BEST BIKES AND DEALS FOR 2018
Want to get your hands on the hottest bikes of 2018 without spending a fortune? Here are the best deals to help you get started.
Welcome to 2018! Okay, we know it all kicked off a while back, but when it comes to bikes, 2018 is just about ready to go. The weather should be picking up any time now, the hardcore winter riders will be taking off a layer of thermal underwear, and bike dealers up and down the country will be primping up their window displays with all the hot new metal for 2018.
What we’ve done here, then, is gather together all the new bikes, along with the pick of the 2017 crop, and worked out the best prices, deals and finance packages for each bike. Some of the firms haven’t got exact prices and finance packages ready as yet – but we’ve put in educated guesses where needed. So sit back, flick through and check just how great a deal you can get on some sweet new 2018 metal.
For more deals and the latest offers, all the bike manufacturers have excellent online finance calculators, which let you type in your desired deposit, monthly payment, time period and much more. You can tweak the deals almost infinitely to suit your needs. Head to the firms’ websites to find the perfect finance deal for you.
Kawasaki was just pipped to the ‘first superbike’ post back in 1969 when Honda pulled the CB750 out of the bag. But its Z1 was arguably the better bike when it finally came along three years later. And now, for 2018, Kawasaki’s paying homage to its Suzuki’s only new model for 2018, the SV650 X is a scrambler-type update, with sharp styling and a natty little nosecone that livens up the SV650’s looks a treat. We’re fans of the SV here at MCM: it’s much more than just a novice bike, and you can have a proper laugh on one. Eminently practical of course, and with the new X version, on-point styling too. It’s only a few hundred quid more than the base SV too – Suzuki’s offering it at a special ‘launch
price’ of £5999 OTR just now. original bruiser, with the Z900RS. We love the looks (especially the Café version), and it goes very well on the road too. It makes 30bhp more than the original Z1, with 110bhp, and weighs at least 30kg less too. Kawasaki’s not gone crazy with the pricing either. The base model starts at £9899, with paint options adding a couple of hundred. The lush Café version costs £10,349, and is worth every penny we’d say… Finally, the Austrian orangeophiles get a much-needed middleweight to fill the gap in their range. KTM engineers have been working on the 800-class twin motor in the new Duke for a few years now, and the results look pretty impressive. Over 100bhp in a 169kg dry package, with stacks of tech and super-sharp styling spells madness, and this is one of the bikes we’re most looking forward to slinging a leg over this year.
KTM’s announced the price of the 790 Duke as £8499, which is pretty impressive for the spec. As we went to press KTM UK hadn’t finalised PCP finance deals, but here’s an example of a hire purchase deal: