Naked Bike Trends 2026: What's Shaping the Market

Two years after Euro 5+ shook up showrooms, Europe’s motorcycle market is growing again, and naked bikes are right in the middle of it. Here’s what we see shaping the bikes you’ll ride, buy or dream about in 2026 and into 2027.

1. The market is back, and then some

According to the European manufacturers’ association ACEM, motorcycle registrations in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK reached 636,490 in the first half of 2026. That’s up about 16.8% on the year before and 27% above pre-pandemic 2019.

Part of that is a rebound. In 2025 the switch to Euro 5+ pulled sales forward and then left a gap, especially in Germany. Analysts call the jump a mix of real demand and base effect.

One honest caveat: ACEM doesn’t break registrations down by bike type, so nobody can say from these figures alone how much of the growth is nakeds. What the industry does say is that the newcomers, especially from China, are aiming at the naked and adventure segments, because that’s where the volume is.

2. Euro 5+ is the new normal

Since 1 January 2025, every newly registered motorcycle in the EU must meet Euro 5+. The emission limits themselves didn’t get tighter. What changed is the diagnostics: OBD II now has to monitor emissions-relevant parts such as the catalytic converter and flag faults with a warning light.

For riders that means more sensors, more on-board self-checks, and in some cases higher repair bills when one of them fails. For manufacturers it meant updating or dropping older engines. Several air-cooled classics needed work to survive.

3. A2 is a real class now

The A2 licence caps power at 35 kW (about 47.6 hp). For years that meant restricted versions of bigger bikes. Now it means purpose-built machines:

• BMW F 450 R: 420 cc twin, 48 hp, 175 kg, from €6,490 in Germany
• Moto Guzzi The Trip: a parallel-twin naked just under 48 hp, around €6,000 expected
• Norton’s two new 450 singles with 47 hp
• Suzuki SV-7S with a 35 kW version straight from the factory

These aren’t stripped-down starter bikes. They come with TFT screens, riding modes and quality brakes, and they’re light enough to be fun for experienced riders too.

4. Neo-retro has gone mainstream

Round headlights, flat seats and chrome have moved from niche to core range. Kawasaki’s Z900RS (pictured) started this wave in 2017 as a modern homage to the 1972 Z1, and it remains one of the best-known retro nakeds around.

In 2026 Honda added the CB1000F, a 998 cc four with roughly 124 PS and 1980s CB900F styling, from €12,329 in Germany. At the other end, the GB350 S single (21 hp) brought Honda’s air-cooled retro to Europe in 2025. Yamaha keeps refreshing the XSR900, and Royal Enfield is moving up with a 750 cc twin.

The appeal is the same as it always was for naked bikes: simple to look at, easy to live with. Under the tank, though, these are modern machines with ABS, traction control and ride-by-wire.

5. Electronics and automatic clutches trickle down

Features that were superbike-only a decade ago now show up on mid-sized nakeds. The new Suzuki SV-7S gets ride-by-wire, riding modes, traction control and a quickshifter.

Clutchless riding is spreading too. Honda’s E-Clutch lets you pull away and shift without touching the lever, and you can still use the clutch whenever you want. BMW offers its Easy Ride Clutch on the F 450 family. Expect more brands to follow.

6. New names in the showroom

QJMotor, Benda, Zontes, ZXMoto, CFMoto: brands that were barely known in Europe five years ago now fill whole halls at EICMA. Their nakeds aren’t just cheap copies anymore. The Zontes ZT853-R is a 150 hp triple with an aluminium frame and premium brakes and suspension. ZXMoto plans six models for Europe in 2027, including a retro four-cylinder.

For riders that means more choice and price pressure. The open question is long-term parts and dealer support, so check what’s available near you before you buy.

7. More power at the top

At the other extreme, the horsepower race continues. The BMW M 1000 RS (218 hp) and the Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP (214 hp) are the most powerful nakeds you can buy for 2027. Both are limited editions north of €36,000. They’re spectacular, but they’re also proof that “naked” now spans everything from a 21 hp single to a 218 hp superbike without a fairing.

And electric?

Still a niche. Electric motorcycles in the five big markets grew 35% in the first half of 2026, to 18,202 units, but that’s 2.9% of the total. For naked and retro riders, combustion engines remain the default for now.

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What it means for you: whatever you ride, bikes are getting more electronics and longer service intervals, and they’re kept longer. A good record of kilometres, services and costs is worth more than ever, for your own peace of mind and for resale. That’s exactly what NakedRevs is for.