
| Power | 110 hp (81 kW) @ 9,250 rpm |
| Torque | 92 Nm (68 lb-ft, 9.4 kgm) @ 6,500 rpm |
| Dry Weight | 202 kg (445 lb) |
| Seat Height | 875 mm (34.4 in) |
2022 Buell Hammerhead
Best Sportbike
Top features:
1190cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine making 185 hp at 10600 rpm and 101.6 lb-ft.
Exposed trellis subframe
Updated styling with Heritage Colours or Carbon Fiber
American fan favorite Buell Motorcycles is scheduled to make its much-anticipated comeback in 2022, and although Mr. Erik Buell is no longer at the helm, the 2022 Buell Hammerhead is the first truly exciting American sportbike weโve seen sinceโฆ Wellโฆ The last Buell 1190RX.
While much about the Hammerheadโs spec and design is carried over from the original 1190RX reviewed here by motorcycles.com, the 2022 Buell Hammerhead gets updated styling and an impressive spec sheet to match.
With 185 ponies and 102 ft-lbs of torque from its 1190cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine, the latest Buell will not disappoint, and yes, itโll still carry all the quirky Buell features we love like a fuel-in-frame design, an 8-piston front caliper, and a massive 386mm single perimeter front rotor.
| Spec | Metric |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 72ยฐ V-Twin, Liquid Cooled, Four-stroke |
| Bore | 4.17 in. x 2.66in. (106 x 67.5 mm) |
| Displacement | 72.6 cu in. (1190cc) |
| Power | 185 hp @ 10,600 rpm |
| Torque | 101.6 ft-lbs. @ 8200 rpm (137.8 Nm @ 8200 rpm) |
2022 Triumph Street Triple 1200 RR
Best Weekend Trackday Bike
Top features:
Neo-retro cafe fairing, clip-on handlebars, more aggressive rearsets
Everything for 2022 brand-new from the ground up
Displacement up from 1,050cc to 1,160cc
Triumph has a knack for listening to their loyal fanbase, and the 2022 Triumph Street Triple 1200RR is the sport-focused big triple weโve been begging for.
The RR builds upon the same beloved 1,1600cc inline triple and aluminum twin-spar frame that make the original Street Triple such a joy to ride, but adds on a neo-retro cafe fairing, clip-on handlebars, more aggressive rearsets, and even semi-active Ohlins suspension to make it one of the most anticipated new motorcycles of 2022.
Itโs a thoroughly British take on the everymanโs weekend trackday weapon, and weโre looking forward to putting a few laps on one ourselves in 2022.
| Spec | Metric |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | Liquid-cooled, 12 valve, DOHC, inline 3-cylinder |
| Exhaust | Stainless steel 3 into 1 header system with underslung primary silencer and side mounted secondary silencer |
| Displacement | 72.6 cu in. (1190cc) |
| Power | 180 PS / 177.6 bhp (132.4 kW) @ 10,750 rpm |
| Torque | 125 Nm @ 9,000 rpm |
2022 Yamaha XSR900
Best Retro-Inspired Sportbike
Top features:
Completely new 889cc high-torque engine and lightweight aluminum chassis
All-new styling
Redesigned frame, lightweight spinforged wheels, and factory quickshifter
Yamahaโs XSR900 has been the retro sportbike of choice for discerning riders for years, a serious wolf in sheep’s clothing for anyone craving sportbike performance without the sportbike style or riding position. The 2022 model undergoes a complete restyling and features the latest version of Yamahaโs 890cc CP3 inline-triple powerplant.
Essentially, everything about the 2022 Yamaha XSR900 is redesigned from the ground up, featuring an all-new frame, lightweight spinforged wheels, and even a factory quickshifter, specced as standard equipment.
| Spec | Metric |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 890cc liquid-cooled DOHC inline 3-cylinder 4-stroke; 12 valves |
| Bore & Stroke | 78.0mm x 62.1mm |
| Transmission | 6-speed; multiplate assist-and-slipper wet clutch |
| Seat Height | 31.9 in |
| L x W x H | 84.8 in x 33.9 in x 45.5 in |
