Picked my Suzuki 8 up a week ago after not owning a bike for 16 years I’ve 170 miles on her 2 up with my wife what a bike the low down power is unreal my previous bikes were 2007 r6,2003 cbr600rr, this Suzuki is perfect for me I plan on touring Scotland next year on her

This is by far the best comparison video I`ve seen this year. I love the fact that you guys talk about how each aspect of these bikes "feel" rather then sticking to just the spec sheets. Congrats!

Ladies and gents, for the 4,000 people so far who've asked the same question... you're quite right, there were no Kawasaki, Triumph or Aprilia models included. You can probably tell that by the title. We deliberately chose the two main new parallel twins for 2023 (Honda and Suzuki), plus the KTM because it had been reintroduced for this year, is a parallel twin, and comes closest in the terms of spec and price. Then what better to include that the existing and long-term champ, the Yamaha. We talk about rivals in the film, and encouraged you to get involved, so thank you for doing so... and do keep it up, but don't keep saying the same thing: "No "!

I understand the KTM winning but people won't buy them to me that GSX8S is the winner looks great lots of low down torque reliable shifter blipper good suspension clocks etc a bike you could live with whatever your skil level

I think Suzuki is the best IMO. Most universal, reliable, with wide power train, this bike just want to go no matter what, and I've seen it's power curve, its magic how flat it is!

Thanks for the review guys, these multi bike shows are always a great watch and much appreciated.

The one thing that rules out the KTM is the cam wear issue. Many of the 790s and 890s show disasterous cam wear at 10 to 20,000 miles. Like up to 2mm grooves in the cams. KTM are doing as little as possible as many bikes are 2+years old by the time this problem arrives. Check ADV rider where this issue keeps coming up.

The Yamaha was too outdated / budge for me. KTM a little… too KTM (if you know what I mean). I tried the Honda - nice, very close, a little too ‘built-to-a-price’ and steering was a little too live - then tried the 8S - bingo, perfect. I’ve not looked back since - love my little Suzuki, fantastic bike. I get loads of nods out on the road and haven’t seen another one yet, so it feels special.

This is grate the four of you together having a chat, more of these :))

Once again I have to say, I love this style of. review, really digs into the nitty gritty of the bikes, and from different perspectives. Great stuff 😊

Really happy the riding position was spoken about with various peoples heights and what not. Always gets missed. Gives people great information when a test ride is not always available

It is so good to watch 4 guys talk sense about motorcycles. I know all the terminology and appreciate the time you have put into making this film. I just wouldn't have a parallel twin if it was free. I did win the NMM's 2018 Winter Raffle and just couldn't bare seeing it in my garage too long. I am a single and four cylinder engine nut, two stroke and four. All the best.

Nice round up ... although I may be biased as I bought a new 790 Duke back in 2019 after having an MT07 for 14 months from new (after a list of older bikes over almost 20 years riding). The MT was the most modern bike I'd owned and was a load of fun for a while .. but it is still pretty basic and the limits can be found without pushing it too much. Stepping up to the 790 was a blast ... loads more power and torque, far more agile chassis and suspension, a whole suite of decent electronic toys to play with .. it just felt like a much more mature package. The MT is a cracking bike for sure, I don't regret owning one at all ... but the 790 is definitely in a higher league, as are the Honda and Suzuki.

An hour of pleasure. And that doesn't happen often at my age, now. Great to hear the great voices of modern motorcycling. Ride safe, happy travels 👍

This format works really well. More please!

Great review and they are all really nice bikes. The Suzuki is only €250 more than the Honda here in Ireland, the Ktm is €1,000 more. I think reliability has to be part of the decision and for me, you just know the Suzuki is going to be bullet proof. Don't think you can say that about the Ktm. The looks of the Honda doesn't do it any favours, the Mt still looks great. For me it's the Suzuki, every day of the week and twice on Sunday 😂😂

This has to be the best review of these bikes, well done lads

Really enjoyed this chat....appreciated all of your insights into these bikes. As a former owner of a gen1 MT07 got to admit that 2023 two parallel cylinder class has been really elevated with the other three newer bikes. Wish you had the Trident 660 over there as well for full comparison! Great talk 🎉

Thank you for this. Really good to hear the four of you, all actually knowing what you are talking about. Very interesting.

But! When one actually OWNS one of these, what you DON'T want to do is spend too much time at a dealer or pay too much/wait too long for parts. That, for me, takes the KTM right off the list. That little bit you get from it would sour pretty damned quickly after a few unscheduled trips to the dealer. Truly great to see, though, every one of these would do it, and kudos to Suzuki!

