With the beginning of each new year, there is so much to look forward to. Every year brings improvements to the technology, the look and shape of bikes, and new options for customization. This year is one to be excited about because there are a lot of bikes on our Christmas wish list.
Some of the bikes of 2018 are more appealing because they have juiced up their engines and added more horsepower than we will ever need, some for their technological advances and some for their dynamic abilities. In the wake of higher horsepower and faster design, it is important to highlight the need for safety precautions when operating these incredible machines. The following are three bikes that we are looking forward to hitting the market after the new year.
2018 Ducati Panigale V4
Ducati has made the promise that this year’s Panigale will mark the year that they have worked out every bug and kink in the infamous dysfunctional chassis. Ducati has put a 226-horsepower motor (or 214 hp if you skip the full titanium exhaust) on a 430-pound bike. This will be the first mass-produced Ducati bike on the market that has a 4-cylinder engine. Those motorcycle tires will be turning at 14,000 rpm. The bike is equipped with an impressive technological feature: a counter-rotating crank. It will help to keep the nose of the bike down during acceleration and enable drivers to take turns faster than ever before.
2018 Kawasaki H2 SX
A sport-touring machine with a supercharger? Yes, please. The motor is the same 1,000cc engine as the H2s of the past but has been fined tuned to provide more torque than before. The engine has newly designed pistons, cylinder head, cylinder, crankshaft, camshafts , throttle bodies and exhaust system. It may sound like a whole new bike, but the reality is that they took a great engine and just made it that much better. This is a good option for a mid-land bike, being more fuel efficient and having less torque than some street bikes, and the heat management system allows for longer and more comfortable rides.
2018 Harley Davidson Sport Glide
This is the bike that you want to see Santa leave in your driveway this year. It is a light-to-medium sport bike that would be great for cruising, commuting or touring. This overall comfortable, yet powerful bike should appeal to any Harley enthusiast out there. It comes with saddle bags and a windscreen for those longer rides or trips to the grocery store on the way home from work. It has a lower seat to allow for more people of shorter heights to ride this bike.
Best Practices
As motorcycle manufacturers continue to bulk up their motors’ horsepower and move towards mass production to make them more accessible to the public it is necessary to be safer than ever. Take all the safety precautions possible before jumping on one of the newest and best models to prepare for potential mishaps, as well as to protect yourself from other drivers. Additionally, do not replace parts on your bike with cheap imports or the wrong size or shape of motorcycle tires to avoid potential breakdowns or tire blow outs. Make sure to check your tires and oil before heading out on long trips to avoid any potential harm to yourself or your bike. Do your research and know what you are looking for in a bike before buying the first flashy one that catches your eye.