Top ten new bikes for under £10k in 2019
We take our pick of the best bikes you can buy in 2019 for less than £10,000
10. Yamaha MT07 | £6,349
It may seem like the five-year-old MT07 is lumped in with much more expensive and more powerful competition but trust me, having spent many a mile with an MT’, the lack in capacity just makes it a more enjoyable bike to hoon around on.
Add to that a pokey yet frugal 70hp motor, excellent rider and passenger ergonomics and you also have, if you add a set of panniers and a tank bag, a surprisingly good mid to long distance tourer. Another feather or two in the hat of the Yamaha are low insurance cost, cheap servicing and low road tax. What’s not to like?!
9. Suzuki GSX-S 750 | £7,699
Take a 2005 GSX-R 750, whip the fairings off, hang some Renthals off the top yolk and clip the engines wings to the tune of about 40bhp and what do you have? A practical yet exciting roadster, that has the best induction howl this side of a race bike.
Our man Al had a GSX-S as his long term bike last year and loved the thing, trackdays, touring and even schlepping around town – read about how he got on here.
8. Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja | £9,499
Despite Kawasaki’s recent claims that the ’19 spec was an easier to live with machine, for most it’ll still be a sunny day or weekend weapon – hence it not being placed higher up this list.
With 130hp on tap, a ready to ride 196kg and suspension and frame geometry that are all designed to get the thing around a track in the shortest amount of time possible, a good road and a Ninja can make a long day feel very short indeed.
7. Ducati Scrambler Café Racer | £9,700
Adding a dollop of Italian cool to the list is Ducati’s air-cooled Scrambler variant, the Café Racer. With dropped clip-ons, a diddy fly-screen and those retro number boards, the Café Racer shouts hipster cool but is actually a surprisingly spritely bike to hustle down a road on.
The low weight and seat, unintimidating engine and decent service intervals also make the Scrambler range a perfect route into Ducati ownership for new or returning riders.
6. Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight | £9,995
There are cheaper H-Ds you can buy, Street 750 and Street Rod, but this is a proper, lump-engined torque-fest of a bike. Now, before you rush out to your nearest H-D dealership there are a couple of things to consider. The main one, no Harley leaves a dealership in standard trim. Even if you want it to sound like a Harley, you’re gonna have to pay for the privilege!
Once you’ve pulled your way clear of the aftermarket minefield, H-D ownership is actually a good place to be. Despite the company’s financial troubles and dwindling sales, the hardware they make has never been better. The brakes are better than you’ll expect, and the ride and handling are much improved over the older generation of bikes.
Head to page two for the top five >>>
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