The chinese KTM may be as reliable as an austrian KTM but an austrian KTM is nowhere near as reliable as the japanese bikes.

KTM duke 790 owner, chosen after reading a lot about it. Among other type of bikes, on this particular segment came from a Ducati monster 821, that had for 5 years after an initial sv650. About the duke, I really have to say it is a wonder of engineering. What an incredibly fun, easy, powerful machine. The amount of confidence it delivers, making you feel like you're a super skilled rider, is really amazing.

This was a good one, i enjoyed it a lot..

Fantastic analysis of the 4 bikes……really nice to watch some calm informative feedback and review instead of the standard on board shouting through a go pro stuff that you normally find on you tube. It surprises me a bit how so many riders find the hornet small and cramped…..I test rode the street triple r and hornet back to back and actually to me apart from the seat height the hornet felt more substantial (and comfortable) and if you check the specs of both bikes the ST is actually smaller in dimensions than the hornet. I also felt the hornets power was more accessible than the ST which for me = more fun ! No doubt the ST is a great bike….I ordered the hornet….delivery in September, can’t wait ! Thanks again BBS for an entertaining hour 👍

Super content as always fellas

That Suzuki is a phenomenal package and looks the part too. Can't wait to see them de-restricted.

Enjoyed that, thank you guys.

I really really enjoyed this..thanks guys

Thanks for helping me narrow down middleweight contenders - 600 miles into KTM 790 Duke ownership has be thinking no street machine could possibly be more satisfying.

Great review gentlemen! 😍

Have the 790 Duke myself, love it, and daily usage for commuting. Greets from Austria, Tom

That was long wasn't it... but loved it, really thorough. Well done.

Awesome guy's cheers 👍🏻

Just did 50 miles on my Hornet in the POURING rain back from the dealer. The Hornet is an absolute delight to ride, and really easy to handle which was vital as this is my first bike after getting full licence. It's a lovely machine and I am very happy. Now I just need some proper wet weather gear, this jacket wasn't as water proof as it's description made out!

Really enjoyed that review. Brilliant 👍

Hi, great video, I’ve been biking for 40 years. Had a nasty crash over the winter which wrote off my z900 2019. I wanted something lighter as I’m still recovering from the broken leg, shoulder etc. Test rode the hornet in April then the KTM straight after. Rode the KTM twice as far on the demo before I headed back. In April they had 3.9% finance & free quickshifter so I ordered a KTM, got it later that month. 3000 miles later it’s a great bike. You pointed out the better motor & suspension, it just seemed a better bike all round. I rode the Yamaha a few times after launch but couldn’t face the poor standard suspension. All the best guys 👏😎👍🏍

Thank you great fun watching you perfect review

Couldn't sleep tonight so I thought I would watch this to help me. I have now watched it and I'm still awake. I found it very interesting as I own a new Hornet and love it. I agree with most of what you said but for me I had 7 grand to spend and the Hornet was the only one that came in at that price. I sold a 390duke to buy it and did try the 790 a few years ago but wasn't blown away by it at the time. Not sure why. I've owned loads of bikes and the Hornet is as much fun as any of them on the road. I also think it's got loads of bottom end power. I'm surprised it didn't come out on top to be honest after you said it was cheapest, sounded the best, steered the quickest, had a great quick shifter, the most storage and the biggest tank for better range. I'm quite small so fit it well and love the dash which has 4 different layouts to choose from. I do agree it can get out of shape a bit at speed and it's not the best looking of the bunch but better looking than the MT07!! Anyway a great review of 4 fantastic machines and no the triumphs being triples shouldn't have been included in this test I don't think but I would like to see a test between the Hornet and the new CFmoto 800nk as they're both 7 grand. Also the 790duke and the CFmoto 800nk as they share the same engine.

The best comparison yet. Great job.

I've had 2 Ktm 790 Dukes, first one brand new in 2021, I returned under warranty to dealership after 300km, leaked oil from 3 different parts of cylinder head and second one they gave me I had since then, lasted until now at 5500km before same leak appeared and counter shaft leak. Very fun bike, rides like no other but never ever anymore! Out of warranty and prepare 2k$ to fix it!!

That was a proper review👍

I wish we had the same prices here in Denmark. Yamaha - 95k, Suzuki and Honda - 100k and the KTM IS 120k. I would choose the Suzuki from new and KTM as second hand. Great vid 👍

Suzuki 8S well balanced bike 🤩🤩🤩 I ride it on daily basis

Great in depth review ❤ Love the format - much netter than one reviewers opinion.

