The throbbing motor between your legs as you power on to I-95 just south of Richmond. The sound of your thundering engine asking for more when you climb the Grapevine just north of L.A. “Whoosh” goes the wind as you crest the Continental Divide at Milner Pass in Colorado. These are the moments that make you feel alive.
Waiting for the umpteenth snowfall of the year. Watching the rain course down the windowpane. Shivering your way to the store for cold medicine and a paperback novel. These are the moment that makes you long for the throbbing, the thunder, and the wind.
Gildshire gets it. You feel like its been six years since your last warm-weather bike ride. That’s why this is the perfect time to look forward to the future of motorcycling. These are the new bikes that 2019 has in store. Is your next ride on this list? You better believe it! You aren’t slogging through the snow to the mailbox NOT to get a new motorcycle out of the deal. Let’s pick out one of these new bikes just for you.
Touring: Gildshire’s choice for a long-hauler would be the Indian Roadmaster.
The 2019 model-year Roadmaster offers with 3 riding modes: Sport, Tour, and Standard. Each mode adapts the throttle response map to the rider’s individual ride’s needs.
A long ride needs quality tunes. To that end, Indian improved the Roadmaster’s audio system by separating the tweeter and mid-range. They also added a dynamic equalizer that can be custom-tuned.
Last but not least, Indian singled out its Roadmaster for a fairing update, redesigned for maximized airflow.
The Roadmaster combines performance and comfort better than most new bikes we have seen.
Scramblers: Gildshire’s choice in this segment is the Triumph Scrambler Bonneville 1200.
We aren’t alone in looking forward to this one. Triumph marketed the dickens out of their latest segment entry and dropped two new Scramblers in October 2018. The Bonneville 1200 is equipped with a unique “scrambler tuning system” that provides stump-extracting torque for better-than-ever off-road go-get-em’. It receives high-tech instrumentation, cruise control, LED lights, USB power sockets, keyless ignition, and multiple riding modes. In other words, the newest and the best we have come to expect from new bikes.
Entry Level: Gildshire’s advice for novice riders is to check out the Suzuki SV650X.
The SV650 is known for being a straightforward, easy-to-get-on motorcycle with enough guts to be fun. It provides first-time riders with a good starting point toward a bigger bike and, (let’s face it,) 650cc is a pretty good sized powerplant for beginners. For 2019, the stateside market sees the SV650X fitted with clip-ons, and a tuck-and-roll saddle, along with a rounded cowl.
Off-Road: Gildshire’s choice in this segment is the KTM 790 Adventure and Adventure R.
Off the highway, KTM has it going on. Motocross is the brand’s stock-in-trade, so we waited in rapt anticipation for the next new thing. Coming to the arena of new bikes for 2019 is the hardy and all-new 790 Adventure and 790 Adventure R. Both models derive the benefits of Duke’s 799cc parallel twin engine, tuned for off-roading fun and performance. While one would not expect an impressive fuel economy in this segment, KTM claims 280 miles of range out of a 20-liter tank.
Of course, there’s much more in the local showroom. But, if you are laid up with a bad back, or watching the snow fall outside your window, this should get you started on your dreams of new bikes to adorn your driveway.