My 2019 Suzuki Katana is my best naked bike. Character, best Gixxer engine ever, easy maintain, reliable & best value for money and finally something so different to this lot.

That was brilliant. Please do the same for the category above. Mt09, Street Triple, Monster, 890

haven't ridden any of them and the Hornet isn't even available near me so this was just neat to listen to :)

Really compelling format; the similar test you did a couple of years ago with the Tiger 900, Tracer GT etc is still in my favourites list. I find the group of you (who consist of most of my favourite roadtesting bike gurus in one…. barn? Partly-completed garage?) in discussion far more informative and engaging than one reviewer standing by a bike reading a list of specs. I’ll caveat that by saying that I DO enjoy more conventional road tests/launch reports and understand that this format must take a lot of organising, coordinating schedules and logistics but when you can do them, I will definitely pay attention, even if I’m not that interested in any of the bikes being reviewed. Which is the case here, though I’m being tickled by the idea of the KTM’s slightly bigger brother as a track bike. So thank you quite a lotly, please keep them coming and if you could do a similar gig for the next-level up nakeds/semi-najeds such as KTM 890R, Triumph Street Triple RS, Aprilia RS660/Tuono 660 Factory, that’d be super

Thanks for an interesting comparison between these. I think you have many viewers from overseas where meter is the unit and liters/km is revised. Please also use the measurements in future. Having said that, your tests are super 👍😊 Thanks!!

i love that you guys included economy. Many reviewers overlook this

Triumph Trident, Ducati Monster, Aprilia Tuono!!!! See how this works, you give us this excellent review and we just want more 🙂

Brilliant. What a great man

Great video, I have to say as a shorty 5 foot 4 I really struggle with most bikes, as seat heights have increased so much

I chose the Honda. I drove 9000 km with it this year. I'm completely satisfied.

Just what i was looking for im after an upgrade for my 390 duke and the hornet 8s and 790 are going to be tested soon

Love the 2023 MT-07. Big fan

Thanks for the excellent video. I especially liked it that included four individual opinions. I'm looking to upgrade to one of these from my current Duke 390 but live in the US so I'm forced to wait till 2024 when the Hornet is rumored to be released for sale here. Will reserve my final opinion till I can see my current favorite Hornet which sounds like the best fit for me with the possible exception of the suspension which is easily upgraded if necessary.

Gr8 review :) I'm currently riding a Trident 660, and was looking at getting a 790 Duke next year. This video convinced me even more in favour of the KTM, compared to the rest of the midi naked category. I'm also 6' tall and feel the Trident is also a bit cramped.

I bought the Hornet in April and have loved every minute of riding it. I’m 66 and the big GS was getting a bit too heavy for me to manoeuvre around. I wanted something I could have a relaxed ride on, that was light and easy to ride and get my feet on the floor but you could have some fun with if you pulled the throttle back. The bike has cost me in total (with all the extras) £10,250 and I’m getting 69.2 MPG out of it. Really enjoyed your review

Thanks for the review. I am very interested in this (and another 2 bikes) for my next bike and would be great if you can do top 10 things you like/don’t like about this bike. Couple of questions I had were 1. Any vibrations (at motorway speeds) 2. I couldn’t find any major updates since 2020 but wondering if there are any new features I would miss out by buying an older bike (2020 onwards). Thanks in advance🙏

It’s great that there are so many good middle weight naked to choose from. I think I like the Suzuki best personally (but haven’t ridden the Honda or KTM!)

One of the best reviews/evaluations I ever saw. Great opinions from a wide range of experience. By the way, the KTM gets almost 105hp in the states(no A2 here).

Although KTM ranks first in terms of the criteria you have discussed here, it ranks last for me due to reliability problems. So my preference would be between Honda or Suzuki.

Great review Lads - I think it is a case of you need to test all and ride all a few times before you lay down some coin.

As some have already mentioned, the new 790 Duke is down on power compared to the first model (95bhp compared to 105bhp) and doesn't have all the same tech and quickshifter/blipper as standard. It's also made in China now. I owned a 2020 original model and while a good bike it had several issues...leaking sprocket and thermostat housing, rust appearing on the engine block after 9 months of mainly dry non winter use, bike cutting out on downshifts. Hopefully, these things have been rectified

Good discussion

I ended up buying the Hornet. I test rode the mt07, Hornet, sv650, and kawa 650. The 8s wasn’t out yet and I have read to much about KTM and people having problems with them, plus like you said it’s built in China now.. I will never buy a new motorcycle that’s built in China. I really liked riding the sv650, it felt really comfortable and sounded gorgeous with the Yosi pipe and I couldn’t complain about anything, but I felt it was just a old bike with new paint. The Kawa just isn’t me, the way it looks and I absolutely hate the sound of it. Rides fine just underpowered. I really really liked the mt07, I love the look and sound, but it’s a harsh ride and the seat is really hard compared to the others. I ended up buying the Hornet because it was the one with most power and comfort.. I am honest I absolutely hate the look of the Hornet. It looks boring and like the 500 and I never liked the look of that either. If they could put the Hornet motor in the mt07 and put another suspension in, I would be 😍 I am a new rider, but I can feel what you are talking about on the Hornet wenn pushing it in corners. I do love how easy it is to flick into corners though. I bought the yellow one, it’s a lot nicer irl. The red color on the black and white Hornet. I hate that color cause it makes the bike look cheap..

Great, balanced comparison. I haven't ridden any of these but would consider them as a second bike. I think I'd go for the Suzuki on looks and low down grunt. I always like the idea of a KTM but would I own one? Probably not. I've heard too many horror stories about reliability issues. Maybe a Chinese built one will be better though! Despite being a Yamaha owner I think the MT07 has had its day. I like the Hornet in red and white but I've seen it and strikes me as too small.

Suzuki all the way,..mainly because I think if you have years of experience you naturally would love the torque characteristics of the Suzuki ,.. well I did anyway 👍

I think the Suzuki is a tremendous value; I'd love to see what it can do with clip-ons, suspension mods, brembo brakes, and power mods.

I had the 2019 390 and made the switch to 2021 790. And still love it

I think the reason why the Hornet might feels like a smaller bike is due to the level of the tank and pilon seat. Since You’re not sitting “on top of” but rather “in” the bike you have a feeling of being relatively low (which is only emphasised by the seat height, which is pretty low).

A removable subframe would be nice on a road bike if, as happened to me, a little tap by an inattentive driver bends the rear tip of the frame, causing a total loss of the bike (a CB500F) according to the Honda dealer. I took a little compensatory cash from the driver and removed the steel license plate hanger that got bent along with the frame, and ride with my plate zip-tied to a plastic bit. But a 2 mph bump totalling the bike? Please make the rear subframe removable for middleweight nakeds, and certainly for middleweight ADVs. I'm looking at you, Transalp. Suzuki it is.

Great review. I wonder what the CF Moto version of the 790 will be like.

Thanks for commenting on tank size, mileage and range. 1 of my local rides is 220km between fuel stops. Mandatory for me to have a bike that can make that distance while riding spirited

"The Honda struggles a bit, visually." I do appreciate dry understatement.

Suzuki for me kTM are a rip off expecting you to pay out for extras, Great comparison 👏

Great review. I think I would prefer the KTM 790. But not trusting KTM to be reliable I went with the Suzuki. Love the low to mid range. Would like a little more pull on top. Hopefully an ECU flash will solve that. Oh and Yohimura to solve that tail section.

I will be buying a hornet,I personally like the looks, originally I thought the white but changed my mind to the grey one.

Really great thorough comparison guys. Out of interest was there any suspension twiddling on any of them, if so, did it help?

Wanted a second bike to use around the country lanes so test rode the Hornet and S8 back to back 3 weeks ago and bought the S8. I felt the engine was better, had more grunt, none of these bikes need to be screamed on the public road so having the power low and mid range is far better for me than screaming it!! and I felt the quality of the Suzuki was better than the Honda which had a swing arm that looks like it was off a 125!! and the sub frame join to the rest of the frame also looked cheap compared to the S8 which is a far better looking and practical addition. With regards to value, some people are missing something... The Hornet gets a 2 year warranty so to get it with the same 3 year warranty as the S8 costs an extra £250, the quick shifter £260 so its nowhere way above the Hornet as some suggest.. The other thing that is far better than all the others is if you keep the Suzuki serviced every year you get a renewed FULL Suzuki warranty each year for up to 7 years FOC!!! Had 2 KTM,s a 1290 Adventure and a 390 Duke, both played up and I got rid so never again....My wife had a 390 Duke and that played up too!

Great comparison, especially Simon's chat. I fully agree with the statement about why highlight an already ugly frame in red as Honda have done. In Australia we don't even get any versions of the Hornet with a black frame and here the price difference between the Hornet and 8S is only the equivalent of about 350 quid. I am leaning towards the 8S as is my son in his early 20s whom I can pass the bike onto in a couple of years.

I'm impressed with the review being that it covered lots of points and a brilliant style of all your views comprehensive I'd say ,,but I'll keep my K6GSXR,, I'd like the Suzuki,, small tanks be a sticky point,,,cheers lads Great video thanks 👍☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ from northern Ireland

Interesting chat gentleman! I rode all this bikes and ended up buying a Tuono 660 Factory. Yeah, it does cost quite a bit more, but you get an amazing chassis, brakes and state of the art electronics for, not only for this class, so the price difference is justified in my opinion.

I was looking at mt07, but I had Honda F4I, and GIXXER R6 in my young days. Then I saw XSR900, instant love.

I’ve only ridden the mt-07 but just looking at the specs I think the Honda deserves more even though it doesn’t have the best looks ultimately it sounds the best, performs well, super reliable and very affordable. I would buy the Honda even though my heart is set on inline 4 engines

Service intervals? Maintenance costs? Missed info gents. Nice video.

Triumph Trident and Troon 660 would have been good additions.

Awesome, I was waiting for a review like this. Still haven't watched, but I noticed no trident. I was really looking for a comparison between that and the Honda specifically, they seem to offer similar things, light weight, agile geometry, and punchy high revving engines.

I got an MT 07 and it's one of the best bikes Ive ever owned!!!

Also forgot to mention in my last comment - this 4 way style comparison video was awesome!, you guys need to do some more! Possibly suggestion for next video; keeping with “middleweights” but with slight cc/power step up to this video- so a Triumph ST 765 RS/Ktm 890duke r/Yamaha mt09sp/kawasaki z900

Good 🎉 Day , I’ve been riding the two-wheelers for years now, but I don’t need to be “ Johnny - Racer “ any longer. I’m 6’3” and 230 lbs ….. which BIKE of any class would You recommend for Sporting weekend jaunts that would give more of the old-days UJM Riding Position …… where I do NOT need to rest on my arms and my legs do NOT have to live in a “ GSX-R Pose !!!??? “ This was perhaps the MOST enjoyable and Comprehensive BIKE 🏍️ Review I’ve ever witnessed ….. CHEERS 🍻 !!!!!! Thank You for sharing Your experiences with me !!!! Brian 😎

It's funny, i just looked it up, the GSX8S and hornet are both 100000 dkr here in denmark :-) exv 11500 pound

A few years back I was looking into getting a nice new KTM 1290R. I saved my pennies, waited for the new model year to come out and popped to the dealer. Most of the paperwork done and he came out with "would you like any extras" - I had already got some of the power parts and the Akra in mind so said yes. The next thing he said was "would you like to add the (can't remember the name) pack" which was to unlock wheelie control, rear abs defeat and a couple of other things. Long story short I said thats a deal breaker and he tried to call my bluff by saying he couldn't do anything about it. I walked and two days later he called to say he could get it thrown in as "goodwill". I declined and haven't been back since - nor will I while they continue the ridiculous practice of trying to charge extra to digitally unlock things which are already on the bike and have already had all the cost and development paid. On where they are built - it makes no difference apart from showing intent. If they are building in Japan or other places with high wages they are likely going for quality over price. If they are going to Thailand they are looking for a price cut and my Thai built Honda certainly isn't up to the quality of my Japan built ones - not bad but there are noticable differences in quality. Made in China got a bad name for a reason because the early Chinese built bikes were terrible. I've been to the WK and CF Moto stands at the NEC along with the usual 125cc ones and the general trend seems to be poor welds, uncovered wiring, things not quite lined up properly and really cheap materials. Obviously not all are like that but its certainly a gamble. Anywhere can produce bikes of the same quality but when they do they tend to cost a similar amount. The exeption is when there are subsidies such as state ownership and infrastructure investment. If you need to be told why thats a bad thing when there is a dictatorship in power just ask the workers.

Fully agree that the fuel tanks are just too small on all these type of bikes. Its what’s stopped me upgrading my cb500f as I use it mainly at commuting speeds etc with the occasional country road weekend blast. Great video though

I would choose the Hornet having it either in Yellow or Grey with the Sport and Style pack, add the SC Project exhaust and sports seat it definetly makes it look so much better.

790 had all of the electronics standard when it was more expensive, and likely wasn't made by cfmoto.

Great honest in depth review. More please from all you well respected guys.

I still run my Yamaha Fz6n from 06. It's reasonably quick and in my opinion still good looking. The front forks was never a highlight, but they're getting a rebuild with progressive springs coming winter. ❤ My Fz6n

The Suzuki has proven to be a monster when tuned and upgraded with a better air box and full exhaust. 2WDW is getting 88 whp (around 100 bhp) with the said mods. The actual throttle position is also completely murdered in the higher rev’s on the Suzuki. A tune fixes the issues…